Tosilog in Chicago: The Search is Over!

I think it was the name -- Uncle Mike's. Or it could also be the rave. Be it online or word of mouth, I hear a lot about the restaurant.

One afternoon, I decided to just go. It was chilly and snow piles were on the road but it was not enough reason to stop me from my intention. I went anyway. Armed with GPS on one hand, I trod until I reached where it sat. Right at the corner of an intersection lobbied the famed Uncle Mike's Place. I almost ran in excitement but I decided I'd keep it cool. Sadly, I was greeted by a closed shop. It was unwise not to check the store hours (5AM - 3PM) beforehand. My mistake for having thought of Chicago like Philippines where most, if not all shops, are open at the same time - from sun up to sun down.

Was I bitter? No. Motivated? Yes! Someday, I'll arrive to an open shop.

Finally, today, I made it! When you are in a foreign country, you can't help but crave for food that reminds you of home. Silog (a concatenation of sinangag at itlog) is a Filipino's fast food. Not because they are ready made like the usual sandwiches, but because fried egg does not take too long to cook. Match it with tocino, longganisa, ham, or bangus, and you go crazy with names like tosilog, longsilog, hamsilog and bangsilog.

I was mentally ready when I got there. I knew they serve complimentary lugaw (Filipino congee) and their meals are hefty. Without delay, I ordered their Tocino breakfast for dine-in and a 3-stack pancake to go. You would think I was greedy and famished but understand that the place is just not that accessible from where I live, hence, the need to order the must-trys. 

Just as I expected, the congee was served. What I didn't know is that it came with boiled egg served separately. It was already a meal by itself. By the time my tosilog came, I was already half full. Now, remember, I said I knew the reviews said their plate is huge, but nothing prepared me for reality. It didn't look like a plate. It was a PLATTER with garlic rice, tocino pork strips, twin eggs (conjoined.. lol), tomato salad, and stalks of parsley laid neatly on it. A feast was literally set in front of me. And the challenge began. First a deep breath, like you would for a lap-long swim, then one spoonful led to another until the finish. Just as you thought you are done, they make sure you don't leave empty-handed. You go home with a take-away champorado in a small container.

Although I would say that there are better versions of tocino in the Philippines but Uncle Mike's certainly did the Filipino food representation really well in Chicago. I looked around and the Americans were digging it too. I overheard one say to the waiter, "I like the soup" (referring to lugaw). Another one dashed to the cashier saying "Was it you who cooked it? I have gotten full". I was listening and quietly felt proud for the crew. The cashier was a Filipina and by the time I signed my payment receipt, she had the Mexican waitress tuck a key chain for me after hearing it was my first visit. I would go back for the marinated skirt steak the Google reviews rave about and for their other silog entrees. Next time I'd share the plate with friends. Now.. --- I eat the pancakes!!

The owner is Polish-Ukranian married to a Filipina.

Uncle Mike's Place
1700 W. Grand Ave., 312-226-5318
unclemikesplace.com
Hours: 5 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday,
6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday

Menu:

The Good Fork, Found!

There are discoveries you want to keep all for yourself because if everybody knew about it, then gets interested with it, you feel robbed of your comfort places. It becomes mainstream until the once quiet place with relaxing ambiance becomes just a regular hangout for everyone else. Nonetheless, my business is likely not the owner's and I decide to share this find anyway as show of support to keep the restaurant open "FOREVER".

The alley leading to the barely visible La Bouna Forchetta restaurant.

It is a hideaway. It literally is.
A secret known only for those chasing after the unknown. A find only those who labor looking are rewarded with. Thanks to Laagholic. Her buyog instincts led us to the restaurant. Acacia Street in Kamputhaw is rather long, however, if you keep walking --- at the cul-de-sac (where the road ends) resides La Bouna Forchetta Da Paolo.

Without the glowing signage at the gate, it is nearly impossible to find the restaurant. Outside, it looks like a vintage home under a canopy of tree branches. The house is combination of concrete, glass and wood elements. Although it feels like trespassing, a waitress actually opens the door and welcomes you in like an expected guest. It is very spacious inside and the wooden chairs and tables can be rearranged to set up long tables retrospective of Jose Rizal era where big high profile Spanish families dine together but it can be setup for guests of two if you needed some privacy, isolation, or a feel of romance.

