Kapitolyo Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

Open Kitchen by 48 Concepts Again and Again

October 3, 2014 by Janey

One of the things I enjoy during business meetings are the restaurants that our channel partners bring us to. Well, they are mostly hotel restaurants but from time to time, they are willing to research and venture to restaurants outside hotels. I discovered a few based on their research like Anzani in Cebu, which next chance I got, I booked a personal trip to Cebu with CW just to dine there again. It’s even nicer when they insist that I pick the restaurant.

I’ve been back to Open Kitchen quite a few times and have had friends visit also as I have been recommending it a lot lately. I have to say it’s my favorite restaurant in Kapitolyo these days.

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Open Kitchen by 48 Concepts

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Haru Sushi Bar and Restaurant

Silantro

Ninak Asian Comfort Food

Nav Modern Thai Cuisine

During a business meeting over lunch a couple of weeks ago, I opted for Open Kitchen again.

On the Table

Pumpkin Vanilla P140

Vanilla Ice Cream | Soup

They serve a scoop of vanilla ice cream on your soup bowl and then pour the hot pumpkin soup around it. Don’t raise your eyebrows just yet.

You know how some kitchens force creativity just because they want to and it doesn’t make any sense or connection at all? This one is definitely not that.

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The vanilla ice cream’s creaminess and sweetness engage with the pumpkin puree. It’s a lovely fire and ice dish. It’s actually brilliant.

Food Bites: Silantro Mexican Nachos

July 21, 2014 by Janey

Beef Nachos P180

My cravings as of late include Silantro’s Mexican Nachos. It’s a basket plate of corn tortillas sauced over with cheese, a salsa of chopped tomatoes and onions, and splits of grilled beef then baked until the yellow cheese cloaked itself on the chips. It’s served with three house specialty sauces. The triad is composed of a silantro sauce, a spicy version of the first and cooling sour cream. The nachos are very tasty and ingredients are well-spread out.

Silantro Mexican Kapitolyo Pasig

July 16, 2014 by Janey

Since start of June, I’ve made it a regular Sunday habit to pick up my sister and her son and go to the 9am CCF Service in Tiendesitas together. We love singing praises to our loving God thanking him for the beautiful week that just passed and listening to God’s message through Pastor Peter Tan Chi. Break open your day worshipping our Good Lord with a grateful heart. After the service, I bring them out for an early lunch and spend quality time with my shobe catching up on her week.

I get anxious on where to go since my sister, being very simple yet quite picky, is a bit hard to please. And my goal is to please. Last Sunday, I already told her that I’d pick the resto 3 straight Sundays but she has to pick at least once a month. She of course relegates to me saying I’d know better. I don’t care if it’s Jollibee (I miss you chicken joy!) or anywhere as long as she makes the decision.

Silantro was the pick of the week. Since she’s been reprimanding me on how much money I spend on food, I thought we’d eat somewhere good yet not entirely pricey. It was easy to get a table and parking but families started flocking in by 1130am. It’s not my first time here so I know how much crowd they draw. Silantro is a small Fil-Mex cantina in Kapitolyo, Pasig that originally hailed from Dagupan. Interiors are simple with wooden tables I like and Luchador posters.

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Silantro Mexican

On the Table

Beef Nachos P180

A basket of corn tortillas spread generously with cheese, tomato salsa and beef. You know how nachos are almost always short of toppings by at least a third? Silantro’s nachos have a fair share of toppings. If a couple of chips miss out, drench it with the three house sauces composed of a silantro sauce, a spicy silantro sauce and cool sour cream.

They even refill your empty saucers without prompting. Hands down, BEST nachos at its price!

Silantro’s Pork Ribs P220

I’ve been staying off pork for close to a month now. I’m not sure though if they have been staying off me. 🙂 I wanted my sister to try it so ordered this. It is barbecued pork ribs served with rice.

Tipsy Pig Gastropub

June 5, 2014 by Janey

I’ve been back to Tipsy Pig one time too many prior to this visit. And just this week, I was back twice. I think the new items ordered deserved a post.

