Aysees, The Best Sisig in Manila And So Much More!

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I am very fortunate to be working in Pasig.  My years spent working in the city allowed me to discover restaurants, and food that's unique to the area.  

A few months back, I posted a poll question on one of my facebook page Philippine Foodtrippers on where to find the best sisig.  A friend of mine recommended Aysees near ULTRA.  Also, it ranked no.1 in Spot.ph list.  I was surprised on how close it is from where I work.  

Tokwa't Baboy

Pork Sisig with Egg

Lechon Kawali

On our first visit we tried the Pork Sisig with Egg and Tokwa't Baboy.  The sisig served on the sizzling plate was good, although I felt a bit bland.  But, you can adjust the taste with condiments like calamansi, liquid seasoning, and hot sauce to your liking.  The Tokwa’t Baboy was really crunchy and surprisingly a lot less grease than what I expected.  Together with the dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar and onions, it was just divine!

Papaitan

It became my officemates favorite lunch destination.  Last Friday, we went back and this time I was able to sample their Papaitan.  It’s a favorite of beer drinkers because it supposed to cure hangovers.  It was served on a shallow pot on top of a flaming warmer.  The hot bitter sour broth was so good, and the perfect partner to their fried and sizzling dishes.  For the less adventurous, they have the chicken sopas or mami.

Aysees is located along St. Martin St.  Pasig City, very near ULTRA.

Igmaan, A Relationship With Food and Restaurant

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If you ask my family of their favorite restaurant, it would have to be Igmaan Seafood Restaurant at the Seaside Complex along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City.

It was actually my elder sister who introduced us to the place.  From her stories, this is where she hangs out with her mountaineering friends.

It was a love affair from the beginning.  We fell in love with the relax ambience and the unpretentious atmosphere.  Here, you can eat as much as you can using your hands. 

Kinilaw na Tanigue

For my father, this is the place where he can sample favorites from his hometown in Leyte.  His favorite would be their Kinilaw accompanied with a bottle of ice cold SMB Pale Pilsen.  To my mom, this is where she would compare her cooking and would actually try to prepare the same dishes at home.  Her attempt on mimicking their dish kept us coming back.  What makes it special for them is that here; they can just be themselves without being judged.  They don’t have to dress up or eat and talk in a certain way, which is hard coming from a very humble beginning.

Since that first visit, it has been a part of all our family celebrations.  Every time my parents visit us here in Manila, we would always have a meal there.  I cannot count the numbers of birthdays, including mine that was celebrated there.  Now that my sisters migrated to Canada, their homecoming would not be complete without a visit to Igmaan.

They would always go back for the Halaan Ginger Soup, Chili Garlic Shrimps, Tuna Belly, Tempura and Salt and Pepper Squid.  They have the best-baked clams, mussels and scallops.  We have tried other restaurants in the area, and seafood restaurants on other part of the city, but nothing comes close to the taste we would always go back to.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Baked Scallops

Prawn Tempura

Sizzling Tuna Belly

Salt and Pepper Squid

Shrimp in Tausi Sauce

We've been coming here so often that I actually overcome my allergy on shrimps.  Now we are experimenting on trying the other preparations, we tried the sweet and sour and just recently, shrimps in curry.

2 years ago, my father passed away, my sisters and mother moved to Canada leaving me here in Manila. Igmaan still continues to witness the many celebrations in my life.  Now, even our weekend day off from work is reason enough to visit the place.  We even introduced friends who became family to this second home. 

Every visit always lifts my spirit because I associate the place to happy moments in my life.  Getting full is a bonus!

My Champorado Craving

Been craving for champorado for days, but I arrived 30 minutes late from their cut-off. Instead, im having the adobo flakes breakfast platter here at Max's.

I remember as kid, this is available at every corner, now i have to deive around the city for a bowl.

The Woky Talky Chef: A boodle without the fight!

It's been raining the entire week. The sun would shine in the morning, but during the afternoon, it would turn dark, followed by a constant drizzle to heavy downpour as night time approaches.

I've been craving for a piping hot soup for dinner. We have explored most of the places nearby here Palanan that our options is either to have Kansi at Patpats or the Noodle soup at Susu kin.

Then I remember passing by this brightly lit small restaurant in front of 24h hotel. Now we have something new to try. We're game as long as they have soup in their menu.

The name of the corner restaurant is The Woky Talky Chef.

We were greeted by a charming man who gladly introduced us to the concept of their meals. They offer boodle fights for groups of 3-5 or more. To cater to induviduals, they have plated versions that comes in Php 75 and Php 125 options inclusive of drinks. They have three sets to choose from, Kapampangan, Cebu, and Bacolod.

