More than a Coffee Shop

The fennel bulbs have lately heard about a nice coffee shop that offers more than what the other run-of-the-mill coffee shops can whip up. Subspace, located along F. Ortigas Jr. Avenue (formerly known as Emerald Avenue) in Ortigas Center does not just serve coffee, snacks, and pastries, but it also is a showcase of interior design. Customers get to sit on designer chairs and watch Korean shows and series being projected onto a white wall whilst sipping coffee. 

 

Coffee shops have been gaining popularity in Asian countries like Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, where tea is definitely more popular than coffee. A lot of these coffee shops have also become venues for interior design ingenuity and for exhibiting artworks by local artists. Subspace brings the same Bohemian feeling to Manila, and the result is a cosy nook with an ambiance where one can just revel and get transported to different spaces, as it were. The Korean soap-series, The Coffee Prince, comes to mind.

Now, the fennel bulbs have a favourite drink. 

 

It's a purple potato latte (Php125, small), which is coffee topped with purple potato flavouring (which we conjecture to be either in powder form or an essence). It's delightfully sweet, but the overall flavour of the coffee is preserved.

 

And a slice of carrot loaf (Php45) to go with the lovely coffee. 

Indeed Subspace is a place or rather a "space" where one can just have an intimate conversation with one's friends or just be alone and soak the good vibes.

Where Chocolate and Bagoong Meet

A very nice restaurant along Connecticut Street in Greenhills that has built quite a reputation is Angel's Kitchen. This restaurant serves home-style cuisine. However, its take on home-cooked dishes can be quite quirky, but definitely delicious, as we will soon find out.

 

For starters the fennel bulbs had a salad of mixed greens in mango poppy seed dressing with soft shell crab (~Php350). The dressing is a delicate balance of sweet and a bit of sour and goes very well with the crabs, which were fried well and are crunchy. 

 

Next is the pinakbet rice with bagnet (~Php380). This is the speciality of the house, and is definitely a must-try. In fact this dish is so popular it's actually award-winning. Pinakbet is a Filipino dish of Ilocano origins which primarily consists of vegetables, bitter squash (locally known as ampalaya) and okra sauteed in shrimp paste (bagoong). The rice is fried in the pinakbet and topped with bagnet (crunchy slabs of pork belly marinated in spices). But the quirkiness in this dish is really the condiment, which is chocolate bagoong! Bitter cocoa is mixed with sauteed shrimp paste, and the overall taste of their unlikely combination is something not to be missed.

 

Next is the beef pot roast (~Php420) in rich mushroom sauce. Perhaps a pitfall of ordering this dish is that they were quite overpowered by the pinakbet rice. Therefore it's highly suggested to eat the pinakbet rice last. The beef pot roast on the other hand was richly beefy. It seems quite likely that cream of mushroom was incorporated into the sauce. 

 

And the more delightful thing about Angel's Kitchen is that not only does it serve good meals, but it also serves great dessert. No one would have to go elsewhere to conclude a meal. 

And the very gracious daughter of the owner recommended the fennel bulbs to try a slice of Malakoff cake (~Php180). This is just sinfully delicious, with several layers of airy and crunchy cake, nuts, and dark chocolate. 

Angel's Kitchen truly lives up to its name.

Full Moon

Another restaurant near Little Tokyo that's very much worth mentioning about is Mangetsu (萬月), which playfully translates to full moon (満月). This restaurant is near the old Sango's burger restaurant in Mile Long Building along Amorsolo Street in Makati. 

And the fennel bulbs would commend Mangetsu as one of the best Japanese restaurants in town. The offerings in the menu are formidable, and the variety of sushi is quite good. Also on the menu is gratinated rice, and more traditional Japanese staples like rice bowls and sukiyaki. 

 

On the picture above are baby squids with chili miso sauce (Php350). The squids are tender and not at all tough, which is usually the problem with eating squid. The real thrill is in the sauce which is just a harmonious blend of sweet and spicy. There is also a strong hint of sesame. 

