Balaw-Balaw Specialty Restaurant and Folk Art Museum in Angono Rizal

Balaw-Balaw Specialty Restaurant and Folk Art Museum

Words and Photos by Yedy Calaguas

Published in Gala Magazine

September 2012 Issue

Page 92-93

Northpoint Publication

“Here’s Minaluto, one of our specialties.” Says the food server as he place the dish on our table wearing a gleeful pride bordering to pontifical.  I cannot blame him for that.  The sight of Minaluto in its bilao exudes a kaleidoscopic world against immaculate backdrop that is the table cloth.  Combination of prawns, crabs, mussels, pork, water spinach, and salted egg on a bed of specialty rice wrapped in banana leaves served on a native shallow basket called bilao, are all the good things that constitute the colorful Minaluto.  The burst of colors mirrors the rich cultural arts that Balaw-Balaw Restaurant aims to reflect.

Balaw-Balaw which name was taken from a specialty dish called Binurong Hipon made of fermented rice, shrimp paste, and “angkak” which give it a reddish color. Despite its name lifted from a dish, this well known restaurant is more than the good food it serves.

Yummy Magazine Cooking Demo with Lady's Choice

Yuletide season is just around the corner and I am sure that like me, most of you foodies are already busy preparing menu line up for the coming parties ahead.  While buying cooked meals from our favorite restaurants can be a tad less stressful, I still believe that preparing home cooked meals for your loved ones especially this season is way lovelier and thoughtful.

In line with this, the country’s best-selling food magazine, Yummy has prepared a Christmas themed cooking demo in partnership with Lady’s Choice.  This event is a good way to kick-start December by providing a fun-filled afternoon where you can learn easy-to-do recipes and mouthwatering dishes you can serve this holiday season to your friends and family.

What:
Yummy Cooking Demo
When:
December 1, 2012 / 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Where:
Robinsons Supermarket Galleria

My friend and Yummy Magazine’s contributing food stylist Chef Katherine Jao will show us how to whip up delicious and easy-to-do recipes while Chef Dianne dela Cruz of Unilever Food Solutions will demonstrate amazing dishes using Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise.  

Oliva Bistro Cafe in Quezon City: Celebration of Different Cuisines

Dining at Oliva Bistro Cafe located along Visayas Ave. in Quezon City, I was faced with the nugget of wisdom I have learned in my years of writing about food.  "Wrong fusion is confusion", this nugget I learned from renowned international chef Martin Yan when I interviewed him for my article published in Gala Magazine's October Issue.   That same idea also echoes when one of my favorite chefs, Mike Tatung Sarthou told me his belief about serving "Straightforward Filipino dishes".

When presented with restaurant which specializes in diverse cuisines, fusion may be the first thing that comes to mind, well at least for me.  Prior to visiting Oliva Bistro Cafe, that was what I expected.  But meeting chef Kannan, I learned that while Oliva focuses on  Indian, Italian, Singaporean and Filipino cuisines, it does not incorporate each element, but rather, it holds a strong grip on its origins. Clearly there's no fusion at Oliva, only celebration of the beautiful cultures expressed through palatable dishes.

Chef Kannan who is married to a lovely Filipina named Denden was born in India, immersed as a chef with impressive exposure to Italian cuisines, and have worked in Singapore for a time.  This clearly state that diverse cuisines at Oliva wasn't randomly picked on a whim, but it mirrors an interesting history of the man behind Oliva.

Pink Guava Café at Quezon Ave.

Recently, I was introduced to Pink Guava Café located along Quezon Ave. in Quezon City.  While the area isn't really the place I would frequent to, I was glad that I took the long ride. Pink Guava Café is the kind of place where good food, nice service, and inviting ambiance merge together to provide a noteworthy dining experience to its customers.

I have to admit that I am a sucker for beautiful restaurants' interior.  Not to be biased against downright simple hole-in-the-wall spot but I appreciate dining in places wherein food and service aren't the only things that are given importance but the ambiance as well.  At Pink Guava Cafe, they wouldn't just quench your thirst nor just satisfy your tummies, they will also feed you visually.

While it can be passed of as yet another cafe, Pink Guava has a lot more to offer.  This new player in the field boasts of their impressive line of drinks that ranges from, milk teas, espresso, coffees, frappe, ice blended, juices, with pasta, homemade pastries, and rice dishes on the menu to boot.  Aptly named Pink Guava, their specialty drink uses guava fruit as its base. 

Village Tavern at Bonifacio High Street

Despite many restaurants gracing Bonifacio High Street Central in Taguig City, Village Tavern is a welcome addition. All thanks to the Bistro Group, which also brought other remarkable restaurants such as Italianni's, T.G.I.Friday's, Ma Maison, and others for taking Village Tavern under its umbrella.  With the promise of dishing out hearty American comfort food, Village Tavern that hails from North Carolina is the place to go when one is craving for comforting meals in big servings.

While I may have a rather romantic view as to what a tavern looks like (blame the novels I read) Village Tavern's ambiance do not disappoint either as it breathes sophistication but not intimidating.  Service is warm and very welcoming as expected to all the restaurants handled by the Bistro Group.  I could go on and on at how comfortable Village Tavern's ambiance is but the the real winner I would like to talk about is their food.

Red Buffalo Wings & Pizza at Greenhills Town Center

It was only a month ago when I indulged in one of my favorite places offering Buffalo wings here in the metro.  And recently, I found myself indulging again, but this time it was in Red Buffalo Wings & Pizza located at Greenhills Town Center.  While I am not one of those who consider Buffalo Wings as their comfort food, I have my fair share of mean cravings for the awesome wings.

While there are a lot of restaurants specializing in Buffalo wings, one advantage of Red Buffalo Wings & Pizza is its proximity to where I reside. Greenhills Town Center is slowly becoming a foodie spot and I am glad that Red Buffalo is part of this development.