So far I've loved my every encounter with
Capampangan Cuisine and I'm yearning to try more of them. Thus when I was invited to
Pinac by fellow blogger
Animetric, I instantly accepted.
After all, it's actually my first time to encounter Capampangan Cuisine from Candaba Pampanga.
Given it's exquisite and sophisticated native Candaba Pampanga vibe, I had the impression that it's a fine dining restaurant with intimidating prices. But upon glancing at the menu, I was proven wrong. I also noticed that big groups are dining there.
Lunch Specials at Pinac
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| Lengua Con Setas (255 php) |
The Lengua Con Setas is braised ox tongue, sliced button mushrooms, roasted garlic and shredded parsley in a creamy sauce hinted with red wine. It is served with garlic rice, pan roasted buttered carrots and string beans creamy. I'm an avid fan of lengua dishes. This rendition does not disappoint as every bit of the ox tongue was tender and delightful to chew. The flavor especially on the salty side is a bit strong so it's a great partner with the sidings and garlic rice.
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| Beef Salpicao (265 php) |
The Beef Salpicao is stated to be beef tenderloin cubes in buttered Worcestershire sauce. Some of the beef bits were tough to chew. Perhaps people in Candaba Pampanga enjoy bold flavors since the sauce of this is even more powerful than the Lengua Con Setas. It is also served with garlic rice, pan roasted buttered carrots and string beans creamy.
Ensalada
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| Fried Quesong Puti Ensalada (145 php) |
The Fried Quesong Puti Ensalada has fried quesong puti which looked like croquettes on top of the mixed greens, sliced tomatoes and cucumber. It is served with a bagoong vinaigrette. Even for a veggie and salad like me, I found this dish quite dull. I only wanted to eat the fried quesong puti and leave everything behind.
Pampagana
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| Lumpiang Ubod Taquitos (185 php) |
The Lumpiang Ubod Taquitos is juliened palm of heart, shrimp, shitake mushroom, beans on a bed of fried wontons. It had a very flavorful peanut sauce which made me feel like I was munching on crunchy peanut butter. I loved it because I'm a crunchy peanut butter addict. I spoon and eat those plain or put them everywhere I can put them even on bananas. =p But to give a fair and objective feedback, I can't help but feel that this is subordinate to Oriang's Lumpiang Hubad in Pastry Cups.
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| ♥ Crispy Hito Balls, Mustasa at Buro (235 php) |
The Crispy Hito Balls, Mustasa at Buro is my favorite among the dishes we tried. To eat it, slice the Crispy Hito Balls into half and then place it on the Mustasa with some Buro (fermented fish). It is also served with bagoong vinaigrette but I prefer to eat this without that so I can taste the Buro more. I love Buro! I usually have a jar of it snuggled in the fridge.
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| ♥ Baked Oysters with Crispy Kangkong (235 php) |
The Baked Oysters with Crispy Kangkong is a great choice. The baked oysters are large in size, cheesy and succulent. The crispy kangkong is deliciously crispy too.
Asan (Fish)
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| Adobong Hito Sa Alagaw (185 php) |
This is my first time to encounter catfish cooked like the Adobong Hito Sa Alagaw. I found the sauce to be too salty. As a big fan of catfish, I'm quite saddened by this because I can barely appreciate the distinct taste of the catfish itself. I can still recall the days when we would buy fresh live catfish which will be netted out of an aquarium every time we would go to Rustan's Supermarket. But, now its very rare to encounter one.
Pista
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| ♥ Pinac's Crispy Pata (645 php) |
Pinac's Crispy Pata is one of the best pork knuckle or crispy pata I've tried. It's said to be poached for 6 hours then fried. The skin is so crispy and the meat is so soft and tender! It is served with their Atsarang Capampangan. It is a pickled eggplant, ampalaya and kangkong which had a tangy and sweet tones that successfully masked the bitterish flavor of the amplaya.
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| Smoked Tadyang with Yellow Mango Chutney (625 php) |
The Smoked Tadyang with Yellow Mango Chutney is a 750 grams of smoked beef ribs on a bed of yellow mango and corn salsa. For the price, this huge chunk is a bargain! I found the flavor to be intensely sweet eat it with the salsa and rice. My companions who are fond of sweets enjoyed it. It was soft but not the fall of the bone type.
Mayumi
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| Suman Mangga at Tsokolate (140 php) |
The Suman Mangga at Tsokolate is aesthetically appealing. Unfortunately, the slightly crunchy and chewy fried suman, sticky coconut jam-textured tsokolate and sliced ripe mango failed to complement one another and appease my tastebuds.
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| ♥ Brazo De Mais at Salabat (185 php) |
I'm not much of a braso mercedes or meringue fan but I liked the Brazo De Mais at Salabat. The soft meringue is filled with creamy custard with corn bits. It was served with a lightly sweetened Salabat or ginger tea. The two seem to complement each other well.
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| ♥ Brazo De Mais (185 php) |
The custard filling was creamy with a slight graininess like pastillas or yema. It was fun to chew with the bits of corn.
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| ♥ Dulce De Leche Cheesecake (195 php) |
Everyone loved the Dulce De Leche Cheesecake. It had a whipped cream laced with caramel on top then a sweet custard or yema-like cheeesecake and crust on the bottom. Is it me or is it very similar to Forget Me Not's Dulce De Leche Cheesecake?
Drinks
Cold
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| Kamias Calamansi Shake (85 php) and ♥ Cucumber Mint Dalandan (85 php) |
The Kamias Calamansi Shake is sweet and fizzy. I liked the
Cucumber Mint Dalandan because of its cool minty flavor that matches the refreshing dalandan zest well.
Other Reviews at UP Town Center
Cafe Shibuya
Casa Verde
Dulcelin Gourmet
Ginza Bairin
Lucca Bakery
Tokyo Tonteki
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're looking for a presentable place to dine for Candaba Pampanga dishes, try
Pinac Heirloom Capampangan Cuisine especially if you enjoy flavorful dishes. Their selections are affordable and portions are great for sharing.
| Pinac Heirloom Capampangan Cuisine |
| Business Address |
2F UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave
Loyola Heights,
Quezon City, Metro Manila |
| Business Hours |
11am-11pm |
| Payment Options |
 Cash |
| Service Charge |
10% |
| Budget/Person |
200-500 |
| Free WiFi |
No |
| Unlocked Foursquare Perks |
None |
| Contact |
(02) 5775-9450 |
| Other |
|
Disclosure: This is a sponsored event but it does not in any way obscure my objectivity.
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