I cannot claim to be the expert at Spanish food. Like everyone else of a Filipino heritage born and raised in the Philippines, what I know of Spain is that we were colonized for 400 years, we took inspiration from a lot of dishes, instilled in ourselves the language, and found a trace of lineage here and there (some more than others, me, I do not think even 5%). I do like what I’ve had, food wise at Boqueria, even if it may not be the most traditional, or the most avant garde. It is, for me, just good. The two times I’ve been have been great, the first got me so excited about a new kind of food to try, I forgot to take photos. The second time around this Wednesday, I was ready. We started with the Alcachofas de Jamon Serrano (P388), which the menu translated to hearts of artichoke topped with Jamon Serrano. This was unusually good.The artichokes were a little tart, the jamon serrano salty and smoky, the onions sweet and caramelized, the alfalfa sprouts just a touch of freshness. All in all a great start to the meal. We then got a repeat, the Pulpo a la Gallega (P280)

Simple and well done. The potato gratin was velvety, complementing the nice, chewy goodness of the slices of baby octopus. Only caveat, after a while the dish tends to pile on the oil, but that’s quickly remedied with a side order of bread to sop up the sinfully good sauce of tomato and olive oil. You’d think we wouldn’t have space for more, but we did, because the next dishes were what we came back for:

The Paella Queso Manchego (P408). Paella with spanish chorizo and manchego cheese. Carbs, cheese and smoky sausage, how can you go wrong? Rich, melt in your mouth, with just the right amount of bite, this paella is the paella even those who don’t like the dish will like. Stay careful of the oil though, because after the two dishes, the oil might be overwhelming. Which is why you should have the churros (5 pieces, P248).

We got the 5 piece to split between two people, and we wanted to get extra chocolate but we were too full to think. These are churros that put others to shame. Crispy but soft on the inside, with dark, rich Valor chocolate to dip into. Other churros can’t even compare. Verdict: I want you, I want you so bad. Prep around P800 a head when going, but for those pinching pennies, it’s well worth the money, I have to tell you.

Boqueria is at: 3/F SM Mega Mall Fashion Hall, EDSA corner Julia Vargas N/A Mandaluyong, Philippines

Mon – Sun: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

631-91-02 / 0917-546-3370 boqueriaph@gmail.com http://twitter.com/BoqueriaPH

 

I like pho. Well, I like bowls. Bowls make it easy to eat. There’s less spillage, soup is contained, and you only need one utensil, thus saving on washing dishes. Pho is one of those throw it all in dishes that is instant comfort, but in reality takes almost 24 hours to make.

Much like Japanese ramen, pho is a seemingly simple amalgamation of flavors that people rarely make as good at home as they get in specialty places. Those that prepare their broth for almost a day, boiling soup bones, mixing flavors, intermingling subtle flavors to come up with this soothing yet exciting dish, that no ready made bouillon can fake.

My boyfriend is a pho enthusiast. I say this as there are too little places to get it in Manila, and the quality is okay at best. Chain pho places get the meat wrong, or the broth blah, or offer too little condiments, which is part of the essentials of pho, making it your own. His memories of pho goodness come from his hometown that offered a lot of pho places, which were apparently perfect for college post drinking binges, and will cure a hangover of any proportion. I like pho, but was, and still am, limited to the choices of Manila’s unexcited offerings of Vietnamese broth, and was frustrated at not being able to share in the fanaticism of a good bowl of noodles that he craves for every so often.

So when we read about P.H.A.T Pho in the Cebu Pacific in flight magazine on the way back from a trip, we knew we had to go. Even if we are fairly limited to our nooks in the North and East (I like to think, Winterfell and Dorne, I KID) since we’re not much to go South, this sudden, next day trip to just have food was, a journey to good food.

And it proved a good one. When we walked into the joint, it was really nice. Quiet, as it was around 2:30 pm post lunch rush on a Saturday. The walls were chalkboard black and offered how-tos on how to perfectly season your pho bowl. Red chairs, black and red chopsticks, and open kitchen, it was casual, hip and comfortable.

Now let’s talk about the pho. Broth was perfect. Flavorful but still enough of a canvas for us to add our own mix of hoisin, lime and sriracha. Little caveat, the beginning serving platter of flavoring sauces was a little too sparse for us, as we mix in hoisin and sriracha, and have a separate dipping bowl of the stuff for the meat. But kudos to the servers who didn’t flinch when we asked for more. And the meat? So good. The menu stated it was US Angus beef, meatballs, tendon, all good for me. I like the differences in texture in each one, and I am not one to shy away from tendon, and this one was almost buttery in its softness. The beef, really fresh, put it in a class in above all the other pho bowls we’ve had over the city.

Verdict: A return item. We didn’t try anything else, but from one bowl, we are fans. Phat Pho, expect us back, especially in this rainy, cool weather.

You can get your pho fix at Phat Pho:

Mon – Sun: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm

G/F Serendra, Bonifacio Global City

8430820