filipino food – Page 6 – Jellybeans in the City

Mother’s Day feast from Buddy’s

Ooh! It’s Mother’s Day once again!

And I just have to say: I’m feeling quite loved and appreciated with a rare and very welcome treat: a feast of my favorite Filipino food that I didn’t have to prepare myself nor plan for!

These delectable dishes were delivered by Buddy’s, a home-grown chain of restaurants hailing from Lucban, Quezon, home of the Pahiyas Festival. During this vibrant celebration, held on the 15th of May, all the houses and the streets are decorated (hence the term “pahiyas“) with colorful kiping, leaf-shaped wafers made from glutinous rice as well as local harvest goods.

Festival visitors are invited to partake in every household’s sumptuous array of Lucban’s delicacies, some of which are included in the Mother’s Day spread that Buddy’s provided for me:

Pancit Lucban (Php240 | good for up to 3 persons). Also known as Pancit Habhab, it is Lucban’s version of pancit which makes use of Lucban miki noodles and usually eaten without utensils but is served on a banana leaf. It is also seasoned with some Lucban vinegar for added flavor but I prefer it without. Given how filling and affordable this dish was, I used to celebrate my kids’ monthly develop milestones by bringing home an order of Buddy’s Pancit Lucban for dinner.

Lucban Longganisa (Php220 small | Php356 large | 1 dozen). Lucban’s version of the pork sausage which is characterized by its garlicky and sour taste. Back when my office was located near a Buddy’s branch, I used to make it a point have breakfast there with Lucban longganisa, garlic fried rice and fried egg.

Hardinera (Php185 small | Php220 medium | Php315 large). A type of Filipino meatloaf that combines the ingredients of menudo and the cooking style of embutido, resulting in a meaty dish with a savory and tomato-ey flavor.

Chicken BBQ (Php220). Pinoys love chicken and grilled food, so this grilled chicken dish served with atchara and usually paired with Java rice is a sure hit among diners.

Spaghetti (Php90 small | Php110 large | Php330 family). The Pinoy-style spaghetti (sweet and cheesy) is also available at Buddy’s!

Cassava Cake (Php85). A moist pudding made of grated cassava, coconut milk and condensed milk and topped with a custard layer. A sweet end to a fabulous meal.

With all of these dishes, it made my family’s Mother’s Day lunch seem like a fiesta!

So if you want to have a festive Pinoy meal for the family to enjoy, Buddy’s is your best bet!

Buddy’s branches in Metro Manila are located at:

Makati: Kakarong Olympia, The Link, Kalayaan Avenue
Quezon City: Eastwood, Fisher Mall, Araneta Center, Timog Avenue
Taguig: Market! Market!, Venice Grand Canal

Course your orders for delivery via GrabFood, FoodPanda or Buddy’s on Facebook Messenger.

To know more about its latest promos and offers, visit its website or follow Buddy’s on Facebook or Instagram.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants:

Brunchmate Premium Tapa for a quick and easy family meal

Being a working mom myself, I know the struggles of juggling the demands of family and work responsibilities.

Despite the many freedoms that working from home has allowed me, I still sometimes feel like I’m falling short in my duties at home.

Take our family meals, for example. I always want to make sure that my little brood enjoys our mealtimes: tasty comfort food, therefore, is always the order of the day.

Sometimes, though, my Zoom meeting would go overtime, or I would be too engrossed in my work that I find myself pressed for time in preparing the family’s meal.I’m sure a lot of other moms out there have the same problem.

If only there was a way to quickly and easily whip up a wholesome and delicious meal for our family, yes?

Well, that’s what the couple behind Brunchmate Premium Beef Tapa – AR and Jam Periquet – set out to do.

Both love to eat out, but with the pandemic and the quarantine strictures, their dining adventures were curtailed and they were forced to spend more time at home.

Being a foodie himself and beef tapa connoisseur, AR sought to elevate this Pinoy comfort viand by using premium Angus beef and incorporating some secret ingredients.

The result? Strips of tender Angus beef strips, marinated to perfection, packaged into 350 gram packs.

