Month: September 2018

Spanish-style Callos from Mr. Cochinillo

Filipino cuisine is full of Spanish influences, no doubt owing to the more than 300 years of Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

One of its legacies is Callos, a hearty stew made with ox tripe, ox feet, Spanish sausage chorizo de bilbao, chick peas and peppers, slow-cooked in an herb- and spice-infused tomato sauce.

Callos’ roots go all the way back to Callos ala Madrilena, which, similar to many stews of this style, actually had humble origins.  In fifteenth century Europe, tripe was quite inexpensive, making it quite accessible to the more common folk.  It does require intensive cleaning and a long cooking time, making it quite impractical for today’s home cooks and working moms to make.

Fortunately, Mr. Cochinillo, the man and the establishment behind the succulent roasted baby pigs known as cochinillos del cielo, offers Callos among other items in his for-pick-up menu.  The callos is vacuum-packed prior to freezing: by removing air from its storage bag preserves the color, texture and flavor of the dish.

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

Mr. Cochinillo does have strict instructions on reheating his callos so you can enjoy it at home:

  • Defrost the package but don’t use the microwave to thaw it.
  • In a pot, put one or two tablespoons of pure olive oil.
  • Saute the defrosted content of the package over low heat until it boils.

Mr. Cochinillo

This small package of Callos priced at Php700 is good for two people. A larger pack good for six to eight people is priced at Php2,500.

Other frozen, vaccum-packed items available from Mr. Cochinillo include:

  • Mr. Cochinillo’s Fabada (infused with cochinillo): Php600 for regular (good for 2 people) | Php2,000 for large (good for 6 to 8 people)
  • Rabo del Toro: 2,500 (good for 6 to 8 people)
  • Cochinillo del Cielo: Php800  (good or 2 people)

To order your Callos from Mr. Cochinillo:

Step 1: Fill out the online order form or call +63 2 6330043, +63 2 9524102 or +63 917 545 4888.

Step 2: After receiving a confirmation message via email or phone, deposit payment to Carlos V De Guzman  | BPI | Account Number # 2900-0063-84.  Afterwards, email a copy of your deposit slip to orders@mrcochinillo.com.

Step 3: Go to the pick-up location – No 5 Parakeet Street corner Swallow Drive, Green Meadows Subdivision, Quezon City – at the specified time to ensure the crispiness of the skin and tenderness of the meat of your cochinillo.  Be sure to bring the deposit slip when you claim your order.

Disclosure: I received the package of frozen Callos as a giveaway when I attended the Bloggers’ Night hosted by Mr. Cochinillo.  

Have an Instant Party at Alex III, Tomas Morato

With the approaching holidays comes the much-awaited season of parties and get-togethers.  Pinoys, in particular, love to celebrate with food, lots and lots of it.  I recall my mom and titas slaving away in the kitchen, preparing their signature dishes for our family gatherings.

While I’m passionate about food, I’m not too keen on stressing myself out in the kitchen. Fortunately, thanks to a Foodie Meet-up held at Alex III’s Tomas Morato branch, I, together with my fellow foodies, discovered that I can treat my loved ones out to a feast of classic Filipino favorites, thanks to its Instant Party Menu.

Alex III’s Instant Party Menu consist of two sets of dishes.  Both priced at Php2995, these feature home-grown Filipino party food enough for a group of five.  These are all prepared and cooked with the same love and tradition that goes all the way back to Aling Asiang (or Mrs. Engracia Reyes), the matriarch of the family behind the Aristrocrat restaurant of which Alex III is an offshoot, being a business started by one of Aling Asiang’s grandsons.

Set One

Alex III, Tomas Morato

This set includes:

  • Choice of 1 viand among Chicken Barbecue, Pork Barbecue, Barbecued Pork Belly and Whole Fried Chicken
  • Special Pancit Canton
  • Fresh Lumpiang Ubod or Lumpiang Shanghai
  • Kare-Kare
  • Crispy Pata
  • Steamed Rice

Set Two

Alex III, Tomas Morato

This set includes:

  • Choice of 1 viand among Chicken Barbecue, Pork Barbecue, Barbecued Pork Belly and Whole Fried Chicken
  • Whole Fried Chicken
  • Whole Crispy Lapu-Lapu with Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • Camaron Rebosado
  • Special Pancit Canton
  • Shanghai Rice

Each set is served with garlic peanuts, a sushi sampler, your choice of soup (of which we sampled the Hototay and Sinigang na Salmon), bottomless iced tea and your choice of dessert (of which we sampled the Leche Flan and the Pandan Jellied Tapioca).

Alex III, Tomas Morato

Both sets present diners with a combination of flavors that are dearly familiar, being dishes that were served during family reunions and fiestas when we were growing up.  They also serve as a way for working moms like me to reconnect our present-day celebrations with the warmth and traditions of our childhood: that despite the hectic schedules and fast-paced lifestyles, we have a way to get together with our loved ones to exchange old memories and make new ones, while enjoying good food and good company.

With Alex III’s Instant Party Menu, the tradition of fun family celebrations with good food is made even better.

This branch of Alex III is located at Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Bayoran, South Triangle, Tomas Morato, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 11pm.  For reservations and queries, call +63 2 3711414 or +63 2 3711415.  Its spacious, tastefully appointed and well-lit interiors make it a great venue for large family gatherings or office parties.