Each plated set comes with a variety of viands with a complimentary soup, drink and dessert. We tried the Bacolod set or the Mazcarra as how they packaged it.

It has a stick of grilled chicken, a portion of fish, cucumber and tomato salad, cuts of fried spring rolls, a slice of embotido and adobong kangkong with rice in one plate. Actually it has a more authentic name, i just enumerated it as to how i remembered it.

It was good! It's a balanced meal with just the right portions of vegetables, and meat and a real treat for the price.

It's one of my neigborhood recommended foodie find. Check the map for the actual location.

Baked Tofu Walnut Burger at Corner Tree Cafe

The best seller at Corner Tree Cafe, made from the two ingredients which it was named after.  It can serve two people for 240php.

I'm not vegan, so to me it tasted like an overpriced big chunk of liver spread.  Eating healthy really is not easy!

Rainy Day Food Destinations

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Usually, during these time of the month, coming out of the bed is such a challenge especially on weekends.  The lure of the cuddling under a warm blanket on a cold rainy morning is such a luxury coming from a hot and humid summer. What would normally get us moving is the smell of food.

The same applies with the rainy day destinations.  It's not really the sights that would make us go the distance but the familiar scent and warmth of meals that will bring back memories.  This is my attempt on the best food for rainy days and the best place to have them.

1.     Champorado with Tuyo

This is something you can make at home; they even have instant versions available at the supermarket.  For my Nunal sa Talampakan suggestion, order the Triple Chocolate Champorado and Tuyo at Max’s Restaurant at the Roxas Boulevard branch in Malate.  Take the window seat with the view of the bay, and watch the palm trees sway in the wind and rain rolling on the windowpane.  It’s only available for breakfast, so you can still rush back to your bed to sleep for the rest of the afternoon or continue to drive down south to our lunch destination.

2.     Bulalo

The best place to have this beef with bone marrow clear soup is in Tagaytay.  But on a rainy day, you might not have a clear view of the lake, so might as well take them at the Mahogany Market.  If driving becomes too challenging, spot.ph has compiled a list of the best Bulalo places in Manila.

http://www.spot.ph/featured/46681/top-10-best-bulalo-in-manila

3.     Lomi

Chowking’s version is a real value for money, but you can get a more authentic version at one of the panciteria in Chinatown Binondo.  Batangas is a province that has high regards for this dish.  I remember visiting an eatery as far as Mindoro that serves their version of the Batangas Lomi.  It’s a bit darker from the usual version and is topped with chicharon (pork cracklings).  If you want to try the Batangas Lomi, just drive along the National Highway of the province and choose among the roadside eatery that advertises this dish. 

http://www.wowbatangas.com/features/food-and-dining/batangas-lomis-secret-ingredient/

4.     Mami

Bring your umbrellas and go to Chinatown Binondo for this.  It’s available in many flavors and toppings, which you can actually mix and match.  My favorite restaurant for this is Wai Ying on Benavidez St.  The Hong Kong style noodles are springy and they are generous with the meat and broth.

http://foodiestation.blogspot.com/2012/02/binondo-food-trip-wai-ying-fast-food.html

5.     La Paz Batchoy

Ofcourse this is best taken in the original town of La Paz in Ilo-ilo, but spot.ph has also compile the best restaurants to have them in Manila.

http://www.spot.ph/gallery/1326/top-10-batchoy-in-manila/article/48591#pid=20571

Runners-up are

Hototay in Chinatown

Munggo at your local eatery

Halaan Soup at Igmaan, Dampa in Macapagal

Eating Through Laguna, Rizal, and Manila in One Day

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Who would have thought that an ordinary trip to the doctor would turn out to be a food trip covering 189 kilometers passing through the provinces of Laguna and Rizal?

Originally we were just supposed to submit documents to a hospital in Alabang that morning, but since were so close to SLEX, we found ourselves having breakfast at Starbucks at Solenad in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Since today is Pasig day, I was granted a weekend extension, and the rest of the day to be mobile, keeping true to my Nunal sa Talampakan.

Our options were to go to Tagaytay, Batangas or Laguna.  Tagaytay and Batangas have always been the most convenient destination for us in the south, that this time was giving Laguna a try.  I decided to take the Laguna bay loop returning to Manila via the province of Rizal.  This is not our first time.  We tried the route before, starting from Rizal, but left Manila late in the afternoon, that by the time we reached the towns of Laguna, it was already dark and there's nothing much to see since most of the establishments were closed.