All we need to do is thaw out the packet, pour its contents into a pan and cook over low heat (no need to add oil). Spread the strips evenly across the pan and allow to fry in own juices until, flipping occasionally, until the beef strips are tender and brown. These are best served hot.

Brunchmate’s Premium Beef Tapa come in four variants – Original (Sweet), Garlic, Seeet & Spicy and Spicy Garlic – all at Php280 per pack. My Original tapa was juicy and flavorful, and went well with rice and fried eggs, much to the fam’s delight!

Too bad there were none left to make into tapa flakes the next day.

Fortunately, ordering my Brunchmate Premium Beef Tapa is a breeze with this online form. Payments via BPI, BDO, GCash and COD are accepted. Brunchmate delivers from Las Pinas to anywhere in the metro.

To know more about Brunchmate Premium Beef Tapa, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

So to stop yourself from stressing over mealtimes, momshie, order your Brunchmate now!

Disclosure: A product sample was provided to facilitate this feature article.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Classic Pinoy streetfood at Casa Calle, SM Megamall

Do you remember your first taste of streetfood?

The varied shapes, colors and textures, the interplay of sweet, salty, sour and spicy, plus a hint of the forbidden (because didn’t our moms warn us to keep away from these back then?) and that feeling of comfort when you bite into them, these are part and parcel of our early street food experience.

While those good sensations associated with street food remain to this day, that feeling of prohibition hardly applies now, especially when street food is elevated to the level that Casa Calle brings them to.

This stall located at Eatogether Food Hall in SM Megamall serves up, not just Pinoy comfort food faves, but also welcome tweaks on our favorite street food, such as:

Inihaw Platter (Php380). Various meat and sundry parts marinated in barbecue sauce and charcoal grilled to smoky perfection such as two sticks each of Pork BBQ, Isaw Manok (chicken intestine), Bulaklak (ruffled pork fat), Tenga (pork ear) and Betamax (coagulated pig’s blood). This promo bundle is available only during Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Lugaw Special (Php95 for small | Php115 for large). Savory rice porridge with bits of meat and tripe, a hard-boiled egg and garnished with toasted garlic and choppef green onions.

Tokwa’t Baboy (Php90). Crispy bits of pork belly tossed with fried tofu and chopped chilis and onions in a vinaigrette made with vinegar and soy sauce.

Tokneneng (Php35). Hard-boiled duck egg covered in orange batter, best enjoyed when dipped in spiced vinegar.

Sizzling Beef Pares (Php188). Cubed beef brisket sauteed and stewed with garlic, onion and ginger, and seasoned with star anise. This viand is paired with garlic fried rice (hence the name “pares”) and served on a sizzling plate.

Turones ala Mode (Php155). Banana and langka slices encased in lumpia wrapper, them deep-fried, and served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnished with sesame seeds and chocolate sauce.

Get ready to rediscover your love of Pinoy street food here.

This Casa Calle branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

Another branch is set to have its grand opening soon at 163 Aguirre Street, BF Homes, Paranaque City.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Check out my posts on other stalls at Eatogether Food Hall:

Bring home happiness from the north with Bantay Bread

Baked goods do tend to elicit a feeling of happiness. From their appetizing scents wafting to our nostrils, the sight of them laid out on the table to their sweetness as we bite into them, baked goodies sate our hunger while also calling to mind fun memories from our childhood.

These kinds of baked goodies are what Ilocos-based bakery Bantay Bread specializes in.

This family business started out in 2010 as a local panaderia supplying morning pan de sal to its patrons.

In response to the changes brought about by the pandemic and its resulting community quarantine, the family behind Bantay Bread set about pivoting their business to operate in their new business environment.

First, they expanded their product offerings to include much-loved Pinoy desserts, some of which my family and I were recently able to sample. These include:

Kabayan. Bite-sized butter muffins shaped like the Pinoy salakot. My daughter – a middle-aged Asian tiger mom trapped in the body of a Gen Z girl – developed a liking for it as it is not too sweet.