We settled on a spot near the glass wall where the faint bustling sound of the insects tapping outside the window is audible. It must be the burning lamp on our table and the heat it exuded that attracted them to huddle close. We didn't mind. They were a pleasant disturbance from the plain darkness outside that night. Sensing that we needed to get busy or we'll just be hanging out, the waitress approached us with their laminated menu. I found myself silently guessing and imagining the looks and taste of the dishes in Italian names but couldn't figure them out so I asked for the house specialties. They endorsed Salsiccia e Funghi Pizza and their seafood pasta. Buyog wanted to try arugula topping on pizza and the waitress gladly accommodated the request to halve the pizza flavors.

Buyog, the Explorer!

Focaccia, their complimentary pastry.

Insalata Caprese, mozarella on tomato.

We also ordered their antipasti so we could start off on something while we wait for the pizza and spaghetti to be served. Unknown to us was their complimentary thin focaccia crispies. We nibbled on it, very delighted about the herby treat. Then came Insalata Caprese ( an italian salad consisting of tomato and fresh mozarella cheese ) which was paired with focaccia bread. The mozarella which tastes neutral paired well with the sour-sweet taste of tomato. I had trouble knowing how to eat it with the pastries. I decided I'd top it on the biscuit or the bread but the flakes fell off and I got embarassingly messy that I ended up eating them separately. Needless to say, it was "delizioso". That was a plateful of fresh yummy ingredients.

Alla Dino Seafood Pasta

Halfway through the antipasti came their seafood pasta mixed with olive oil. Cooked al dente, the pasta was inexplicably tasteful. I go nuts over it like I did with most pasta sauted in olive oil. This was very redolent of Dong Juan's Gambas Aglio Olio but tastes even better. Mind-boggling to me is the manner their squid meat tasted. Its texture was somewhere between fresh and rotten (without the smell) that it could have been lobster or crab meat. I was over the moon as the salt, butter/oil, herbs, prawns, mussels, squid and fresh tomato blended to create that oddly glorious flavor. I am literally salivating at the thought of this.

Lastly, we had the pizza served. True to customer specifications, they delivered it in two flavors. One topped with the arugula herbs and the other with sausage and funghi cuts. Of course, the cheese! As a pizza maker myself, capsicum and onions were always a necessary topping. This defied my stereotype. I did not see capsicum on it. The pizza was mildly hot when I bit it and "lala-la-lala" it was like honey on my tongue and "symphony to my ears"  ---- except arugula. While others describe arugula's taste as "peppery", "like mustard", "oompphh flavor" -- still others say it tastes like "soap" (hahaha). If you are the type that picks the capsicum toppings, you will do the same (with disgust) for arugula. The flavor is so strong but chefs and food lovers whose taste bud looks for adventures certainly marvel on its use. It is mostly mixed in green salads. Personally I think it was distasteful, too -- only in the beginning -- but the more I took in, the more my palate became accustomed to it. It is the type that belongs to "acquired taste" as some would describe. We finished with a glass of red wine.

As far as I am concerned, everything was delightful as it was educational. Nowadays, food tastes pretty much the same. Lechon, steak, liempo, humba.. they are available almost everywhere - the same pork meat cooked differently. The arugula, despite it's freakin' strong taste, was key to understanding that there is a lot more beyond the usual flavors.

That's focaccia between me and my bubeh... 

I've gone back since my first --- with Kris this time. And like the first visit, the waitresses are still the same giddy fellas. They were courteous to the formal customers but they were ecstatic to the crazy ones. We had fun talking with them about the Mona Lisa painting and the frowning portrait hung on the wall, and then about Manny Pacquaio and life in general. I still have the same good things to say about the food (meaning they cook consistently) and I got to share it with my baby who mused at every bite. Our conversation were like "uuhhms" and "ohhhs", "nomnom", "namnam", "chompchomp", -- JUST WOW!

After the "ohhhs" and "uhhmmss". Just WOW!

La Bouna Forchetta da Paolo, they say was originally located along Jones Avenue beside Angelica's bakeshoppe but they have since transferred to the new location for quite a number of years now. I was tipped that the food are now being prepared by Filipino chefs who took first hand training from the original Italian chef. True or not, I care less. The food sold for itself. It is raking 4 to perfect 5-star ratings in TripAdvisor. You shan't miss.

