Filipino Restaurants – Page 12

Guess the Restaurant…..it’s Zarlito’s

August 9, 2006 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

The Missus hasn’t been feeling real well, and all those cravings have kicked in, so we went out and had a bunch of food, and a took a bunch of photos. Since I received a few Emails asking for another "guess it" contest, I thought I’d do it again.

So here goes. In this case you can either guess the restaurant or name the 7 dishes – I’ll name the eighth for you. If you name both the restaurant and the dishes I’ll send you an Espresso drink coupon from Peet’s. But remember, take the chance and you’ve got to get both correct. Or you can either name all 8 dishes, or the restaurant, and I’ll send you a cup of Peet’s. First seven correct Email answers win!

Personally, I think this one is too easy.

Here are the dishes

1: Kare Kare($6.50) – We both found the Kare Kare broth to be very mild, and somewhat underwhelming. There were 4 large pieces of oxtail, which were soft and flavorful, along with the eggplant. In what we found was a recurring theme, Zarlitos goes for the "meat-lover" in all of us, to make up for flavor short comings.

2: Nilagang Baka($6.50).

The broth was very light and mild in flavor. The Missus corrected the flavor with a healthy dose of Bagoong Alamang(shrimp paste). As with the Kare Kare, there was meat in abundance, though the beef was on the dry and tough side.

3: Sinigang Sinampalukan(Chicken, not Baboy – $6.50). Though not "sour" enough for the Missus, She still enjoyed the broth. This version was made with Chicken Drumettes and Wings, quite a few of them(I ate them all), and I really thought they tasted pretty good.

4: Pancit Palabok($6.20). Really bad, bland, oily, with under cooked noodles.

5: Whole Crispy Pata($15.00)

Personally, I though this Crispy Pata(boiled in seasonings, than deep fried Pork Leg) was superior to the version at Villa Manila. The skin of the Pata had a perfect crunch, with the wonderful pork flavor coming through. I could have done with more "gelatin", but man it was good. The Missus thought the flavoring of the meat was weak. My response? "Meat? What meat?"(I could only eat about 4 bites before Pata-guilt took over) Frankie loved the remains of the Pata, and even took it to bed with Him……

6: Lechon Kawali($6.50) Nice portion size, but the lechon had been sitting for a while and had lost much of the crunch. Though not very oily, we both thought the flavor to be on the weak side. Still quite a bit of lechon, here.

7: Daing Bangus($6.50). The Missus loves a good boneless Daing, and enjoyed this large piece.

8: Here’s the "freebie"…he-he-he, it’s Rice, of course!

At Zarlitos, you pretty much get what you pay for. Most dishes are under $7(taxes already added in), and there’s quite a bit of meat in most of the soups. Of course, there’s that Pata……

Of course the restaurant is in San Diego.

I’ll return with the prices of the dishes, as well as our impressions tomorrow.

As usual 1 winner per IP address. This one is easy, don’t give away the answers. You can either gamble and try to name all 7 dishes(you don’t have to be "perfect") and the restaurant. Or just name either the 7 dishes OR the restaurant.

The restaurant is…….

Yes, Zarlitos Family Restaurant in National City.

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

Congrats to Ed who guessed Zarlitos correctly, and Denny who got all the dishes, especially the Sinigang Sinampalukan.

Point Point Joint Restaurant

June 29, 2006 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

** Point Point Joint has closed

Yes, that's the name of this Turo-Turo( literally "point-point" in Tagalog) "joint" in National City. Why "point-point"? Well these type of restaurants, serve up steam-table fare, and you can order by just pointing at what you want.

On this afternoon, I happen to be in National City, and my stomach was rumbling away. I also hadn't had rice for almost 10 days!!! I thought about driving up to Tita's Kitchenette, but since it was already past 2pm, and I was just a few blocks away; Point-Point was an easy choice. The spartan, dark, and simple interior of the restaurant was quite crowded, and the television eternally tuned to TFC(The Filipino Channel), was playing some Karaoke All-Star program.