Hopiang Baboy. A Filipino pastry, that contrary to the name, actually does not contain pork meat. This flaky pastry is actually filled with onions caramelized in pork fat and combined with flour, sugar and milk. Hubby likes to munch on these during his coffee break.

Pianono. Interestingly, this pastry is actually named after Pope Pius IX whose nickname was Pio Nono. Of course, we Filipinized its name to pianono. It is a sponge cake roll with a sweet buttercream filling. I recall having this as my baon for recess when I was in grade school. My son – a sweet tooth like me! – likes having this for dessert.

Another way Bantay Bread was able to pivot its business is by expanding its availability beyond Ilocos. In Metro Manila, for instance, Bantay Bread fans can just contact these local resellers to order the objects of their baked good cravings.

Marikina: +63 916 7760087 or +63 927 8657119
Parañaque: +63 917 8438012
Alabang: +63 917 8068027
Pasig/Fairview: +63 908 8887417

So if you’ve got a hankering for home-grown Pinoy baked goods for merienda, dessert or for munching on anytime of the day, bring home some happiness from the north and get a box of Bantay Bread.

Bantay Bread’s main branch is located at Buquig, National Hi-way, Bantay, Ilocos Sur, open daily from 8am to 7pm. For inquiries or to apply to be a reseller, call or text +63 917 7007696. For more details on its product offerings and availability in your area, follow Bantay Bread on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to elicit honest feedback.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Home-grown and heritage dishes at Anonas Bistro

Now more than ever, we harried denizens of the metro look for comfort whenever we can, right?

Well, what’s more comforting than feeling the warm welcome of home?

That’s what it felt like to enter this newly opened restaurant in Anonas, Quezon City.

Sure, the hustle and bustle of the city may stay just outside its doors, but inside its premises is a haven for your spirit.

“We want this experience to be like going home to your lola’s house in the province,” shares co-founder Lucien Aquino. “You’re with your family, your lola is cooking your favorite food in the kitchen, and you feel right at home.”

The place certainly calls to mind the familiar comforts of our beloved ancestral homes in the province that we enjoy spending time in again and again.

Its outdoor seating area is surrounded by lush greenery. Sheltered by a large mango tree from much of the sun, it affords diners a comfortable al fresco setting for their meal. In the evenings, lighted lamps adorn the mango tree giving diners whimsical lighting for their dinner.

The two-storey residential house was renovated by builder/contractor Lucien and his co-founder Roman Ignacio, updating the structures and finishings to current standards and for use as a restaurant. Its dining areas are furnished with heavy wooden tables and chairs, shipped all the way from Ilocos. The walls, on the other hand, are decorated with artworks by local artist Ronan Rosacay as well as other homey bric-a-bracs.

Completing the transformation of this space into a homey Filipino restaurant is Chef Severino Palunday. He brings with him a considerable thirty years’ worth of culinary experience as a sous chef in a European cruise liner.

From his kitchen, Chef Sev whips up traditional and home-style Pinoy dishes, that make use of fresh local produce, just like the ones your lola makes, but infused with the techniques and methods of an internationally trained chef.

His menu includes:

Soup of the Day. Usually a cream-based soup that the chef whips up from choice ingredients. It is served with every meal.

Creamy Tofu (Php135). A savory appetizer made by combining crispy fried tofu, aromatics with cream.

Dinakdakan (Php315). An Ilocano dish in which pig parts such as ears, liver and face are boiled until tender, then grilled and sliced thinly. Flavorings and chilis are then added to complete the dish.

Fried Lumpiang Ubod (Php195). A Filipino appetizer (or ulam in my case) which julienned ubod (or heart of palm) are sauteed with chopped meat and vegetables, encased in lumpia wrapper and then deep-fried and served with a spiced vinegar dip.

Gising-gising with Shrimp (Php275). Otherwise known as ginataang sigarilyas, this Kapampangan dish is made with chopped winged beans in coconut milk spiced with siling labuyo, garlic, onions and shrimp paste. Chef Sev serves it with plump shrimp.

Pork Belly Roll (Php380). Pork belly is seasoned and stuffed with aromatics and flavorings, then oven-roasted until the skin becomes golden brown and crispy and the meat is tender. Chef Sev serves it with mashed camote and a buttery gravy.

