Binge Session at Kanin Club

It has been an insanely busy week for our catering business; and so, I am deeply mortified by my lack of posts this month.  My only excuse is that we had to cater to close to 5,000 people in a span of 5 days.  What few days I've had after that hectic week has been spent hibernating... and working some more.  Boo.  We were all operating on 2 to 4 hours of sleep per day but somehow we managed to pull through til the end.  So workaholics that we are, we scheduled a meeting with Anj, a consultant of ours and a very good friend of mine, last Saturday, which was just a day after our said hellish week.

I don't know how I managed to get myself out of bed, but I had enough of my wits about me to bring all the necessary paperwork for our meeting and my trusty camera.  It was supposed to be a simple meeting over lunch at Kanin Club.  I had no plans of blogging about what we were about to eat since all my energy was focused on staying awake.  It was a good thing that I'd developed a habit, akin to a muscle reflex, of taking pictures of everything I eat because our lunch at Kanin Club turned out to be not so ordinary after all.

I managed to drag my bleary-eyed self to Technohub 15 minutes past our agreed time.  Yuri was late too by association.  Teehee.  My bad.  He was ready an hour before we were supposed to leave as always.  Lucky for me, our other business partner and Anj had a hard time getting out of bed too so it ended up that we all got there at almost the same time.

Our team was in a celebratory mood, and since we had Anj with us as well, we decided to reward ourselves by ordering A LOT of food.

Among us, Anj was the only one who had eaten there before.  She enthusiastically recommended that we try one of her fave dishes, which was the Sinigang rice.

Sinangag na Sinigang Php 179.00

I wasn't sure what I was expecting but it certainly didn't look like anything I had imagined.  The crispy kankong (water spinach) topping, the "sinigang risotto", and the pork liempo slices wrapped around the rice had my interest piqued and I was excited to try it.  This deconstructed dish is an interesting take on pork sinigang and you can definitely pick out all the key flavors.  The rice was cooked in the sinigang broth with an extra helping of tomatoes, so the tartness and full-bodied taste of the soup was definitely there.  The portion size  was more than enough for three, but Anj and I needed no help in wolfing this plate down.

Yuri wanted to stay away from meat, so he picked out the Stuffed Squid.
 

Stuffed Squid Php 224.00

It was definitely a sight to behold.  It looked so pretty on the plate.  The squid was tender enough and the batter was crunchy.  The sweet sauce had hints of oyster sauce in it.  The menu says the squid was stuffed with chives but I'm pretty sure it was some sort of spinach.  I just wish the stuffing had some sort of flavor to it instead of it just being plainly blanched.  The dish would've been phenomenal if they did something special to the stuffing.

Itsi Bitsi Php 224.00

We were trying to sort of erm eat "healthy" so we decided to order one veggie dish.  We went for the Itsi Bitsi just because the name was quirky.  It was described in their menu as "It's sitaw, bitsuelas, and sigarilyas sauteed with beef.", hence the name.  They get plus points for trying to be funny, and they got us to order the dish anyway so that counts for something.  The vegetables were rolled in cornstarch and then deep-fried before it was cooked with the beef.  It was simply seasoned but really tasty. 

Binukadkad na Tilapia Php 246.00

You can never go wrong tilapia.  This dish is always a hit.  Deep-fried butterflied tilapia served with soy sauce.  It was fried perfectly.  I could've literally eaten the whole thing bones and all.

Now this is what the Kanin Club is known for.  Dinuguan a.k.a pork blood stew is a truly unique and exotic Filipino dish.  Kanin Club has somehow made dinuguan friendlier and more accessible to people who'd usually cringe at the thought of eating dinuguan.  The blood sauce part is non-negotiable of course, but instead of using offals, they've decided to use choice cuts of pork cooked chicharon-style.  It was a lovely surprise!  You'd never guess it underneath all that sauce.  I'm ashamed to admit that I have been unable to conquer my squemishness for dinuguan ever since I watched my lola cook it from scratch when I was a kid.  But I've been told that many people have ventured to eat dinuguan for the first time at Kanin Club and loved it.  So I gave it my best shot.

