Ah, the halo-halo. This quintessential Pinoy cooler is literally a hodge podge of locally-available ingredients. Just like the ubiquitous adobo, it varies from province to province with iterations that changes partly due to what’s available, partly to the taste buds of the locals.
It’s still Buon Appetito at L’Incontro
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.
Cantonese as Fine as Jasmine
Just hearing the name of this widely cultivated flower calls to mind adjectives like exquisite, delicate and versatile. It is a flower of many attributes beyond its beautiful form. To have a restaurant bearing its name means having big shoes to fill. Good thing that Jasmine Restaurant found at New World Hotel lived up to its name, serving some of the finest Cantonese Cuisine in the metro.
A Culinary Performance at Antonio Restaurante
There are Portuguese Restaurants, and there are Portuguese Restaurants with style. And the latter is where I would put this small homey restaurant called Antonio Restaurante at Taipa Island’s Old quarters, owned by Macau celebrity chef Antonio Coelho. We tagged along him that morning while he bought the ingredients he would use for the dishes he would serve that evening.
Macanese at Ristorante Litoral
“This is where we take our special guests” Joao tells us. Of course we felt honored hearing that statement. If one wants to treat guest to try great tasting Macanese food, Ristorante Litoral would be the best place to go. Chinese may have a big part in Macau cuisine being close to the country, but being under Portuguese rule for years, it’s inevitable not to fuse the better of two influences into one distinct cuisine – Macanese. Its Portuguese Cuisine using the best of the local ingredients found in Macau.
Le Bistro Vert: Eating Green
THE SETTING: Located in the heart of the Makati business district, just a few flights of stairs from Valero Street upwards to Fraser Place Building at Streetside. Le Bistro Vert is a welcoming place, with its high ceiling, cool colors and large windows lending a feeling of being inside a greenhouse. There is a loft for private dining and special occasions and tables outside for al fresco dining.