Great tapa pizza and sandwich plus all-time fave Pinoy dishes at Rufo's

Rufo's Famous Tapa has been around since the '80s, but I hadn't paid attention to it because there used to be no branch near our place, both home and office. Last February, however, on my way to church on Taft Ave., I saw a tarpaulin indicating a Rufo's branch at P. Noval St. near UST, which isn't far from home, and which we always pass by on the way to church. I thought now I had the chance to finally try tapa at this "famous" place. You see, tapsilog (tapa, sinangag and itlog to those not in the know)  is one of my favorite meals any time of the day and I'm in search of the best there is in the metro. 

Well, I didn't want to waste time so the following week, my daughter and I were there at Rufo's-P. Noval for a late lunch before going to church. Once inside, I was impressed by the simple and neat interiors. My daughter commented that the checkered lower parts of the walls made the restaurant much like the diners that we'd seen in American movies. As we read the menu, I was also impressed that aside from tapsilog, Rufo's offers a lot of choices ranging from all-day breakfast, merienda, all-time favorite Filipino dishes like tinola and humba, and also "pulutan" that included sisig, chicharon and tokwa't baboy. 

We then ordered tapsilog, bulalo and tapa pizza, which we all loved. My top favorite, however, was the pizza which was quite unique as I hadn't known any other restaurant that offered this. As to the tapa which is Rufo's claim to fame, it didn't disappoint. It was the first tapa with sauce that I saw and tasted, and I liked it. It was on the sweet side, though, and had the tendency to give you the "sawa factor" toward the end of the meal. As for the bulalo, the soup was flavorful, the beef was tender and the bone marrow was filled with "utak". Sinfully delicious! An order could feed two persons and at only P166, it was very affordable. For dessert, we had the Creamy Fruit Fiesta, which wasn't so good, however. I had brewed coffee, which I didn't appreciate much, too. My fault, though, 'coz I put too much creamer and so it had no more kick. 
Anyway, I liked Rufo's so much that the following weekend, I brought our whole family there for lunch to celebrate the birthday of our youngest. We ordered quite a lot - Tapa Pizza, Tapa Sandwich, Tapsilog, Bulalo, Tocilog, Pork Sisig and Crispy Danggit. For dessert, we had Black Sambo and Leche Flan, which were both delicious!

Tapa Pizza, two slices per order, P46. 

Beef Tapa Sandwich, P68.

Tapsilog, P108.

Liempo, P146.

Tocilog, P104.

Pork Sisig, P146.

Bulalo, P166.

Leche flan, P39.

Black Sambo, P36.

Creamy Fruit Fiesta, P36.

Brewed coffee, P36 and Iced tea, P30.

If you're coming over for snacks, I recommend not just the Tapa Pizza but also the Tapa Sandwich. Both are uniquely Rufo's and are really delicious. For a full meal, there's a lot to choose from, as I've mentioned. 
Honestly, I now consider Rufo's as one of those restaurants I feel going back to because of its yummy offers, affordable prices and casual and relaxed ambiance.  The staffs are friendly, too. By the way, I want to share an interesting trivia about Rufo's. Did you know it was founded by a group of officemates and they named their business after their boss? When I read this, I thought wow, these guys' boss must have been a good one. Lucky them! Haha! Anyway, Rufo's Famous Tapa currently has 13 branches around Metro Manila. If you haven't tried it, don't waste too much time!

Drool-worthy halo-halo and more at Razon's of Guagua

I know, I know.. Manila just chills these days, at times even on a sunny afternoon. Even then, it's no reason not to have halo-halo, specially if it's from Razon's of Guagua. Oh my, my heart melts just thinking of this heavenly cool dessert, which might as well be THE best halo-halo I could ever have in my lifetime. I know that sounds uber cheesy but really, that's how much I love Razon's halo-halo. Never mind that it has only three "halo" (ingredients) - macapuno, sweetened cardava banana (saba) and leche flan. It's the very finely shaved ice and lots (really lots) of milk that make all the difference.  It's smooth and very creamy, almost like ice cream! If you haven't tasted Razon's halo-halo, better do and prove me right in saying that it's heavenly and unforgettable.