Crispy Dinuguan Php 261.00

More than anything, it's the visual of the thick dark blood gravy that psyches me out the most.  I had to close my eyes, like the big baby that I am, before taking a bite.  Once I was past the visual hurdle,  I could properly appreciate the crunchy chicharon together with the slightly tart sauce.  Yep this was my first bite of dinuguan in a loooooong time and it wasn't so bad was as delicious as any bowl of dinuguan could be. LOL.  So, if you're sampling this dish for the first time, then I must insist that you try it here.

To say that we reached a milestone in our business is gross understatement.  That's the most we've catered to  EVER.  So that pig out session at Kanin club was well-deserved.  :-)  I'm crossing my fingers and hoping we have more stressful weeks like those!



Address:  U.P. AyalaLand Technohub, Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City, Metro Manila
Tel. No. : (02) 332-5978
Other Branches:  Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati
                              Westgate Center, Alabang
                              Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna


~Mich :)

Death by Crispy Pata at Fely J's

Last week, we took our aunt who's visiting from the U.S. out to dinner. She came home for my wedding last year and now she's back for my cousin's wedding (which is gonna happen next week!).  My aunt's a hardcore foodie and every time I went to visit her in the US, I'd gain 5 to 10 pounds in just a couple of days!

She and her husband are such amazing cooks and food scientists. You can imagine the feast they put out for us each time I or any of our relatives visit.  It was our turn to pay her back.
 
She had been craving for Filipino food so we immediately thought of Fely J's since she hadn't been to the Greenbelt area yet on this particular trip.

This was my second time going to Fely J's.  Oddly enough, the first time around (which was a year ago), I didn't really get to enjoy the food.  I left the place unimpressed.  It could be because at that time, I was too busy chatting up a storm since we were entertaining my dad's British friend.  Or could it be that the cooking and the ingredients got better since then?  I'll never know for sure. 

Anyways, we, meaning my family and I, were willing to give the place another shot. 

So here I am, a year later, paying homage to some of Fely J's signature dishes.  We ate A LOT of food but I'll only be featuring those extra special dishes that we extremely enjoyed.

My dad's side of the family is Kapampangan, so we figured my aunt would enjoy the camaru/camaro at Fely J's.

Camaru Mekeni Php 240.00

They had removed the legs of the camaro, and stir-fried it over high heat in a savory sauce.  Everyone at the table was raving about it, even Yuri!  Everyone agreed to that it was even better than the camaro at the famous Everybody's Cafe in Pampanga, which is also where I tasted camaro for the first time way back when.  I let my Kapampangan family down though haha!  I psyched myself out.  I shouldn't have stared at the crickets for too long before biting into it.  I felt the crunch and squish and I was done.  LOL.  But yeah I did love the sauce and if you're up to the challenge and would like to sample this unique Kapampangan delicacy, then I'd suggest you start at Fely J's.  They remove the legs you see, and the sizes of the camaro are consistent and small.  It's pretty hard to stare down a fully-grown cricket much less chew on it if you know what I mean.

Piniritong Hito Php 255.00

I went ahead and chose another traditional Kampampangan dish for the group.  This is one of my favorites.  Deep fried hito (catfish), served with mustasa (mustard) leaves on the side, and balo-balo.  Balo-balo/binurong hipon is essentially rice and shrimp that's cooked together, placed in a jar and fermented for 3 days or more.  One of my aunts on my dad side sells balo-balo at the Salcedo market.  Her balo-balo definitely packs a punch!  Fely J's version was very mild in taste and virtually odorless which is surprising.  My basis for comparison of course would be the balo-balo cooked by my relatives at family reunions and what not.  Now those were real stink bombs.  My dad had us microwave it one time and I tell you our whole block smelled like balo-balo.  Anyway it really is an acquired taste... errrr and odor, but once you get the hang of it, it really livens up your food.  It adds a certain kick and character to your meal, what with it's slight tartness and aged taste.  It goes really well with bitter vegetables and works well in removing that certain fishy taste in some dishes.  Again, a good place to start for newbies would be at Fely J's (or Abe which is their sister resto). 