I simply walked up to the counter, did my "point-point" duty, and got my usual 2 item combination($5.50). Lechon Kawali and BBQ Chicken:

For those who don't know what Lechon Kawali is; it's pork belly that has been boiled in water and seasonings, then drained and dried. And finally deep fried until the skin (Chicharon) becomes golden and crisp. When done to perfection, each bite of lechon kawali is an amazing combination of textures; crisp cracklins', rich gelatinous fat, and moist meat flavored by the seasonings and the two-step cooking process. Needless to say, it should be eaten soon after cooking. When I had mentioned the food at Point-Point to my Buddy Jack; he was quick to point out that, "with Point-Point, you either have to get there early; or luck out and be there when fresh batches of food comes out." A perfect assessment of Point-Point timing. On this visit, some of the pieces of lechon were excellent, while other were not very good. A few pieces were extremely hard, and the meat had become very dry. I enjoy the BBQ Chicken at Point-Point, it is very different from it's counter-part at Tita's, it has a sweeter flavor, more reminiscent of Teriyaki. Today the chicken skewers were very good; still hot, moist, and with nice "charry" bits.

I finished my meal(except for a few pieces of lechon that were too dried out) while watching the Karaoke All-Stars, and before leaving, got some take-out for the Missus. 2 BBQ Chicken skewers($1.50/each), and a "medium" Chicken Sinigang (Chicken Sour Soup – $2.50). The portion of soup turned to be quite generous as it filled one of our soup bowls.

The Missus enjoyed Her bowl of soup, which She found to be refreshingly sour and tangy, and though a bit on the salty side, not oily in the least bit. There was a generous amount of chicken and eggplant in the soup as well.

Though the portions at Point-Point are not as massive as those at Tita's, I sometimes enjoy the nicer Staff at Point-Point. I also usually never have to deal with the psycho parking lot, crazy Plaza Boulevard, and the mass of Humanity at Tita's. Point-Point serves up all the usual suspects, Tapa, Dinuguan, Adobo, and other favorites, all you have to do is point….point.

Here's a photo of another recent take-out from Point-Point. On this occasion the lechon was very good.

Point-point Restaurant
916 E 8TH St Ste 1
National City, CA 91950

Manila Fast Food and Desserts

April 11, 2006 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

*** Manila Fast Food has changed owners. An updated post can be found here.

The Missus had heard of Manila Fast Food from one of Her co-workers, who told Her that the food there was pretty good, and worth a try. So on a recent weekend morning we headed over to Mira Mesa. Manila Fast Food is located in the same strip mall as the Mira Mesa location of Seafood City.

For some reason I recall another restaurant being in this location.

When we entered the restaurant, there was quite a crowd of people waiting for the "turo-turo"(point-point) type dishes, even though it was 10 in the morning. And they looked really hungry.

We decided on each ordering a single entree plate with rice which goes for $3.49 (Two choices is $4.99), and "something else". On this morning I felt like some Sisig:

As with most of "turo-turo" joints in San Diego, Sisig is usually left over Lechon(roast pork), stir fried with onions, lime or vinegar, and chili pepper or other flavoring. Not to get off the subject, but many Jazz Musicians use something called the "Real Book", which is actually a "Fake Book"(a story for another day), now the "Real Book" consists of a large collection of "standards" that every Jazz Musician should know, usually consisting of only a "lead sheet"(the melody) and the chord changes. After that, it's up to the Musician(s) to decided how to make Autumn Leaves, Alone Together, or Days of Wine and Roses interesting. Likewise, it can be a real challenge creating a tasty dish from what is essentially "left-overs"(a standard). Like any good "number" performed by a trio or quartet, harmony is important, as is the support(rhythm section), not only is it important that the "lead instrument"(in this case the lechon) be very clear, but the rhythm needs to keep everything in time preventing the whole creation from becoming a "train wreck". The rhythm section should never become the lead except for perhaps a "solo", not only is it important to know what to play, but also what NOT to play. If this Sisig were a Jazz Quartet playing a standard, I'd say that the rhythm section is driving a bit too hard, too much sour and sweet. And the Lechon(the lead) too passive, on the soft and soggy side, I'd prefer the pork to have a bit more "chew" with hints of crunchy "goodies". I did enjoy the spiciness, though I'd say that even that over-shadowed the pork. One the positive side, this version of Sisig was not very greasy.

The Missus decided on Beef Sinigang(Sour Soup):

Though not as oily as versions I've had before, I thought that other then a vinegar "sour"(I prefer more tamarind – tangy) flavor, there wasn't much going on. There was quite a bit of fairly tender meat though.

Of course we weren't through. The Missus also ordered a Crispy Pata ($9.99 + a 15 minute wait). Well, if the Sisig was the Jazz Quartet, this should be the entire "Big Band"!

