Eat, eat, eat and have fun

Ti’s the season of giving, the season for forgiving and sharing, the season of love and gratitude. It’s the most joyous time of the year, so let’s take time out to say thank you to the Lord for the blessings.

Having said that, I would also like to thank all the restaurants who graciously opened their doors to our roving B&L (Business & Leisure) crew who patiently combed the metropolis in search of great new discoveries for 2015 so we can share these with our viewers and readers.  Many of them did not see print but I hope you were able to catch them on TV.

And in the spirit of the season of which good hearty eating is a part of, let me rattle off a few of them here.

Ally’s All Day Breakfast Place located in The Rock, Holy Spirit Drive, in Commonweath is owned by basketball sensation Kiefer Ravena brother Thirdy along with a few other friends. This is definitely a place frequented by young people who enjoy breakfast any time of the day.  The resto greets you with a big Hello sign and a smiling sun drops from the ceiling to say this is a breakfast place, all day. Their signature dishes include do-it-yourself pancakes and waffles where you can drizzle everything on them—nutella, cookie batter, caramel, etc.  You can also enjoy rice bowls, bagnet, bangus, tapa, etc. while enjoying the happy chatter around you.

Paprika – Again owned by a group of young friends. This is a cozy and neat place located in RCBC bldg at the BGC with black tables contrasting against clean white walls. One of the owners, Panjee Lim brought out some of their specialties on the day the B&L crew was there. Paprika ribs sitting on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes,  adobo overload which is a hefty serving, even for a famished diner. It is actually double-cooked adobo, deep-fried to crispy goodness, served with adobo-flavored fried rice. Wow! And their signature dish that is their own innovation is tuyo pasta which my kids simply loved.

Juju Eats – Though I am not a fan of strictly organic, healthy food, this one is worth mentioning for the effort and the message they strive to get across. It is run by a couple who had extensive training in a health farm in Tagaytay for 10 years before they set out on their own. They first started with detox all-natural drinks which could be ordered on line until they ventured into the restaurant business. Inside, you can see an extensive salad bar where you can create the “salad of your dreams,” according to owner Kat Azanza. They have developed no less than 50 toppings for the assorted greens along with 14 dressings. Their Pinoy salad is topped by pork inasal, a small concession to those who still crave for a tiny portion of their sinful past.

Sabao – Owned and run by Erwin Heusaff, it is located at Valero cor. Rufino St. in Salcedo Village, Makati. This restaurant has a unique concept that was a bold and daring one, inspired by the Japanese ramen and the Asian bao. Their best sellers include the bulalo (but of course!), the beef salpicado, the chicken adobo sandwich, the pork canton bowl and the shrimp bao.  Their best selling dessert is their Pinoy halo halo.

Baits – It’s a curious name for this restaurant along Salcedo Village in Makati, but it is so named because they specialize in sea food, but meat lovers need not fret—they have delicious suckling pig and other great meat dishes as well. One of the owners and chef here is Joseph Margate, a Pinoy from Batangas who graduated from a culinary course in San Francisco and honed his skills in various restaurants across the US. Check out their crab salad which boasts of real crab meat and lots of fresh herbs, their seafood risotto, octopus salad, squid ink pasta, and fresh tuna sashimi.

49-B Heirloom Kitchen – It is unmistakably a house turned into a busy restaurant at the corner of Scout Fuentebella and Scout Tobias in Quezon City.  If you haven’t guessed yet, this restaurant was so named because the matriarch, Mrs. Jovy Aquino, has lovingly recreated all their heirloom recipes to serve at the restaurant. Their Paella Valenciana is so popular it always seems to be sold out, and their Sinigang na Lechon is value for money—the broth is opaque, not clear like most sinigangs, and the lechon is tender. They also have fork-tender ox tongue and fried stuffed squash flowers for appetizers.  Their signature desserts are their baked saba bananas torched with ginger sugar, and a simple one that smacks of home: freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies served with vanilla ice cream and a glass of fresh milk.

Tweedle Book Cafe – From the name, you know it comes from a certified book lover.  Located at 106-B Scout Gandia, Quezon City, proprietor JamiePerez-Ong says she wanted a library that is also a chocolate shop because she loves books and her regular fix of hot choco. Books take center stage here, but she has also come up with light fare for those who want to linger in the book café. They have over 1,000 titles here, and many are donations from customers. At the basement, they serve wine for their readers who care for it. Their limited menu includes pork asado pies, salmon, light pasta, and coffee and hot chocolate, which she says comes from Cebu.

Miao Cat Cafè – They do not pretend to be a full-service café and they have a very lean menu, but they do have a lot of resident cats, between 22 to 32 at any given time. Mothers with young children in tow come here, enjoy a plate of pesto pasta and yoghurt or strawberry milk shakes, and just watch the cats slither to their favorite corner or just nap away the afternoon.  A visitor has to wear house slippers and disinfect before coming in, and no one is allowed to pet the cats. Location: Congressional Avenue, Quezon City.

Patio Vera – When the shoe industry in Marikina collapsed, the Vera family converted part of their ancestral home in 70 Gen. F. Santos, Calumpang, Marikina to a full-service restaurant. Dennis Caballes, a design specialist, used the family collection from their travels to create an eclectic setting, and the result is a well-appointed restaurant/events place that is in demand for weddings, debuts, and even wedding proposals because of their lush garden that boasts of giant ferns and old trees. Try their four variants of paella, kare kare, lengua, binagoongan and their Menudo de Meya, which uses annatto oil only, no tomato sauce.

We still have a lot tucked away but so sorry, space has run out.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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