Crispy Patang Bawang Php 575.00

Finally, we come to the highlight of the night.  The crispy pata a.k.a crispy pork leg!  It's a simple dish really, but savored by Filipinos everywhere.  Fely J's Crispy Patang Bawang (crispy garlic pork leg) really is one of the best ones I've tasted in a long long time.  Tita Gina felt the same way and she is one crispy pata connoisseur.  The skin was oh so crunchy and the meat was moist and flaky.  Everything was seasoned nicely and this particular crispy pata had more meat to it that fat, which I luuuuurve.  The ingredient that truly made this dish stand out was the garlic.  The crispy pata was drowned with loads and loads of chopped fried garlic.  Mmmmmmmmm.  I'm crazy about garlic so I went wild for this dish.  I usually don't eat that much pork anymore but I couldn't pass up on this.  Tita Gina and I decimated the dish!  The served it with their special dipping sauce which probably consisted of soy sauce, calamansi juice, chopped onions, chopped garlic and a little bit of chopped chili.  This made every bite that much more sinful.  I had the soundest sleep that night.  My body felt all warm and lethargic after all the crispy pata I consumed!  Haha.  A crispy pata coma as my hubby would call it. 

I washed the whole meal down with a really jazzed up glass of sago't gulaman.  It's an especially pricey glass of sago't gulaman but it does make for an authentic experience.

Sago't Gulaman Php 95.00

A meal at Fely J's may strain your wallet but if you stick to their signature Pinoy dishes, and steer clear from their the Asian ones, the trip will be well worth it.  I heard that their KKK (kare-kare) is spectacular and the same goes for the Lamb Kaldereta.  Other interesting things to try too would be Fely J's Dilis-cious Rice and the Biringhe.  Me?  I know what I'm coming back for.  I've completely fallen in love with the crispy pata.  There is no other crispy pata I'd rather block my arteries with than the one at Fely J's. :)



Address: 2/F Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. #: 728-8858

Trip to the "Kubo" at Bali Gulp

I know I haven't been featuring much of Filipino food.  Honestly, it's just hard for me to find a restaurant that measures up to my mom's good ol' home cooked Filipino dishes.  So I only write about if it's really different (something my mom doesn't make), or if it really blows my mom's cooking out of the water (hehe sorry mom!).

Well I discovered something special in Antipolo.  I've been hearing about this place from Ku, my brother-in-law, and our friend Parc.  They call it the "Kubo".  They've been raving about the food there for a while now.  Apparently they aren't alone because a lot of golfers hang out here too after hitting the greens at Valley Golf.

So one night, Ku brought us to this "Kubo".  Gullible me thought that that was really the name of the resto.  It was something a lot more interesting.. 

Welcome to Bali Gulp.  It's right beside the entrance to Valley Golf.  Hence the quirky name.  And yes the resto is made out of different sizes of "kubos" perched on different levels too, to accommodate both big and small groups.  So you get your own private hut while dining here. 

For starters I ordered a buko drink.  I thought I'd counteract our pig out session with something healthy.

Whole fresh Buko (Coconut) Php 45.00

Now I've been hearing about their Ginataang Suso dish.  The Pinoy escargot.  Ku is a HUGE fan of this dish.  I have to admit that I am a bit squemish about anything with snails in it.

Ginataang Suso Php 125.00

The last time I ate this was when I was a teenager and it was only because my whole family loves this dish.  They can't have enough of it.

I supposed that it was time to give it another shot.  Just like Andrew Zimmern, my motto in life is to try everything at least twice.  So I gathered all my courage, took a deep breath, grabbed a snail, closed my eyes, and ate it the hard core way... by sucking it (the snail) out of it's shell.  My mom says that the lady-like way to go about it would be to pick out the snail with a toothpick before biting into it.  But that would mean that I'd have to actually SEE the snail first.  Erm no thank you.  It was as chewy and slightly rubbery as I remembered, but it wasn't as horrific as I thought it would be.  I'd like to think that my taste buds have matured a bit since my teenage years. Or it could be that I just got a whole lot braver!  Good thing I drowned my snail in the sauce because the sauce was lovely.  A sweet-ish reduction of ginger, garlic, and leeks.