We got it sizzling hot just out of the fryer and brought it over to our table. The skin was nice and crisp, though there was not very gelatin, nor dark meat. I think this "Baboy"(pig), might have been on a bit of a diet. The flavor was very mild, and the richness somewhat muted. Like all of the dishes we ate, the Pata was not very greasy at all.

In the end, nothing outstanding. No amazing Pat Martino single line guitar solos or Jim Hall harmonic solos. More like a good garage band playing Louie-Louie, but hey, that's a "standard" too, right?

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Sorry for all the silly analogies…..I don't know what came over me! In case you're wondering if some music was driving me over the edge; yesterday I was listening to Corrinne May, and today Tal Farlow and Lenny Breau, strange how music can affect your posts!

Manila BBQ & Grill

December 14, 2005 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Plate Lunch

**** Manila BBQ & Grill has closed

Back in November my Buddy Jack told me that a new Filipino Take-Out had opened up in Point Loma. So on a recent Friday that I had off I decided to pay Manila BBQ and Grill a visit.

I found the little take-out place in a stand alone "Food Court" in Point Loma Plaza. In fact, no permanent "signage" was yet in place.

I don't know what the "seafood" sign is about, there's no seafood on the menu! I looked over the menu and went to order. Unfortunately, my first two choices were "not ready" yet. I'd come a bit too early(1045am), and many items were not ready yet. So I finally settled on a Combo Meal with Teriyaki Short Rib BBQ (I find the Teriyaki and BBQ to be a bit redundant here), and Pork Adobo($6.50):

There were two cross cut short ribs and several large chunks of Pork Adobo served over a large bed of rice, a pretty good size portion of food. The short ribs were tender and moist, with a nice bit of carmelization, but fell "short" in flavor. In fact, the ribs were pretty bland and unremarkable. In comparison to say, L&L, I'd say, much more tender then L&L, but L&L's "Kalbi" had much more flavor. In fact, I really don't consider this "teriyaki" by any means, not even Hawaiian Style Teriyaki. It's closer to Hawaiian BBQ.

Many consider Adobo, along with Pancit and Lumpia to be one of the quintessential dishes that represent Filipino Food. Pork Adobo for those who do not know, is pork cooked in vinegar and soy sauce, and seasoned with bay leaves, garlic, and my favorite in adobo, a touch of black pepper. This version had a pretty good sauce, with a nice touch of vinegar. But the downfall of the dish were the overly large chunks of pork. The smaller pieces had absorbed the flavor of the sauce and were nice and tender. The larger pieces did not have enough flavor and were also on the dry side; a big no-no when it comes to adobo. Also the slight hint of black pepper I enjoy was missing. On the good side, was that the Gal who put this dish together placed the adobo over the rice, making the rice very tasty.

I had made up my mind to do a follow-up visit. And so a month later I paid Manila BBQ & Grill another visit. Now open about 2 months, I was pretty sure that all the wrinkles would be pretty much worked out. I dropped by and ordered a Combo Meal($6.50) with Teriyaki Chicken BBQ Skewer(wow, talk about a mouthful), and the Chicken Adobo.

Talk about deja vu all over again! The chicken adobo were really large pieces of chicken that really didn't absorb some of the flavor. The sauce was the same as the last time, and really not salty enough. As large as the pieces were, it was mostly bone, except for a whole drumstick. As a whole I wish the adobo was placed on the rice as the last time, since there was a huge pool of sauce with nowhere to go at the bottom of the container.

The BBQ Chicken looked beautiful, and were nicely grilled. But don't lose that little container of teriyaki-ish sauce, as a whole these were under-flavored. The chunks of chicken were moist and nicely grilled, but the overall flavoring was quite weak, though I'm pretty sure I tasted a faint peanut-butter flavor. I did pour the sauce over the chicken for flavor.

If I were to return, I'd order the Pork Adobo with the BBQ Chicken Skewer. In retrospect, I wonder if this place would survive in National City or Mira Mesa? But they have the market cornered for Filipino food in Point Loma and are probably better then some other options. The portions are large and service is very nice and friendly. So if you're in Point Loma, and really need some Filipino "grinds"; Manila BBQ & Grill is nearby. The menu is short but feature other items such as Pancit, Grilled Pork Chop and Beef Steak(I think it's probably Bistek).

Manila BBQ & Grill
3615 Midway Drive Suite C
San Diego, CA 92110

Ben’s 1615 – Dine and Dish??

