Renzie Recommends: Abe

This post was initially published on Renzie's Online World of Awesome, which at the time was known as Renzie's Rants and Raves. I have since then decided to make a separate blog on food, cooking and all sorts of dining experiences (this blog, Renzie on Food), and so transferred this post from its original location. Read on!

From the same group (the LJC Restaurant Group, that is) that gave you other great restaurants like Cafe Havana, Cafe Adriatico and Bollywood, comes another great dining concept: Abe.

Abe first opened its doors in Serendra, and now another branch has opened in TriNoma. I was fortunate enough to be able to check out Abe as part of a group of bloggers at last Wednesday's Bloggers' Food Tour (organized by the good people of Yehey.com). The event saw us sampling food from these fine food establishments and restaurants, as well as taking pictures and writing up reviews.

Abe is definitely one of those restaurants that I've got to check out next time I'm at TriNoma.

The Man Behind The Name.

Abe is a kapampangan word for 'friend' or 'companion'. Incidentally, it's also the nickname of renaissance man Emilio Aguilar Cruz (1915-1991), father of Larry J. Cruz (who owns the restos, thus the LJC group, get it?).

Abe Cruz had been known to have traveled a lot, not just within the country, but all over the world- partly because of his position as ambassador for the UNESCO in the 70s. His travels have been the inspiration behind the various food dishes featured in the restaurant- so you'll be treated to a wide selection of Abe's favorite dishes from Binondo, Europe, the Ilocos, Chinatown or from the recipes of family friends.

Giving the restaurant its unique personality and ambiance are selections of Abe's artwork and memorabilia- drawings, old photographs and collected pieces, mostly. So the resto has a warm, welcoming Filipino feel to it, nostalgic yet relaxing.


Specialties of the House.

Abe, for the most part serves favorite local dishes from the region of Pampanga: the Binukadkad na Crispy Pla-Pla (a large deep-fried tilapia fish splayed wide open), Kare-Kare (a tasty oxtail and tripe stew served with shrimp paste- great with lots of rice), Pastel de Lengua (tender and savory ox tongue cooked to perfection- matches very well with its pie crust topping), and Spicy Sisig Pampanga (minced pork jowl and chicken livers sautéed in garlic- accompanied nicely with ice-cold beer and good conversation).

From other regions comes the Gising-gising from Bicol, the Pinakbet from Ilocos, the Black Pata and Crispy Salted Shrimps from Chinatown, and the Cocido and the Morcon from our old Spanish past. Also included in the menu are really interesting dishes such as Gilda Cordero Fernando's Lumpiang Pica-Pica and the Rellenong Mais- from a recipe shared by Thelma San Juan and her mom.

(We were fortunate to have sampled what Abe had to offer at the Bloggers' Food Tour- my personal favorite is the Pork Binagoongan which I had with some rice, and with some of the lumpia and rellenong mais on the side.)

Where to Find Abe.

We visited Abe's restaurant located on TriNoma's third level. Aside from all the great food mentioned above, Abe also serves a variety of Filipino merienda favorites. The restaurant is open from 11am to 12 midnight. For reservations and inquiries, call them at 901-5691 to 92.

Alternately, you may want to visit the Abe at Serendra- located at the ground level of the Serendra Court. The number there is 856-0526.

Renzie Recommends is a continuing series of personal reviews of restaurants, food items and other dining experiences I think you should try out. Eating is one of the simpler pleasures we enjoy, wherever we go- and good food is definitely the the way to go.

Cheers, everyone!

Renzie Recommends: La Maison

This post was initially published on Renzie's Online World of Awesome, which at the time was known as Renzie's Rants and Raves. I have since then decided to make a separate blog on food, cooking and all sorts of dining experiences (this blog, Renzie on Food), and so transferred this post from its original location. Read on!

I was fortunate enough to have been given the chance to check out several restaurants in TriNoma at the Yehey.com-organized Bloggers' Food Tour. Some thirty-four restaurants signed up for the event and opened their doors to more than a hundred bloggers to sample their wares and get them to be happy enough to blog about- which is pretty much what I've done for several blogs of mine.