Sinigang na Baka sa Bayabas Php 245.00

 Next up we had the Sinigang na Baka sa Bayabas.  This reminded me a lot of my lola's cooking.  She always loved to use guavas picked out from a nearby tree for our sinigang, but I've never had beef with it so that was a nice twist.  It was hearty and the guava really comes through in the broth.

Crispy Chicken Wings Php 130.00

Fried chicken has very much become a part of Filipino cuisine.  Pinoys LOVE all things chicken.  It's no wonder Jollibee, Mcdonald's, KFC, Max's, Andok's, etc., are making billions.  This tasted like really good home cooked chicken.  Slightly salty (since it's meant to be eaten with loads of rice) and oh-so-crispy!

Crispy Tawilis Php110.00

Yuri's (and both our dad's) personal favorite is the Crispy Tawilis.  It's freshwater sardines found only in the Philippines.  The good ones are the really tiny ones.  When they're fried right, you can eat the whole thing, bones and all, because everything's just crunchy.

Sizzling Stuffed Pusit Php 280.00

Now for the piéce de resistance. This is the main reason why I'm featuring Bali Gulp.  This dish is aaaa-ma-zing!  Hmmm where do I begin.  Sizzling plates always puts my senses into overdrive so that was a good place to start.  First off, the squid was cooked to perfection.  It was tender and had the perfect bite.  The squid was stuffed with chopped tomatoes, onions, butter, CHEESE, and then bathed in butterrrrrr.  It was delicious and fresh-tasting because of the tomatoes. It was definitely the highlight of my meal.  I'm coming back for this you can bet on it!

Now I've made myself hungry.  I'm off to have lunch!  Have a great weekend everyone!



Address: Sumulong Highway, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Antipolo City
Contact Nos.: 240 5534, 396-3104

Authentic Ilocano Fix at Maria's Ilocos Empanada

Yesterday was one of those really unlucky days.  We ran out of food at home, ran out of cash, and Ku ran out of gas ( his first time ever!).  The only cure to days when Murphy's Law seems to be in full effect, is to laugh.  We were too tired to do anything else anyway.

Ku (my brother-in-law) and I decided to make ourselves feel better by going to his (and now mine too) favorite Ilocos Empanada place.  He and my younger brother-in-law, Lex, were the ones who introduced me to Maria's Ilocos Empanada.  As it happens, Maria's is just a five-minute drive from where we live.  Whenever they'd go out to get their Ilocos empanada fix, they'd bring one home for me too. :-)  So yesterday was my first time to actually go and check out the place.

It's on the first floor of a brand new building along Regalado Street.  They just recently moved to this location but they've been operating for three years now, which is no small feat.

This day wasn't completely inauspicious after all, because by sheer coincidence, it was their 3rd year anniversary yesterday and they were giving away free ice cream!  It was an unexpected treat and a welcome reprieve from the unbearable afternoon heat.

Ube an Cheese Ice Cream Sticks

We went ahead and ordered two empanadas (Double Longganisa with Egg) to-go.

It was my first time seeing their full menu.  It was interesting to find out that they offer rice meals as well (which I'm definitely coming back for!).  They also sell longganisa, bagnet, sukang Iloko, and Chichacorn.  Who would've guessed that a quick and authentic Ilokano fix was just a stone's throw away from our house?  Well... yeah Ku and Lex did.

I always enjoy watching my food being prepared so watching my empanada take form was fun!

They first filled the wrapper with longganisa and their mix of veggies.

Then, they cracked an egg in the middle of the wrapper and then sealed the empanada.  After that it was deep-fried and then placed on a rack for the oil to drip.

We rushed home to enjoy our Ilocos empanada together with the sukang Iloko that came with it.

