Tagaytay's Carlo's Pizza for Pizza Margherita

This is a quick note on a pizza we ordered for delivery from Carlo's Pizza. For an earlier entry on the restaurant, click here.

I was delighted with their Pizza Margherita. I wouldn't normally order this since I'm not crazy about tomatoes in Italian cuisine, but this pizza was simple, bright, and comforting. Pizza margheritas are usually topped with tomatoes, grilled chicken breast fillet, bechamel sauce, cheddar and mozarella cheese

Carlo's Pizza
One Destination Tagaytay
(+63) 46 413 0707

Tagaytay's Tootsie's for Turon Halo Halo and Bibingka

Today I'm featuring Tootsie's versions of two popular snacks, one a ubiquitous street food, the other usually served during the holidays. 

Turon is made of slices of plantain and slivers of langka (jackfruit), dusted with sugar, then wrapped in spring roll wrapper and fried. Tootsie's Turon halo halo came with heart-warming ube (purple yam) filling, and drizzled with langka sauce. The crisp outer layer and warm delicious soft filling make this a winner.

Bibingka is a rice cake traditionally served during the Christmas season. It is made of rice flour, coconut milk or water, eggs, and milk, and infused with the aroma of toasted banana leaves. I love Tootsie's version: redolent with egg, oh-so-soft, and buttery. It was also freshly baked. They need 25-minute lead time to prepare the dish. 

Tootsie's
J Abad Santos cor. Aguinaldo Highway
Km. 57.5, Tagaytay City
(63) 46 483 46 29

Tagaytay's Carlo's Pizza for Buffalo Wings and Quattro Formaggi Pizza

My current food obsession is blue cheese. Blue cheese is a general classification of cheeses that have cultures of the mold Penecilium added, resulting to the characteristic blue spots or veins and strong smell of the final product.  Up until a few years ago I was indifferent to this oh-so-pungent cheese, but after eating this and this, I'm joining the bandwagon. 

The Buffalo Wings came with the said ranch dressing, but we prevailed upon our server to give us the blue cheese dip instead. I love this dish because of the soft, hefty, juicy chicken, perfect with the blue cheese dip to cut the sweetish coating. The chicken wasn't too cloying, making you want even more, and this is good enough for us. 

Another winner was the Quattro Formaggi, the toppings of which are made of blue cheese, parmesan, cheddar, and mozarella cheeses. This was one tasty pizza., very cheesy, but of course, with the pronounced aroma of blue cheese. Didn't I i mention I love the blue cheese? It has jut the right crust--not too thin or thick.

Carlo's Pizza
One Destination
Tagaytay City
(+63) 46 483 0707

Ferdie's of Meycauyan, Bulacan for Special Palabok

This is one Special Pansit Palabok. My officemate served this as his birthday treat in the office, and he had it shipped all the way from Meycauayan, Bulacan to our office in Manila. 

Pansitabok Palabok is a noodle dish topped with shrimp sauce, shrimp, pork, crushed pork rinds, smoked fish flakes, fried tofu, scallions, and garlic. It is usually served on large woven trays (bilao) during gatherings and parties. 

What makes Ferdie's Pansit Palabok special is it is a touch spicy, garlicky, and rich, with generous toppings of chicharon bulaklak (artery-clogging fried pork intestines). You have to order it in advance and pick it up yourself, but I guarantee it's all worth the trouble. 

Ferdie's
Dinar Street, St. Micahel's Home
Meycauayan, Bulacan
(+63) 915-4995500

Ilocos Norte's Bistro 51 for Crispy Binagoongan and Poki Poki

In my last visit to Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte, we were fortunate to be billeted at a hotel near Bistro 51. The place reminded me of Baguio City's Cafe by the Ruins, re-imagined as a beer garden. The dishes border on the very tasty, best paired with your alcohol of choice. 

We had an excellent dinner there, but the following are the stand-outs. 

