bagnet in makati and its unlimited variations

One of my good friends introduced me to this place, though I have heard of it so many times in the past and also passed by it several times before. Along Estrella street in San Antonio, Makati, is a nondescript house whose front has been converted into this restaurant - 8065 Bagnet. Even the name is very plain and simple - the number is the actual registered number of the house.

You enter and you get an old home feel - old wood, old 60s architectural style,  old marble slabs. The walls are literally littered with books, plaques, memorabilias of a family. It's like entering your grandma's house. It's not unusual that it has a low ceiling, it was obviously formerly an anteroom into the actual house. There is a wall that has all these grafittis from patrons, and you can make out scribbles of celebrities. The place is owned by Kitchie Nadal's family. Call me starstruck, but I was waiting to catch her there. I've been there 4 times and never saw her. hahaha. Anyway, inside this unpretentious front is delicious, cardiac food.

What's the food?
It's main feature, as the name states, is bagnet. In all forms imaginable. Dinuguan, kare-kare, etc. Bagnet, to the uninitiated, is pork (usually boiled pork belly) that is popular among Ilocanos. It's from that region, and I think the main difference between a lechon kawali and bagnet is that it is fried twice - first, a slow fry and then the second, a boiling fry. Now I am not sure about this, but nevertheless, it is great! It's quite similar to chicharon Camiling from my mom's province, Tarlac. But chicharon camiling is boiled twice and then slow fried to a crisp, whole, the inside juicy and succulent. But that's a different, and equally delicious, story. Back to 8065 bagnet. We ordered the dinuguan and the kare-kare. You can actually order 1.5liter  coke products here, so we also ordered that. We didn't order the original bagnet anymore. You can actually order it as a serving (1 plateful without rice) or as a rice topping. The topping cost only P99. Now that's a treat!

How was it?
Now I was bracing for the dinuguan to be something like bagnet thrown with dinuguan sauce. It wasn't. I think they actually cooked the meat with the sauce, because dinuguan juice just oozes out of the meat. But the Kare-kare, they definitely poured over the sauce. It's ok though. They probably wanted to maintain the crispiness of the meat. But both are great!! We also ordered their ensaladang talong, which is probably very close to homemade ones. Very nice!

Their sabaw is a piece that can stand on its own. Sobrang sarap, and you have to sip it piping hot. There are slivers of repolyo thrown in for healthy measure (yeah right), but even without it, it's a standout. I suspect it's the broth where they boil all the bagnet.

Would I invite you if it were my party? Oh, yes I will!! Except for the wait staff who obviously were not trained on proper waiting, and were selectively blind and deaf on all of my visits, this place knocks you off your feet, even with the grungy ambience.

How cheap is it? Cheap enough for you to shout out that you will treat the whole barkada! Taya ko ito! On my second visit there, we were just two, and we ordered all of the stuff I mentioned in this article and it was just around 500 pesos. Not bad....the price of two big mac meals upgraded to large comes close to its price, but I would choose the bagnet fare anytime.

5 stars for taste. I must warn you though, to slow down if you are on heart medication.
5 stars for price!!! It's so cheap, I can eat there everyday! I want to, but I shouldn't. It's good that my cardiologist does not subscribe to my blog.

Come to this place. You just have to go out of your way to get there but it's worth it! And it's open till really late night.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Ho Chi Minh and the surprise of a great city

A few months ago, I went on a business trip to Vietnam, to Ho Chi Minh to be exact. While I have been to Hanoi before, most of my friends said that the two cities are worlds apart. So I wasn't expecting much and just reserved my biases for later. Traveling often requires that you have an open mind and eye. Otherwise, you will not enjoy any part of it.

So we went, and went around. Ho Chi Minh doesn't disappoint - it's bustling, it's restless, it'c very clean and it's quite orderly. they have their share of their westernized mindset and have a big chunk of luxury items strewn around the metro for good measure, but you also see the vestiges of the past and its communist link, though it's more of the positive, safe side.

Ho Chi Minh is hot, fashionable, stuffy, loose, out there. It is very traditional, yet very open. It is very young and raring to go. It's also very delicious and filling. Plus, it's also affordable and near. If you want a new travel experience on a budget, you have to go to Ho Chi Minh.

Just going around will tell you that Ho Chi Minh will be one of the most progressive cities in Asia and the world, quite soon, really.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

won ton: my new food discovery format and the promise of regular posting

I am back, and while no one really gave me a big push to go back, I realized that no one would and that if I plan to keep a blog, I might as well post, so that people who stumbled into this will have something fresh to read.

Now that I am back, I will be posting more food encounters with a more "rigid" rating - what's the food? how was it? would i invite you if it were my party? how cheap is it?  1 to 5 stars for taste and price. These will be the sections for each of my food blog. For other posts, it's still free for all, LOL.

here's the first one then...
Won Ton restaurant is in Greenhills, the shopping mecca of pirates and their supporters. I know because I am one of them every now and then, LOL! Now aside from fake bags, watches and shoes, and the fantastic furnitures, the chinese delis, the pearls from our Muslim brothers and sisters, the cell phones and gadgets and all the pirated apps for your ipad, Greenhills also has its share of really good food.

One of the new discoveries here is Won Ton. It has two branches - one in Promenade, and another inside the shopping center.

What's the food? Chinese made fast and done pinoy-style. The place is clean, simple, with very fast service and good enough waiters. They will approach when called, they will give you your food in due time and they won't bother you until you call them again.

How was it? Really good, food with no bullshit. They don't try to be extravagant or pretentious. It's plain and simple good food that makes you warm and satisfied. Comfort food!

Star/s of the menu: signature dishes are 1. fried chicken wings with vinegar dip 2. fried pork chop with tofu salt and pepper style. Fried but no oily aftertaste. The Chicken's vinegar dip is superb. 

Would I invite you if it were my party? Definitely! It has other stars on the menu, like their version of the Korean dish, Japchae, their selection of fried rice, their selection of tofu dishes and their beef with broccoli.  They also have noodle soups, with their clear soup that is very meaty in flavor and yet so clean to the taste - no heady feel, no oily residue, just flavorful soup base, with above average ingredients.

How cheap is it? Cheap enough for me to treat you. Prices are reasonable and servings are often good for two (I count myself as two... no, really, I always eat for two).

So if you're in Greenhills, and you've had your fill of shopping, or wandering around, or you just happened to land somewhere near, this place is worth the search. I give this place 5 stars for deliciousness and 5 stars of affordability.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!