Where to bring ‘balikbayan’ for Pinoy feast
Now that we just have a few weeks before Christmas, family and friends from abroad have started to arrive. And, as customary among us Filipinos, the best way to welcome them back is with the food they missed the most—our very own cuisine. The metro has many casual and conducive-for-groups options for get-togethers, but here are some for you to strongly consider.
Cochi
His first taste of cochinillo was in Casa Lucio in Madrid, Spain, during the summer of 2014. Celebrity restaurateur Marvin Agustin instantly fell in love with it.
Six years later, when the pandemic happened and with lots of spare time on his hands, he toyed with the idea of recreating that same experience by roasting his own suckling pig in an oven parked in his home garage.
Friends who got to try it raved about it. Not long after, Agustin’s entrepreneurial spirit drove him to open a restaurant in BGC called Cochi. It has since become a popular spot among OFWs and balikbayan who want to celebrate in a grand and delicious way.
Apart from whole cochinillo, which he serves with an array of sauces like garlic tuom and kamias marmalade, Cochi has other Filipino dishes like the best-selling Cochi Tacos, Corned Beef Sinigang, and Dumaguete Express, seafood in a coconut milk broth.
More recent additions to the menu include Fritto Misto Salad, which is crispy shrimp and green mango on nam pla-dressed lettuce, and Palabok Choca, rice noodles cloaked in crab fat palabok sauce and adobong pusit aioli. Completing your experience is a bevy of wine and cocktails that will certainly guarantee one fun party. (Cochi is at Verve Residences, Unit 1 G/F, Verve Residences Tower 2, 27th St. corner 9th Ave., Taguig; tel. 0935-2101341.)
Manam
This brand has become somewhat of a default for those with foreign guests, which, I believe, is just an excuse, as they do want to eat (again!) in Manam themselves.
What’s working a lot to Manam’s benefit is accessibility. And I’m not referring just to their over 30 branches nationwide, but also their food. They have definitely found what many Filipinos are looking for—familiar flavors and contrasting textures.
Case in point: The bestselling Crispy Sisig is perfectly seasoned and lends that nice crunch to every satisfying bite. The adobo is loaded with garlic, and the shrimps are covered in crab fat.
The sinigang has that unmistakable sour flavor, but what I appreciate more is the body in the soup (not too sabaw), plus the addition of watermelon and use of short ribs, both of which make it more special than the usual.
The palabok is quite entertaining to see: The hot sauce is poured table side, consequently making the just-fried noodles crackle and the mouths of the guests water.
Especially for those who haven’t been home in a long time, a meal in Manam will prove to be memorable and most welcome, as “nahanap nila ang kiliti ng Filipino” with their food. (For a complete listing of Manam branches, log on to momentgroup.ph.)
Locavore
Nostalgia is out the door when it comes to Locavore, as this modern Filipino restaurant will give you new ones to remember the cuisine by. What they have is definitely not something you can expect in a typical household, but dishes that could have only come from the creative mind of a chef like Mikel Zaguirre.
From their original branch on Brixton Street in Pasig, the brand has expanded to Eastwood, Taguig, San Juan, Makati, and even Bacoor, spreading the kind of rich and indulgent food they have become known for.
A particular dish that has become a staple order whenever I dine in is the Kimchinigang, a hybrid of the popular sour soup with a Korean favorite. Their version comes with fork-tender pork belly and sigarilyas in a tangy, spicy, fiery red tamarind broth.
Other mash-ups are the Octadobo, which is adlai paella negra with adobong octopus and fish skin chicharon, and the Green Curry Bicol Express, which has more spices than what the regional dish intended to have.
Their Chicken Tinola is served like Hainanese, with ginger broth, papaya, and a trio of condiments, while their arroz caldo is made with duck broth and duck flakes. If it’s a refreshing and fun experience you’re after, Locavore has definitely got you covered. (For a complete listing of Locavore branches, log on to locavoreph.com.)
