Sweet Nothings | Food, Travel, & Lifestyle Blog

Showing posts with label Filipino food. Show all posts

We were on our way back to our home in Antipolo, after I stayed for almost a week at Gia's place in QC. It was almost noon, so we decided to have lunch on our way. I was having this huge craving for grilled pork, which is why I immediately obliged when Gia suggested that we dine at The Aristocrat in Masinag, Antipolo.

Aside from Filipino food, Filipino-themed gastro-pubs and night clubs have also been one of the most effective coping mechanisms of our fellow Filipino expats here in Dubai. You'll most likely find Filipino clubs, either in Deira or Bur Dubai, bustling with Filipinos (and other expats alike) during weekends.

Filipino cuisine is probably one of the most underrated cuisines in the world. I don't wanna sound biased here but there's really a lot more to Filipino food than being salty, oily, or icky (as others may perceive).

Max's Restaurant added new items to their menu yet again, and Mark and I were invited to try them out. It was very timely that we are also scheduled for a meet up with our Dubai family who, coincidentally, also chose Max's Restaurant as our lunch venue.

Because of Mark's dietary needs, I always get his approval before I accept invites for restaurant reviews. I need to make sure that the restaurant serves something that's okay for gym buffs like Mark.

But when I knew that Casa Pinoy is serving isaw, which I have been having a huge craving for since we got back to Dubai in January from our vacation in the Philippines, I just immediately had to say yes!

A couple of weekends back, Mark and I were invited to yet another Chef's Table gathering at Little Manila. Together with some media personalities and bloggers from the Filipino community here in Dubai, we got to sample the offerings of the restaurant's newest brand—House of Lechon Manok.

A couple of weekends back, Mark and I, together with some media and bloggers from the Filipino community here in Dubai, were gathered to sample the offerings of Little Manila's newest brand—Noodle Depot.

Although there are already a number of Filipino restaurants here in Dubai, it is very rare for international restaurants, or at least with the ones that I tried, to include Filipino cuisine in the menu. Which is why I was stoked when I knew that the Eatery Restaurant in Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Dubai devoted an entire night to highlight the Filipino cuisine. They have International themed-buffet every night and on Fridays, they have this Filipino themed-buffet which they call Kabayan Fiesta.

I know I have mentioned countless of times already that although I have been calling Dubai my second home for two years now, my heart still definitely belongs to my original home and my love for Filipino food will never be replaced. And that is also the reason why I feel very proud knowing how the number of Pinoy restaurants have grown in the emirate, Little Manila, being one of the many options.

Dubai has been my second home for more than a year and a half now, but my heart still belongs to my original home. And although I have been greatly exposed to the international cuisine, even more than I can imagine, my love for Filipino food will never be replaced.

Admittedly, I always get giddy whenever I see Filipino restaurants here in Dubai, especially the ones that I usually frequent back home, and I make sure to try them out as much as possible.

Cucina is just one of the many restaurants here in Dubai that serves authentic Filipino food. Located in Al Attar Shopping Mall in Al Karama, which is just a few walks away from our home, this is where I always get my isaw fix.

Isaw is grilled chicken intestines, a Filipino street food, and whenever I'm craving for it, Cucina is where we go to. Their isaw is just like what we have back home, but this one is the expensive version. Well AED 10 is really not that much, but not if you know that you can get 3 sticks in the Philippines for not even AED 1. :p

I'm back! Both back in Dubai and back to blogging after my month-long vacation to my beloved country, the Philippines.

Going back home after a little more than a year surely made me miss a lot about home. But if there's one thing that I definitely missed, it's the food! I was raised in a household where eating breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner together is a must (especially on weekends), regardless of our different personal schedules within the day, so I'm still struggling up to now being all by myself in Dubai as I'm not really used to eating alone.

So when I got back home, Daddy made sure to fill in all the longings that I had for the past year with no less than his specialties! Let me share them with you one by one. You must be warned though that this will be photo-heavy and will make you drool a lot! Oh I have an idea, let's play a game. I dare you to make it up to the end of this post without drooling! Game? Game! :D

Had some last minute errands with Mark a couple of weekends back before I flew to the Philippines. Our search for my baby sister's purple bathrobe (which she specifically requested for her wedding shoot) led us to Ansar Gallery in Al Karama. We didn't find anything and since it's already past lunch time, we just decided to have our lunch there.

Pampangeño is what a native of Pampanga (a province in the Philippines) is called, Pampangeños being the collective term. Being the Food Capital of the Philippines, Pampanga also offers delectable dishes which I have come to love (next of course to Ilocano specialties :D). And because Mark and I were both craving for some Filipino food, we were sold when we saw Pampangeños.

Complimentary Soup

Filipinos enjoy family feasts, and that is what is evident in Pampangeños. It was already past lunch time but families still dot each of the tables when we arrived, good thing we were still able to score a table for two.

We were served with a complimentary egg drop soup. It was served hot which perked our tummies up. I was already eyeing for the Sizzling Beef Sisig when Mark blurted out the same when I asked him what he wanted, so I had to change my order. :p I was choosing between the grilled seafood platter and grilled chicken and thought that the first would be too much so I settled for the latter.

Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken with Unlimited Rice - AED 22.00

Served with vinegar and soy sauce, lemon, atchara, and unlimited rice, this dish would have been perfect if the chicken meat didn't lose its juiciness. The chicken was overcooked making a bit tough to chew. The rice on the other hand was on the soggy side which I didn't like.

We knew that Mark's order was coming when the sumptuous aroma of the Sizzling Beef Sisig filled the air. Sizzling hot and with vibrant colors from the fresh chilies, onions, and egg, this dish is such an eye candy. And we were glad that it tasted just as much as how good it looked. The generous serving of beef chunks were accompanied by crushed cracklings which added texture to the dish. Mark also approved of this dish that he had another serving of rice. :D

Sizzling Beef Sisig - AED 23.00

There's no doubt that the dishes were good. But one letdown, and definitely a defining factor whether a restaurant will be visited back again or not (well at least for me), is the slow serving time and the unremarkable customer service.

We felt the Filipino hospitality when the staff greeted us with a smile as she ushered us to our seats, yes, but it all ended there. It took a long while before one of the staff finally stopped and heeded our request for the menu. Then another period of waiting game began just before a different staff took our orders. Waiting for the dishes to be served took even longer.

If not for the Sizzling Beef Sisig, which Mark claimed to be the best tasting beef sisig that we've had, I'd definitely not recommend going back to this restaurant especially if you're not patient enough to wait.

PAMPANGEÑOS