Double Longganisa with Single Egg Ilocos Empanada Php 60.00

The orange-colored pastry wrapper when fried becomes nice and crispy.  The longganisa stuffing was savory and had hints of garlic, which is characteristic of Ilokano longganisa.  The veggies add a subtle sweetness and crunch to the stuffing.  The longganisa, veggies, and egg make this a complete and satisfying meal.  It doesn't hurt that it's affordable too.  Mmmmmm good stuff. :-)   




Address: 41 Regalado St., Fairview, Quezon City 1100
Hours: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Sunday
Tel. #: 806-9357

Filipino-Spanish Cuisine at Sulyap Gallery Cafe

Last Thursday my mom successfully bribed me and Yuri into going with her to San Pablo, Laguna to take pictures of the farm lot that my dad and her are trying to sell.  The price?  Lunch.  That's always how it has been with me and my mom.  She hates to do her errands on her own (who can blame her) so she'd bribe me with a food stop in between so that I'd go with her.  Truth is, I'd go with her anyway even without the tempting restaurant stops, but it just made getting out of bed early a lot easier and pain-free.  I'm not the cheeriest person in the morning, you see.

The usual bribes were Taco Bell's Crunchy Wrap, Jollibee's Chickenjoy meal, Mcdonald's nuggets and fries, Figaro's Al Tonno Pasta, Cibo's Rigatoni Al'Afonso, and Omakase's or Teriyaki Boy's Shake Sashimi just to name a few.  These were the kinds of dishes that she knew knows I can't resist.  Appetite trumps laziness ALWAYS.

On that fateful Thursday, the bribe was a trip to Sulyap Gallery Cafe.  Sulyap is the Filipino word for "glimpse".  It was literally a glimpse into the past.  A peek into the days of Maria Clara outfits and kalesas.

The cafe is in a traditional Spanish colonial house, which was transported piece by piece from Quezon, and refurbished to it's former glory in San Pablo.  The 2-storey cafe is just a teeny tiny part of a huge compound that houses a massive art gallery building and a quaint B&B that they're still putting together.  My mom loves the place because it reminds her of her grandmother's old house, which she says is a spitting image of the cafe.

It feels like being thrown back to a time when things were less hurried and afternoons were savored with long siestas.  I had never felt so relaxed in a loooong time.  The sound of the breeze rustling through the bamboo leaves surrounding the restaurant just added to the sleepy and relaxed ambience.  During the two hours we spent there, I forgot about my never-ending list of things to do and our hectic schedule back in Metro Manila.

I found out that 3 architects own the place, which explains why every piece of furniture and accent decor in the cafe seemed well thought out.

We were planning on having a light lunch but that quickly changed.  It took 15 minutes for our food to arrive but that didn't matter since we were too busy ooh-ing and aahh-ing over the house.

Calamares & Chips Php 280.00

We started off with an order of their Calamares and Chips.  Deep-fried breaded squid strips with their homemade "fries" and a side of garlic dip.  The calamares was nice and crispy.  I liked that the garlic dip was subtle in flavor.  The chips were a bit soggy and could've used a few more minutes in the fryer, but nonetheless, they were fun to eat.

Kulawong Puso ng Saging Php 310.00

We were advised to order the Kulawong Puso ng Saging since it is a regional dish of San Pablo City and also one of Sulyap's specialties.  I was an instant fan!  You can choose between the puso ng saging (banana heart) or the talong (eggplant).  We went for the puso ng saging (the original recipe).  The strips of puso ng saging were simmered and reduced in smoked coconut milk and a dash of vinegar.  The resulting flavor was intense and rich.  I imagine the eggplant would work out just as well for this recipe.  It's then topped with slices of grilled pork liempo which completes this hearty dish.  It would've tasted just like a regular Ginataang Puso ng Saging, except that the smokiness of the coconut milk comes through distinctly in this dish.  It takes it to another level.  This dish is good for 3 persons and is best enjoyed with steamed white rice.  Mmmmmm.

Crispy Tilapia Php 270.00

We also ordered their butterflied deep-fried Crispy Tilapia.  It's my favorite way of eating a whole tilapia.  Since it's nice and cruchy, I can literally eat the entire fish... even the head.   Haha.  I did my dad proud that day.  No slices of sanitized fillets here.  The tilapia comes with a side of extra gingery oyster sauce.

