Holiday midnight dining guide

Christmas is in the air (along with the horrendous Metro Manila traffic) and that means a lot to us Filipinos. We will all be getting our much-needed breaks as we unwind, drink, eat and be merry until the wee hours of the morning.

From experience, this is also the time of year that I find myself midnight bingeing a lot more than usual. You have after-party bingeing, spontaneous-hangout-with-friends-late-at-night bingeing or even eating dinner at midnight because you messed up your body clock with all those Christmas parties you have to attend.

Either way, you can expect the midnight dining scene to be packed and I would like to give my own version of the Midnight Dining Guide to help out those in search of gastronomic satisfaction.

Mister Kabab. This restaurant can be found along West Ave. in Quezon City but do not be swayed by its quaint looks. It has a very loyal following and its satisfied customer base just keeps on growing. I have never found this place fully empty even if it has been continually open, 24/7, for the past half-decade even on the oddest hours of the day or night!

Their killer dishes are Special Beef Chelo Kabab and Special Chicken Chelo Kebab. For P130, the food tastes like heaven after a night of all-out partying. The meat that they use has always been very tender and of high quality, never tough and cheap tasting. The rice, which is probably the most important component for any Filipino meal, is one of the best that I have ever tasted. At times, I may even choose Mister Kabab’s buttered rice over the Japanese rice served in high-end restaurants because it is that good. Long grains that are soft but not gooey and, at the same time, you will never find those dreaded black or uncooked grains found in other kinds of rice.

Enjoy the Rib-Eye Steak of 77 in Kamuning

To top it off is their signature garlic sauce, which you can mix with your rice, meat, vegetables — that’s how good the sauce is. In the end, it is obvious they don’t scrimp on the quality of ingredients they use, which is probably why they’ve continually been a hit over the years. It is definitely a must-try.

North Park. My second recommendation might be a bit more popular since it is found in the heart of the metro, Makati Ave., although it does have other branches. North Park has been around for quite awhile but its ambiance and feel-good Chinese food never ceases to please our stomachs. Once again, being Filipino, their Yang Chow fried rice is the must-have dish. You can practically eat it after a night-out, have the left–overs wrapped, then eat it again for breakfast in the morning. It’s that addicting — or maybe it’s just my craving for it right now.

But you may want to add to your North Park experience by trying out their Beef and Broccoli, Lemon Chicken and Sweet & Sour Pork, which are my personal favorites. As a tip, you can order their soup broth for free while waiting for your food to be served. It may look a bit weird and shady but it’s pretty good and a great way to warm yourself up before the real meal.

Rufo’s. Of course, you can never go wrong with a midnight (insert prefix here)-silog binge. Tapsilog, longsilog, hotsilog, fishsilog and all the kinds of silogs you can imagine will never leave the midnight cravings of Filipinos. There are a lot of places that offer these dishes all throughout the day but I, more often than not, stick to Rufo’s. I remember my dad telling me before that he used to love eating in Rufo’s every day after he went to the gym and I guess I’m the apple that did not fall too far from the tree.

Their tapa is just so unique with its rich sauce and distinct mix of spicy sweetness. It is not the kind of tapa recipe that I am used to but it got me hooked the very first time I tried it. Although I may advise that it is possible to eat three orders of tapsilog in one sitting if you lack the discipline to control your hunger so consider yourselves warned.

77. Last but not least is 77 along Kamuning in Quezon City. It is a restaurant/bar that has a very indie vibe to it. It reminds me of a house that was refurnished into a commercial restaurant. I actually just recently stumbled upon it, but it has been a mainstay in my list of midnight restaurants this 2011.

What first pulled me in was their Rib-eye Steak, which is just P300! For that price, I just had to try it and I did not go away unsatisfied. Finding such good steak for that price and during the wee hours of the morning just puts a big fat joker-like smile on your face. I do suggest getting it done medium or medium-well as this seems to be the sweet spot of their chef. Aside from that, they also have their Chicken Parmigiana which I think comes very close to our home-cooked version, and believe me, that says a lot! Couple their good food with their very homey and relaxed vibe and it is the perfect place to catch up with friends and just laze the night away.

For comments suggestions or places I should try e-mail me at [email protected].

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