December 6, 2005 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

**** Ben’s has closed

Ya’ know, I’m not really good at all these “blogging event” kind of things – except if Reid or Alan asks me to do something. After all, they may “know somebody, who knows somebody, who knows somebody, who’s related to me”. Maybe I’m really a “Flakey-flake” like Professor Salt says! LOL! But when I saw the subject of the most Delicious Sarah’s Dine & Dish no. 5 – Asian Persuasion, I thought I had it made. After all, a good 70% of what I post is “Asian”, and even more amazing I’m Asian! And so is the Missus! But of course, I have a bad habit of not being able to follow my instructions; so I had to ask Sarah if I could do Filipino:

Kirk said… Sarah – Is Filipino OK?

kirk: ANYTHING asian…though i will be honest i may have to check with some filipina friends because i’ve never been quite sure if filipino is asian. but no FUSION!!
(did i mention i have very strong feelings about asian “f*ew*sion”? LOL!)

Okay, I screwed up again! I ended up eating at a Filipino-Fusion Restaurant, and no it’s not Yi Cuisine in LA. This one is called Ben’s 1615 and is located in National City:

Located on Sweetwater Road, Ben’s is owned by a local Physician and offers a variety of Filipino, and Fusion Filipino dishes. The restaurants decor is a definitive Southeast ASIAN, featuring bright colors and clean lines. There’s even a “waterfall fountain”. The menu is varied and divided into separate sections featuring Soups, Salads, Pasta(???), and Traditional Filipino “Favorites”.

So after looking over the menu, we made our decisions, and were served these “buns”, that really looked like…..well, you know!

Actually these pseudo-Pan De Sal, were nice and warm, but really just plain.

But if there was any doubt; that this was Asian food, this pretty much answered all questions for me. A true monument to all that is Asian! The great pyramid of rice:

At sunset no less! This monument to rice came as part of the Crispy Pata($13.75) that the Missus ordered. For those that don’t know what Crispy Pata is; in short, it’s a stewed pork leg(pata), that is then deep fried.

In this case, the “pata” is actually removed from the bone and chopped, much like lechon kawali. This actually decreased the “pork-fat” guilt. The ~~lechon~~ pata was fried to a perfect crisp and was alot milder in flavor and less greasy then the “normal” pata. I really don’t know if I consider it more refined, but it was definitely alot milder in flavor. A ramekin of tasty adobo-like sauce(not quite lechon sauce) was provided for dipping as well.

I ordered the Chicken Pandan($8.50):

There were three large chunks of chicken, marinated in coconut milk, lemon grass, and sesame oil, then wrapped in Pandan leaves and deep fried. The chicken was very moist, with a nice crust developed from the frying, and a very pleasant mild flavor. The only item that didn’t belong was the lousy sweet chili sauce. Adding the overly sweet sauce to any of the mildly flavored courses would just mask any flavor. The Missus actually enjoyed the chicken alot more then the pata, but the tastes and presentation left us a bit intrigued, and we’ll be back to try other dishes.

Some Notes: As with many “fusion” type dishes “your mileage may vary”, I’ve heard that there are some real “clunkers” on the menu. Specifically, I’ve heard from more then one person that the Pasta dishes are borderline terrible. Especially the “adobo-pesto’s” . I’ve also heard that the “bar” upstairs serves up some pretty good eats (specifically the “spicy seafood”).

I don’t know if this will qualify for Sarah’s Dine & Dish, but I need to send some “gratitude” her way – especially for always being a good sport! LOL Sarah!

Ben’s 1615
1615 Sweetwater Road
National City, CA 91950

Saturday Desserts and Other Silliness

December 3, 2005 mmm-yoso Desserts, Filipino Restaurants, Salvadoran Restaurants, yoso-silly

Lately, one of the Missus’s obsessions have been Filipino Desserts, like Bibingka(sweet rice cake), Biko(rice cake), Puto(steamed cakes), Leche Flan(egg custard), and other merienda (afternoon snack) type snacks. Let me just explain that one does not trivialize the cravings of the Missus. To do so could mean an "ugly death"! Also, unless you can do the "tricks" that Sammy does, don’t even try stealing a bite!

Since I don’t really have a sweet tooth, I thought I’d just share the locations, and a few pictures of the Missus’s Filipino Dessert places.

Bread Deluxe Bakery:

Located next to Seafood City in both National City and Mira Mesa; we’ll never leave here without a few snacks.

And many times, a good portion of what is purchased will not even make it to the car.