Alex III, Tomas Morato

Alex III, Tomas Morato

Alex III, Tomas Morato

Other branches are located at:

  • 201 Wilson Street, Little Baguio, San Juan City (open daily from 11am to 11pm | Tel Nos: +63 2 7240882 or +63 2 7264444)
  • 29 Matalino Street, Diliman, Quezon City (open daily from 11am to 10pm | Tel Nos: +63 2 9261266 or +63 2 9268942)
  • 53 Pontiac Corner Chevelle Street, Fairview, Quezon City (open daily from 11am to 10pm | Tel Nos: +63 2 3766286 or +63 2 3765179)

By the way, did you know that for your parties at home, you can have your favorite dishes from Alex III delivered right to your doorstep? Minimum order for delivery is Php500.  For more details, contact the Alex III branch nearest you.

Disclosure: I attended the Bloggers’ Day held at this restaurant.  All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Get the best cochinillo in town from Mr. Cochinillo

While the lechon (roast pig) is a staple in many Filipino gatherings, few might know that there is a version of this delicacy that originated from Segovia, Spain.  The Cochinillo del Cielo, characterized by crispy light golden-brown skin and buttery, falling-off-the-bone meat, is a piglet that is roasted after feeding on sow’s milk from two to six weeks.  The true test to a good cochinillo is that it is so tender, it can easily sliced by a delicate porcelain plate.

Mr. Cochinillo is the brand created by former DJ-turned-photographer-turned-business owner Tinee de Guzman for his roasted suckling pigs and other Spanish-influenced items on the menu. The pigs are roasted in brick ovens located right in his home.

It all started when a friend of his was considering renting a venue he owns for a party and he volunteered to cater it as well.  Among the dishes he claimed to be able to prepare, but actually hasn’t done so by then, is the cochinillo.  His friend ended up just ordering this dish.  Fortunately, he had a month leading to the party to learn and perfect his cochinillo recipe.

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

Tinee’s style of preparing cochinillo is no mean feat.  As he relayed to the chef his friend hired for the party: “To be able to prepare this, you have to have time, you have to do everything properly.  You have to clean it; you have to defrost it properly; you have to have it marinated before and after.  Your oven has to be at a perfect temperature.”

That amusing start to his cochinillo business was in October 2012.

Since then, his cochinillo has been garnering praise from publications and food pundits and the orders just kept coming in.

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

In a party he recently held for bloggers, he relayed how he expanded his repertoire with other Spanish-themed dishes, which we were also able to sample.  These included:

Seafood Fiduea/Fideo. A dish akin to paella but uses short noodles instead of rice, then cooked over a wood fire.

Fabada. Beans cooked over firewood and infused with his signature boneless Cochinillo del Cielo, which we enjoyed together with garlic bread.

Rabo de Toro. A rich stew made with bull’s tail, slow-cooked to absolute tenderness and rich earthy flavor.

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

During this event, Tinee also unveiled his newest offering, the Cochinillo rubbed with Goose Oil which further enriches the flavor of the pig’s skin and meat.

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

The dishes served gave a taste of the richness of Spanish cuisine which also called to mind many of the flavors we Filipinos grew up with and loved.

The following menu items are all available for order at his online store – mrcochinillo.com.

  • Cochinillo del Cielo: Php6,500 for regular (good for 8 to 12 people) | Php7,500 for large (good for 14 to 18 people)
  • Mr. Cochinillo’s Black Pig (Baboy Ramo): Php12,500 (good for 24 to 26 people)
  • Seafood Paella | Paella Negra: Php5,500 for regular (good for 16 to 20 people) | Php9,500 for large (good for 26 to 30 people)
  • Seafood Fideua | Fideua Negra: Php5,500 for regular (good for 14 to 18 people) | Php9,500 for large (good for 26 to 30 people)
  • Mr. Cochinillo Paella: Php6,000 for regular (good for 16 to 20 people) | Php9,500 for large (good for 26 to 28 people)

Frozen Items (vacuum-packed to ensure freshness):

  • Mr. Cochinillo’s Fabada (infused with cochinillo): Php600 for regular (good for 2 people) | Php2,000 for large (good for 6 to 8 people)
  • Rabo del Toro: 2,500 (good for 6 to 8 people)
  • Callos: Php700 for regular (good for 2 people) | Php2,500 for large (good for 6 to 8 people)
  • Cochinillo del Cielo: Php800  (good for 2 people)

(Note: Mr. Cochinillo has specific instructions on reheating these items, and does not recommend microwaving them.)

Ordering is as easy as 1-2-3:

Step 1: Fill out the online order form or call +63 2 6330043, +63 2 9524102 or +63 917 545 4888.

Step 2: After receiving a confirmation message via email or phone, deposit payment to Carlos V De Guzman  | BPI | Account Number # 2900-0063-84.  Afterwards, email a copy of your deposit slip to orders@mrcochinillo.com.

Step 3: Go to the pick-up location – No 5 Parakeet Street corner Swallow Drive, Green Meadows Subdivision, Quezon City – at the specified time to ensure the crispiness of the skin and tenderness of the meat of your cochinillo.  Be sure to bring the deposit slip when you claim your order.

If you want to serve succulent cochinillos or any of the tasty dishes offered by Mr. Cochinillo at your family gathering this Christmas, it would be best to order as soon as possible.  Note as well that cochinillo orders for pick-up from December 1, 2018 to January 3, 2019 will have a surcharge of 10% (but it will be so worth it!).

Mr. Cochinillo Bloggers’ Night

Disclosure: I attended the Bloggers’ Night hosted by Mr. Cochinillo.  All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.