New York

Maharlika Filipino Moderno

New York has its fair share of Filipino eateries, and Maharlika Filipino Moderno on First Avenue is one of the best. Diners here can tuck into delicious, fresh dishes that reflect the flavours of the Philippines, presented with contemporary elegance and flare. Offerings include the Filipino speciality of balut, which is a fertilised duck egg, and lechon kuwali, a plate of salt-cured crispy pork belly served with seasonal market greens. If you’re after a pork feast, indulge in Pampangan-style sizzling sisig, a combination of pig ears, snout, cheek and belly cooked three ways.

Grill 21

Another Big Apple eatery that has established itself firmly on the US Filipino dining scene is Grill 21. Located on East 21st Street, this fusion restaurant offers traditional Filipino dishes with a modern twist and it prides itself on the taste, texture and presentation of its food. Lucky customers can take their pick from a broad menu, including pork binagoongan, a dish of pork chunks sautéed with shrimp paste. With great food and reasonable prices, it’s no wonder this restaurant has a real buzz.

Virginia

Susan’s Kitchenette

A day’s drive south of New York, Virginia Beach is a popular cheap holiday spot for residents of the East Coast. If you find yourself nearby, head to Susan’s Kitchenette. Susan specialises in authentic Filipino cooking, and head chef Fely T Galang has received acclaim for her delicious dishes, which include lumpia, a type of egg roll, and pancit rice noodles. Diners are also big fans of the steamed sweet buns called siopao.

The Señor Sisig Truck

California

Señor Sisig

On the other side of the country in San Francisco, California, hungry office workers and local Filipinos flock to an unassuming food truck parked in the Financial District near Union Square and the Cable Car terminus. The long lines betray this local secret – the Señor Sisig truck dishes up the sort of affordable, homemade Filipino-California fusion food that will make you want to up sticks and move to SF. While not traditional, the Sisig tacos and burritos wrap up tender, marinated pork shoulder that will leave you stuffed but hungry for more.

Adobo Hut

Down the coast in LA, head to K-town (Koreatown, that is) for a well-loved, if slightly out-of-place, Filipino restaurant called Adobo Hut. The menu offers tasty and authentic treats including pork and chicken adobo, lumpia and made-to-order breakfast, and is popular with the local Filipino community. Situated within a food court on Wiltshire Boulevard, this small and sunny eatery is well worth a visit.

The post Filipino Food in the US: Our Favourite Spots appeared first on HappyFoodies.

The location is actually in Silang, Cavite.  To get there from the ridge, we head back to the rotonda and make a turn near the Aguinaldo highway and head through a smaller road, passing through hilly terrain planted to pineapple.  We take another turn on a smaller road and stopped at a non-descript, two-storey house that looked nothing like a restaurant.

Coming in, we espy a garden at the back where an alfresco dining area beckoned under the shade of trees and a profusion of plants.  We were ushered to the upstairs dining area instead, greeted by the pleasant aroma of something delicious simmering.  The place feels more like a home than a restaurant, The dining area isn’t much bigger than those found in other ancestral houses, with several tables that can accommodate no more than a dozen diners at any one time.  Well, the diners ahead of us seemed to be in a jovial mood — always a good omen in any eating place.

Goi Cuon (P185 / 3 pcs)

Lagal[og] says: We didn’t have the opportunity to peruse the menu as this was a lunch treat but on the other hand, it was a welcome change to just taste the food as it comes.  I’m happy to say that personally, I wasn’t disappointed.   For starters, the Goi Cuon (P185/ 3pcs) or Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, were delightful — light and delicately-flavored.  Ditto, the Bawai’s House Salad (P250), which was made from coconut ubod (heart of the palm).  Usually used in lumpia (fresh spring rolls), the blanched ubod made a great base for the salad, topped with glazed pork and shrimp, and drenched with a light dressing.

Tom Rang Me (P395)

Ironwulf says:  A light spice and a distinct tang played on the tongue as I ate a piece of the Tom Rang Me (Prawn on Tamarind Sauce) (P395). The prawns with sesame seed has skin that’s easy to peel and finding the tamarind sauce lending the wonderful flavor in between. It was yummy. The Vietnamese Sausage (P275 /3pcs) we had was chicken instead of the usual pork that they serve but it was perfectly grilled and covered with an attractive glaze. it taste as good as it looks and has a light smokey flavor.

Nem Nuong Vietnamese Sausage (P275 /3pcs)

Lagal[og] says: Judging from the speed at which the dish appeared and disappeared on the table, I guess the Com Suon Cha (P305) or grilled liempo, was also a hit.   You can’t really go wrong with grilled pork any day but this one is grilled just right and served with a mushroom egg pie.