Bread Deluxe Bakery
1420 E Plaza Blvd Ste E
National City, CA 91950

Filipino Desserts Plus

With locations both in National City and Mira Mesa, they make the Missus’s favorite Biko. Good luck with finding parking in the National City location with Red Ribbon Bakery, ChowKing, and Popeye’s in the same mall.

Most desserts are prices between $1.50 to $4.00, and are a bargain. I’ll refer any questions on flavor and taste to the ~~Boss~~ Missus for comment. But this place is quite popular. There are times when the lines are out the door.

Filipino Desserts Plus
2220 E Plaza Blvd Ste Q
National City, CA 91950

There are many other locations where one can pick-up snacks in National City; Manila Sunset is known for their Bibinka, and Valerio’s is also very popular. But for the Missus, these are part of her rotation.

We were able to attend the annual "Jingle Ball" concert last night at the Sports Arena after a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant, Ba Ren. We try to attend every year; and this year was a must see for us. The Missus’s favorite group, Train, was one of the performers:

This annual concert is a benefit for "Becky’s House" a transitional home for victims of domestic violence and their children in San Diego. This years line-up included Los Lonely Boys, Hootie and the Blowfish, Switchfoot, Alanis Morrisette, and The B-52’s. What a blast!

All the Missus needed was "something sweet to end the evening", looks like another dessert run is in order!

Asian Noodles – I Want My Mami

October 30, 2005 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

*** As of August 2011 Asian Noodles has closed

We pass this shop just about every time we go to Golden Chopsticks and Seafood City in National City.

And the Gal who works there is always waving us in whenever we're looking in the window. So I asked around about this place and found that they make their own noodles, and that the dish to order was the Pancit Canton(Chow Mein – $6.50).

And so one afternoon we gave in to temptation and decided to have a snack, and ordered the Pancit Canton:

What came to the table was a very large plate of stir-fried noodles with beef, pork, shrimp, chicken, and various vegetables. The sauce was very thin, soy sauce based, and very, very salty. And the noodles were much too soft, almost mushy. This was a dish that was really not to my taste. I found out later that the noodles were supposed to be cooked soft, so I thought this was pretty much the end of this. Just something that I would post about on when I had time. But that was not to be so.

You see, I made a point to make sure to see a Documentary called Chinese Restaurants on The Islands during the San Diego Film Festival. It was an engrossing film that looked at the Chinese diaspora, through the Chinese Restaurant. The film covered three different Families on the islands of Trinidad, Mauritius and Cuba. In each location "Chinese cuisine" had evolved to account for tastes and resources. During the film, the front window of Asian Noodles stuck in my mind:

It said, "Home of the Famous Ma Mon Luk Family", "From Manila Chinatown". I just knew that there was a story here. So again I asked around and mostly just learned that Ma Mon Luk was a famous figure in "Chinoy" cuisine, the blending of Filipino and Chinese food, that includes Siopao and Siomai, the Filipino version of Charsiu Bao and Siu Mai.

After googling Ma Mon Luk, I found an article in The Manila Bulletin Online about Ma Mon Luk. In short Ma Mon Luk, was a poor migrant from Canton, who traveled to the Philippines in 1918. Though trained as a teacher in his homeland, he found his fortune creating and peddling what is now known as Siopao and Siomai; and most importantly, the dish now known as Mami; the Chinese based noodle in broth. My favorite quote from the article: "In prosperity Ma Mon Luk was dressed in a felt hat, de hilo amaricana cum vest and glittering gold watch chain across his chest. It hid the fact that his left shoulder was lower than his right, a result of supporting the pinga (carrying pole) in the hard beginning days of his youth. Tango shoes hid his feet calloused from a once-daily routine of walking over the bridge to the ice plant to save 5 centavos on caretela fare."

So what did this mean? It meant I had to pay a visit to Asian Noodles, and get me some Mami! So I found myself in the restaurant, and again the Ultra Energetic Liza, the Gal who always tried to wave us into the place, took my order. This time for the Beef Mami ($5.50):

In all honesty I was expecting to be underwhelmed. But to my surprise, this was a decent Beef Noodle soup. No, it wasn't Niu Rou Mein. The broth was a light beef broth, just faintly beefy, I'd been expecting the noodles to be mushy, but they were pretty good. Think somen in flavor and width, with a little bit more "pull", not bad, really. There were 3 "won tons", that could have been a bit more flavorful; but the beef made up for it all. The pieces of beef were very tender, with a bit of fat and tendon on each piece, and because of the nice soy and sweetness was obviously braised separately. Though it was not an especially large bowl, it filled me up. I'd definitely have this again. This beef noodle soup with a history…….

