There are only a handful moments in my life, other than my birthdays, that are worth celebrating with the family.  This gathering is to mark my milestone on earning my "Atty." (Yes, I' really claiming it!).  For such a unique occasion, it was only befitting that I also pick the most unique Filipino restaurant on my want to try list: Rural Kitchen of Liliw Laguna.

Little did I know that Rural Kitchen of Liliw Laguna has two branches (both within Makati) so there was some members of the family who got mixed up. 

My reservation was at the pioneer branch in HRC Centre in Rada Street but they also have one in 6060 Palma Street corner Osias Street, Barangay Poblacion, Makati.  We all had a difficult time locating this along Rada Street because it was not visible from the street view.  Lucky for us, my cousin and little sister arrived early and located it for us.  They advised us to look for China Bank and 7-11 instead a this was located just beside 7-11.  Their signage is so small without any lights so its impossible to see at night.

Food

♥ Complimentary Bonete Bread

While waiting for our orders, we were served their Complimentary Bonete Bread.  It comes with three dips.  The family loved the one with kamias. 


Appetizer

♥ Ukoy (195 php)

The family grew up in Ilocos Sur when Ukoy is quite prominent so every one was curious to see Chef Justin Sarabia's version.  We initially just ordered for sharing.  But since we liked the Ukoy so much, we just had to order more.  It was not just crunchy but crisp to perfection with less grease.

♥ Chicken Lumpia (195 php)

Another interesting surprise though it looks ordinary is the Chicken Lumpia. 

♥ Shitake Bun (260 php)

Mushroom lovers like me will surely enjoy the Shitake Bun.  It was such a great discovery that queso de bola could go well with shitake.  The only drawback for this is the price.  For such a small bun, it already costs 130 php.

♥ Crispy Squid (285 php)

The Crispy Squid offers a great combination of crisp and chewiness that we loved to the point of slight addiction. 

Salad

♥ Pako Salad (180 php)

The oldies where quite excited to find the Pako Salad on the menu.  I didn't quite expect that it would impress both young and old. 


Beef

Beef in Coconut (480 php)

If there was one item that didn't impress us, it would be the Beef in Coconut.  We were expecting this to taste a bit sweet because of the coconut milk.  Yet, it tasted sour so we even doubted if  it was spoiled.  However, we didn't get a stomach ache the following day so I guess it was not.

Seafood

♥ Adobong Pusit (320 php)

The Adobong Pusit is deliciously tasty making it perfect with rice.  It was very tender that the oldies enjoyed munching on it too.

♥ Lapu Lapu with Mango (580 php)

If I could recommend one dish at Rural Kitchen that is a must order, it would be the Lapu Lapu with Mango.  Taste-wise, portion-wise and price-wise, I would say this has exceeded our expectations.

Other

Ox Tail Kare Kare (580 php)

Personally, I found their blend of Ox Tail Kare Kare to be a bit sweet but the family seemed to have enjoyed it.  We all just felt, there could have been more ox tail for its price.

We also ordered the Dinuguan (280 php) which was made from carabao's blood instead of pig's blood.  Unfortunately, we all (except my one cousin) failed to appreciate this dish because of the undeniably gamer and weird smell and flavor.  But, in fairness, my one cousin liked it and he finished the plateful all by himself.

Kalderetang Kambing (280 php)

The Kalderetang Kambing was really good.  It has a lot of bones but that's quite usual for such a dish. 

♥ Lamb Kaldereta (580 php)

We all liked the Lamb Kaldereta.  The lamb was so tender and clean tasting.  I highly recommend this as well!

Vegetables

♥ Kuwalong Talong (180 php)

This is our first time to try an eggplant dish cooked like the Kuwalong Talong.  It was amazingly awesome!  Do you know where this dish originated from?

Noodles

Pancit Lucban (190 php)

My aunt was missing pancit lucban so she ordered one.  She was surprised that the Pancit Lucban looked something like this.  Well, their twist was good especially with the sweet and savory pork sausages.    

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
We Tsinoy Foodies recommend trying out Rural Kitchen of Liliw Laguna.  I don't think there is any other place in the Metro just like it.  Although the portion could be more generous, the elegant ambiance and unique menu with their own twist makes up for its higher than average pricing.  

My first acquaintance with the Raintree Restaurant Group was when we dined at MoMo! Cafe.  After that pleasurable dining experience, I was epicurious to try more of their other concepts starting with Kabila Filipino Bistro.

It's named Kabila because it's right next door to Museum Cafe (I want to try that sometime too!).

 The high ceiling design gives the place a nice, clean, refreshing and spacious appeal.

The first thing you'll notice upon walking in is the cake display.  Yes! I was successfully tempted.

I'm not really sure what this station is for but it showcases their famous Shrimp Okoy and Bagnet.

There are bottled of fermented vegetables.  I'm told it is only for display purposes. 

Food

Complimentary Appetizers: Tamarind Peanuts, Kropek and Shing-a-Ling

First

Shrimp Okoy (195 php)

I suggest that you have the Shrimp Okoy as a finger snack to share with a group.  It's as big as their big round platter.  It's different from other ones I've tried because it was very crispy and golden brown and made use of tiny baby shrimps and leeks.  It is served with sukang ilocos, chili and rock salt.


