Love the Silog at Republika!

 

Silog @Republika

A friend recommended for us to try the si-logs in Republika in Filipino Town at Bathurst and Wilson. Si-log is “sinangag” (fried rice) and “itlog” (egg, usually sunny side up). While the patio ambience leaves much to be desired with the busy intersection, tough parking and a few bbq kiosks, the food was totally worth it. The menu offered a whole lot of appetizers as it is practically a pub and the apps were great with a cold glass of beer. The fam and I went straight for the silogs.

The tapsilog and sisig-silog came as a rice bowl and beautifully presented! Just looking at it really made us hungry.

Tapa is marinated beef, perfectly seasoned sweet and salty. The serving was generous and great to the last bite.

Tapsilog @Republika

 

Sisig is made of chopped pig's cheek with belly and liver, seasoned with calamansi (Philippine lime), onions, and chili peppers. Anthony Bourdain featured it in Parts Unknown and declared it, “perfectly positioned to win the hearts and minds of the world.” Now, I love sisig. I’ve had it from popular Manila joints such as Trellis. While Republika’s version is not quite Aling Lucing’s in Pampanga, I would venture to say it is the best I have had in this side of the world to date.  The silog version is great but I would order the main portion next time so I can get my fill!

 

Sisig Silog @Republika

With beer or without, the food at Republika will surely satisfy!

Yummy Filipino food at Sampaguita Village

One of the Filipino food spots in the Bathurst and Wilson area that is guaranteed to get you full and happy is Sampaguita Village. Parking is limited and the place is almost always full with a bit of a wait time, but it is worth it, especially if ambience is not essential.

The owner, who is not really Filipino, makes the effort to go around and check if customers needed anything. The servers are efficient and friendly, though, so there is usually no need to have to follow up with him.  The wait is not too long for tables and folks who have pre-ordered party trays come and go.

We got Pancit Sampaguita --two types of noodles packed with shrimp, lechon kawali, veggies

Pancit Sampaguita @ Sampaguita Village

Lechon Kawali (roasted crispy pork belly, a best-seller)—so crispy and the layer of fat is minimal

Lechon Kawali (Roasted Pork Belly) @ Sampaguita Vilage

Inihaw na Liempo (grilled pork belly)—wonderfully -marinated...notice how we love pork belly?

Inihaw na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly) @ Sampaguita Village

Crispy squid—nicely deep-fried, which the girls loved

Crispy Squid @ Sampaguita Village

and Pinakbet (stewed eggplant, okra and other veggies in sautéed shrimp paste) –so there was some semblance of healthy, if you overlook the bagoong (shrimp paste)

Pinakbet @ Sampaguita Village

and of course, garlic rice to go well with all the delicious dishes.

Each order is a good value at about $10-15+ with the Lechon Kawali, as expected, being more expensive. They also have House Combos for approximately the same price if you’d like to try a little bit of each house specialty.

 We ordered a lot, but anything we couldn’t finish would be taken home. And it did last for another meal for us!  How’s that for worth it?! This place is definitely a family favourite!

On Attacking Food: Boodle fight at Quiapo Quiapo

Growing up, when we went on picnics where seafood was served, it was a given that we would eat with our hands. What was the point of using plastic utensils when one cannot eat shrimp, fish, crab and mussels properly! Paper plates were often used, but once in a while, banana leaves would also make their way to the table. While my girls would sometimes eat using their hands, this was pretty much limited to chicken wings and pizza. So, we figured, we might as well expose them to this wonderful experience of sharing and enjoying food—kamayan style (using hands).

With some of our friends, we checked out the Boodle Fight (Budol fight to some) at Quiapo Quiapo. Boodle fight is a military style of eating where long tables are prepared and food is set on top of the banana leaves--viands and rice ready to eat using your bare hands. As soon as the food is set, folks are ready to "fight" and "attack" the food. 

In an unassuming complex in Mississauga, we had booked our Seafood Budol days in advance. We arrived to a long table being set with banana leaves, just waiting for the food to be brought out. Once we were all ready,  our server heaped on steamed rice, a variety of yumminess—mixed Seafood, fried Tilapia, shrimp, grilled meat (Inihaw na Liempo), Pork Adobo, okra, and bowls of green mango salad (with shrimp paste!). The kids totally enjoyed the experience and dug right in along with the adults after washing hands!