Asian Noodles
1430 E Plaza Blvd
National City, CA 91950
10am – 8pm Daily

Villa Manila Restaurant & Jollibee

October 16, 2005 mmm-yoso Desserts, Filipino Restaurants

I received a phone call from the Missus the other day, informing me it was "Pata time". Which for us means a trip down to National City and Villa Manila:

Villa Manila occupies a space in a strip mall on 8th Street; many people will recognize this as the former site of Max Restaurant. The location is also right across the street from Zarlitos Restaurant. Villa Manila is a good sized Family style restaurant, featuring such favorites as Nilagang Baka (Beef Shank and Vegetable Soup) and Sinigang(Tamarind Based soup).

But the main reason we come to Villa Manila is this:

By Neptune’s Trident! That is a whole Crispy Pata($19.00). In case you are not quite sure what Crispy Pata is; it’s a Deep Fried Pork Leg (Pata). From what I understand, the Pata is first boiled, then dried, and finally fried. The result is a rich, decadent dish. You get the crispy skin, the rich subcutaneous fat, the soft gelatinous connective tissue, and the flavorful meat. Forget about this being the "other white meat", this is the real thing. You really can’t mistake for anything else; it’s 100% pig. You can order a Half Crispy Pata for $10.00, but the way we look at it is; if you’re going to have Pata, you might as well "go all they way"!

Like the saying goes; "pork fat rules"!

The dipping sauce is a simple sweet, soy- vinegar mix, which helps to cut the richness. I only have a few bites, mainly because the script goes like this:

The first bite, crunchy and gooey, is amazingly good!
The second bite is so decadent and rich, delici-yoso!!!
The third bite; is that some sweat on my brow? Guess my body is starting to work kind of hard…
By the fourth bite, man this is rich; think I’m getting a bit dizzy here!
By the fifth bite, I’ve called and made an appointment with my Cardiologist!
Luckily, the Missus has no such problems! And of course the Boyz get the bones!

We also ordered Lumpia Ubod ($7.00):

These two burrito sized "lumpia", feature Ubod (Hearts of palm), of course, as well as pork and shrimp. You can get them "Fresh"(unfried), or "Fried". We got the fried version which was fine, except the lumpia was not heated all the way through.

I ordered the Regular Half Fried Chicken combo($7.50), which comes with fries or rice; guess which one I got?

Unfortunately, I ordered this with Garlic Rice, but got the Fried Rice instead. The Chicken is pretty good, just simple seasoned fried chicken which I like to dip in vinegar. The white meat is on the dry side but the dark meat is very flavorful. There is something called "Jumbo" chicken that costs a bit more; but they’ve always been out of them when I’m here! Guess Jumbo Chicken is hard to come by!

Villa Manila may be a bit more expensive than the usual Filipino Restaurant, but the food is done well, and the service is always good.

Villa Manila Restaurant
500 East 8th Street
National City, CA 91950

Of course after this calorie dense and rich meal The Missus "needed something sweet to clear my palate". No problemo; just a quick trip to Jollibee:

For a Halo Halo Supreme ($3.99):

A picture speaks a thousand words, huh?

Jollibee
1401 East Plaza Blvd
National City, CA 91950

Zarlitos Family Restaurant

October 7, 2005 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

Having the day off I decided to take a trip down to National City; and start off with a hearty "brunch" at Zarlitos Family Restaurant:

Located on 8th Street in National City, this little "diner" serves all the usual suspects; Adobo, Sinigang, Daing, Pinakbet, Pancit, and also has "turo-turo" (point-point) style food from 8am-2pm. But I had a specific dish in mind, and I found it on the menu under "Filipino Delights".