Com Suon Cha (P305)

We were full and sleepy when we finished lunch but in a nice, pleasant way.  When the food lives up to the hype, it’s always a pleasure to spread the word around by word of mouth (pun intended).   We had the pleasure of talking to one of the owners, Mang Virgilio Tatlonghari, if only for a short chit-chat (his wife, Bawai, was in Manila at the time attending to friends visiting from Vietnam).  I asked him what’s the secret to the great-tasting food on offer.  He was probably not about to give away any trade secret but anyway, I guess he was also being honest when he said, “It’s love.  Anything cooked with love, with passion, will come out delicious.”  Judging from the taste of the food, we wholeheartedly agree.

Bawai’s
Hernandez St., Purok 5, Bucal, Silang, Cavite
Reservation basis only • Call 0920 9722924 during office hours
Lunch and dinner served only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

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Let us count the ways:  an hour of badminton, an hour of yoga on Saturday, a little bit of Zumba come Sunday (pardon us as two left feet couldn’t do justice to those flashy dance moves and as far as your Happyfoodies are concerned, the booty is meant to be used as final repository of digested food, not for those impossible-to-mimic booty shakes).

Hmmm, sounds like those activities may mean we have some serious caloric deficit to make up for. While spending the weekend in Tagaytay have almost always come to mean bingeing on food (Bulalo and Crispy Pata come to mind), alcohol, and sleep (or all three for those with Bacchanalian inclinations), the C2 Classic Cuisine (C2 in short) restaurant in Summit Ridge have a more sensible alternative – a healthy menu.  The idea is sans fanfare: use whole foods and cook them simply so you get to taste their healthful, wholesome goodness.

Citrus Vinaigrette Dressed Mesclun greens with Tomato-Mozarella Quiche

Lagal[og] says: For late risers like me, the Citrus Vinaigrette Dressed Mesclun Greens with Tropical Fruits and Nuts is a fine way to start the day — filling but not overly so.  I’m not a fan of heavy cream-based dressings so the vinaigrette works for me.

Ironwulf Says:  The bite-sized Tomato-Mozarella Quiche has that savory pizza goodness through that wonderfully crunchy pastry crust. I don’t think a couple of pieces would be enough for me.

Seared Mahi-mahi with Julienne of Bell Peppers and Pineapple Compote

Lagal[og] says:  For the afternoon fare, you can’t really go wrong with the flavor-infused Rosemary Roasted Chicken.  Either that or the Seared Mahi-mahi Fillet with Julienne of Bell Peppers and Pineapple Compote.  Searing brings out the flavor of the fish without the oiliness of frying.  I liked the touch of using brown rice cooked in chicken broth, lending extra flavor to the accompanying serving of rice.

Ironwulf Says: Among the luncheon delights, my favorites were also the Rosemary Roasted Chicken’s herb-rich flavors and the Seared Mahi-mahi Fillet’s sharp yet slightly spicy flavor mixed with the hint of sweetness from the caramelized onions. The  Chicken Hainan wasn’t also far behind. I like its unadulterated taste with just the sauce lending a sweet-gingery flavor to the chicken.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Lagal[og] says:  For dinner, I preferrd the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds.  Not as heavy as having beef or pork since it’s dinnertime already.  The chicken is lean but not bland, complemented by just the right amount of Teriyaki sauce so the dish is flavorful without being overwhelming.  I also liked the Ratatouille served with it as it is oven-stewed, the veggies not overcooked so as to retain their crispness.  The way the veggies were cooked plays to the strength of C2′s location as Tagaytay has plenty of produce fresh from the farms — boiling or frying them would be a disgrace to their freshness.  I just wished the whole wheat pasta that came with it was a bit more softer.

Roasted Pork Loin

Ironwulf Says: The Roasted Pork Loin with Maple Gravy with Spiced Apple Chutney was my choice for the evening. The pork was really tender and juicy but it’s the combination of the gravy and chutney that gave it a mild tang, adding piquancy to the meat. I’m just not jumping over with the whole wheat paste on the side; I thought it was too dry.  The ratatouille was pleasant though.

Thai Compote

Lagal[og] says:  It’s not in the menu but the dessert, Thai Fruit Salad Compote, bears mentioning.  A Thai ingredient added to the creamy (but not the traditional whipped milk-based cream) base plus coconut milk make it refreshing without being overly sweet.

The Whole Food Power Menu will be available during the summer months, March 28 – May 31, 2013.  C2 has other interesting menu promotions such as the Unlimited Soup, Salad and Pasta (P299 nett, from 10am-2pm) Unlimited Coffee and Cakes (P199 nett, from 10am – 8pm daily), and Merienda Buffet (P249 nett, 2pm-6pm daily).

C2 CLASSIC CUISINE TAGAYTAY PHILIPPINES
Ground Floor of Summit Ridge Tagaytay
Km. 58 Maharlika West, General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway,
Tagaytay City  • Tel. (632) 240-6888 loc. 7118
Visit the C2.philippines page on Facebook

The post Healthful Eating at C2 Classic Cuisine, Tagaytay appeared first on HappyFoodies.

