I was in elementary when my "passion" for chicharon bulaklak was first stirred – so much so that I still love it even until now. I know it is not exactly healthy so I make a conscious effort not to eat it as often as I wish (which, if truth be told, is every day).
When I visited Manila in the mid ’90s my friend Scho brought me to a place called El Cirkulo. Back then it had the atmosphere of a bar, which did not quite allow for quiet conversation, but the food was very good. When I settled permanently in Manila after I got married one of the first restaurants I was able to visit was El Cirkulo again – it then had since been converted from a bar into a place more conducive to intimate dining replete with excellent food and wonderful service, not to mention a homey, private ambience that makes for good conversation.
What I did not realize until just recently was that one and the same family was operating Milky Way and El Cirkulo. Even more amazing is the fact that the Milky Way I enjoyed whenever I could from my childhood is well and alive today, despite other bistros that have mushroomed by the hundreds. They no longer have their chicharon bulaklak ready at all times (you’ll have to order it) but they do have a wealth of other delightful treats.
Which brings me to why I enjoy dining at El Cirkulo. Other than the reasons I already mentioned above, I find great pleasure in walking the few steps from the side entrance that connect it to Pop’s, a small convenience store that peddles edible treats like chocolates, cookies and chips. But beyond that, what I am so taken with are the homemade Milky Way treats that abound in the shelves. Just recently I tried their chicharon – it was soooo good I finished a bag all by myself. I even ate it with rice. I’m also very addicted to their halayang ube and sweet macapuno, both of which I only discovered two weeks ago when the whole family was at El Cirkulo celebrating my brothers’ college graduation. Enjoyed individually it tastes wonderful, but eaten together as a pair it is heavenly. The ube has a yummy texture because there are bigger, chewy bits within the finely mashed paste and the sweetness is just right. Their bagoong is very good as well, so are their pickled mangoes, dulong and garlic chips. And don’t get me started on their buko-lychee sherbet – it’s so light and refreshing it would be very easy to finish a pint in just one sitting. I cannot wait to taste their sweet langka, the pleasure of which constantly eludes me because each time I’m there it is always out of stock. If that is any indication, it most probably is just as much a hit as the others are. Over and above all that they also have a whole line of savory treats that include embotido, three kinds of longganiza, rellenong bangus, pancit molo, and tapa among others.
The past few weeks has seen me, together with family and friends, going back to El Cirkulo often. I will always love their sisig (they have one of, if not, the best in town). Perennial favorites also include their Paella Negra, slow roasted US beef belly, patita (baby crispy pata, the meat is tender and the skin very crispy), lentejas, chorizo frito, croquettas, hojaldres de Espinancas, and ensalada de Espinacas.
As for the dessert, most everything they have is good as well although I keep on coming back to old favorites, among them the bolsillo de platanos – crisp filo pouches filled with roasted banana compote. With this they serve a sweet sauce that doesn’t compete with the main feature but instead enhances it even more. Dreamy, it is.
Now I’m really hungry. I’ll most probably hie off to El Cirkulo again tonight. After all, Richard and I just finished the last bottle of sweet macapuno in our fridge and I feel I need another sisig fix. Come to think of it, I would want a sisig fix every other day of the week but I don’t think my body would thank me for it. That said, it is enough comfort knowing that there is another place I can run to each time the yearning for home-cooked good food strikes. Or simply for those times when I’m too hungry to risk trying out a new place for fear of being disappointed. El Cirkulo, and Milky Way literally above that, are no-brainers sure to satisfy, physically and emotionally. Brace yourself for a dining experience that warms the body and the heart. And as you take your last spoonful, I guarantee that you will be planning your next trip back to the cycle of gastronomic pleasure that El Cirkulo uniquely brings.