I have to say though, out of the thirty-four restaurants I tried out that afternoon, there were only a few that stood out. One of them was this cozy little spot on the second level- La Maison.

"La Maison" is actually French for "the home"- which is pretty much what the restaurant is trying to go for, and you can see the effort put in to making the place feel more casual and relaxed. So you still have a fairly classy place, but then you notice the denim placemats on the table and the umbrella-looking ceiling lamps above you- and for some reason, the combination of design elements makes you feel comfortably laid-back.

Recommended Eats at La Maison.

The restaurant officially positions itself as a "modern cosmopolitan brasserie-style restaurant and cafe"- so they have this edgy mix of classic and modern tastes. Dishes are served to encourage sharing- with generous portions enough for you and your friends to try out.

The menu features a fairly wide selection of meat, fish and fowl, but also has gourmet sandwiches, pasta, salads and dessert. They pride themselves as the home of best ribs, steaks and seafood. My fellow bloggers and I were given the chance to sample some of their best-sellers, but personally, two things really stood out for me: The Barkada Ribs, and the Dover Sole Fish Fillet. Absolutely love 'em. I've had the pleasure of trying them both out, and- I gotta say it again- I absolutely love 'em.

The good people at La Maison brought out a few kilos of the Barkada Ribs- which was a good move on their part, I must say. Every blogger at that event must have had seconds (or thirds, in my case)- easily finishing off the whole tray. Fortunately, I was able to take a picture of the impressive amount of meat set in front of me, just before everyone had their way with it.

Beef ribs are beef ribs, you'd think- but these ribs are so tender, they're falling off the bone. It comes served with honey chili sauce, which adds a delightful flavor to the beef.

Another easy favorite was the aforementioned Dover Sole Fish Fillet. I thought I was already happy with the beef, but I had to try some of the fish when the staff brought it out.

Chef Myra, one of the bloggers, I remembered, was one of the first to try the fish as one of the store supervisors was talking about how the fish guarantees to "melt in your mouth." She obviously was impressed. I didn't think it's easy to impress a chef, so I tried some myself- and was instantly bowled over.

I'm not a huge fan of fish personally, but if I had to have some, I'd say this is how it should be prepared- soft, flavorful and well, they said it: melts-in-your-mouth.

I've already been sold on two of the dishes they presented to us that afternoon, and I would suppose that their other bestsellers are worth coming back for. Next time we drop by, they recommended we try their Chef's Duck Liver Pate, the Quesadillas, the Salmon and Mango Salad, the Blue Cheese Steak, the Fillet Mignon and the Fillet Oscar. For dessert, they said we should go for the Choco Lovers' Cake and the "to die for" Creme Brulee on our next visit.


Where to Find La Maison.

I visited the La Maison establishment at TriNoma. You can find it on the second level, along with a few other restaurants. I've been told by branch manager Robi Caguiat that there's another one in Greenbelt 5. So whether you're in Quezon City or in Makati, there's a La Maison in an Ayala Mall near you.

Besides, it gives you a chance to visit TriNoma or Greenbelt 5 while you're at it.

Renzie updates (19 July 2008): You can also visit the newest La Maison branch at The Podium!

The Bottom Line.

You gotta love La Maison. For such good food, it's more than reasonably-priced. The dishes are presented fairly well- just enough for you to appreciate the food in front of you, and give you a tease of what you'll be eating soon enough.

The menu has a wide selection of meal plates or dishes to share, many of which are easy favorites. A great dining experience not just for those on low-carb diets like Atkins and South Beach, but for just about anyone on the lookout for something out-of-the-ordinary.

Easily, La Maison could very well be my favorite restaurant in the TriNoma area, or at least one of my few new favorites.

La Maison is definitely a place you'll want to keep coming back to. You could easily drop and relax with a date on a weekday night, and then go try a different set of dishes with family on the weekend. It's a place you'll want to recommend to your friends and colleagues, and you know for sure that they'll be having a good time as well.

Renzie Recommends is a continuing series of personal reviews of restaurants, food items and other dining experiences I think you should try out. Eating is one of the simpler pleasures we enjoy, wherever we go- and good food is definitely the the way to go.

Cheers, everyone!