A Day Down South

I never expected to travel all the way down Las Pinas just to buy a set of four tires. But I'm actually glad we did.

We arrived at Hazardboy around 10 AM, and unfortunately, the person in-charge of the mounting and balancing machine won't be available until after lunch. Luckily, Eugene (one of the owners of Hazardboy) was kind enough and volunteered to introduce us to good and affordable places.

Our first option was the famous Mang Raul's Bbq, sadly, the bbq shack was still closed when we got there. So Eugene suggested a carinderia this time. I was happy with his Plan B, since I do love affordable, home-cooked food, but boy, was I in for a surprise!

Hidden within the streets of Pilar Village, Las Pinas, was a very unassuming and typical looking carinderia, but one look at their menu took my breath away.



Everything on the menu was really affordable, so we took the liberty of ordering quite a lot.

For starters, we got the Chicken Fingers (Php 150), then a full order of Lechon Kawali (Php 160), Pork Binagoongan Value Meal (Php 100) and Crispy Pork Caldereta Value Meal (Php 100). I initially wanted to order their Crispy Pork Dinuguan, unfortunately, it was not yet available.

Served first was the Lechon Kawali, and we were taken aback with the generous serving portion! Then the value meals followed.

        

Serving size was really generous for all the orders, and the rice was also a full cup.

I love that they used their signature Lechon Kawali as the main ingredient with the other pork dishes. The meat of the Lechon Kawali was soft and well-seasoned, while the skin gave a wonderful crunch!

The Pork Binagoongan did not disappoint. The flavor of their bagoong was not too overpowering, and had just the right "kick".

The Crispy Pork Caldereta was also spot-on yummy! Very saucy and cheesy.

The Chicken Fingers were served last, but, it was worth the wait. The meat was so tender and juicy. It's served with a side of garlic mayonnaise.



I really loved everything that we had for lunch, my only wish is that they are a bit more accessible.

Putsi Ko 'Ay

Rose Avenue, Las Pinas, Metro Manila  - (02) 543 8671

HONG KONG STYLE EATS

I've been off-the-grid for quite a while since we've been too busy fixing up our little "baby". Since it's nearing completion, I finally found the time to write again, here goes... :) A place we frequent in the Banawe area for their yummy and affordable food is Eat Fresh. I would consider this place a semi-hole in the wall since you have to go in one of the side streets of Banawe before you find them. They're known for serving Hong Kong style street food, but their menu has a lot of other offerings as well. For our latest visit, we ordered the Beef Curry Rice and Pancake Balls.

     

The Beef Curry is served on a clay pot, which helps prevent the food from getting cold easily. It is served with a side of special soy sauce that perfectly compliments the dish. The curry sauce is very light and had a mild but flavorful taste. The beef pieces were very soft and tender to the bite!

Apart from the taste, it's a huge plus that they are very generous on their servings. We actually had a hard time finishing the beef curry rice and it actually felt like it was a "bottomless" dish, haha.

The Pancake Balls is just your basic pancake batter cooked into small balls. It has a crunchy outside texture, while soft on the inside. We love drowning it with their peanut sauce.

Dining at Eat Fresh is always a pleasurable and filling experience for us. Definitely a go-to place for foodies!

EAT FRESH - HONG KONG FAMOUS STREET FOOD

Banawe Branch - 100-A Maria Clara Street, Near Banawe, Santo Domingo, Quezon City

San Juan Branch - 691 Jose Abad Santos Street, Little Baguio, San Juan City

Bang for the buck!

A more budget-friendly alternative for rib cravings is RUB ribs.

A full rack of ribs with two sides will cost only Php 370, fact or fiction? FACT! Yes, they are that affordable.

We frequent their Tomas Morato branch since we live near the area. Parking and seating capacity is very limited, so best come early if you want to have a spot.

They have a well-rounded menu and I'm sure there's something for everyone. :)

We got our favorite, the Super Duo, Smoked Pork Belly and Onion Rings.

Their Onion Rings (Php 160) were just a delight to eat. Thin, crispy and flavorful rings that come with their version of ranch dressing. A very good way to whet your appetite.



Super Duo (Php 370)  and Smoked Pork Belly (Php 200)

   

For the Super Duo, we chose the potato salad and buttered vegetables as side dishes. The ribs were meaty,  juicy and very flavorful. The barbecue sauce is just a good compliment, but not really necessary. It was really worth the price!

The  Smoked Pork Belly was charred on the edges. I didn't particularly like it because of the strong charred taste.

RUB is what you would consider a hole-in-the-wall since it is quite hard to find, but it's worth the trip!

RUB Ribs

Tomas Morato Branch - 64 Scout Rallos, Near Tomas Morato Avenue, Sacred Heart, Quezon City (02-5012799)

Pasig Branch- 88 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City (02-6252939)

Loving Chinese Food

Living near Banawe has a lot of perks. Other than it being car-parts central (perfect for us car addicts!), it is also a foodie haven!

One of the restaurants we frequent when craving for good and affordable Chinese food would be Lam Tin.

I can't exactly say it's a "hole in the wall", since it's located right along Banawe. But if you love Chinese food, this place is really worth a try!

Last night's dinner was Sweet and Sour Pork Rice (Php 110), White Chicken Rice (Php 110), and Pork Siomai (Php 65)

    

Servings are big and you can request for complimentary soup. The Sweet and Sour Pork was just a bang for the buck! The meat was crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the way sweet and sour pork should be! The White Chicken Rice is my favorite dish! You get a quarter chicken (leg and thigh) that's generously bathed with ginger and chives, which gives it a whole new world of flavors.

The Pork Siomai was also really good. Each piece had a whole shrimp tucked in inside. The meat was really flavorful.



To end our meal, we got out favorite almond with lychee (Php 45). A substantial amount of almond jelly cubes served with crushed ice and topped with two pieces of canned lychees. Perfect way to end our meal!

For those who are in a tight budget but still want to have a good meal, Lam Tin is for you!

LAM TIN

30-U Banawe Corner M. Cuenco Street, Santo Domingo, Quezon City