Yummy Happy Food

These were the exact words the husband used to describe the food of this nondescript restaurant he was bringing me to.  He was always talking about it and promised to bring me there when the opportunity arises.  That day finally came so we headed out immediately as lunchtime was always a busy time for the restaurant and we might have finding a free table if we came in later.

The Facade

You will clearly see that this is a no-frills restaurant.  No airconditioning, mono-bloc chairs, no uniformed waiters serving you.  Its all self-service.

The Grill

This is what will greet you before you enter the restaurant.  You have to choose the food that you want to eat from what is available on the grill.  Their specialty is Tasik which is a white-flesh fish.  Almost like tuna but lighter and for the lack of a better term "malinamnam".  The price depends on the part of the fish as well as the size.  You can choose to have a huge chunk of the belly or a steak-cut size of the tail end.  Squid is also available.  For the meat-lovers, sorry but they only have seafood here.  You then go to the counter to get your rice and you may opt to order Tinola which is a clear fish soup flavored with lemongrass, onion leaves.  Kamias and tomatoes are used as souring agents.  

Grilled Fish

It looks small in the picture but it was a huge slab of fish about 2 inches thick. Perfectly grilled:  slightly charred on the outside but cooked through yet still moist and soft on the inside.  

Side Dishes

Each person gets a small saucer with sliced tomatoes.  You can add soy sauce, vinegar, calamansi and chili depending on your favorite combination for your dipping sauce.  For me, grilled food has always have to have a dipping sauce.  There is also a small serving of papaya atchara or shredded pickled papaya which was a nice addition to the meal.

Free soup

If you do not order the Tinola, you can actually ask for a bowl of the soup.  Its free of charge! Clear fish broth slightly sour but not overpowering.  

lunch crowd

Total cost for all that? PhP 200. Not bad at all!  the husband and I did not even order another serving of rice so that we could finish the fish yet we were so full after finishing off everything including the atchara and the soup.  And to think we were planning of having halo-halo for dessert!  There was no room left after eating that fish. 

We will definitely go back there again although not with the kids though.  It would be hard to chase them around in a crowded restaurant.  But if you are thinking of experiencing an honest to goodness sutukil restaurant here in Cebu, this place is definitely worth the try.

Parttebelle Tinola

Cebu North Reclamation Area

Across SM City Cebu 

Near Razon's Halo Halo

 

Durian Pie

I had a stash of frozen durian.  I had to think of other ways to eat it as eating fresh durian was becoming too common for us. The husband suggested that I make a pie.  It's been ages since I last made a pie.  It was my one and only attempt in making one.  So I had no recipe for a pie crust that I could use.  Of course, the Internet being my source of all information, I immediately searched for a pie crust recipe that is easy and no fuss.

I found one in allrecipes.com that said no-roll pie crust.  It seemed easy to do and the ingredients were all on hand.  I was out of butter so it was the perfect recipe for me to try out.   I pre-baked the crust first as recommended by some of those who have tried the recipe.  I always check on the comments whenever I use a recipe from the Internet.  The information you get from reading the comments will really help you get the perfect recipe.

For the filling I used 3 ingredients: durian flesh, sugar and cream.  I only eyeballed the proportions that is why I had some extra filling after filling the pie crust.

This went to the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Durian Pie

A Slice of Pie

Not bad for my second try in making pie eh? :D  

Lemongrass

Nope. Not the herb but the restaurant. BIL treated us to dinner after getting promoted to manager level.  It was my first time to eat there so I asked them to order for us.  I just had a request - Pad Thai.  I was missing Som's Pad Thai so I was hoping to cure that feeling by ordering it.  But I digress, this restaurant obviously serves Asian cuisine.  It's a mix of Malay, Thai and Vietnamese but with Filipino flavors. Fusion flavors as most would describe.  But to me, the flavors was too 'Filipinize" if there is such a term.  The interplay of the sweet, sour, salty, spicy flavors was lost.  However, it still tasted great.  servings are good for 2-3 people and most of the dishes are for sharing.

For starters:  Pomelo Salad.

Pomelo Salad

This was good. The pomelo was sweet and juicy.  It had a bit of shredded carrots and the dressing was the usual fish sauce with vinegar and shallots.  I had to ask for an extra serving of coriander.

Main Course: Beef in Red Curry Sauce

Beef in Red Curry Sauce

The curry sauce was good. Sweet, rich curry taste with the right hint of spice and the beef was tender.  My only complain about this dish is that I think they cooked the beef and the sauce separately and only assembled it when someone orders it.  So the beef has not soaked up the flavors of the curry sauce plus the fact that there was too little of the sauce in the dish.  Not enough to spoon on top of your rice.  O how I miss Ate Eva's cooking.

Pad Thai

This was kind of a disappointment for me.  It lacked the flavor that I was looking for.  Probably because we requested for it to be not spicy because we had kids with us who might want to eat it.  Although the mung bean sprouts were fresh and nutty which added an interesting flavor and texture to an otherwise ho-hum dish.
 

Vietnamese Grilled Pork Belly

The meat was tender and well cooked.  Flavor-wise it was OK.  Nothing spectacular to rave about.  The cucumber relish that it came it was the one that I could not forget.  It was spicy, sweet and crunchy.  Too bad you could not order it separately.  It would have been a great starter to open up your taste buds.

Pandan Chicken

This dish can be considered a staple entry in Asian restaurants.  The menu is not complete without it.  The serving is good for 2 people.  They used thigh fillets for the dish which was flavored well. I like this dish because my kid liked it.  He was able to finish one packet in one sitting.  He liked it so I like it too. 

Bagoong Rice

Of course, a meal would not be complete without rice.  We ordered this as the other option was a no-no for the husband.  He does not like pineapple in savory dishes so Bagoong Rice it is. The serving was enough for 2-3 people.  The bagoong flavor was not too overpowering making it a great accompaniment to the main dishes.  

Plain Rice

I just had to post a picture of the way they served their plain rice.  Isn't it cute?  This unique presentation was very useful in convincing the kid to eat.  =)

Something Cooler

I totally forgot what they call this drink.  It's basically a pitcher of water with crushed mint leaves with a mix of cucumber, lemon, orange and lime slices.  It's really refreshing. We were able to finish 2 pitchers of this during our meal.  

Lemongrass

Ground Floor, The Terraces

Ayala Center Cebu