Wallet Watch: P874 each ( 2 pax )

La Bouna Forchetta de Paolo
ADVENT BUSINESS CENTER
139 Acacia St. Kamputhaw, Cebu City, Cebu City
https://www.facebook.com/labuonarestaurant/timeline

Third at the Kuizine

You've probably only known Jo's Chicken Inato and Jollibee across The STRIP in Osmena Blvd but what you are unfamiliar of are the nearby small dining hole-in-the-walls. One of which is Kuizine. There is nothing aesthetically fancy about the restaurant except their brand that is sophisticated and painted or glued like a wallpaper. I have to be honest that I, like most, have glanced, once or twice, then just walked past it many times before, except one time when I and Laagholic ran out of new finds around Capitol site.

We entered the restaurant with a little hesitation fearing that we might be disappointed because there were no other customers besides us. We sat at the corner thinking and browsing through the pages of the menu slid in plastic page holders. I am always uncomfortable at the slightest sense of pressure which is why i dislike waiting attendants standing at the back. I think it is really self-induced. I understand that it is part of their job but my melancholy always gets the best of me. I overthink and sometimes, even assume their thoughts. In order to free them from getting irritated by slow customers like us and also save myself from "overthinking", I engaged them into a chat, went straight for that one question that narrows choices down to just 1 or 2 ---- "What are your bestsellers here?" It works 90% each time I visit a restaurant for the first time. The very patient waitress said: Tinabal and Baby Back Ribs.

Baby Back Ribs is the younger generations' pop choice. And because I am young (not lying), i took that while my friend ordered tinabal. A few minutes passed and the orders came one after the other.

Tinabal is famous in Philippines' Visayas region, particularly in Leyte. This is no easy cooking because preparing it involves a delicate process and not to mention hours of waiting. Parrot fish is scaled, eviscerated, split (maybe deboned too) and soaked in brine solution for 2 hours. Afterwhich, it is removed from the solution, re-salted, and then put in a plastic pail for 24 hours. Remove the fish and dry by patting salt onto it again. Ferment by storing it in room temperature for 1 or 2 weeks.

I wonder how they do it in restaurants when orders keep coming in. Perhaps they ferment several kilos of fish ahead of time to make sure they wouldn't run out of stocks.

I couldn't, for certain, say that Kuizine's version resembles the authentic ones but even if it didn't I would still say with much delight that theirs did not run short of "wows" and "oohs" from us. I particularly like how the fermented fish was cooked such that the outer layer is crisp while the inside was still juicy and tender. The presentation of the dish looked well thought off. The color was festive and vibrant. It was salty but I guess it wouldn't be tinabal if it wasn't marinated in salt. Sauteed tomatoes, ginger, onion, and garlic gave it superb flavor. It was very evocative of my dad's cooking except that his version used sun-dried salted fish.

Baby back ribs, on the other hand, has invaded Cebu quite vastly. It is spelled in bold and sometimes italics in almost every restaurant. It has gone too mainstream such that they almost just taste alike. Kuizine's version certainly has joined the awesome band wagon and sits well in it.

For me, however, tinabal definiteIy makes Kuizine distinctive. And I will remember their chef and crew for serving that indisputable delicious treat.

First visit: with Laagholic

Second visit: with my Baby

Third visit: with tinabal (solo)

I've come face to face with that parrot fish (tinabal) thrice this year: first with Laagholic, second with my baby, and the latest, by myself. Each time, meaningful: laughter, love, reflection. The last being introspective and spiritually boosting. Other than Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 37:4 (scriptural verses on flower pots), I caught sight of a wall piece that read:

I left thinking when my 4th will be. Just crazy!!

Kuizine's owners are from Leyte and they also sell their homemade "Bahalina" - the type that could take down "sukang Pinakurat" (which now sadly tastes very commercial).

Wallet Watch: P165 to P250

Kuizine
The Art of Comfort Food
Centero Arcade, The Boulevard Complex,
Osmena Blvd, Capitol, Cebu City

Tel. No. 2544640

Indian Curry House, Finally!

Old Store in Mabolo, Cebu

This was in my bucket list for 2 - 3 years since I first saw the shop at its old location (P. Almendras St, Mabolo, 6000 Cebu) and ever since my colleague raved about it multiple times. I visited the place myself quite a number of times too but it was never open until I found out online that it had stopped operating. It closed before I even had the chance to understand my confrere's excitement about the place. There was not much news about it so I figured, it must have gone bankrupt or the owner just called it quits.*

Reinvented

It was not until a year ago that I learned about its transfer to a new location near SM Cebu City. Thanks to the same raving friend who tipped me about it. His persistent persuasion really got me excited all over again.