Kare-Kare Ox Tail (Php480). A viand made with stewed ox tail, tripe and other offal in a sauce made from roasted peanuts, onions and garlic, colored with annato seeds and then thickened with ground rice.

Turon Ala Mode (Php160). A dessert made with fresh ripe banana slices encased in lumpia wrapper and then deep-fried until golden and crispy. It is then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Mango Shake (Php120).

Avocado Shake (Php120).

Ampalaya Apple (Php120).

Whoever said that Filipino food lacks color and character obviously has never encountered Chef Sev’s takes on Pinoy food classics.

So if you’re looking for a place where you can come home to good food and a good homey vibe in Quezon City, Anonas Bistro is your best bet.

Anonas Bistro is located at 145 K-6th, East Kamias 1102 Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 995 1200969 or email anonas.bistro@gmail.com.

For more deets on Anonas Bistro, visit its website or follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Breakfast with the parents at Almusal Cafe, Katipunan

With all the restrictions from the lockdown since last year, my folks may have been nursing a case of cabin fever. Stuck at home for months, with only a few short trips out to break the monotony, I suspect they may have been feeling blue.

So with my daughter #ExhibitA as my co-conspirator, I set out to find a way to cheer up the parental units.

We decided to treat them to breakfast at a new breakfast joint I chanced upon on Instagram: Almusal Cafe.

The name says it all doesn’t it?

Almusal Cafe has has been serving comforting Filipino breakfasts – albeit with a New York or Aussie twist every once in a while because of its expat owners. It opened its doors just as the metro was loosening its restrictions on dining out and mobility and was transitioning to a general community quarantine. To me, this restaurant serves breakfast food that act as reminders of better days past and better days to come.

What better place to bring my parents for some breakfast and bonding, right?

For one thing, Almusal Cafe boasts of lots of greenery at its outdoor seating area that will surely excite, not just plantitos or plantitas, but also any suburbanite longing for a break from quarantine.

Its interiors are also well-appointed, sporting couches where you can lounge while having your coffee and dining areas where you can eat your breakfast in comfort.

Our group enjoyed Pinoy breakfast classics with a few welcome touches of the unusual. Check them out:

Kesong Puti Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Php370). The soft and un-aged white cheese made from carabao’s milk is partnered with sundried tomato pesto on sourdough bread and served with potato crisps on the side.

Beef Belly Tapa (Php380). Beef belly slow-cooked for a day then served chimichurri sauce on top of mixed red and white rice.

Ultimate Fried Chicken (Php450). Two fried chicken fillets served with elote, country-style gravy and hot honey.

Shrimp & Arugula Croissant (Php580). Fresh shrimp is tossed with arugula and cherry tomatoes in a light and creamy aioli and served in a toasted croissant with potato crisps on the side.

Long Black Coffee (Php100).

Strawberry Mint Iced Tea (Php120). Freshly picked strawberries blended with mint leaves and tea.

Peach Basil Iced Tea (Php130). Iced tea made with peaches, fresh basil and lime.

Cold Mocha (Php170). Malagos chocolate mixed with a double shot of espresso.

With great food, great surroundings and great conversations over our meal, I had a memorable breakfast experience with my folks; one, I hope, that ushered in some good cheer in their hearts.

Well, it certainly made for a brighter start of the day for me!

Almusal Cafe is located at The Pop Up Katipunan, Xavierville Corner Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 4pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 1371510.

To know about its latest promos and updates, follow Almusal Cafe on Facebook and Instagram.

Classic kakanin from Ka Mely’s Bibingka

So much of my childhood merienda memories involve kakanin – native delicacies usually made with glutinous rice, sugar and coconut milk.

You would think that we would have run out of ideas on what to make with kakanin at some point, but, no. We Pinoys have a extensive plethora of snacks or desserts that fall under this category.

After doing a bit of grocery shopping with Hubby, I happened upon a stand selling products from Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp.

This Cainta-based food business got its start when the Alcantara family matriarch Amelia – also known as Ka Mely – decided to expand her Bibingka-selling business to include the production of native delicacies. Today, it is a well-established food manufacturer with three physical stores as well as regular resellers.