Seafood Budol (Boodle fight)

The fried Tilapia was the main winner for me. It was crispy and not oily. Delish! Even the kids loved this. The others were just ok. In my opinion, there was too much rice in proportion to viands (and according to our server, they can bring out more rice—not viand—if we had wanted!). Still, we were not able to finish everything on our leaves, so maybe, the serving was just right. 

At $23 per person (half for kids), it was a bit pricey. But I guess you pay for the experience. This experience can be easily replicated at home if you have patience to prep everything that goes into this. It will be worth it, though, as everyone is sure to enjoy!  Happy Eating!

p.s. They also have Cebu style lechon (roasted pig) for ordering. Sources say it is really good! But be ready to come over early on the weekend (when it is available), as it tends to sell out.

Cebu-style lechon at Quiapo Quiapo

Great batchoy is no longer an airplane (or two) away!

Batchoy at Coffee In

 I have fond memories of the delicious La Paz Batchoy I have had in Iloilo. Available from the chains to the hole-in-the-wall carinderias, this soup will always hit the spot. The instant ones were ok for desperate times. Needless to say, I have not had good batchoy in decades! But, let’s not count how many decades…

Thanks to our badminton friends, we discovered Coffee In (that is not a typo!!) in Scarborough and tried some of their delicious batchoy! Now, don’t be fooled by the name, I know it can use a little bit of marketing. With their delicious soup, they can call it any name they want. Now, the noodles are not that great but the delicious broth and crunchy garlic will make you overlook that. They have a good serving of meat. And apart from the crunchy, oh so yummy, chicharon bulaklak, there were few internal organs-- Yay!-- in a decent sized bowl. It was delicious!

In the thick of winter, hubby and I found ourselves longing for a hot bowl of home-style batchoy. Which was why a trip back was a given.

Apart from the soup, they also served combo meals. While the girls liked the bbq, DD#1 ended up eating a good third of my soup. Yes, it was also a hit with the kiddos.

It was great to discover this gem within the GTA! Now, we don’t even have to leave the country when we crave some good old batchoy. Kaon na ta!

Summer Festival 2: The first annual Taste of Manila

The Taste of Manila festival was just on its first year this year. We went to Bathurst/Wilson area to check this new event out. They closed down half of Bathurst St. about a couple of blocks from Wilson, but that was pretty much it. 

Taste of Manila

It was probably a third of the size of Taste of the Danforth, but definitely not lacking in food! The mood was festive but the area did not have sufficient trash bins or activities for the kids.

One of the booths @ Taste of Manila

  There was a variety show, booths selling goods and lots of food booths. 

Taste of Manila

 It was lacking some popular Manila street food such as fish balls and green mangoes with shrimp paste, but they did sell other staples. Well, actually one booth sold fish balls but it was already prepared and kept in a steamer. Would have very much liked to have seen the traditional “tusok-tusok the fishballs”—wherein you skewer the fish balls directly from the frying pan and dip it in one of the sauce jars (sweet, spicy, and vinegar). 

Anyway, here are some things you might want to try at the Taste of Manila:

  Pork Bbq—marinated in sweet bbq sauce, try it dipped in vinegar  

  Pancit—noodles

  Lumpiang shanghai—spring rolls

  Sisig—chopped pork cheek marinated in vinegar and chili and grilled

Kapangpangan Sisig from Kabalen @ Taste of Manila

  Queck-queck—battered hard-boiled egg, try it dipped in sauce. This is traditionally quail eggs but regular chicken eggs were sold here.

Queck Queck @ Taste of Manila

   Okoy—shrimp pancakes

Okoy

   Isaw--barbecued pig or chicken intestines

Isaw @ Taste of Manila

 For drinks you might want to try buko pandan (coconut and pandan) or sago’t gulaman (tapioca and gelatin). Some booths also sold canned calamansi (Philippine lemon) or mango juice.

For dessert, you should definitely try these goodies

Turon—fried bananas wrapped in caramelized sugar-coated wrapper

Turon

  Various rice cakes:  biko, sapin-sapin, puto, pichi-pichi

 The area was packed. A co-worker checked it out at about 530pm (we were there around noon) and said that the line ups were so long.  Surely the organizers will have learned a thing or two after this first event. Food was great, though! We foresee it will be much bigger in the years to come.