Finally, the day has come. Along with another hunter, we hit on it. The location, although a little pushed from the highway and discreetly tucked behind Angel Locsin and Mang Inasal, is still not lacking of foot traffic. It was already 8PM when I arrived and there were still a lot of people inside APM Mall across SM Cebu.

The store is not brightly lit, except for a few hanging handcrafted chandeliers. It worked for me as I wanted to get in unnoticed. Grand welcomes (also entrances) scare me so I felt comforted that the owner was preoccupied with paying customers. I casually looked up to their menu on a billboard and mentally recited my orders.

When Anjali, the gabby owner, asked for my order, I said it like I knew how they are pronounced:

     Fish Masala - 220
     Chicken Dal - 170
     Roti - 80 (20 per piece)
     Mutton Biryani - 220
     Mango Lassi - 70
     Sweet Lassi - 60

Among the orders, I gush for their Chicken Dal, Roti and Mutton Biryani. Roti was a personal recommendation by the owner over Naan as she says the former brings in more health benefits than the latter. It is made of whole wheat cooked on a tava or griddle. On the other hand, naan's primary ingredient is white flour brushed with butter and cooked in a tandoori oven.

Chicken Dal (upper left), Fish Masala, Roti (bottom)

Mutton Biryani

Tear roti by hand, brush it on (or on it) the chicken dal that is made of curried lentils, and taste the inexplicable diffused spicy flavor exploding in your mouth and exiting through your nostrils. Do it again, and do it fast because the chicken dal tastes a lot better when hot. Like a hungry earthling, take a spoonful of the biryani, then reach out for the fish masala, then the roti and chicken dal again. "Whooaaa" .. that was superb! The after effect of the spice will linger so make sure to wash it off with lassi.

Original and Mango Lassi

The other dishes I would certainly sample on a second visit would be:

     Dosa

     Idli Sambar
     Mutton Curry

How about you? Leave me a comment about your favorite Indian food. :)

========================================

Wallet Watch - P820

Anjali was nice enough to cut the P20 off the bill so we ended up paying only P800.

Famous Indian Curry House

APM Mall
10 AM - 10 PM
Contact: Anjali @ 0923 9827790 / 512-2740
www.facebook.com/thefamousindiancurryhouse

============================
*The change of venue, according, to owner was because of holdup and robbery incidents in the past.

A Goto Welcome in Fujinoya

Just a short walk from the corner across JY Square leading to Camp Lahug is a Japanese restaurant that prides itself of faithful usage of fresh baking ingredients for its cakes and pastries. Unlike most Japanese restaurants in town that serves mostly maki, sushi, sashimi and miso soup, this restaurant puts on the front line their baked goods. The moment you walk into the glass doors, the line of cakes and desserts inside the glass fridge becomes a sight that is guaranteed to make your mouth water. They say the Japanese technique infused in the creation of these western cakes makes a signature Fujinoya product.

It was lunch time, so we painfully looked away and sought for a cozy corner.

A semi-round cushioned chair at the corner looked interesting, so we propped ourselves on it and waited for quite some time only to discover that orders are done at the counter. Confident that no one else will take the seat from us, we approached the barista to ask about the menu. After reading the chalk writings on the menu board and flipping our hands from one menu cardboard to the next, we decided to order the Wasabi Burger, Kakiage Burger, and Kishimen Kakiagi.

Kishimen Kakiage Noodle Soup

Kishimen Kakiagi was served first and "my!!!" .. did it taste so good! Kishimen is flat Japanese noodles, quite like our local "udon". By itself, it would probably have tasted dull but as soon as it absorbs the mix of flavor from the fresh vegetable ingredients, it becomes a symphony of nothing else but blissful goodness.

Kakiage Burger

Kakiage, which consisted both our burger and soup orders,  are deep-fried fritters made of vegetables (carrots, shallots, and onion) and peeled prawns. They are mixed and glued in one piece by flour and egg yolk before they submerge into the scorching vegetable oil. There is something deceitful about adding vegetables in anything fried. It makes you forget it was soaked in oil.

Wasabi burger. Andami kong nasabi. haha

The crisp crackles as you bite onto the Kakiage Burger. While I love the Wasabi Burger, I feel that it lacked the wasabi taste. Either cummin overpowered the wasabi or wasabi tasted like cummin. I was really expecting a palate-kickin' surprise but it left me wanting to separate the mayo dressing and other ingredients to find the wasabi's hideout. Overall, the char-broiled patty, the crunchy onion ring and french fries sides were enough to make me silent -- at least for a while.

