I remember passing by Reposo many years ago on the way to Saint Andrew’s Church along Kalayaan and the Makati municipio farther down the road, driving past a row of restaurants and establishments that include the familiar white structure that is Budji Layug’s shop. Fastforward to the present: the street is now called Nicanor Garcia, Budji now shares billing with Royal Pineda and there are newer shops and offices along the row but a lot of the restaurants have either moved or are now gone. One of the holdovers has a familiar name but the façade looks new to my eyes.
Spud Diner: More than just a slice of the ole Potato Corner
We’re a rice-eating nation and even with the globalization of the Filipino taste buds, rice remains to be our main source of carbs. But every once in a while, one just wants a break — maybe a pasta dish here or a sandwich there. With the birth of The Spud Diner, you can add potato to the list of options. It used to be that potatoes are relegated to side dish status on the dinner table (mashed with gravy on top or sliced into strips, deep-fried and served as French fries). Maybe, that’s because much of the potatoes that are served here are imported from the U.S. of A and saying “I’m a meat-and-potatoes person” sounds very colonial and un-Pinoy. But Spud Diner, an offshoot of the institution called Potato Corner, rises up to the challenge of giving potatoes its rightful place on the table by lending this staple some surprising twists.
Umu: Waxing poetic over Japanese food
I can vividly recall how creamy the Nankin Tofu tasted even though I had sampled it sometime ago. The texture was velvety-creamy, almost custard-like. The flavor of pumpkin rich but not overwhelmingly so. That it was, like most Japanese fare, picture-pretty with a garnishing of prawn, asparagus and wasabi, only made the eating all the more memorable.
Cebu: Foodtripping Down South
One of the indelible impressions that going around Cebu City left me is that Cebuanos simply love to eat. I’ve visited this so-called Queen City of the South every year for the last four or so years and seeing new eating places coming up just amazes me. The last time around was for another work assignment when we went around and saw signages on lampposts advertising either lechon (roast pig) and pochero, a kind of beef soup.
Crunchtime at 8065 Bagnet
The menu listed a grant total of 20 food items, six of which are bagnet main dishes and another six are bagnet budget meals. It takes a lot of gumption to offer just about only one thing in your restaurant and build the menu around it. Braver still to name your restaurant after it. But Bagnet 8065 does not disappoint.
La Cocina de Tita Moning: Dining back to the 1930s
We’re already 10 years into the new millennium but stepping into the foyer of La Cocina de Tita Moning, I can’t help but feel like I’ve left the 21st century at the doorstep and slipped back to another era. The gleam of the afternoon sun and chandelier reflects off the polished hardwood floor. Old paintings and photos hang all over the walls. The air conditioning was on but I seem to smell (or imagine smelling) a faint musty odor in the air, reminiscent of the redolence of old houses. I pass by the souvenir/pasalubong shop immediately past the sliding doors and save for the air conditioners and big refrigerators, I can easily mistake the decade for the 1930s, not the 2000s.