The excellent spicy-sweet crispy binagoongan, pork sauteed in shrimp paste. Very tasty, the pork and innards envelope your mouth in umami goodness. This is a unique take on the binagoongan--I love the  mix of textures.

Another winner is the poki-poki, a vegetable dish made of grilled eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and egg. It is like tortang talong, only less dry and without the chopped meat. Bistro 51's poki poki is smoky and tasted like it was cooked on fire.

If your trip to Laoag  will revolve around food, here are my recommendations:

• Bagnet - Saramsam Restaurant 
• Sspicy binagoongan and poki poki - Bistro 51
• Dinuguan - La Preciosa

Bistro 51

Escoda National Highway

Laoag Cioty

(-63) 77 670 6607

Dagupan City's Pigar-Pigar

This is one hefty plate of pigar-pigar, Dagupan City's well-known street food, beloved by students and beer drinkers because it is cheap and filling. Imagine stir-fried strips of beef (sometimes cara-beef) and liver bits loaded with cabbage and onions. This could be gamy, so be generous with calamansi, chili, and fish sauce. Zamora Street in Dagupan City is ground zero for pigar-pigar, where stall upon stall offers this dish at night. 

I grew up in Dagupan, but this was the first time I sampled pigar-pigar. A trip to the city is not complete without eating this, aside from the other Dagupan favorite, the Bonuan bangus. I'm still at a loss though, why they call it pigar-pigar. Pigar is Pangasinan for to flip over. I guess this describes the cooking method of stir-frying the beef strips. 

Buffalo's Wings N' Things for Pulled Pork Nachos and Honey Barbecue Buffalo Wings

Confession: if this wasn't recommended by my colleague, I wouldn't given this place a second glance. If you're a big group looking for tasty, cheap grub for sharing, this place is for you. We ordered the pulled pork nachos, and the serving was was hefty and generous, the toppings sweet, savory, and tasty, and just enough for the a group of five or so.

We also had a sampler of the buffalo wings: garlic Parmesan, honey barbecue, and the jalapeno and cheddar. 

The buffalo wings were tasty, but we were partial to the honey barbecue variant. The sweetly coated chicken goes well with blue cheese dip, which deserves an entry all to itself. 

Buffalo's Wings N' Things
Solenad 2 Nuvali
Tagaytay Road cor Nuvali Boulevard
Santa Rosa City, Laguna

Top Picks from Tagaytay's Breakfast at Antonio's

It's a good time to be a foodie--there are countless options available, helped in large part by media playing up the restaurant scene. One of my officemate's mother watch Kris Aquino's morning show to see what restaurants the latter will recommend. Back at the office, my colleague would regale us with their latest weekend adventure, complete with Instagram-worthy pictures.

Breakfast at Antonio's came in my radar via one of the blogs I follow. One day, while stationed in Tagaytay, I called up the gang and headed there for dinner (smile). Below are my favorites:

I love the beef tapa and eggs. The tapa was savory, and flavorful, perfect with rice.

If I had to go back, I would order the sauteed corned beef. It was soft and flavorful, and not too salty. I also love how peppery it was.

If you're a fan of burgers, try Breakfast at Antonio's version.The patty was beefy, the capers gave a sour-salty punch, and the bun was wonderfully creamy.


Breakfast at Antonios
Brgy. Neogan Purok 138
Tagaytay City Cavite
(+63) 46 413 0975

Batangas City's Tree House Restaurant for Lomi and Camaron Rebosado

In a trip to Batangas City, quite a few recommended we eat at the Tree House Restaurant. The place is straightforward and unpretentious. Of the meals we ordered, two stood out: the lomi and the camaron rebosado

Lomi, popular in Batangas, consists of thick egg noodles, meat and liver, and soup stock thickened with cassava flour and beaten eggs. The restaurant's lomi was flavorful and rich without being salty. I love innards in my noodles, and the calamansi and raw chopped onions cut through the rich soup. 