Conference area at the upper level.

Don't you go finding where the faucet is at the sink. This hanging ornamental lamp spews water too.

It is not only the food that will make your dining experience in Fujinoya comfortable. You are assured the experience of a relaxed ambiance. The artistic pentagon designed ceiling and blend of cushion and wood interiors slightly removes you from the urban neighborhood. If you dine outside the shop, you'll find yourself stepping on a carpet of grass, not minding its plastic/rubber compositions. The upper level is available for reserved conferences and meetings. The room accommodates up to 15 people and charged at an hourly CONSUMABLE rate of P1000. Use of the LCD projector is P500 for the whole duration of your team meeting. I think the price is very reasonable given that Fujinoya is an international name. It merits the perfection of its cake recipe to the 3 generation of cooks in the Goto lineage. Fujinoya is derived from "fuji" which is "goto" in kanji and "noya" is a derivative word meaning "welcome to".

Wallet Watch:

  Kakiage Burger      - 220
  Wasabi Burger       - 240
  Kishimen Kakiage - 250

Fujinoya Bakery | Gourmet Coffee | Bistro
Address: Wilson Street, Lahug Cebu City 6000 (Beside Pino Restaurant)
Operating Hours:  7:00AM – 12:00 Midnight
Contact Number: (032) 231-5238 / 0915 483 8097
http://www.fujinoya.net/english/shopinfo/
Facebook

My Kind of Dead End

Tipping brought me back to Sto. Nino Subdivision. Jade, a friend who lived in the neighborhood when we were then colleagues, recently left a comment on Facebook and mentioned that other than 10 Dove St., she also frequented Cul de Sac in the same vicinity. Her fond recollection of the place sent me googling for articles and images. Soon enough, a schedule was set and together with hungry companions, we headed off to the subdivision.

At the entrance, the guard will tell you "turn right at the first curb". Cul-de-Sac sits right at the "dead end" which, by the way, defines its very name.

The Dead End (Cul-de-sac)

Come in..

After stopping to take a picture, we entered into the shop. Inside, you will notice around 7 tables. Behind the glass wall from the inside, lines another row of tables for customers who prefer natural ventilation. At the bar, stands a staff who stays ready to take customer orders.

For our menu, we ordered Osso Bucco, Fish fillet in Lemon, Fish nuggets in Tartar Dip and Rhapsody in Blue. We sided our orders with Spicy Tuna Aglio Olio just to satisfy curiosity.

Mushroom Soup

Fifteen minutes passed, then, came the creamy mushroom soup. It was delightful as it had the right amount of salt, but it didn't come as creamy as I thought it would.

Rhapsody in Blue

Ten minutes later, the main dishes started coming in. Rhapsody in Blue looked very much like my fish nuggets that i almost screamed "it's mine!" (thanks to the waiter who clearly pronounced it's name). The only apparent difference, I must say, is that the the former had lavish sauce poured all over it while mine came with a separate tartar dip. Nonetheless, both plus the Fish Fillet in Lemon, are similar in the sense that all three seemed to use the same type of fish (possibly a Dover Sole or Cream Dory) for a main ingredient.

Fish Nuggets in Tartar Dip

Fish Fillet in Lemon

Osso Bucco, the only item that wasn't fish in our orders looked and tasted nice too. I just wonder if it would taste better had it been a cut from the prime part of the beef shank rather than being just a cutlet from the smaller portion of the bone. I know how the marrow tastes and that oily substance form the bone cavity makes so much difference and would have boosted the flavor of the starchy beef stock.

Osso Bucco

Just when everyone's done with the main course, the dessert was served. It was a scoop of flaky mango ice cream. It must have melted at some point and then frozen again, hence, the separation of water from the mix.

Mango Ice Cream

It took us over an hour to finish all three meal courses. All for the price of P200. Service was okay especially that we had the crew monopolized as we were the only ones in the restaurant then. Will I go back? Why not? Like my friend Jade, it's a dead end (cul-de-sac) I wouldn't mind finding myself in once or twice in this lifetime.

Tip: Spy on a nearby restaurant in the same village. Click here.
Extra: Know how Dimsum Break is linked to Cul-de-Sac.

View Larger Map