chicharon – Jellybeans in the City

Hot soothing goto from Goto Believe, Kapitolyo

We’ve been inundated with quite a lot of bad hits lately. Faced with the pandemic, still raging across the globe, and the spate of typhoons that battered our country, we sometimes want to curl up somewhere warm and comforting.

That is what goto brings: the comforting warmth that fills the tummy and soothes the soul.

During a particularly rainy day, Hubby decided to have goto for our merienda.

Also called arroz caldo con goto (which roughly translates to “rice soup with tripe”), goto is made with glutinous rice infused with ginger. Afterwards, thin strips of boiled tripe and other proteins are added to the porridge before the dish is garnished with a hard-boiled egg, toasted garlic and diced scallions. It’s great for chilly rainy days or for chasing away a hangover.

In our case, our goto snack is something to slurp on as we binge-watch some K-dramas during a rainy day.

Hubby ordered our snack from a relatively new goto place called Goto Believe which reinvents the classic porridge.

Our meal consisted of:

Goto Heaven (Php108). Hot ginger-infused rice porridge with strips of tripe, beef tendon, innards and meat.

Grilled Chicharong Bulaklak (Php126/2 sticks). Crispy and flavorful ruffled pork fat in skewers.

These are not the healthiest of food combinations but that’s why they’re comfort food, right?

If you want to have your own bowl of comforting goto delivered right to your doorstep to chase away the rainy day blues, order online or via GrabFood or FoodPanda.

Download the Grab App and get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants:

Wine with the titos: Bevvy at Don Revy, Magallanes

Ladies, what do you do when you find out where you Hubby and the boys hang out whenever he’s late going home from work?

Join them for a round of drinks, of course!

Well, that’s what I did the other day when I had myself dropped off at Hubby’s workplace along Chino Roces Avenue Extension after doing some field work in the South.

Rather than facing the Carmageddon going home, Hubby suggested we hang out for a while at his gang’s go-to watering hole: Bevvy at Don Revy.

Don Revy is a supplier of beers, wines and spirits committed to bringing what’s new and what’s next in the world of beverages.

It’s name was chosen because it rhymes with “always on the bevvy” – Scottish slang for “always drinking.”

It operates the wine bar – Bevvy at Don Revy – as a venue for drink connoisseurs to unwind, relax, celebrate and imbibe the cultures and tastes of the world of beverages.

At the Bevvy, every bottle can be bought at retain price to be enjoyed either at the premises or brought home. It is akin to a hidden library where you can choose your preferred drink to enjoy by yourself or to fuel a fun evening with your buddies, just like our chosen drinks for this night:

Glenalmond Everyday Highland Pure Malt (Php90 per glass | Php1500 per bottle). The boys drank this vintage blended malt whisky which is said to be so dangerously easy to drink.

Chateau Rotas Rose 2016 (Php150 per glass | Php730 per bottle). A French pink wine that’s a bit dry and acidic yet also easy to drink. It gave li’l ole lightweight me a bit of a buzz.

We also munched on these bar chow while enjoying our drinks:

Cold Cuts and Cheeses (Php700). A board containing three kinds of cold cuts (Fuet, Salamanca and Prosciutto) and three kinds of cheeses (Gorgonzola, Manchego and Gouda).

Pork Cracklings (Php150 per pack). Plain chicharon that gives a satisfying crrrrunch with every bite.

Well, wine night with these Titos of Manila sure was fun!

The next time Hubby tells me he’ll be late coming home from work, I’ll probably tell him to bring home a bottle for me. Hehehe!

Planning a spirited night out with the gang? Here are some Bevvy deals you might like:

Have a Bevvy (Php550). Unlimited servings of drinks for three hours for one category (gin & tonic, draft beer and wine)
All the Bevvies (Php750). Unlimited servings of drinks for three hours for all categories (gin & tonic, draft beer and wine)

Bevvy at Don Revy is located at UPRC III Building, 2289 Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati City, open Mondays to Fridays from 2pm to 11pm and Saturdays from 6pm to 11pm (closed on Sundays and holidays). For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 82528703, email bevvy@donrevy.com or visit its website.

Check out my reviews of other bars and watering holes in the Metro:

Lechon Feast at the Lechon Shop, Tomas Morato

In the Philippines, a celebration wouldn’t be complete without lechon. This much-loved national dish is an offshoot of our colonial roots, having been brought here from Spain. The word lechon, in fact, is a Spanish word referring to a roasted suckling pig.

The best examples of lechon are characterised by tender flavorful meat and crispy, crackling skin, best served smothered with a think and slightly sweet lechon sauce usually made of liver, breadcrumbs, vinegar, sugar and spices and partnered with steaming hot rice.

On the birthday of one of my coworkers who has a marked preference for lechon, he treated us to one of his newly-discovered haunts: The Lechon Shop along Scout Tobias near Tomas Morato in Quezon City.

Operated by the same people as Leonardo’s Lechon based in San Juan, The Lechon Shop offers diners lechon by the kilo. (If I recall correctly, our group ordered 4 kilos.). We also ordered Chicharong Bulaklak and Laing which we ate with our steaming plain rice. A welcome surprise were the Maja Blancas that brought us back to our childhood.

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All celebrations should have #lechon. This newly opened @thelechonshop along Scout Tobias has flavorfully decadent lechon you can order by the kilo! Plus, you can get your fill of #laing, #chicharongbulaklak and more. And here’s a #pinoyclassic favorite: #majablanca! Read my resto review at beingjellybeans.wordpress.com (search: The Lechon Shop). #foodie #foodiegasm #foodporn

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on May 16, 2018 at 3:12am PDT

The place is quite cozy and almost had trouble fitting our large group in. However, the server was friendly and accommodating, and helped us all find our seats.

This celebration was one for the books and I, for one, don’t regret the sinfully decadent consumption of lechon. After all, you only live once and “nasasayang lang ang calories pag hindi ka nasarapan.”

The Lechon Shop by Leonardo’s Lechon is located at 49B Scout Tobias Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City. For reservation and inquiries, call (02) 745 3104.

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