November 19, 2012

Old favorites with a twist

Probably one reason why Cafe Juanita's crazy decor wasn't overwhelming is the fact that we spent more time focusing on the food rather than our surroundings. Two of our choices were traditional Filipino favorites, but served a little differently than the usual.
  Cafe Juanita's Two-way Pork Adobo Ribs Adobo is a style of cooking that simply requires vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and bay leaves, but a chef once told us that there are as many ways of cooking adobo as there are Filipinos. Cafe Juanita uses pork ribs and serves it two-way: the traditional way, stewed in the sauce (but their sauce is thicker than most), and as crispy flakes.
 Cafe Juanita's Fish Fillet with Kare-Kare Sauce Kare-kare is based on a peanut sauce and is eaten with bagoong (shrimp or fish paste). Traditionally, it uses ox or beef tail and tripe, but there is a healthier option using seafood. Cafe Juanita's version uses pan-fried white fish fillet. I really like how they knotted the string beans and wrapped the pechay stalks in their leaves—so much easier to eat!

2 comments:

raf said...

Must say, Hilda, that Juanita's style of decor is too much for my taste, but the food looks and sounds delicious. Maybe I've mentioned in the past how much I enjoy learning about the great city of Manila through your blog over the years, but I especially like your many posts on foods and eateries. Good to have you back online again!

Photo Cache said...

The best adobo I've tasted is my brother's short ribs adobo. I concur there are a million ways to cook adobo and thankfully I found my most fave. Now I hope my brother can recreate that dish.