Cafe Juanita

Cafe Juanita, a hole-in-a-wall eatery nestled in Kapitolyo, Pasig City, provides good food and an eclectic ambiance that changes with the season. For December, Christmas was in the air. There were angels and bells, garlands and poinsettias, and all items you see are for sale.

For starters, my dad and mom shared the Oclam Fish Soup, a Laotian clear soup which can be served with fish or chicken. My cousin and I, on the other hand, shared a serving of Favada, a spanish bean stew. The Favada was so rich and flavorful with bits of ham/bacon (I think) and chorizo, which I guessed was what gave the favada its flavor.

Then we had Goicuon, a vietnamese fresh spring roll served with peanut sauce. I was a bit disappointed, the wrapper was too soggy and the vegetable filling was bland. Only the peanut sauce brought the dish together, which was on a sweet side for me. I would have preferred a balance of saltiness and sweetness in the sauce.

Ratatoy, which is their Pinoy version of the French original, was a winner. I loved the blend of chopped fresh tomatoes, onions, blanched eggplants, tuyo (dried fish) tossed in a warm soy sauce-vinegar based sauce. I had more rice than I usually have.

Buddha’s Pillow was soft tofu triangles, breaded and fried then stewed in a bonito flavored sauce, was unimpressive to me. My mom and dad didn’t like the taste and I found it drowned in too much sauce.

Laing Bicol was not the usual laing I’ve had. This laing was rolled up gabi leaves stuffed with chopped gabi and ground meat cooked in gata sauce. Rich, thick and spicy. Yummy. Another dish best eaten with rice slathered with the rich gata sauce.

Thai Crispy Dalag was similar to binukadkad na isda of Pampanga. Dalag (mudfish) was butterflied and deep fried, served with an interesting sauce that tasted of vinegar, sugar syrup, a hint of patis (fish sauce), chilies, scallions and maybe fried shallots. It was the perfect dipping sauce for the finger-licking-good crunchy fish. Again, best eaten with rice kamayan style.

Cafe Juanita
No.2 United corner West Capitol
Bo. Kapitolyo Pasig City
Tel: 6320357 ; 7101562

Felix Restaurant

Once in awhile, I have a date with my Dad. We usually go for nice simple meals which are not too rich and not too heavy. Dad has a small appetite but a palate for taste buds. He enjoys tasting, eating a little of everything and leaves the rest for us to finish (diet out the door...).

I decided to bring him to Felix Restaurant, where I've had dinner previously with friends, and found the food well prepared and delicious. The staff were attentive and cordial, and the ambiance of the place soothing. Except, that night, a guest was taking photos with his camera flash on and it was very distracting.

I ordered Cordero which was braised lamb ribs with herbed potatoes and buttered vegetables. The lamb was deliciously falling off the bones and the serving was more than I can finish. I’ve always enjoyed the combination of lamb with rosemary.

Dad had Samurai which was grilled salmon (?) served on top of a bed of vegetables, tofu and taro chips. The fish was perfectly fork tender and the vegetables gave texture to the dish. Soft fish, crunchy taro.

To cap off dinner we shared a dessert of Isamu, aka crepe samurai to me, which was layers of mangoes sandwiched between crepes with egg custardy sauce and baked till golden brown. (I used to make them but now prefers to buy them) I would have preferred it with more mangoes and sauce, but Dad liked it the way it was.

We both enjoyed our dinner and looked forward to another date together.

Felix Restaurant
G/F Greenbelt 5
Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel: 7299062 ; 4960705

Huo Guo Hot Pot

Sunday is family day and most of the time we have dinner together...somewhere. Last Sunday we gathered around a shabu-shabu pot at Choi Garden Restaurant. Also known as chinese fondue, steamboat, sukiyaki or “huo guo” (fire pot), depending on which part of the world you are, it involves cooking raw thinly sliced meat, fresh seafood, cut-up vegetables and choice noodles in boiling soup. Then you dipped the cooked food in your prepared sauce and enjoy.

My dipping sauce concoction includes one beaten raw egg (which according to traditional chinese herbalist lessens the “heat” therefore you won’t get sore throat after eating huo guo), lots of minced garlic, minced shallots, tons of sate paste, a couple of chopped chili and a dollop of chili sauce. I like my sauce hot and spicy.

Inside our shabu-shabu pot were sliced lamb, fresh shrimp, male crab, hand-made fish balls, shrimp balls, stuffed meat balls, fresh meat balls, lobster balls, squid paste, lettuce, polonchay, tanghochay, watercrest, baguio pechay, condol, sweet corn and plain rice, for those who can’t eat without it.

After 2 hours of cooking, bickering and gossiping, the soup stock was rich and flavorful ready for the noodles, but we decided to forgo noodles because we wanted dessert. We had mango pudding topped with fresh milk and a cherry, taho in a bucket good for 4 with mini sago and brown sugar syrup, and Dad had ground almond puree. Everyone had a little of everything and yet we were so full.

We look forward to next Sunday’s food trip and share another wonderful meal together.