All in all, the food was pleasant and the servers were courteous and unobtrusive.  Sulyap is a bit pricey but the ambience is well-worth it.  Another must-try is their Kare-kareng Sugpo which we didn't get to sample since we were quite stuffed with the food we had ordered.

The dish that really stood out for us was the Kulawong Puso ng Saging.  This proves that there's more to Filipino food that just lumpia, pansit, and adobo.  Don't get me wrong, lumpia, pansit and adobo are awesome, but there are hundreds of other regional Filipino dishes out there that are waiting to be discovered and reintroduced to the world.  Sulyap is definitely on to something here.  The traditional house and the food commemorate a time that is slowly being forgotten.  I'm glad that Sulyap is trying to preserve and recapture it. :-)



Address: Old Cocoland Compound, Del Remedio (Wawa), San Pablo, Laguna Province
Hours: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM everyday
Contact #: (6349) 562-8059

Buko-Melon Ice Pops

Summer's here and I'm dreading the Manila heat.  It can get pretty unbearable at times, but luckily Filipinos have devised a simple solution to get around the scorching weather.  For my very first Pinoy Foodista cooking challenge entry, I decided to make an age-old treat that transcends all Philippine social classes and age groups.  This is my take on the classic "Ice Candy".  I'm calling mine Buko-Melon Ice Pops instead.

My Lola used to own a sari-sari store and I used to hang out there A LOT as a kid.  It was called "3R Variety Store".  "3R" stood for my mom's and her two siblings' names which all starts with the letter R.  A truly Filipino way of naming things.  My Lola's store was one of the biggest wholesale sari-sari stores in Rosario (Pasig).  During my pre-teen years, I was there during most of my weekends and school breaks to supposedly give her a hand.  I fear I might've been more of a liability than anything else.  I'm quite sure that I ate and drank my fair share of her paninda.  I'd hijack her Sarsi, Marie biscuits, Presto Creams, and ice candies on a regular basis!

During the summertime, the sari-sari store would be overrun with kids buying ice candy.  They'd buy at least one ice candy every two to three hours.  The popular flavors were chocolate, orange, buko, and melon.  Chocolate was always the first to go.  Us (my younger brother and I) being the spoiled apos that we were, would just grab any one from my Lola's freezer whenever we felt like it.  We'd home in on the ice candies on those especially wilting afternoons.  These ice candies provided a much-needed reprieve and a welcome break from playing and running around all day outside; as we were prone to do when we were dropped off at our grandparents' place.  So yeah I'm dedicating this post to my Lola (and rightfully so).  Thanks for putting up with us, spoiling us silly, and giving us such priceless childhood memories! 

I've always loved fruits, so for this challenge, I'm combining two all-time Pinoy favorites in my ice pops; buko (coconut) and melon (cantaloupe).  Two equally refreshing ingredients that are staple desserts/snacks/beverages especially on hot days.

Buko-Melon Ice Pops

Makes approximately 12 ice pops.

• Coconut, shredded
• Cantaloupe, shredded 
• 1 1/2 C coconut juice
• 1 1/2 C water
• 3/4 C white sugar
• 1 T evaporated milk
• 12 12 oz. cups, cut in half
• 12 wooden spoons/popsicle sticks

Mix cantaloupe, coconut meat, coconut juice, water, sugar, and evaporated milk in a large pitcher stirring until combined.  Divide the shredded cantaloupe, coconut, and liquid into the molds.  Place them in the freezer for about 2-21/2 hours, or until semi-frozen.  Once the ice pops are semi-frozen, stick the wooden spoons (it was what I had on hand at the time but you may use popsicle sticks too) in the middle of each plastic cup and then return the ice pops to the freezer for another 4 hours or until frozen solid.

I had planned on using our old popsicle mold (Kool-aids) from way back when, but to my dismay, I recently found out that my mom already sold off the molds at one of our many garage sales.  Boo.  That was completely unexpected!  I had to push through with the project though and get creative.  I decided to use plastic cups as molds instead to still get my "ice pop" look.  You could also opt to use ice candy plastic bags instead and save yourself the trouble. 

