Bagnet and Garlic Rice at PenPen’s, Cubao Expo

PINASarap: Tamerlane’s inihaw na pusit na may palaman (as Pabee would always say) and Inihaw na Pakpak

The place is a simple garage turned restaurant. No air condition. Place is clean. Food is great,  Inihaw na liempo, manok, hito, tilapia, hotdog, squid, pork chop, talong, tinadtad na mangga w/ bagoong, itlog na pula. It will be grilled as you order. Price is reasonable! No spoon & fork…. eat by the hand. Food is served using banana leaf on a rattan plate. 

Ate Jo’s Pares, Lacson st. UST

The best beef pares you can ever find in the metro, not too fatty, or overpowered with star anise, thicker but more flavorful sauce. You can never go wrong on having this as your lunch or merienda, at a very affordable price of 35 pesos.

PINASarap: Laing and Bicol Express

Laing is a Filipino dish native to the province of Bicol. It is a spicy and creamy dish of Gabi (Taro) leaves, pork, and chili peppers cooked incoconut milk.

Bicol Express Origin

Cely Kalaw, a native of Laguna and an owner of a restaurant located in Malate, Manila, is believed to have been the woman behind this spicy and appetizing dish. She went to Nagawhen she was three years old and was exposed to the palatable dishes of Bicol. When she grew up and returned to Manila, she created Bicol Express. She named the dish after the train that travels from Paco Station to Bicol.

Bicolanos also claim that it was derived from an original native recipe of Bicol, Gulay na Lada, which is cooked the same way as Bicol Express but originally had no meat.

Penoy and Bacon Carbonara @ PenPen, Cubao Expo

PINASarap: Beef pares

 Pares, literally “pair”, means the combination of rice and beef. In Philippine eateries, the customer may opt to enjoy his beef with noodles instead of rice. What characterizes the beef pares from other beef-and-rice or beef-and-noodle dishes is the very tender meat. Cuts with lots of litid (ligaments) are used to achieve a texture that is tender and sticky at the same time. Brisket and shanks are ideal for makingbeef pares.

Now that I’ve tried my first bowl of pares, I can truly say, that I deserve my URL.

Ube Macapuno Cake from Red Ribbon

I am sooo in love with this cake…

Late Night Meal.

Lunch at Mangan, Robinson’s Place Ermita.

Pork Liempo @ Dennis’s Grill

PINASarap: Sago’t Gulaman

samalamig or sago’t gulaman, sold at roadside stalls and vendors. This drink consists of gulaman cubes and/or sago (tapioca pearls) suspended in milk, fruit juice or brown-sugar water flavored with pandan leaves. It is most likely a cheaper local version of the Chinese conjac jelly (which is served floating in cold tea).

One of the best way to cool off this summer.

PINASarap: Pancit palabok/Luglog

This pancit has an orange shrimp-achuete sauce topped with chicharon, tinapa (smoked fish), boiled eggs, wansoy, shrimp, etc. The name palabok is suggested by the bright orange sauce and toppings while the name luglug comes from the sound that the noodles make when the bamboo steamer is dipped in the boiling water.

Grilled Liempo and Grilled Pusit @ Reyes’s Barbecue

PINASarap: Pancit Palabok

Also called Pansit Malabon, is a Philippine noodle dish from the Tagalog region, consisting of rice noodles called bihon or miki flavored with a thick, bright orange sauce. It is similar to pansit luglug, except with thicker noodles.

Pansit Malabon is a staple in Tagalog festivals, celebrations and gatherings. Many food franchises have Pansit Malabon as their specialty.

The dish was named after the city of its supposed origin — Malabon, Metro Manila. Different varieties throughout the Tagalog region use different garnishes or variations on the sauce. The main similarity is the preparation of the noodles.

The noodles are first soaked, then blanched in boiling water. The brightly-colored sauce is usually made with fish sauce (patis) and crab fat. This sauce is called paalat or palabok in Tagalog which roughly means ‘for flavoring’ or ‘for thickening’.

The dish is then served with a variety of toppings and garnishes. The most popular are shrimp, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and crushed pieces of pork crackling (chicharon). Some may prefer flakes of smoked fish (tinapa), fresh spring onions, bean sprouts, salted eggs (itlog na pula), and pechay Bagiou (bok choy or Chinese cabbage). Some of the more exotic toppings include oysters, adobong pusit (sauteed squid), and fish eggs. People also add a squeeze of calamansi (citrus) juice.