I had the idea of introducing kakanin the kiddos for our afternoon snack, so I brought home:

Bibingka (Php180 for small). The rice cake made with sticky glutinous rice topped with caramelized sugar and coconut cream.

Suman sa Ibos (Php10/pc). The most prevalent suman variant which is usually unsweetened and wrapped in palm leaves. I have two ways to enjoy this suman: one is at room temperature and dipped in sugar, another is lightly fried in vegetable oil until the outside is slightly crispy but the inside is still chewy, then slathered with butter and sprinkled with sugar.

Suman sa Lihiya (Php25/pc). A suman variant which is made with lye-treated glutinous rice which is usually served doused with latik, or caramelized coconut milk.

Sure these snacks are practically all carbs but they made for a good intro for my kids for the wonders of Filipino delicacies!

While I got my kakanin from a kiosk, you can have your kakanin delivered to your home by ordering from Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp on Facebook or Instagram or calling +63 2 85155467, +63 917 8533766 or +63 908 8876992. Payments via BDO bank transfer, GCash or COD (via pabili service) are accepted. Ka Mely’s Bibingka Atbp products are delivered from Cainta, Rizal to anywhere in the metro.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Hassle-free party food from Kitchen City Frozen Meals

Restrictions from the quarantine that’s still in place in the metro precludes many of the celebrations and gatherings we used to enjoy.

Before the pandemic, people would get together to toast to birthdays, promotions and almost any reason under the sun.

Nowadays, many of us have to make do with Zoom parties or virtual meetups.

But unless you’re all partaking of the same delicious meal during your party, it just doesn’t feel the same, does it?

Well, a solution to this problem is actually just a few phone taps away!

Kitchen City is under one of the country’s biggest food concessionnaires servicing schools, hospitals and corporate offices for more than twenty years. To ease the kitchen woes of busy homemakers or virtual party organizers, it also offers cooked viands for delivery that are ready to heat, just in time to be enjoyed for any occasion.

During my mother-in-law’s birthday, she treated her kids and their families to hearty meals from Kitchen City which included:

Laing with Crispy Pork Toppings (Php250/600g). The much-loved Bicolano dish made with shredded gabi leaves cooked in rich coconut milk spiced with siling labuyo, garlic, bagoong alamang and ginger, topped with crispy pork pieces.

Gising-gising (Php250/600g). A classic Kapampangan dish also known as ginataang sigarilyas wherein winged beans are chopped then cooked in coconut milk spiced with siling labuyo, onions, shrimp paste and garlic.

KC Signature Hawaiian Baby Back Ribs (Php550/600g). A tangy and savory dish made with pork ribs, ketchup, pineapple juice and brown sugar.

Beef Morcon (Php425/600g). Filipino-style beef roll made with cheese, hotdogs, eggs and celery all rolled up in a thin slice of beef then braised in a rich tomato sauce.

All three households celebrated MIL’s special day with these tasty dishes. All we had to do was heat up the dishes, serve and dig in!

Now you know, there’s no need to sweat it out in the kitchen to whip up tasty party fare. Just order from Kitchen City and let it take care of the rest.

Kitchen City Frozen Meals is located at Lot 86 Bagsakan Road corner Avocado Street, FTI Complex, Taguig City, Philippines. For orders, call +63 2 6924601, +63 977 4774990, +63 927 758764, +63 917 5150873, +63 923 7295767, +63 956 7811517 or +63 909 0917437. You may also course your order through its website or at goodfinds.ph.

Get a free palabok platter with your Mang Inasal family size chicken order

Stressed over what to have for Noche Buena?

Not to worry, Mang Inasal’s got your back with its Take-out and Delivery Blowout.

If you missed this promo when it was first offered last November, you’ll definitely be happy to know it’s back just in time to save us from our Noche Buena woes.

As a treat for its customers, Mang Inasal is treating customers who order a Family Size Large Paa or Pecho Family Size for takeout or delivery with a complimentary family size platter of Mang Inasal Pancit Palabok. These servings are good for four people, definitely enough to satisfy my hungry fam.