I also loved the camaron rebosado, deep-fried battered shrimp. Best eaten warm. It was flavorful--battered just right, and best served with sweet chili sauce.

The Tree House Restaurant
Diversion Road, Bolbok, Batangas City
(+63) 43 300-1110

Batangas City's Pontefino Hotel for Pontefino and Vegetarian Pizzas

Let's get this out of the way: Pontefino Hotel is one of the more swankier hotels outside Manila--I wouldn't mind giving it another go if I find myself south of the capital. Saying that, I wasn't expecting much from its restaurant, Cafe Robusta, burned as I was countless times from less-than-stellar hotel offerings. But Pontefino's pizzas are worth a try. We ordered two variants: the Pontefino Pizza and the Vegetarian Pizza. 

The Pontefino Pizza was both delicate and flavorful, but who knew the second pizza would be better?

The Vegetarian Pizza was smoky and cheesy, and the vegetables used were fresh. The thin pizza highlighted the flavor of the toppings. If I had to choose one, this is it. 

Hotel Pontefino

Pastor Village, Gulod, Labac

Batangas City

(+63) 02 631 8310

Cyma for Grilled Marinated Octopus, Spinach and Artichoke Fondue, and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I'm writing this while the country is braving for the coming of a strong typhoon. It's been raining and the weather is cool, perfect for snuggling in bed after a hearty meal. My thoughts linger on a meal I had at Cyma, one of the more reliable restaurant chains around.

In that particular trip the aircon was not working, but one taste of the smoky grilled octopus lifted my spirit. I've been coming to Cyma several times before (the first visit was way back in the early oughts), and I always order this.

ktapodi xidato (grilled baby octopus, drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and oregano) 

My friends were raving about the spinach and artichoke fondue, and so I ordered it. The warm goodness of what I thought was eggplant was very seductive. It also tasted like creamy laing. The lime and the tomatoes cut through the rich taste. Best with smoky garlic bread, pictured on the left below.

The mint choco chip with almond and honey is a sure-fire way to beat the heat, whether induced by summer or the aircon bogging down. This is one superb dessert, second only to this.

Cyma has quite an extensive menu, and this early I'm plotting my next meal. 'Til then, to my country-based readers, keep safe.

Cyma

2F Robinsons Place Manila

Adriatico St., Ermita

(+63) 02 354 3909

Laguna's Purple Oven for Soft Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Crumble and Choco Banana Walnut Loaves

There are many ways to go to Tagaytay, and one of the faster ones allows you a stop at Soledad 2, where one branch of Purple Oven is located. A colleague mention that the bakeshop supplies pastries to a well-known coffee chain, and that got me hooked. In particular, the soft cinnamon rolls came well-recommended. Let's juts say it's one heavenly specimen of cinnamon. It was creamy, pillow-soft, and to die for. Some say it's a tad sweet, but it's just right with unsweetened tea or black coffee. I was sorry when I ate it all.

I also brought home two loaves--one was the apple crumble loaf. Again, it was just right, perfect with coffee. I love the cinnamony sweet apple crumble and the soft dough.

Naturally greedy, I also bought the choco banana walnut loaf. I let it sit in the ref for a week, yet it retained its moisture. Who could resist a slice of  banana bread filled with melt-in-your hands chocolate chips, perfect with tea?

For my next visit I have my eyes set on the crinkles.

The Purple Oven
Solenad 2
Tagaytay Road cor Nuvali Boulevard
Santa Rosa, Laguna

Yabu for Oyster Katsu (Breaded, Deep-fried Oysters)

I've read reams of articles, both online and in print, raving about Yabu, which bills itself as the House of Katsudon. I remember my mouth watering from descriptions of its bestselling tonkatsu--breaded, deep fried pork cutlet. I've always preferred my pork-chops straightforward, finding that coatings detract from the porcine goodness. Paired with unlimited rice and a saucer of soy sauce or fish bagoong with chilies and vinegar or calamansi, I'm all set. But I'm open to being proven wrong, so of to one of the biggest malls I go.

