MANILA — Never underestimate the power of nostalgia — or a good barbecue.

When siblings Krizzie and Ian Syfu were planning to open a restaurant at the family’s property on Kamagong Street in Makati, they decided to go for a more trendy concept and even hired in-demand chef Kel Zaguirre of Locavore fame to create the menu.

The result is EATS 9707, a comfortable rooftop restaurant-bar on the sixth floor of the building on Makati’s quieter, more industrial San Antonio Village serving modernized Japanese street food.

Yet customers who know the Syfus would always ask them if they still serve “the barbecue.”

That’s because their family used to own Syfu's Grill and this particular spot was where this Kamagong favorite once proudly stood many years ago.

The legend of Syfu’s barbecue actually started even much earlier. Lasallians of a certain age will always have fond memories of eating barbecue — and the rather unusual barbecue sandwich (using a hotdog bun) — at the parking lot of De La Salle University-Taft that eventually became McDonald’s in the mid-1980s.

Krizzie admitted that they did consider reopening Syfu’s but they went for a totally different concept instead. But since there is a clamor for the barbecue, they decided to just include it in the menu along with Syfu’s chicken wings.

Served as a platter consisting of five sticks (P250), Syfu’s pork barbecue is oozing in flavor such that Lasallians would use vinegar to cut through the richness. Go ahead and order rice if you want or you can also enjoy them as a standalone bar chow. During our visit, the sandwich option was still not on the table — but who knows?

But there is really so much more to EATS 9707 than Syfu’s barbecue. Zaguirre has come up with a menu that covers all the bases, whether you’re celebrating with your drinking buddies, pigging out with the friends or family or just relaxing after a stressful day at work.

The Japanese imprint are all over the menu. While Zaguirre included bar chow and street food from all over the world from poutine and nachos to Pinoy sisig (it offers both a pork and a tofu version), the house specials are playful takes on popular items that are unmistakably Japanese.

Here are six dishes that we enjoyed at EATS 9707 (apart from the barbecue, of course):

Truffle Popcorn & Nuts (P180)

If you just want something to munch on, this extravagant take on the humble movie snack should more than suffice. Freshly popped popcorn is flavored with truffle butter and truffle honey then mixed with Japanese edamame and furikake. Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBN News

Spam Masubi Bites (P220)

This popular Hawaiian snack gets a total makeover. Instead of a block of Spam on sushi rice and wrapped in nori, Zaguirre turned them into rice balls then deep-fried and served with Japanese barbecue sauce and mayo. Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBN News

Salpicado (P400)

This take on the Pinoy favorite is another dish that can be enjoyed as bar chow or with rice. The soft-to-the-bite tenderloin cubes arrive on the table in a skillet cooked in Kikkoman sauce, red wine and Worcestershire sauce and served with some garlic confit. You may want to order two when dining in a group. Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBN News

STCO (P300)

EAT 9707’s playful character really shows in this fusion dish. Instead of pork, Spam slices were use for the katsu in this Japanese curry omurice. But it’s the creamy egg that really makes this dish a must-order — even if you came here just for drinks. Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBN News

Syfu’s Katsu Burger (P390)

This early, I’d nominate this one as new burger of the year. Admittedly, this doesn’t look as appetizing as it looks like a chicken burger. That’s because the wagyu patty was crusted and fried like katsu. But all doubts vanish once you bite into that juicy patty. The cheddar and wasabi mayo gave it a different character and perfectly matched with the fries and sriracha aioli. Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBN News

Banana Rum Cake (P200)

This was my personal favorite among the three desserts we tried (the other two were the banana tempura, which is like an upscale maruya with a classy chocolate-espresso sauce; and the azuki-bean waffle sandwich, which was quite filling.) This cake had just the right richness and sweetness and nicely paired with vanilla ice cream. Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBN News

EAT 9707 is located at 9707 Kamagong St., Makati City.