 

Next is beef packed with egg (Php300), cooked and served on a huge Japanese bamboo ladle. The dish is served piping hot, and the sauce resembles that of sukiyaki, only more copious. It's on the sweet side, probably with liberal dashes of rice vinegar and sake. The beef is also tender, and overall, a delightful dish. 

Next is assorted sushi (Php420). Included are sashimi balls, which are very visually appealing. Not to mention, the quality of the salmon and the tuna are very good. The flesh literally glimmers when lit. 

 

Next is tofu gratin (Php380). It's an inventive dish. Mozzarella cheese is used. Soft tofu is used and it all melts in the mouth. The dish is mild and quite delicate, and one can sense the milk in every spoonful of it. 

 

Lastly is the sweet potato ice cream (Php165). Homemade vanilla ice cream is topped with pureed sweet potatoes. The taste of the sweet potatoes totally complements the vanilla ice cream, and the result is a heavenly dessert that is truly comforting.

A delightful experience at Mangetsu, from appetizer all the way to dessert. :-)

 

Filipino Gastronomy in the Soulful South

The fennel bulbs' search for good food brought them to the quaint town of San Pablo, Laguna. A mere 80-kilometre drive (an hour and a half away from Manila in normal traffic), the city of Seven Lakes has a lot of Filipino soul in it - quaint churches, polite locals, handicrafts, and of course, food. One restaurant that has been making the difference in this town is the Patis Tito Garden Cafe (formerly known as Kusina Salud). 

Owned by renowned fashion designer Patis Tesoro, Patis Tito Garden Cafe is not just about the food. The architecture of the estate is very much noteworthy. An eclectic mix of traditional Filipino style characterises the house with its sliding wooden windows and intricate carvings on the wood panels with little quirky details. 

The place also has a garden and an aviary where one can roam around while waiting for the food. There are various species of birds, including rarer oddities like a pheasant that can be found only in the Philippines, peacocks, and the very common parakeets. 

First dish to arrive, and which happens to be the favourite, is the ensaladang pako (Fern Salad, Php130). Yes, fern is edible and is very light and refreshing to the palate. The dressing is very innovative with the use of local vinegar, shallots, mashed salted duck egg (itlog na pula), and the most pleasant surprise, cheese! One can never have enough of this. 

Next is the fried vegetable spring rolls with vinegar (Php90), or lumpiang gulay. As the dish is deep-fried, expect it to be on the oily side. Vegetables stuffed inside it include string beans and bamboo shoots. 

Next is the pork binagoongan (pork belly cooked in shrimp paste (Php300). The flavours are strong with the use of the shrimp paste, the saltiness of which is nicely subdued through cooking with most notably, garlic. A little disdainful is the choice of the meat which happens to have more chunks of fat than it should. An interesting take on this dish is pairing the meat with smoked eggplant. 

The piece de resistance of the whole meal was the Inasal Diablo (Devil's Roast Chicken, Php345). A very innovative take on this dish of Panay origins, the dish is not chili as it's name may suggest, but rather soulfully flavouful as the chicken was marinated in bagoong (shrimp paste) and lemongrass (locally known as tanglad). It is paired with sweet pickled papaya (atchara). 

And of course, all the meat dishes were had with some garlic rice (Php35). 

Truly, Patis Tito Garden Cafe is a gem to remember. More aptly, it's a place where one can be closer to the Filipino heart through its homely and very authentic interiors and unpretentious good food. 

*Directions: Take SLEX and take the Sto. Tomas, Batangas exit. Turn left towards Sto. Tomas town and take the Daang Maharlika. SM City San Pablo is the landmark that one has entered the town and keep on going forward until signboards of Patis Tito Garden Cafe appear. Turn left on a narrow road (with signboards of Patis Tito Garden Cafe) towards San Ignacio Putol. The restaurant should be on the left side. 

For inquiries, one can call (02-7252686/02-7244231, Metro Manila office).