Anyway, it's not only halo-halo that you can enjoy at this Pampanga-originated restaurant. There's of course the Kapampangan specialty pork sisig and all-day breakfast fares "tapsilog" ang "tocilog", plus the well-loved pancit luglug that's perfect for merienda cena. At least these are what I've tried at Razon's together with different companions on two occasions recently - one time at Robinson's Magnolia and another at SM San Lazaro. 

These were what we had: 

Halo-Halo, P100.

Pancit Luglug, P95.

Tapsilog, P148.

Sisig with rice, P165.

Tocilog, P140.

Razon's of Guagua at Robinson's Magnolia

I love Razon's and have added it to my list list of go-to places for Pinoy comfort food and of course, halo-halo. Truth be told, I'm not fond of eating this iced dessert and in fact, I rarely eat it and never get to finish a glass (I don't remember, the least to say). But halo-halo at Razon's is irresistible to me and the only one I would crave for. Even if you compare it with the versions of other restaurants that boast of a dozen "halo", Razon's is still the standout for me. My two sisters who went vacationing here in the Philippines from the US and Canada three years ago also went agog over this halo-halo. Well, can't blame 'em!

A taste of Pahiyas Festival

    Have you ever witnessed how the Pahiyas Festival is celebrated in Lucban, Quezon Province on the 15th of May each year? It is among the most popular tourism events in the Philippines, and is held by the townsfolk to thank and honor their patron saint San Isidro Labrador for their bountiful harvest. It is a tradition among the locals to celebrate Pahiyas by adorning their houses with colorful lanterns called kiping (which are plant or tree leaves spread with colored rice paste) as well as fruits, vegetables and handicrafts. I'm embarrassed to admit that even though I hail from the coconut-producing coastal province of Quezon, never in my 44 years have I joined the huge crowds to admire the adorned houses and sample the delicacies sold on the streets during this event. 

Reading about Pahiyas Festival on the Internet, I longed to also have my picture taken with these houses in the background and to eat pancit habhab (a noodle dish that is served on a small piece of banana leaf and which you eat straight from it using only your mouth - no utensil!) on the street. That would be unforgettable, I'm sure!

This year, I was close to witnessing the Pahiyas when two of my sisters came home from abroad. We had planned to go to Lucban in time for the Pahiyas but because of mixed up schedules, we went there a week after the festival.  We spent the night in a resort and as we went around town, we passed by this restaurant called Buddy's Pancit Lucban at Longganisang Lucban. We chose to dine, however, in a seafood restaurant. Days later, I read in some blogs that Buddy's has several branches in Metro Manila. This restaurant, as the name implies, offers Lucban and Quezon specialty dishes such as the famous pancit and longganisa. I felt I had to dine there. 

Last Saturday, I and the rest of our family finally had that opportunity when I thought of celebrating a few days earlier the birthday of my hubby. I suggested that we try Buddy's for lunch, to which my hubby agreed. We went to this branch near his office on Pearl Drive in Pasig City. I wanted to go to the Timog Ave. branch in Quezon City but since we would go to pick up hubby's company rice supply, we went for the Pasig branch.

Entering Buddy's, I was impressed by the cheery interiors that made me feel a little like I was in Lucban celebrating Pahiyas. On the ceilings, hung were kiping lanterns and on the walls, floor and again, the ceiling, were sunflower designs.

Other things that impressed me were the extensive menu and the prices of the fares - they're pocket-friendly! And the food - they're delicious! I specially liked the Chami, which is a saucy type of pancit (noodle dish) that is popular in Quezon (Lucena City, the capital of Quezon, holds a Chami Festival to coincide with the fiesta celebration also in May). Our only complaint was on the fried rice that came with the Longsilog Lucban. It was soft like it wasn't stir-fried at all. Anyway, we were given complimentary soup and that's a plus point for me. I definitely want to go back to Buddy's to try their other dishes such as the pizza with longganisang Lucban (native sausage) and kesong puti (white cheese made from carabao's milk).