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Tipsy Pig Gastropub

What I noticed is that service seems to be lackluster during lunch hours but nothing to complain about as they tend to you as soon as you call their attention.

On the Table

Sisig Platter P280

The smaller version of Tipsy Pig’s Belly Good Sisig Tacos, perfectly cooked crispy pork belly made to a local favorite sisig, wrapped in tortilla with Asian soy garlic

I’ve been eyeing this since the first time I visited and finally got the chance to try it. It arrived on a chopping board shaped like a pig. I like the textural crunch of the chopped pork belly and the slightly sweet Asian soy garlic. Squeeze a little bit of the calamansi sap for a spritely finish.

The Flaming Wings P295

Crispy fried wings, overdose with homemade buffalo sauce, and Bleu cheese

It had the right amount of heat that doesn’t make you sweat but reels you in for a bit of intensity. The buffalo sauce that it’s tossed in clings to the wings cloyingly that gives maximum flavor.

Vineyard Pizza P470

Roasted garlic spread, tomato confit, pancetta, mozzarella, grapes, and fresh basil

Crust is good except that everything comes off after one delicious bite but I could finish this pizza all by myself.

Open Kitchen by 48 Concepts

May 6, 2014 by Janey

Prowling the streets of Kapitolyo to look for a good place to have dinner, I was interested to try something new since I’ve eaten in almost all of the restaurants in the area. I’ve been trying to kick start an after-6pm diet but when I violate it, I compensate by eating mostly proteins and low-carb dishes. We almost ate at Banoi’s since I wanted something light but Open Kitchen caught my sight standing separate from the crowd.

Poco Deli, A Revisit

In Crumbs: Poco Deli

Take a Poco Deli

Kainan Au Gusto

Joe’s Meatshack

Haru Sushi Bar and Restaurant

Silantro

Gostoso Piri Piri Chicken

Ninak Asian Comfort Food

Juanito’s Bistro

Mad Mark’s

Nav Modern Thai Cuisine

Charlie’s Grind and Grill

Its restaurant façade with floor length glasses is in white and earth tones. One can see straight through the dining room from the outside whose focal point is the well-lighted open kitchen that gives diners full view of the action.

Open Kitchen has two dining areas, one that’s indoors and one that is partially an al fresco dining room where an herb garden wall supplies the kitchen with fresh organic herbs like basil, tarragon, dill. Menu by Chef Carlos Miguel Pacheco is very neat and simple, a little limited but straightforward.

On the Table

Fisherman’s Staple P165

Tomato based / Sea animals / Rouille

The dish was served with a seafood cake in the middle and the soup being poured on the side to surround it. The soup had a light sweet acidity that’s really present and pleasant.

Steamed Bamboo Shells P290

Garlic / White Wine / Chili

I was ecstatic to see bamboo shells on the menu since I missed bamboo shells in tausi sauce at Mann Hann. Open Kitchen serves their bamboo shells sautéed in garlic and white wine. I wanted a little more heat but loved the light, clean taste of the dish with the slithery velvety texture of the seafood that has an inside crunch.

Ninak, Asian Comfort Food

February 18, 2014 by Janey

You know how you’re surrounded with couple friends, you look around and you’re the third or fifth wheel. It doesn’t feel that lonely when you are secure of where you are in your life… and if you have a fifth wheel partner named Marco.

Sometime September last year, we headed to Kapitolyo for dinner. The green signage bearing the name Ninak intrigued us. Ninak is the Filipino word for rice spelled backwards. Rice is a staple in Philippine cuisine, even Asia at large, and Ninak offers a variety of it.

The restaurant is under the management of the same brothers who opened Brothers Burger. They aim to hit flavors close to home so the menu is largely influenced by Asian cuisine. Upon placing our orders, the wait staff asked us our heat preference as most Thai and Malay cuisines tend to be very spicy. Other than Filipino dishes, they also offer dishes that our neighboring countries are known for like Vietnamese spring rolls, Chicken Rice, Fish Curry.