Mang Inasal helped make the Ilonggo dish chicken inasal more accessible and popular in the metro. In this dish, chicken pieces are marinated in calamansi, pepper, vinegar and annato, then grilled over hot coals while being basted with the flavorful marinade until the chicken becomes smokey, juicy and tender. I tend to favor the paa (chicken leg and thigh) over the pecho (chicken breast) as I find this part juicier and more flavorful but other people find the pecho more to their taste. Chicken inasal is best enjoyed with garlic ricr, toyomansi and doused in a lot of chicken oil.

Mang Inasal’s Pancit Palabok, on the other hand, is made of thin rice noodles in a thick golden sauce topped with chopped spring onions, slices of hard-boiled egg, bits of chicharon (pork rind), pork slices and flakes of tinapa (smoked fish).

With my recent order of Mang Inasal Family Size Large Paa, I also received the Pancit Palabok Platter, all for only Php396!

This offer is available until December 28 only so don’t let it pass you by!

To allow more people to enjoy this amazing deal, customers can only avail of three orders of Mang Inasal Family Size Large Chicken Platters per transaction.

For delivery, course your orders via GrabFood, FoodPanda or LalaFood.

For takeout, visit your nearest Mang Inasal branch or send a message via Facebook.

Piestang Pinoy from 121 Restaurant

Ooh, we’re right smack in the middle of the holiday season, and I bet you’re missing the experience of going back to the province, getting together with the relatives for the annual family reunion and gorging yourself on regional dishes while joining the merrymaking of the town fiesta, right?

Well, that’s currently not possible, and, somehow, substituting a real clan get-together with a virtual party over Zoom just doesn’t feel the same.

After all, is it a real party if you all can’t partake of the same tasty delicacies?

Well, how about letting the guys at 121 Restaurant whip up a fiesta for you and your folks?

With its Pyestang Pinoy platters, you can relive your festivities virtually with well-loved Pinoy dishes with servings sizeable enough for a big family meal (Pambahay, good for 10 people), an office party (Pambatalyon, good for 20 people) or for a whole clan (Pambarangay, good for 50 people).

Take the Ati-Atihan (Php292 per person), for example. This hearty meal brings the energy of the famous Aklan festival with its inclusions of:

Grilled Liempo.

Lumpiang Shanghai.

Pancit Bihon with Canton.

Biko.

Other Pyestang Pinoy variants include:

The Kadayawan (Php274 per person): Pork Siomai, Bangus Tempura, Pancit Bihon with Canton and Sapin-sapin.
The Higantes (Php335 per person): Lumpiang Shanghai, Pancit Palabok, Marinated Fried Chicken and Biko.
The Sinulog (Php370 per person). Grilled Liempo, Grilled Porkchop, Lumpiang Shanghai and Pork Siomai

Each Pyestang Pinoy Set is served with rice. Free 2-liter Coke provided for orders good for 20 people and more.

If you feel like gifting someone with a scrumptious taste of home, you can send them a Paborito Box (Php459), single servings of Pinoy faves conveniently packaged in one box. Choose from three variants such as:

Luzon: Lumpiang Shanghai, Nachos, Porkchop, one slice of Biko and one piece of Polvoron
Visayas: Pork Siomai, Cheesesticks, Pork BBQ Sticks, two pieces of Polvoron
Mindanao: Lumpiang Shanghai, Empanada, Buffalo Wings, Monggo Soup, one pack of Peanuts and one piece Polvoron

So if you’re hosting your fam’s virtual reunion, you can all be one in merrymaking and feasting on favorite Filipino dishes with 121 Restaurant’s Pyestang Pinoy.

To order your Pyestang Pinoy sets or Paborito Box, call +63 2 7577 7557 or +63 917 3296997, email sales@121resto.com or order online.

Payments via cash on delivery, bank transfer or G-Cash QR code are accepted. 121 Restaurant delivers in Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pasay, San Juan, Taguig, Paranaque, and Quezon City.

Disclosure: Product sample was provided to facilitate a feature story.