Buddy's on Pearl Drive in Pasig City

This is on the second floor.

Wall accent would have been lovelier if not for the few busted bulbs.

The kiping lanterns hung on the ceiling make you feel a bit like being in Lucban celebrating Pahiyas Festival.

Close up of the kiping lantern.

One of the light accents on the ceiling.

Sunflower designs are everywhere, even on the floor.

Tapsilog, P115.

Longsilog Lucban, P110.

Chami Special, P180 (can be shared by 2-3 persons).

Sizzling Beef Steak with Rice, P170.

Pancit Lucban (I guess this is one and the same as the pancit habhab), P175 (good for 2-3 persons).

Calamansi Juice, P40.

Missing coffee breaks at Kopimeyts

Baked Carbonara, P95.  for single serving, P165 for sharing

Tapsilog, P100.

Brewed coffee that came with the Tapsilog. Lovely saucer, isn't it?

Grandma's Chocolate Cake P100. I gotta make mano to that lola!

Cafe latte, P60. Like the leaf art :-)

There wasn't a single coffeehouse in the vicinity of our office along Visayas Ave. in Diliman, Quezon City till Kopimeyts was established last year. So one day, one of my closest friends at work and I jumped at the chance of spending our coffee break there. Since then, I'd been at Kopimeyts a couple of times, with  different company on each occasion. I loved their Tapsilog, a breakfast fare which you could order here anytime of the day. At P100., it already came with brewed coffee. Not bad, you might say. However, I loved their baked carbonara even more. They used penne pasta, which surprised me the first time I ordered it, since most restaurants use spaghetti noodles for this particular dish. At Kopimeyts, baked carbonara was heavenly. It had just the right creaminess. Hindi nakakasawa. Yum! It came with a halved slice of toasted garlicky tasty bread - a plus point for me since pasta is lonely food without garlic bread, don't you just think so? Just before I embarked on a joyful three-and-a-half-week vacation last May, I took two of my kids to work and to Kopimeyts and they too loved the baked carbonara. But when I reported back to work, I found out Kopimeyts was no more, to my dismay! A salon is now in its place. Oh darn, no coffee shop in the neighborhood again! Now all I have are coffee and baked carbonara memories. Sigh!

Dinner at Lola Idang's

Lola Idang's on Visayas Ave., Q.C.

Interiors

Pancit Malabon

Tapsilog (above); Lechon kawali with rice (below, left); Iced tea and Calamansi juice (below, right)

Pancit sa bilao sizes

 

They also sell foodstuff like bottled laing, sweets and puto. The latter is so good, the perfect partner for dinuguan and pancit!

I celebrated last month my 8th year in my present job. Our agency holds office on Visayas Ave. in Quezon City so I could say that this stretch of road has been my second home for the last 8 years. During this period, I, my officemates and my kids - who I tag along to work every now and then - have tried various restaurants on Visayas Ave. and one of them has become one of our favorites - Lola Idang's. This restaurant serves really good Filipino food and among their offerings are Kare-Kare, Lechon Kawali, and Dinuguan. However, their specialty is Pancit Malabon, which, I can honestly say, is the best in town! It's perfectly seasoned, and with the right texture and moisture (pancit malabon in other restaurants tend to be dry). And that food in Lola Idang's is reasonably priced is a plus, plus, plus! Yesterday, my teenage daughter AJ came with me again to the office after I mentioned that I wanted to eat at Lola Idang's and so there we proceeded for dinner after work. After much contemplation (it was hard to decide what to eat because of the many yummy choices..teehee..and we were torn between our old favorites and the others we have yet to try), we ordered Tapsilog (P65), Lechon Kawali with rice (P75) and a plate of Pancit Malabon (P65). For drinks, we asked for Iced Tea (P20) for AJ and Calamansi Juice (P25) for me. After finishing our rice meals, we laughed at ourselves for having Pancit Malabon for dessert. Haha! To say that we were full was an understatement. What a lovely dinner we had, capped with a good cup of coffee minutes later at Mr. Donut in Trinoma mall. :-)