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). 

Homely at Cafe Juanita

Many locals in Manila would prefer eating out in restaurants serving international cuisine, partly because a mindset has been formed that Filipino food can already be had at home, and there are too few restaurants with a concept that justifies the need for a dining scene serving Filipino cuisine. 

But one restaurant is definitely making a difference and the fennel bulbs would love to recommend the
place to anyone wishing to experience the dynamic flavours of Filipino food. Cafe Juanita is located at  
the corner of United Street and West Capitol Street in a quiet neighborhood in Pasig City's Kapitolyo 
district. 

The restaurant's interior is a rather eccentric trip back in time. A lot of antiquities adorn its walls, and a lot of interesting vintage accents add up to the place's overall quirkiness. These are memorabilia from the 1940's and the 1950's, from a time where cigarette packs were collected because their covers were too beautiful to be thrown away, and when magazine advertisements of products like Coca Cola were illustrated by artists. They simply had to be kept. 

The dish above is Cafe Juanita's version of Binagoongan (~Php385, Pork in Shrimp Paste Sauce). Crunchy bagnet (pork belly) was used. The bagoong (shrimp paste) has a sweet hint to it, resembling the flavour of hoisin sauce. The bagoong is not too salty to begin with. 

Next is the Laing (~Php270, pork and taro leaves stewed in coconut milk), which is a speciality from the Bicol region. Usually the dish is made with minced taro leaves (dahon ng gabi in Tagalog), and a considerable amount of pork fat is added to give the dish more zest. Also, chillies which are often used in dishes from the Bicol region, are added. Cafe Juanita's version is not very different, but the minced pork and taro leaves are wrapped in whole taro leaves, which is more aesthetically pleasing. This also seals the flavours inside the filling. 

Another inventive dish is the Ratatoy (~Php220), which is Cafe Juanita's comic take on the French dish, Ratatouille. The French version makes use of eggplants, courgettes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. This Filipinized version uses the same ingredients but makes use of local herbs like cilantro. The taste is reminiscent of Ensaladang Talong (Eggplant Salad) which is usually dressed in vinegar, fish sauce, tomatoes, and onions. 

Lastly is the heavenly Sansrival (~Php120 per slice). Sansrival is a rich multi-layered cake with nuts and creamy vanilla-based icing. This cake is quite popular among Filipinos because of its sweet, if not comforting, richness. This Sansrival in particular, is definitely sans rival.

If the fennel bulbs would be hosts to guests from a foreign land, they would definitely take them to Cafe Juanita for a memorable sampling of soulful Filipino food.