Big and Homely Flavours

This is going to be quite a late post, but the fennel bulbs were in Manila for the holidays, and it was just timely to eat out and celebrate the season. One restaurant that's quietly tucked in Makati's Legaspi Village just a stone's throw away from Greenbelt Mall is the Balkan restaurant. As the name suggests, it serves food from the Balkan peninsula, in particular Yugoslavian (or rather Serbian) food. 

And most of the food were meat dishes with some vegetables. There seems to be no seafood, after all, this is a cuisine from a landlocked country. And the fennel bulbs ordered a rich dish, pork knuckle stew (~Php650). 

The pork knuckles were absolutely delicious. The pork knuckles were cooked for a very long time until it has become very tender. Also, the flavor was rich and concentrated. Indeed this dish conjures images of homeliness, slow cooking in a kitchen, with all the spices and herbs imparting their flavours to the dish in a wonderful way. 

For vegetables, the fennel bulbs had Sarma (~Php250), which were basically cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat. A rich garlic sauce was used as the base. The dish was served with mashed potatoes. 

In conclusion, this restaurant serves dishes that are big on flavour. A nice yoghurt drink afterwards would be best as a refreshing contrast for all the thick flavours. Overall, Balkan restaurant is worth a visit. 

***

The fennel bulbs were not accustomed to going to the southern parts of Metro Manila, as it was simply too tiresome to get there because of the traffic. But since it was since the holidays, there was not much traffic and they decided to go BF Homes in Paranaque where there are a lot of undiscovered restaurants that should be worth giving a try. 

BF Homes is actually home to a thriving Korean community, which explains for so many Korean restaurants in the area. And the fennel bulbs chose Sam Won Restaurant along Aguirre Avenue. As usual to standard Korean fare, the meal began with a set of appetizers, called banchan (반찬). The diversity of it was quite generous - fried courgettes, tofu, hard-boiled egg in soy sauce, kimchi, spinach, anchovy fry, and baby potatoes. 

Next, kalbi (beef ribs) to be wrapped in lettuce with vegetables were ordered. The flavour of the beef was quite good - it was not too sweet which was all too common with marinades used. The vegetables were in a chili soy dressing. The dish had the delicate balance of richness from the beef and lightness from the vegetables. 

Lastly, kimchi jigae (kimchi soup) was ordered. This is a very delicious dish, and is most ideal food to eat at home during a very cold Korean winter. The flavour was well rounded, and just the same, such flavour must have come from cooking it slowly. The heat and pungency of the kimchi was subdued and developed to a total different flavour, which must have probably been the outcome of mixing it with broth. 

Two dishes were all served with plain rice, and the fennel bulbs couldn't complain with regards to being satiated. A meal for two would cost just around Php600. Price and flavours considered, Sam Won is truly a  bargain! 

And so there goes two restaurants; two cuisines from the East and West - both with rich flavours, evoking feelings of homeliness. :-)