Category Archives: Backstreet Bites

Lo de Alberto — it’s MEXcellente!

04 Monday Feb 2019

Posted by in Backstreet Bites, Mexican Food, Restaurants

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It’s their claim to be “the only AUTHENTIC taqueria” in the country which intrigued me. What are authentic Mexican tacos anyway? I wouldn’t know — I’ve never been to Mexico. So I checked out the tiny hole-in-the-wall spot to learn more and judge for myself.

Lo de Alberto serves traditional and authentic Mexican street food, as presented by Mexico-born Chef Balam Nazar. Except for the tortilla chips, EVERYTHING is made fresh and from scratch! The menu choices are not limited to just tacos. You can have huge, well-stuffed burritos, flavorful flautas, generously loaded quesadillas, and even hearty soups. (I liked the Sopa Azteca). Salsas of varying degrees of hotness usually come with every order. There is, of course, Corona, the classic Mexican lager, to help wash down your meal. But you may opt for refreshing, non-alcoholic beverages like the classic Mexican Horchata (made of rice, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk), the Tamarindo (sweet-sour-tart cooler made with sampaloc or tamarind), Sandía (made of watermelon), various Aguas Frescas, and Sangría. Anything and everything goes perfectly well with their delicious tacos and other amazingly yummy fare.

Alberto, in case you were wondering, is a cactus that the chef has had since they started developing the eatery. Lo is a pan that he purchased during that same period.

Whether or not that the food here as authentic as they claim — and my friends, who would know, say that it is! — it is definitely good, delicious, and most satisfying. Worth coming back to again and again.

Lo de Alberto in Makati is on Gallardo St., at the side of Tropical Palms Condominium, just off De La Rose St. in Legaspi Village. Its main branch is at the City Golf Plaza, Dona Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City.

May Pusong Mamon

20 Friday May 2016

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Soft, sweet-salty, fluffy
Welcome to the home of the best mamon
Segovia’s Cake & Recipes

Serendipity is coming upon specially good food in unlikely, off-the-beaten-track places. Like in San Juan City, especially in Little Baguio. One such delightful spot is Segovia’s Cakes and Recipes.

Way back then (noong panahon pa ni Mahoma, as my Lola would say), hilly Little Baguio was comparatively cooler and breezier than Manila and considered the go-to summer retreat of prominent Manileños. Lovely summer homes with spacious grounds filled with trees were built here. Today, Little Baguio plays host to many delightful eateries, cafes, and restaurants located along its winding streets. Such as Segovia’s Cakes and Recipes, which is on 7 M.A. Reyes St., just off J. Abad Santos St. It is the ancestral home of the Segovias and the daughter, Carmen, put up a bakery-café right where the garage used to be. Behind that, she has her Cake Studio.

After we had had our wonderful lunch of roasted duck rice at the Choi Hung Roasts, we went further up J. A. Santos and turned right on M. A. Reyes Street, barely half a kilometer away. There we came upon a typical charming home where delicious food can be enjoyed. By the gate, you’ll see their poster. Feel free to go right in. There are small tables both inside the cafe and outside on a simple patio where one can enjoy the Segovia specialities in a relaxing, homey atmosphere. We chose to sit inside and order the special mamon to go with the strong, fresh-brewed coffee. The mamon was special indeed — soft and fluffy, with the perfect balance of sweet/buttery and salty/cheesy! A pillow of heaven is what I call it!

While waiting for our orders, we enjoyed looking at the colorful clippings from the Archie Comics comics of our childhood, which served as under-glass decorations on each table and observed one customer after another coming and going with their orders of boxes of goodies. Carmen makes the mamon herself every single day. To ensure the taste and quality are maintained to her exacting standards. And she bakes only 300 pieces a day! So pag ubos, ubos. Sorry na lang kayo! But there are other items offered, both sweet and savory. From cakes and cupcakes to sandwiches and pasta dishes. And I heard her custard cake — which Carmen calls her “pangit na cake” — is to die for! A return is a must for me so I can try the other goodies and write more about it.

But do come by and check it out for yourself: 7 M.A. Reyes St., Little Baguio, San Juan. You may call for orders or even for catering at 725-2849 or 727-4616.

Lord love a duck!

16 Monday May 2016

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There is this small, indistinct, simple and unpretentious eatery that belies the delectable treasures within, inconspicuously located just along J. Abad Santos St. in Little Baguio in San Juan City. It is called Choi Hung Roasts, which specializes in roasted duck.

There are, as yet, no such places in Alabang where I am, but the call of the duck was so enticing that it got me and my friends to brave the traffic all the way to San Juan in search of this hole-in-the-wall spot. As of this writing, the place is newly opened, still on a dry-run, and cannot be found on Google Search. But the food is incredibly good and extremely reasonable that I know it won’t be long before lovers of Cantonese-style duck and roasted meats will be raving and writing about it.

Choi Hung Roasts is owned by the group renowned for the popular Tuen Mun Roasts on Banawe St (QC) and Eat Fresh Famous Hong Kong Street Food which is also on J. Abad Santos St. in San Juan. In fact, the Tuen Mun menu and prices are almost the same as Choi Hung’s.

Parking is difficult, to say the least, but the traffic and parking ordeal are well worth the Roasted Duck Rice. The place is tiny (as any hole-in-the-wall eatery usually is), with space for just about 4 or 5 tables. The interiors are sparse and almost bare. But the moment you open the door, that distinctly rich Cantonese aroma of spices and roastings fill you nostrils and get you drooling. The duck is perfectly roasted, very flavorful and succulent, and placed atop a hearty serving of rice along with the duck’s savory juices, at under P200 a serving!