Buko-melon ice pops are definitely refreshing, healthy, and inexpensive desserts.  The coconut juice adds another layer of flavor and somehow helps quench my thirst better.  The coconut and melon shreds gives this simple ice dessert texture, and reinforces the freshness of the ingredients.  These treats are lifesavers and it wouldn't hurt to stock a few in your freezer especially during these summer months. :)

Please click here to vote for my summer creation and here to find out more about Pinoy Foodista.  Thanks!

A Filipino Christmas is Violet and Yellow

So we were driving home after our jogging stint in UP when we passed by the go-to puto bumbong/bibingka lady inside our village.  It's just a makeshift tent (with no name) on the sidewalk of the main street (Sampaguita St.) with three palayok (clay pot)  burners for the bibingkas.  The smoldering coal just beckons to passersby with a promise of freshly-cooked traditional Filipino snacks.  Since I only moved into the area when Yuri and I got married, which was 5 months ago, I've only heard stories of this fabled puto bumbong and bibingka stall.  Yuri and my brother-in-law rave about them all the time.  Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to sample any of their tasty treats since they opened in December.  Yuri and I were completely slammed with catering gigs last December, so we always got home late.  Each time we drove by Sampaguita St., the stall would already be closed OR on the off-chance that we did make it home early-ish we'd see cars queued up along the sidewalk waiting for their bibingka and/or puto bumbong orders.  During those times we were just too out of it to wait and line-up.

So earlier, we were pleasantly surprised to see that the stall was still open, especially being it past December and all.  Puto bumbong/ bibingka stalls are usually already closed by this time of the year so we thought for sure that our village lady had disappeared by now.

I was not passing this rare opportunity up.  I demanded asked Yuri to turn the car around so that we could FINALLY buy some.  The ones I sampled during the Christmas season were really icky versions of the two said snacks.  It made me feel like something was still missing from my Christmas experience... up until today that is. :) You see, puto bumbong and bibingka are the quitessential Filipino Christmas delicacies.  The scent of puto bumbong and bibingka from the street vendors marks the nearing of the holiday season just as snow does for the Western world.

We ended up buying one of each.  It's just an easy two-minute drive from the stall to our house so they were still hot when we got there.  

Puto Bumbong is simply a bamboo-steamed rice cake topped with muscovado sugar and shredded coconut.  I got mine for Php 40.00.  It's simply galapong (glutinous) rice soaked (and then dried) overnight with violet food coloring.  The rice mixture is then placed inside the bumbong (bamboo tubes) and then cooked in the lansungan (heat steamer) which is filled with water and pandan leaves.  A laborious process that is usually taken for granted by most Filipinos.

The rice cake itself is lightly seasoned bordering on bland.  The muscovado sugar and shredded coconut complete this snack.  I just love the velvety and gooey texture of puto bumbong.  Vendors usually add a good dose of margarine on top of the puto bumbong but mine had only a touch of it which I prefer.  It's shelf life is just 2 days.  This isn't a big deal at all since everyone I know eats it on the spot or at least as soon as they get home.

A bibingka is a soft and spongy cake made with rice flour, coconut milk, and eggs.  It's usually cooked with slices of salted egg in the middle and then topped with shredded coconut.  The cake is cooked in banana leaves with pre-heated coals under and above it giving it a wonderful smoky char on both sides.  The heady aroma of toasted banana leaves is also something to look forward to.  The smell immediately filled up the whole car as soon as my bibingka was handed to me.  It's really fluffy and moist when done right and best eaten while it's still piping hot.  This cost me Php 60.00 which I was happy to spend.

These two delicacies are intrinsic to Filipino family traditions.  I always get warm fuzzy feelings when I get to eat them.  Simple, hearty, and uniquely Filipino fare.

I'm hoping that they're still open til the end of February.  Crossing my fingers.  Or at least until I get back from my Kalibo trip.  Which reminds me... I need to start packing.  Ugh.  Well, good night then.

Lumpiang Sariwa Done Right

Kuya's Special Lumpiang Sariwa (Filipino-style fresh spring rolls). The only place that completely satisfies my lumpiang sariwa craving!

