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.
  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.
  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!

A visual feast

Cafe Juanita in Pasig City has to have the most eclectic decorations I have seen in any restaurant.
  Buddha in many poses, an infant Jesus, various kinds of pottery, and an intricately carved wooden lamp on a mother-of-pearl-inlay sideboard greet guests at the entrance.

Europe and Asia are well-represented, as are all materials one can think of for knickknacks: wood, glass, crystal, clay, porcelain, cloth, metal, plastic. Every inch of wall, floor and ceiling space not used for dining or walking is covered by a bewildering array of objects both precious and chintzy.

For some reason, though, Cafe Juanita's decorations aren't overwhelming or dizzying. And for the life of me, I cannot figure out why.

Meditating in the garden

Cafe Juanita (see the previous two posts) is located in a converted house in Barangay Kapitolyo in Pasig City. To maximize the space for customers, the small garden was roofed over and enclosed. To retain the feeling of a garden, however, the space was filled with hanging and potted plants, and what looks like old window grills were attached to the bare concrete wall. Buddha also meditates in the room—on a drum this time—watched over by six colorful macaws.

Sparkling

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY: DETAILS • One can spend an entire day at Cafe Juanita examining all the knickknacks which make it one of the most crazily decorated restaurants in Metro Manila. Whoever thought of draping a sequin shawl over a milk glass chandelier (and dumping some blue LED lights in the middle, too) is either a genius or a madman. Probably both.

A ride in the park

Of the gazillion items to see at Cafe Juanita (see yesterday's post), this was the one item that truly caught my eye. I haven't seen a porcelain figurine like this in years, and it's the first time I've seen a large piece used as a lamp base—with a bead-tasseled lampshade, to boot. The overall effect is so gaudily out there, I love it.