I would say, the duck is all that it’s quacked up to be!

 

 

 

Pepi Cubano

08 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Backstreet Bites, Food Glorious Food, Foodie Films, Noshes in my Neighborhood, Restaurants

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When Jon Favreau’s delightful foodie/road-trip film Chef came out, it got everyone curious about Cuban sandwiches. The marvelous photography of the food preps, edited to the beat of catchy Latin music, more than helped whet the appetite for what is really a simple Cuban sandwich. It seemed to me just your basic ham and cheese sandwich prepared much more meticulously than the ordinary ham and cheese sandwich we are used to. The Cuban sandwich (also called “sandwich mixto”) was developed as early as the 19th century and was hearty enough to satisfy the appetites of Cuban workers in Miami. Traditionally and essentially, it consists of ham, lean roast pork, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and lots of butter and yellow mustard, served between the cheeks of Cuban bread. Then the whole thing is compressed and toasted to a delicious crisp on a plancha.

And people rave about it! Hmm. curious. So when a Cuban sandwich shop opened on Gallardo Street, just off to the side from Dela Rosa Street in Legaspi Village in Makati, it was my chance to see what the foodie-fuss was all about.

Pepi Cubano. It is owned by Susan Dalmacion who would sell her Cuban sandwiches at the Saturday Salcedo Market even way back in 2006. Yes, even way before the movie made Cuban sandwiches a thing to jones for here in Manila. She opened this small, no-frills shop where the sandwiches are made fresh and hot. And the signature Pepi Cubano sandwich did not disappoint. I especially liked the bread. I am no expert and I am not sure if this is real Cuban bread, which is customarily made with lard or shortening, but I particularly like how finely crisp it’s toasted. You bite, you hear a delicate crunch, and your teeth sink into the moist and delicious sandwich fillings inside. Wonderful!

There are other sandwiches and offerings on the menu which I intend to try very soon. I am curious to try the Tito Choripan or the Pan de Lechon. My friend loves their Pan de Guyaba — a guava jelly and cheese sandwich, which I used to love when I was a kid. Pepi Cubano can be found on the ground floor of Tropical Palms Condominium on Gallardo St. in Legaspi Village, Makati. Or You may call 880-0389 or 0907-535-7574 for pick-up or delivery.

 

Backstreet Bites : Cili Padi

14 Tuesday Apr 2015

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Cili Padi is pronounced “chili padi”, not silly putty. C in Bahasa is equivalent to “ch”. In Filipino, it is siling labuyo. Bird’s eye chili. I don’t know much about the restaurant other than it is Malaysian-owned. According to a blogsite, HalalLivingThailand, a “Mr. Azizan Ibrahim, a Malaysian national and owner of this restaurant, got the idea of started [sic] Malaysian restaurant in Bangkok while is [sic] was on his first visit to Bangkok and failed to struggle [sic] to find availability of is [sic] native food in Bangkok.” And the branch of this restaurant chain, Cili Padi, opened in Makati just last March this 2015, at 2777 F. Zobel Street in the Poblacion area. It’s located  in a building at the side of Makati City Hall, behind the controversial parking building.

The restaurant stands out bright and cheerful in the almost-seedy neighborhood. Inside, the space feels unfinished still and sparsely furnished, as it just opened about a month ago, but airy and white, thanks to the large windows. It’s really more like a clean and modern cafeteria. The chef is a young Malaysian Muslim and all the ingredients they use are supposedly 100% halal. He prepares the roti on a griddle on the sidewalk. Beside him, his assistant pulls the tea for teh tarik (or “pulled tea”, a hot milk tea beverage popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia) or teh ais (iced tea). They are sort-of like a roadside attraction, drawing in curious passersby. The prices are very reasonable and the dishes are very well-presented, despite the simplicity of the homecooked dishes.

They also do delivery via 2121212 Twoanyone. Check the restaurant out on its facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cilipadicorp. It also has stalls at the Legaspi Sunday Market.

Backstreet Bites : The Calderón

29 Sunday Mar 2015

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Sultry summer nights are soon upon us. Imagine, after a long sweltering day, sitting down in a cool and cozy bistro in the heart of the business district yet discreetly far away from its madness, noshing on delicious tapas and washing them down with well-chilled and refreshing Sangría, bright with the flavors of good rioja and fresh fruits. Maybe even to the accompaniment of a little live jazz music. That’s Calderón. At the back of Classica Condo, just off H. V. dela Costa Street in Salcedo Village.

My brother’s childhood friend and my fellow food-adventurer, Monchet Carballo, is one of the proprietors of Calderon Cocina Tapas y Bebidas. In fact, the restaurant takes its name from the street, F. Calderon St., in Little Baguio in San Juan City where he lives and where he first established this neighborhood eatery/tambayan a couple of years ago.

When a branch was opened in Salcedo Village, I checked it out and tried a few dishes, which I featured here. We also tried the Macadamia Sans Rival, which I liked but was not able to photograph because it disappeared faster than you can say “Cuando hay hambre, no hay mal pan“. But I’m definitely going back for more tapas, definitely more sangría… and maybe another slice of that yummy sans rival (I’m not sure but I think it’s from the Kitchen of Gay Vasquez in Valle Verde).