I got to taste my first Kuya's Lumpiang Sariwa at the Vira Mall Food Court (Greenhills). When I went up to their stall and saw that they were only selling just one product, which I thought at the time was insane, I knew had to try it. Selling only lumpiang sariwa is a pretty bold move.

Anyway I tried it and was a convert! Okay fiiine, they were on to something here. For P 42 pesos you get this and two generous servings of their sweet-garlicky lumpia sauce.
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The lettuce leaf they use to wrap the vegetable filling in is always fresh and crunchy. The filling is an assortment of sauteed vegetables (mainly ubod, carrots, and sayote). The secret to the success of this lumpia is the seaweed seasoning they put inside the lumpia together with the cut up crunchy-fried rice noodles. It just adds a whole new layer to the flavor and the texture of the dish. I LOVE seaweed, be it fresh or dried.

See all the good stuff I was talking about? Mmmmmm.

It also has a sprinkling of ground roasted peanuts and fried crunchy garlic bits inside the lumpia. It works really well with their sauce and just brightens the flavors in your mouth. Another thing I like about their lumpia is that the wrapper is nice and thin. Other wrappers are a bit too thick and tough which ruins the whole dish.

Their stall in Vira Mall has closed down.  Bummer.  I've been feeling down since I found out.  Maybe I should've bought more lumpia.  Good news is, I found out last week that they had another stall at the SM Fairview Food Court which is just 10 minutes from where I live so YAY!

I'm on my way there now. :)

On SLEX, Binagoongan, and Palabok

[Disclaimer:  This entry is just a bunch of ramblings written by a stressed-out  and frazzled girl who'll probably realize in the morning that this whole entry makes no sense.  I apologize in advance.]
 
Earlier today we took a field trip to the south to run some errands and do a little business.  That trip took up half of my day... 4 hours of which were spent sitting in heavy SLEX traffic.  Boo.  This is exactly why we try to avoid doing events in that area as much as we can because the traffic over there is unpredictable (at least to me).  Unlike in Makati, Pasig, and QC where I have learned to perfectly estimate our travel time no matter what time of day it is.

While stuck in traffic I saw this huge billboard of Max's Binagoongan.  I suppose it's one of their new products they're trying to push.  For some reason it got me salivating.  Odd since I'm not really a Max girl.  I guess it was because of the way the dish was glazed in the picture and the fact that it was all I could see for about 30 minutes.  Since we're talking about Max's, I used to be a big fan of their  fried chicken... that was until I discovered why their chicken's so addicting.  The secret ingredient?  Pork lard.  Deadly stuff, but nonetheless really tasty.  Anyway, it got me wanting to eat any sort of Pinoy food.  Hmmm... well it made sense in my head at the time.  

This got me thinking.  Which is the best Filipino restaurant you've been to?  One that serves well-done Pinoy food that blows you away?  One that you can rave about for hours on end?

The first restaurant that immediately comes to mind is Abe.  It's not phenomenal, but their flavors are really good and they try to put their own twist on their dishes as much as they can.  My Dad's side of the family is Kapampangan and my grandmother on that side really was an amazing cook.  My titas have given it its stamp of approval so that says something.   Moving on, KKK is... meh.  And service is terribly slow.  Felipe J's apparently is a sister restaurant of Abe.  I would never have guessed.  The ambience is elegant (the perfect place for power lunches) I'll give them that, but their food underwhelms me especially for the price.

I also know that there are a lot of Cafe Juanita fans out there.  I tried my best to see where the hype was coming from but I'm continuously left dumbfounded.  Their portions, plating, and flavor are nothing to boast about.  I know I'm not picky.  Ask anyone close to me.  I'm the easiest person to please when it comes to food.  Maybe it's because I've been spoiled with my food at home.  I really don't know.

So I wonder?  Which is the best Filipino restaurant of all time?  Maybe I just haven't been exposed to the right restaurants yet.  I'd love try though.  For all I know, it's probably just me, myself and I reading this blog.  But if there's someone else out there who managed to stumble upon my dilemma I'd love a few suggestions.

Anyone?

Guess not.  It was worth a shot though.  Good night world.