paella valenciana – Jellybeans in the City

During a #ReturnToOffice day when our boss (also known as #FearlessLeader) was on leave, my coworkers and I consoled ourselves by having lunch at the Mom & Tina’s branch located a short walking distance from our building.

Mom & Tina’s Bakery Cafe is a popular restaurant concept named after the mother-daughter duo who founded it a few years ago. Its branches have since become beloved destinations for those looking for delicious baked goods and hearty comfort food.

These establishments are marked by their cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and mouthwatering menu comfort food that includes breakfast items, main dishes, sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, and cakes, pies, and other baked goods. Mom & Tina’s takes pride in its heirloom dishes, all made from scratch using fresh and locally sourced ingredients.

During our lunch time foray, we feasted on Mom & Tina’s savory viands such as:

US Roast Beef (Php645). Tender slices of beef slow-roasted to perfection, served with gravy, mixed vegetables and fluffy mashed potatoes, definitely a must-try for meat lovers.

Paella Valenciana (Php495). Mom & Tina’s take on the classic Spanish dish, featuring saffron-infused rice cooked with chicken, seafood, and vegetables sautéed in oil with garlic, tomatoes and chorizo. This hearty and flavorful dish is perfect for sharing, which is what I did with one of my officemate.

Barbecued Chicken Fillet (Php395). Juicy and succulent deboned chicken leg quarter marinated in a special barbecue sauce and grilled to perfection and served with java rice and atchara.

Barbecued Pork Belly (Php395). A Filipino favorite, Mom & Tina’s version of this dish features pork belly marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and grilled to perfection. It’s served with rice and your choice of sides.

Pasta Carbonara (Php365). A classic pasta dish that’s creamy, cheesy, and oh-so-delicious. Mom & Tina’s version features al dente spaghetti tossed in a creamy sauce with bacon and grated Parmesan cheese and served with freshly baked rolls.

Thanks to our #HappyLunch at Mom & Tina’s Bakery Cafe, we cheerfully faced the rest of our workday, even if #FearlessLeader was not with us. (Well, we made sure to share our lunch pics to make her miss us all the more, hehehehe!)

This Mom & Tina’s branch is located at Across ABS-CBN Main Building, 58 Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, open for dine-in, takeout and delivery weekdays from 8am to 10pm and weekends from 7am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, contact +63 2 83323579 or 63 999 8859254.

Other branches are located at:

S&R Libis, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue corner Calle Industria, Bagumbayan, Quezon City (Tel: +63 2 82568611 or +63 999 8850092)
Tropical Palms Condominium, 103 De la Rosa Street corner Perea Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City (Tel: +63 2 88943598 or +63 999 8859252)

Know more about Mom & Tina’s by visiting its website or following it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Mom & Tina’s:

Mom & Tina's Greenhills — Mom & Tina’s Greenhills

Considering how Spanish cuisine has been a huge influence on Pinoy food, it’s a wonder that I didn’t get to eat often at Spanish restaurants, even during pre-pandemic times.

From Spain’s richly storied culinary heritage as well as the influx of new ingredients courtesy of the galleon trade, we get the rich and colorful dishes that we have adapted and oftentimes reserve for special occasions.

Since the 1950s, Alba Restaurante Espanol has been the go-to place for authentic Spanish food. Established by Don Anastacio Alba over sixty-five years ago, this restaurant has been satisfying the Filipino palate with tasty Spanish comfort food.

A few years ago, before the lockdowns which arose because of the pandemic, my officemates and I were able to expand our culinary horizons by having one of our happy lunches at Alba’s Tomas Morato branch.

Recently, I was able to revisit Alba’s cuisine for my second quarantine birthday, when my boss had a Paella Valenciana (Php580) delivered to my home as a birthday treat. It’s a show-stopping rice dish made with chicken, pork, seafood and veggies that’s hearty enough to satisfy the whole family, but whetted my appetite for more of Alba’s offerings.

Fortunately, with GrabFood’s Taste the World campaign, I was able to sate my craving for Spanish comfort food. The campaign’s last leg featured European food and granted 50% discount (maximum of Php150), for orders made from 10am to 2pm.

With Alba’s Eatancia branch available for long-distance delivery via GrabFood, I was able to treat the fam to a delicious taste of Spain right in our home, which included:

Salchichas con Champignon (Php250). A tapas caliente (hot appetizer) made with slices of Spanish sausage sautéed with mushroom, garlic and chili.

Gambas Al Ajillo (Php370). Another tapas caliente made with shrimps sauteed in olive oil, garlic and chili, which is definitely becoming a family favorite, especially when paired with hot crusty bread.

Callos ala Madrilena (Php420). Stewed ox-tripe in a rich tomato sauce.

Lengua Sevillana (Php500). Stewed ox tongue with mushroom and olives in a rich sherry brown sauce.

Paella Negra (Php650). Paella given its distinctive dark hue and rich umami flavor by squid ink, stuffed squid and shrimps.

There’s a reason why most of these dishes are only served during special occasions: it’s the sheer amount of time, effort and expertise that go into preparing these dishes. But simply by coursing your order from Alba via GrabFood, you can enjoy these delectable viands in the comfort of your home.

Plus, be sure to take advantage of amazing offers such as Taste the World and GrabFood Signatures to get amazing deals on your food delivery orders from your favorite restaurants.

So go ahead and take your tastebuds on a gastronomic adventure just by ordering via GrabFood!

This Alba branch is located at Level 2, North Wing, Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Oranbo, Pasig City.

Other branches are located at:

38 Polaris St. Bel-Air Makati City
Tomas Morato corner Scout Lozano, Quezon City
Westgate Center, Commerce Ave., Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
4th Level, Prism Plaza, TwoEcom Center Building, Bayshore Avenue cor Harbor Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

About Grab

Grab is the leading super app in Southeast Asia, providing everyday services that matter most to consumers. Today, the Grab app has been downloaded onto over 185 million mobile devices, giving users access to over 9 million drivers, merchants and agents. Grab offers the widest range of on-demand transport services in the region, in addition to food, package, grocery delivery services, mobile payments and financial services across 339 cities in eight countries.

About GrabFood

Operating under the Grab super app, GrabFood is an online food delivery service that connects local food businesses to people. GrabFood presents a variety of food based on what’s available around consumers: Filipino, Western, Asian, European, Fusion and so on. Today, GrabFood’s services are available in areas of Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Cebu, with plans to continue expanding to reach more areas in the country.

Download the Grab app here.

Disclosure: A gift voucher was provided to facilitate the order experience.

Tag: paella valenciana

Indulge in delicious comfort food at Mom & Tina’s

A taste of Spain with Alba and GrabFood