A Sunday evening filled with songs of hope and healing: Bukas Palad’s Huwag Kang Mangamba (Be Not Afraid) North American tour

I do not like Sunday evenings. Sundays signal the end of the weekend and tell me that Monday is coming soon. So, it is quite easy to understand I will take what I can to ease the transition—even if it meant traveling all the way to Brampton!

A couple of Sunday evenings ago, we caught Bukas Palad’s “Huwag Kang Mangamba (Be Not Afraid)” show. They had it at the St Marguerite d’Youville parish to help raise funds for the building expenses of the parish and also to support World Vision. Hubby was quite excited to go, given that some of the members/writers were his teachers in school. I was also looking forward to hearing the chorale sing some of my favourite mass songs. My mom knew some of the songs as well, but the girls had no clue. 

Bukas Palad is a Catholic Filipino music ministry with roots in the Jesuit Music Ministry of the Ateneo de Manila University. They had produced over a hundred original songs in almost 30 years. This particular North American tour was focused on hope and healing.

Doors opened one hour before the show, which started promptly at 5pm (no Pinoy time here!). It was a sold-out event, but good thing was, the church had sufficient parking. 

At 5pm, recordings of the national anthems of Philippines and Canada were played. It was on the ear-splitting side, not quite apt for the wonderful music we were expecting. It was quite reminiscent of catching the last full show at the cinemas in Manila, sounding like an overplayed and scratchy vinyl record. Wish these were sung instead by the choir or one of their soloists. Anyway, there were a couple of opening remarks before the show went underway.

The group entered in brightly coloured tops singing, “In Him Alone” and encouraging the audience to join them in sign language. My girls were in rapt attention. This first song was promptly followed by one of my favourite songs, “I Will Sing Forever. “ They also sang other crowd favourites such as Tanging Yaman (loosely translated: My Only Treasure) and Sa ‘yo Lamang (again loosely translated: Only Yours) as well as new songs. 

 They had divided the show into several parts with songs marking God’s promise, our suffering and our hope. There was an intermission after the first hour where the guest speaker, a former World Vision sponsored child, spoke about the work of World Vision in the world. Check out their page to see the many ways to help transform lives of children around the world. 

After the intermission, the group came back in more somber black tops. They sang the rest of the songs with impeccable blending for about another hour. It helped that the projectors showed the lyrics—allowing the audience to internalize the wonderful words composed by Bukas Palad, including Fr. Manoling Francisco SJ.

 There was a time for reflection as the audience meditated. There was also a time for interaction, where the audience sang along to newer versions of mass songs (“When We Eat This Bread”). 

It was a beautiful concert and the songs were very uplifting. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday night or a better way to prepare for a Monday. Talagang hindi mangangamba!

Viva Santo Niño! A yearly festival to honor the child Jesus

Santo Niño de Cebu. The statue of the child Jesus, wearing kingly garb complete with crown, scepter and a globe, is venerated by many Filipino Catholics. It is said to be one of the oldest religious images in the Philippines. Liturgically, the feast is celebrated on the third Sunday of January. The feast originated in Cebu City which is considered the “second city” of the Philippines and the second most populous Metropolitan area after Metro Manila. It was the first Spanish settlement and the oldest city in the Philippines. One of the more popular fiestas in the Philippines takes place in Cebu City-- the Sinulog which, if you haven’t guessed yet, celebrates the feast of the Santo Niño.  

Every year various groups sponsor Santo Niño feasts around the world. In Toronto, the Estrella Family hosts one of these celebrations. Mass is usually held at the St. Ambrose Church in Etobicoke on the last Saturday of January. Devotees are invited to bring their statues of the Santo Niño to be blessed. After Mass, lunch and fellowship follows in the Church Hall. They have been doing this for the past 30 years!

The Estrella Family, Richmond-Stanley Prayer Group, and devotees of Sto. Niño de Cebu prepare the food enjoyed by everyone, even non-Filipinos. And what Filipino gathering will be complete without music and dancing? After the meal, people are invited to take their Santo Nino statues and dance. Year after year, it has been a wonderful thanksgiving and festive celebration. Prayer, delicious food, and fellowship—ingredients which surely make this feast a success. Viva Santo Niño!