On my first successful visit (I retreated  a few days earlier--the restaurant was packed!), I went all out and ordered the Kurobota pork. From a quick search online, Kurobota pork is beloved for its flavorful, tender, pink-hued meat with high fat content. Kurobota is to pork what Wagyu is to beef. This heritage breed is not originally from Japan, but imported  Berkshire pigs, one of the oldest breeds in England. Was I blown away with my first Yabu experience? No, I wan't impressed. It was soft. It looks unusually pink. But that was it. Not even a dash of wasabi could save the dish for me. It might be excellent for many people, but as taste is highly personal, I guess I'm not a tonkatsu person after all.

I enjoy grinding the sesame seeds to be added to the special katsu sauce while
waiting for my order. It feels soothing and therapeutic

Many of my office-mates have been to Yabu, and they urged me to try the seafood katsu, especially the oyster katsu. And so, in the name of research, I gave Yabu another go a month later. This time I ordered the hire and seafood katsu mix, which consisted of pork cutlets, black tiger prawns, cream dory, scallops, eggplant and pepper. The fish and scallop were oh so fresh, thus soft and flavorful. The breading was just right. I appreciated more the pork this time. I ordered salmon separately. It was a tad too rich for me. I love the crunch of the breading and delicate and soft meat. The best for me was the fish and the scallop. They were light and crispy outside, soft and juicy inside. It was later that I realized I wasn't able to order the oyster katsu.

I ordered sake, and I love the way it was presented--the ice cooled the drink
without diluting the flavor

A few weeks later, I went to Yabu for my third visit after watching a fashion show with my niece. I ordered Hiroshima jumbo oyster set, which came well recommended by my colleagues. I now know why. The oysters were ginormous. More importantly, they were very soft and flavorful. The sauces and the batter do not overwhelm the oysters. I can't decide which among the sauces I like best.

In sum, I like the oysters katsu the best. It has a very strong flavor profile, which suits my very Pinoy taste. Yabu is consistent in its excellent service--I've always enjoyed being served by their courteous and efficient staff.

Yabu branches are located in SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Southmall, and Robinsons Magnolia

Naga City's Avenue Plaza Hotel for Laing and Banoffee Crunch

While looking at my archives, I decided to share with you some of the more memorable dishes I had while staying at Naga's Avenue Plaza Hotel. What I love about the hotel is that their food is delicious, not the usual bland characterless meals most hotels serve. They also serve excellent desserts.

 I love their laing--it was creamy spicy salty, and best with big mound of freshly cooked rice.

Their banoffee crunch, an English dessert pie made from banans and toffee, was sweet and creamy. It was hard to stop at one serving.

Happy eating!

Avenue Plaza Hotel
Magsaysay Ave., Naga City
(+63) 54 473 999

Laguna's Kanin Club for Crispy Liempo and Aligue Rice

First, let me share with you that I'm writing this while doing intermittent fasting, meaning I eat only within eight hours a day, which ended at 3 pm, and now five hours have passed. I'm feeling quite lightheaded, but I need to shoulder on, since I've been remiss with this blog, and to make up for weeks of no posts I'm sharing with you a wonderful dinner we had at the Sta. Rosa branch of Kanin Club.

I've heard of this Filipino casual dining chain before, but I haven't tried it, until a colleague suddenly had an urge to eat it's version of crispy dinuguan. It took us quite a few missed turns before we found the branch at Nuvali, and was I glad it was teeming with people. A packed restaurant is always a good sign.

For starters, we tried the bacon-cut liempo that tastes like freshly popped chicharon. It goes well with the rich aligue rice and you could cut the richness when dipped in spicy sauce.

"the crispy liempo-light and crunchy belly strips ready for dipping in three kinds of sauces"

"aligue rice--fried rice sauteed in crab fat"

The liempo-aligue rice combo for me was already a winner. Definitely this is one reason I'd be back

To appease the craving of my officemate, we ordered the crispy dinuguan. It was interesting texturally, reminding me of the version we tasted at La Preciosa.  I love the sour, salty, and crunch mix.