There it was Longsilog($5.00), anybody who knows how much I love Loco Mocos, can figure out how much I enjoy this dish:

Longsilog is Longanisa, that wonderfully sweet Filipino sausage, Fried Rice, and Egg. So the name is a derivative of all three items Long(longanisa), Si (sinangag, fried rice), Log (itlog, egg), in that wonderful way that Filipinos have of creating easy to remember and entertaining "slang"(i.e. Adidas = chicken feet). The Longanisa was nice and slightly charred on the outside, and cooked all the way through, moist, sweet, and slightly chewy, the eggs were done easy over, I would’ve wished for the edges to be a little more crisp, but this was fine. The rice was simply rice fried with some soy and egg. A little dish of vinegar with chilies was served along with my Longsilog(I’m sorry, I can’t remember the name of this style of vinegar), though I opted for this:

I love Jufran with eggs, so I mixed the eggs and rice with Jufran(Banana Ketchup). I hope I didn’t insult anybody by eating it this way. If you’ve never had Jufran, by all means try it! Jufran is a bit sweeter, and perhaps a bit more savory than regular Ketchup. A friend of mine back home makes a Barbecue Sauce with Spicy Jufran that rocks!

This hearty home-style brunch got me on my way, with enough "fuel" for the whole day.

Some notes on Zarlitos; Parking is limited, it was 1030am, on a Friday morning and there was only 1 open stall in the whole parking lot. The service is very nice, and in some ways calming, the Waitress was somewhat surprised at what I ordered, and smiled and said, "Really, longsilog?" When a little one threw his bottle across the room, She came out with a mop and smiled and said; "No worry, just a small spill…"

One thing I really like about Zarlitos, is that tax is already included in all prices! What a great idea! So if you think about it, my meal was actually about $4.65 or so. Prices mostly range between $5.00-$8.25. Also, I know Zarlitos is open pretty late as well……

Thanks for the recommendation MaryAnn!

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

Spamsilog anyone?

Tita’s Kitchenette

September 6, 2005 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

I know my friends from "back home" will get a kick from the name of this Restaurant. Located on bustling Plaza Boulevard, I dare say that Tita’s is a scoop of macaroni salad short of being the best plate lunch in San Diego.

In reality, Tita’s is a "turo-turo"("point-point") style restaurant; that is, most items are on a hot table and you "point" out what you want. In my opinion Tita’s is the finest example of his style of restaurant in San Diego. And the crowds and insanity around lunch time reflect this. In fact most of the "Local Bruddah’s", all know about this place, word gets around! In order to avoid the craziness, I’ll usually plan a visit around 10 am on a weekend.

Even at that hour, the service is terse and tense. Where a place like Sammy’s, is where everybody knows your name; at Tita’s nobody wants to know your name. They just want you to pick your food, pay, and get out of Dodge…Next!!!! So today I’m asking, "Pansit Palabok?" Negative nod of the head. "Hamonado?" "No." Oh-oh two strikes! The little Filipino Lady behind the counter starts smacking her Metal Spoon into her hand; SMACK, SMACK, positively sending chills up and down my spine. I’m absolutely terrified of this barely five foot Female; I can feel a bead of sweat building on my temple. SMACK-SMACK. "Okay, Pork Adobo, Kaldereta, and two Chicken Barbeque." The Little Lady scoops up a huge spoonful of Kaldereta; "Dis Goat, you sure you want?" A reply is somehow stuck somewhere in my throat, I just give a positive nod. Everything is passed to the cashier, I pay, and walk quickly out of Tita’s, as if flames are licking at my butt. So why do I put up with this pressure?

What you see costs $4.99, and it’s enough for at least two meals. It’s also good enough for me to put up with 5 minutes of intense pressure! The adobo is moist, sour, sweet, salty, with a nice touch of pepper. This is my favorite restaurant adobo. There’s also a nice amount of oil and fat, in this case, very delici-yoso!!! The Kaldereta is nicely gamey, tart, spicy, sweet, and salty. Reggie on his site, KauKau Time has a nice description and recipe for Kaldereta. If this was actually goat is debatable, but it sure is good eats!

The reason I get there at ten is that I’ll be assured of having Barbeque at that point. Go earlier and the barbecue may not be ready.

The barbecue is priced at $2.09 a piece and consists of large pieces of marinated chicken or pork. One skewer with rice is enough for a small meal. I enjoy the chicken more than the pork which can be dry at times. The grilled chicken has a nice flavor, slightly smokey, and full of nice, possibly carcinogenic charred bits. There’s a very light touch of chili pepper – delici-yoso!

The service at Tita’s is not rude, but definitely not friendly. You’re almost expected to know what you want by the time it’s your turn in line. For some reason, having to make such a snap decision places such heavy pressure upon me. I really can’t explain it!

Tita’s Kitchenette
2720 East Plaza Boulevard
National City, CA 91950
(619) 472-5801

Did you say Adobo??????