Salad & Vegetables

Ensaladang Kabila (225 php)

The Ensaladang Kabila is a foodgasmic orchestra of flavors.  It has salted eggs, ripe and green mangoes, guava, turnips, pomelo, pili nuts and diced tomatoes and onions.  It is served with bagoong alamang.

Fresh Lumpia sa Kabila (295 php)

The best dish I've tried is the Fresh Lumpia sa Kabila.  It's my first time to encounter a fresh lumpia ubod that is wrapped in an egg net (similat to the ones used for pad thai).  It has shrimp, minced pork, sweet garlic sauce, fresh garlic and sugar mixed ground peanuts.

Second

Seafood Kare-Kare (550 php)

This is the most flavorful Seafood Kare-Kare I've ever tried.  You can njoy this without the two types of bagoong served with it because of its rich peanut-y sauce.  As you can see, they don't scrimp on the ingredients too.


Pancit

Kabila (350 php)

The Kabila pancit is topped with carrots, green onions, beans and their famous Bagnet.  It is best eaten with the suka similar to the Pancit Habhab.


Rice

Alamang (195 php)

Plated Desserts

Leche Flan Turon + Chocnut Sauce (195 php)

Who doesn't love chocnut?  I love the creativity they put in the Leche Flan Turon + Chocnut Sauce.  I can't stop dipping onto the sauce!

Chocolate Filled Buchi Balls (195 php)

The Chocolate Filled Buchi Balls are deep-fried buchi served on top of a shot glass with vanilla ice cream so it's enjoyed ala mode style but in a fun dunk-and-eat way.
 

Chocolate Filled Buchi Balls (195 php)

I'm quite pleased with its dark and creamy chocolate filling.

Specialty Cakes

Impossible Cake (275 php)

They probably called this the Impossible Cake because it's impossible to resist!  It has a leche flan top and moist dark chocolate cake on the bottom.

Pineapple + Ripe Mango (175 php) and Ginumis (165 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Experience a fun-filled Filipino dining at Kabila Filipino Bistro.  The food has a nice innovative flair without losing the essence of its native Filipino roots.  It's dishes are also bolstered by rich quality ingredients.  The awesome interiors is also a plus.

One of the famous tourist stops for authentic kapampangan cuisine in Angeles City is Binulo Restaurant.  It has been featured in several publications and TV shows.  Binulo means "bamboo" so I was excited to try their bamboo-cooked dishes.



It had a simple interior with a traditional Filipino home vibe.  It had wooden tables and chairs with scenic paintings on its walls.

Food

Appetizers

♥ Sisig (280 php)

The Sisig is a sizzlign round plateful of onions, pig cheeks, ear and liver.  It was delicious!

Shrimp Okoy 4 pcs. (175 php)

The Shrimp Okoy was perfectly crunchy which you can tell by the golden brown color.  The shrimp was tender within too.


Salads and Relishes

Paco Salad (175 php)

The Paco Salad has the pako fern, peanuts, shrimp and tomatoes.  This is a very light, refreshing and healthy dish.

Kare-Kare (485 php)

The Kare-Kare was very tasty with peanut essence and it was even enhanced by the bagoong. This is so good that some of my companions even poured the sauce over their rice.

♥ Crispy Binagoongan (310 php)

The Crispy Binagoongan justly deserves a perfect score for its crunchiness.  This dish was sensational!


Seafood

♥ Binukadkad na Hito (Butterflied Catfish) (295 php)

I've mentioned being a fan of catfish.  This Binukadkad na Hito was finished by your trully.  It was so good, I only left the head part.  The buro was not as sour as others I've tried. 


Binulo Specialties

♥ Pangat na Ulang (378 php)

The Pangat na Ulang was my favorite for the night.  The natural sweet flavors of the ulang and the mildly sour broth blended well together.  

Rice

♥ Binulong Nasi (150 php)

The Binulong Nasi had an interesting presentation as the rice was wrapped in leaves and served in a bamboo reed.

♥ Binulong Nasi (150 php)

The Binulong Nasi has a nice smokey and fragrant flavor.

Drinks

Fresh Fruit Shakes

♥ Buko Pandan Shake (85 php)

The Buko Pandan Shake is similar to the bottle buko milk shake with tiny buko bits.  But, this had pandan essence to make it even better.

Other Metro Angeles Food Tour (#MAFT2014) Posts
Abe's Farm
Angeles Fried Chicken 
Cottage Kitchen Cafe
Historic Camalig Restaurant
La Rose Noire (factory visit) 
Mother's Cake House
Prism Lounge
Sab Bistro
Salt Restaurant (Breakfast Buffet)
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
When looking for authentic kapampangan cuisine, Binulo Restaurant is one of the top options.  Although the dishes are a bit pricey, your money is well spent because of the fine ingredients and quality dishes they offer.  Being a place frequently visited by tourists, I expected the staff to be more accommodating though.