I wasn’t around when my co-Happyfoodie, Ferdz Decena, came here years ago for an assignment.  I was curious about the place hearing stories about how delicious the food and how textured the ambiance were from him as well as my other friends but never came around to actually hie off all the way to Diliman from Makati just to sample the fare.  My loss, actually. But things have a way of presenting opportunities as my turn to shoot the place for a magazine assignment came up recently.

The facade is non-descript, giving away little of what’s inside.  Going in is like entering a time warp.  Curios and mementos from many generations ago greet the eyes — an old kudkuran ng yelo (hand-cranked ice grinder/crusher) here, a batya (cast iron laundry basin) there, pre-war/post-war softdrink bottles lining the overhead shelves.

Adarna Morcon

The main dining area is a feast to the eyes.  An old piano on one side.  Wood tables and benches.  Crocheted table mats cushion the clinking of heirloom plates on the glass tops.  The air conditioning, soft music and LED twinkling lights that simulate candles seem to be the only concession to modernity.  Touring the inner rooms, old pictures from a bygone era line the walls.

If it’s true that one dine with the eyes, Adarna Food and Culture does have a lot of things to feast on.  Still, ambience alone will not explain its relative longevity in an age of what I call “revolving-door establishments” when fickle diners, heated competition, and a changing food landscape all conspire to keep a restaurant viable only for a few months, nay years, supplanted by other, more “trendy” eateries.

Adarna Pancit Tondo goes well with White Wine

The food offerings are mostly heirloom recipes and Chef Giney Villar does not deny the tricky path she chose to tread — offer the exotic and gamble on your luck if the diners would either be brave to try it or quickly ignore it; on the other hand, water down the recipe to hopefully appeal to a new generation of eaters and risk alienating a niche who knows what their grandmother’s morcon should taste like.  I can also recall one point of our chit-chat where Chef Giney said it was actually tempting to offer fastfood-style fried chicken to keep the kids of dining families happy.  She eventually held on to her convictions and kept the menu as is.

Adarna Chicken Relleno

The food, happily, does not disappoint.  Far from it.  The Chicken Relleno (Stuffed Chicken) brings back dollops of happy memories with every flavorful morsel (for wasn’t it a treat reserved for Christmas and really special occasions way back then?).  (Reading Ferdz’s earlier post, I learned it was a recipe from a 1940′s cookbook which calls for two days of preparing and cooking. Goes to show that the recipe may be vintage but the taste, timeless).  The Pancit Tondo (Noodles, done Tondo-style with egg on top) may sound novel in name but strangely very familiar to the palate, tasty and textured,  tempting me to slurp each strand of bijon.   The Morcon (Meat Roll) was prepared differently from how I remembered my Nanay used to make it but all the zesty, meaty flavors are all there.   It’s easy to tell each dish was prepared unhurriedly, with a lot of care, just like in the old days when ingredients were slow-cooked and simmered, not pressure-cooked or heaven forbid, microwaved.

Adarna Dining Hall — old world but not outdated

I would like to think that at a time of uber-modern and chef-driven restaurants, Adarna points us to another direction, to the transformative power of food.   It links us back to the past and the treasure trove of flavors we had, to a time when our food landscape was, in my opinion, no less richer than at present.  To turn our backs to these recipes is our loss.

Adarna Food and Culture
119 Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City
Tel. 926-8712, 0917-9618113
Open from 11am-2pm, 6-10:30pm

The post Adarna Food and Culture: Unabashedly Old World appeared first on HappyFoodies.

Nomama Braised Chicken Wing Ramen

It’s almost a sin to go to Nomama and not taste their ramen because it’s really that good.  Upon the recommendation of Chef Him, I was served the Braised Chicken Wing Ramen along with the Seafood Kilawin Japonaise for shooting and of course, for eating.  Hmmm, I probably consumed a week’s quota of protein and carbs in a single sitting but nevermind.  The Chicken Wing Ramen is a lovely and yummy piece of art.  The soup stock is laced with gata (coconut milk) and curry which made the brew strong, hearty and a bit spicy, which I prefer.

Nomama Seafood Kilawin Ala Japonaise

The serving of kilawin as starters I must say is another inspired move, marrying the local practice of eating raw fish “cooked” with a souring ingredient and the Japanese practice of eating sashimi.  It’s given a twist with a dash of pesto (my absolute favorite sauce).  Having devoured a plate of kilawin, a bowl of ramen and an order of flank steak, I was too full to even give the Wagyu Steak with Onion Ramen a taste (next time, I won’t pass up the chance).   Though I live in Makati, going all the way to Timog for Nomama is definitely worth the trip.

Nomama Wagyu Steak and Onion Ramen

Nomama
G/F FSS Bldg 2, Scouts Tuason and Castor Streets,
Quezon City • Tel. 921.4913 • 0917.5228272

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