If you build it, they will come—Barrio Fiesta and how a seemingly lack of marketing effort makes me still try a restaurant out

Passing by Steeles Ave one time, I saw that the awning of Barrio Fiesta was put up. Really?  THE Barrio Fiesta?  Here?  Really? Hmmnn… same font and logo, it does say “Original,” so maybe it is the one! I haven’t heard folks talk about this much in forums or even in Facebook so I assumed their strategy was—we will build it and they will come. And those who come will spread the word. Well, we did come and here I am spreading the word! So I guess it works, somehow. When we passed by the area again, and I saw the sign “Now Open,” Hubby had to detour so that we can go check it out!

Hubby was quite unsure. This might be a soft opening, the line ups must be long, service will be slow! But I had to be the optimist that day so I said, no, not a lot of people know about it yet and slow service can be tolerated as we were not too hungry.

There was no line up when we got there but we did have to wait a bit for a couple of tables to be cleared before we were seated. The menu was the usual Barrio Fiesta fare minus anything with pork. Apparently, the Franchise owners cannot have pork in the menu for religious reasons. So much for Crispy pata! Oh well.

Service was not bad at all! It wasn’t lightning fast but the food came promptly. Not at all like the 1 hour wait times right across at Max’s these days!  Overall, the food was good, but the servings were small (not for the usual portions for Filipino-style family sharing). Most of what we ordered was good for only two; thus, making it a bit on the pricey side (each dish costs about $13-18). We started with Bouillabaisse soup, my mom’s fave and authentic to the Barrio Fiesta specialty that I remember. Hubby has never tried their version, much less DD#1 and they both loved it! But at $13.99 for a small pot, it was like fine dining. The creamy soup was good and there was a decent amount of shrimp. However, the mussels were not plump nor were they appetizing.

The crispy adobo (a specialty Filipino chicken dish) flakes were indeed crispy but lacked flavor. It does not taste of adobo at all. I would not recommend anyone to order this. But if you still end up ordering this dish, let me know if it is good. Am hoping they'll improve on this because Hubby and I love adobo flakes!

The palabok (rice noodles with sauce) was really good, though, and packed with seafood. The sauce was rich and it had tinapa (salty fish) flakes.

The crispy tadyang ng baka (beef ribs) was also good, especially with vinegar and soy sauce.



We no longer went for dessert but they had pandan and halo halo, among others. We would come back to try the other dishes, but I can see that eating there can be a treat. It is no Toonie Tuesday or Value meal. But we are just too happy that these dishes are becoming more and more accessible. And there is so much more to try! Happy Fiesta!

Panawagan: How we can help rebuild the Philippines from Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

 


Super Typhoon Haiyan headed for the Philippines, Handout photo by NOAA/AFP/Getty images

 Last Friday, November 8, the strongest storm to ever make landfall caused widespread damage in the Philippines, particularly in the area of Samar and Leyte in the Visayas. Thousands have died, thousands are missing and thousands of typhoon survivors are now desperate for help. Haiyan (local name, Yolanda) has left so much devastation, wiping out houses, schools, and hospitals along its path. It has been a week since the storm hit and the roads continue to be blocked with debris and casualties. Communication and electricity are still down. As the Philippines is an archipelago, relief goods cannot get to the survivors fast enough. Most have no home to return to and have gone days without food or water. Some of those affected were those already left homeless from an earthquake barely a month ago.
 




Tacloban City after the storm, photo by Dennis Sabangan, epa

  

The best way to help is to donate to experienced humanitarian organizations. My aim here is to inform as many people as possible on the major organizations deploying relief efforts.  This is the fastest and most efficient way we can get help to the typhoon victims.

Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.ca/donate/donate-online/donate-to-the-typhoon-haiyan-fund

Unicef:

http://www.unicef.org/index.php

Save the Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

World Vision:

http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?funnel=dn&item=2639566&go=item&section=10339&

Habitat for Humanity:

 http://www.give2habitat.org/philippines/ReBuildPhilippines

#ReBuildPH

Global Medic:

http://www.globalmedic.ca/

The Canadian government will match every dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities.

For a full list of registered Canadian charities, click here

I hope the people find it in their hearts to give a little something to help. The Philippines may be at the other side of the world but the need is real and immediate.