We left Nuvali in Sta. Rosa around 11 am, going back to SLEX taking the Calamba exit.  By noon we were in Los Banos and is on the look out for a place to have lunch.  I remember passing by a floating seafood restaurant marked with huge statues on our previous visit to Laguna, and thought that this might be the best place to eat.  Just before reaching U.P. Los Banos, a roadside restaurant caught our attention, Herb Republic.  We've tried seafood restaurants before, and thought that this place would give us something new to taste and experience.

The dining area is a very relaxed outdoor garden, with gazebos housing the dining tables.  Since we were the only guests when we arrived, we sat on the area with lounge chairs and coffee table bordered by a pond, shaded with bamboo trees.  I like the rustic distressed feel of the place, but what really got us excited was the menu.  They grow their own herbs and raise their livestock and poultry organically.  Choosing what to eat became a challenge since it was really hard to decide.  We want to try them all.

We ended up having the small order of an Oven Baked Garlic and Basil Chicken with organic white rice.  I was told that the Salads are their specialty but I am not a big vegetable eater so we settled for the fresh spring rolls.  The beverage selection was interesting.  They've combined fruit and flavor combinations you wouldn't see anywhere else.  Imagine sipping an Espresso Avocado Smoothie.  We're leaving that as a reason to come back and ordered ourselves the Tarragon Iced Tea instead.  

While waiting, we were served with a cup of hot tea.  We also took the opportunity to explore the greenhouse at the back of the restaurant.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the name of the lady of assisted us and fill us out on information about the restaurant.  She told me that it was family owned and that they are not restaurateurs.  They just want to share their passion for eating healthy organic meat and vegetables.  The restaurant is still a work in progress since their objective to grow 100% of their ingredients.

The drinks came first, and nothing beats the refreshing zesty minty taste of their Tarragon iced tea.  The chicken was to tender and juicy that the meat literally falls of the bone.  It was so flavorful that we hardly touch the mustard dipping sauce that came with it.  The fresh spring rolls with the peanut dipping sauce were crunchy with the taste of basil exploding in your mouth with every bite. This meal was so memorable to us that we recommend everyone to try this place every time you visit Los Banos.

Too bad we still have a long way on our road trip that we left the place around 2 pm continuing the route to Pagsanjan.  We passed the towns of Bay and Calauan and stopped at Isdaan, our original lunch destination, just to take pictures.

The rain started to pour heavily as we drive past the towns of Victoria, Pila and Pagsanjan.  We tried to drive slowly as we look on the many embroidery shops at Lumban.  We took the provincial road to Paete to see the wood carving industry and the church that we missed n our first trip.  We continued moving north through Pakil, Pangil, Siniloan and Mabitac until we reached the winding roads of the mountains of Rizal.  Also on our first trip we stopped at a view deck with a vantage point of the Laguna Lake, but since it was nighttime when we reached the area, nothing registers on my Iphone camera.  This time, although the sky cleared, we were not able to make the stop since it was a steep downhill and were coming from the opposite direction.

A few hours later, we were passing through Pililia, Tanay, Morong and Binangonan all in the Province of Rizal.  As we reached Angono, we decided to explore the Poblacion hoping we could visit the Blanco's Family Gallery.  The gates were closed when we arrived, and not sure if you need to schedule your visit or whether we arrived beyond their operating hours since its already past 5pm. In order to make the most of our stop in Angono, we had a snack on a small cafe just beside the town hall called Don Antonio's.  The food was great and the price very reasonable.  My Adobo Flakes Pasta was only 75 php.

After Angono was Taytay, and a few minutes later we found ourselves in C5 on the area of Pasig.  Since it was dinnertime, we went to continue our inter province/city food exploration to the Teachers Village are in Quezon City upon a recommendation of a friend.  We went to look for Pino Restaurant along Malingap St.  We were told that they serve vegetarian, continuing the healthy theme of the day (except for the quesadilla and adobo flakes pasta in Angono).

At Pino, they have a separate menu for their vegetarian dishes called Pipino.  This was another difficult task for us since we have quite a number of dishes we'd like to try but has a limited stomach space.  They've reinvented classic Filipino favorites like the Bagnet and Kare-kare giving it a modern twist with ingredients and preparations.  We ordered the Chicken Binakol and Ginataang Bopis.  It was a real value for money with large servings and the taste was just memorable.  The first sip of warm broth literally brought back childhood memories.  The Binakol version of the Tinola was made sweeter with the coconut meat and juice and ripe papaya balls.  The Bopis was spicy and savory, made creamier with the coconut milk.  We ended up having additional cups of rice.

To end the day, we decided to drop by a bar in Makati.  At Guzia Cafe in Guijo St. San Antonio, we had a pitcher of Avengers (Tequila Sunrise) and nibbled on crunchy mushrooms while sharing our day long food adventure with friends.