"crispy dinuguan--pork deep-fried to a crisp then set in a semi-dry stew of pork blood"

We also ordered the seafood karekare, which was rich and flavorful, even without the accompanying shrimp paste. The squid (always a fave!) was buttery-smooth, and the sauce was made with real peanuts.

"seafood kare-kare--squid, muscles, shrimp, and vegetables cooked in peanut/anatto sauce"

If you're one big group craving for flavorful Filipino dishes, Kanin Club is for you.

Kanin Club
Paseo de Sta. Rosa
Sta. Rosa, Laguna
(+63) 049 544-0332

Garlicky Longganiza: Alaminos and Laoag

It all started with this photo I posted in Instagram. I was craving for garlicky longganiza last December, and I posted this Laoag variant which I ate during breakfast in Fort Ilocandia the month earlier. I remember how potent the Iloko vinegar was, perfect with the longganiza, and how happy I was. My Instagram friend recommended the Alaminos variant, which is garlicky--not sweetish at all--like the Laoag longganiza. She said Kalye Juan serves Alaminos longganiza. I made a mental note to try the latter.

A week later I dropped by Kalye Juan and promptly ordered the Native Longganiza (P150). You can also have the set meal all-day Longsilog Breakfast (P175). The former has more sausages. For those craving for garlicky longganiza, both are good value for money. I love the accompanying omellete, which is how we cook our scrambled eggs at home. It also reminded me of poqui- poqui, without the eggplant. 

Just a few weeks ago I was at MOA and had my Alaminos longganiza fix.

A quick note: Philippine longganiza comes either as garlicky or sweet (hamonado), and some provinces are known for their peculiar takes on this Spanish influenced sausage. Needless to say, I'm partial to garlicky ones.


Kalye Juan
Robinson's Manila
(+63) 02 525-8052

Cafe Adriatico's Lola Ising's Adobo

If you ask me, the national dish of the Philippines is adobo (pork stewed in vinegar and/or soy sauce). If stumped for choice when eating out, this my default order. There are myriad ways of cooking adobo--each household seem to have a unique way of cooking adobo. The rare times I cook adobo, I omit soy sauce and use lots of garlic.

During a night out at Malate's Cafe Adriatico with some friends, I shared an order of Lola Ising's Adobo. And what an excellent dish it was! The meat was superbly cooked--so soft and delicate, with a crisp outer layer. I love the whole garlic cloves that come with the dish. Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of imported garlic--they're hefty, but not as flavorful as the small local ones. But for this dish it was perfect, as it balances the richness of the meat. The accompanying garlicky fried rice appears to be cooked in the remaining sauce, and cooked just right. 

cafe adriatico moa's adobo. i prefer the malate branch's adobo, pictured below.
 i posted this picture because it's clearer

this one's both pretty and tasty

Cafe Adriatico

1790 Remedios Circle, M. Adriatico St.

Malate, Manila

(+63) 02 738-8220

Update: Pangasinan's Heling and Violeta Special Tupig

Update: I met the gracious lady who provides us with Villasis-based Heling and Violeta Special Tupig. You can contact the latter through cell phone no. 0919-7596166

Tupig is described as a delicacy from Pangasinan made of glutinous rice and grated coconuts and cooked over  live coals. The municipality of Villasis is known as tupig central, and it is passing through this town on my way to and from Manila that I got acquainted with this snack. Sold by ambulant vendors (although there is now a section in town featuring stalls selling tupig), the tupig I knew were quite slight but tasty, especially when eaten warm. I love the smoky flavor and the interplay of coconut meat and the essence of the banana wrapper.

One day in the office someone brought a box of special tupig, the contents of which were heftier than usual, but just as tasty. The printed box did not provide any leads on who made it. Any idea where I can score a box of this special treat?