On the Table

Green Mango Salad P

Sweet and sour green mangoes tossed in Ninak’s spicy Thai dressing with toasted crunchy peanuts, shallots, red chili and cilantro

This starter was a playground of Thai flavors. The peanuts’ crunchiness dances with the snaps of the fresh lettuce, onion and sour freshness of the green mango. Thread carefully since the red chilies could easily spike the heat range. The spicy Thai dressing was enough to let its presence felt – zesty, sweet and hot, pretty much how I would define myself but my friends would rally against it.

Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina, Kapitolyo

September 30, 2013 by Janey

I appreciate how Mexican cuisine is gaining ground in becoming a choice cuisine in the Metro. Some are trying their hand in marrying Filipino flavors with Mexican, thus calling it Fil-Mex. There’s one I like at the Podium whose Chili Con Burger is a knock out for me. I don’t mind getting all sloppy and slobber all over their version of Mexican burger.

Some time August, Timmy invited to dine at a Fil-Mex restaurant in Kapitolyo called Silantro. For a Sunday evening, it was quite packed and we were 2^nd in line waiting for a table. The place was pretty small though but service tries to be efficient so that’s a good thing. Parking wasn’t so bad either as we were able to park both our cars in front of the Cantina.

[Read more…]

Juanito’s Bistro

May 8, 2013 by Janey

If you’ve been seeing Bahay ni Juan in Kapitolyo for a while and wondering where it’s gone, the restaurant transferred to a new location within Kapitolyo in a more relaxing setting. After Frisbee practice last night, my college friend Ace and I trooped to Juanito’s for a late “light” dinner. It was my first time there but apparently, Ace almost got to try every item on the menu.

It was packed when we got there around 11pm with different tables holding groups in happy chatter. We were handed the menu which is just one single printed paper attached to a cork board with pins on the side. It was sort of fun to just pin the circle of your choice items in the menu.

Cafe Juanita

May 12, 2008 by Janey

No photos in my first entry about Café Juanita. I have eaten here several times but unfortunately, I’m always too eager to eat the grubs to pause and take a photo of the food. It was my boss birthday and her one-downs decided to treat her for lunch at Café Juanita. I was dying to order Beef Rendang (my absolute favorite in Café Juanita) but since the size of the dish is not good for sharing, I decided against it. Again, there were no photos taken of the food. Will try my best to resist the urge of eating before photography.

On the Table:

Crème Brulee PHP 89

For Karen, desserts come first. This was the first dish that came out. Only Carla and her touched it since I didn’t want to easily ruin my appetite with sugar.

Catfish and Mango Salad PHP 175

I almost finished this dish, as this is also a usual order when I’m dining here. The catfish meat was crunchy and meaty and it wasn’t oily at all.

Kare-Kare PHP 483

The sauce can be thicker but no other complaints.

Crispy Pork Binagoongan PHP 254

The bagoong had the right balance of salt and sweetness. The pork was fried to make the skin crispy as oppose to the usual way of cooking it, which is broil.

Stuffed Laing Bicol PHP 162

A must-order on my next visit

Two-Way Adobo PHP 382

I didn’t touch the meat but I ate a lot of the pork flakes/floss on top, which is the “other way” to cook it.

7 Steamed Rice PHP 231

Dimsum (compliments of the owner. My boss is a good friend of the owner, who also happens to be a thespian)

Barely an hour later, we find ourselves at the pantry with a smorgasbord of food again. This time JHC’s celebration with her division, Programming, Content Marketing and Airtime.

I went back to Café Juanita Sunday to treat my mom there but the place was fully booked so we settled for Texas Roadhouse. From the card that Jun Malaluan, restaurant manager, provided me during the visit, the card also bears the logo of SoHo, the Japanese Korean restaurant next to Café Juanita. Apparently, SoHo is under the same management. This information makes me so excited to try out SoHo.

Café Juanita

SoHo Japanese Korean

No. 2 United cor. West Capitol Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

6320357/7101562/09228779894

Cafe Juanita Album

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