If you’ve tried batchoy the way many locals in Iloilo prepare it, hahanap-hanapin mo siya. And this is how this non-pretentious restaurant in Bacoor, Cavite came to our attention. Passing by some highway in the middle of the night, we came across Old Recipe, which boasts to sell “original” (open and close quotation) Ilonggo food, including batchoy.

@outragemag The #LGBT search for #Ilonggo ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

As FYI: This is supposedly an old resto, opening in 1988, though at first as Ilongga House. The name change happened in 2018, though the resto owned by Rufino Gallo must be doing something right since it now has a handful of branches.

The branch we went to was… nothing grand, even if it can seat around 80 pax. Old tables, old seats, and so on. You get the drift.

The staff was at least friendly; they even provided the info I sought for this quick review.

But the wait time was sobra. And to think we just ordered batchoy (the supreme sells for ₱198, and if you add extras, you pay ₱15 for an egg and ₱18 for chicharon or bawang), as well as pansit molo (₱168 for solo size). They have a sizable menu; this is one of those restos that has too much to choose from.

But to be extremely blunt, the food wasn’t great.

For the batchoy, you don’t get a lot of noodles and sahog. And it was too watery so that the batchoy taste was just not there. The pansit molo, at least, had okay broth; but the pork dumplings tasted like they just came out of the freezer.

This isn’t the Ilonggo resto I – personally – can see myself regularly going to. But I understand if others may like it, whether for after-inuman sabaw, or for those wanting to try Ilonggo offerings particularly if they live nearby. To each his or her own, sabi nga.

So off we go pa rin, as we look for more lafang venues.

OLD RECIPE is located at Greenfields Commercial Bldg., Mambog IV, Bacoor, Cavite.

There’s this venue in Silang in Cavite that started referring to itself as “Little Bangkok”. And why not, when – in a compound – there are various Thai-related offerings, helmed by a Thai resto called Som Thai Silang Bypass.

We checked it, and… how was it for us?

@outragemag

Looking for #LGBTQ #thai #cheapeats in #Cavite? We checked Som Thai Silang Bypass to see if it's worth visiting

♬ original sound – outragemag

Una, this place is closer to Tagaytay than it is to Manila. So magbaon ng pasensiya at pera sa biyahe… considering that, yes, you have to allocate more time and monetary allocation for the gas and tolls just to check this place.

Ikalawa, the actual resto isn’t grand; it almost looks like a karinderya in the province. But then again, it reminds me of the micro and small entrepreneurs in rural parts of Thailand, where locals convert their houses into mini-restos for lunch and for dinner. Just don’t expect much when here.

Ikatlo, the service people were nice (e.g. they’d ask you if things are okay), but they were… slow (e.g. I had to approach the teller to pay the bill).

And lastly… the food; how was it for us?

• The Som Tam (papaya salad, ₱120 for the solo serving) was – in a word – malansa (fishy). There are different ways to prepare this, with some adding shrimp paste (bagoóng alamáng) or dried shrimps (hibi). But the version of Som Thai Silang Bypass tasted like it used fermented fish (bagoóng isdâ) from Pampanga. Now… if you’re familiar with Pampanga’s bagoong, you’d know what I mean when I say malansa.
• The Tom Yum seafood (₱291 for the solo serving) was, at least, malasa (tasty) and contained lots of seafood.
• The Pad Thai chicken (₱249 for the solo serving) was… tasteless. This is sorta disappointing because when a Thai resto can’t make a proper Pad Thai, you start to have doubts re authenticity.
• The Mango Duo (two pieces of half-cut fresh spring rolls + mango sticky rice + garlic mayo and peanut sauce, ₱265) is a cheaper way to get spring rolls and dessert. Nothing special here, but the mango slices used were really sweet.
• The Chicken Satay ((with peanut sauce and vinegar, ₱210) was bland. We were anticipating red curry (or massaman curry) or at least peanutty taste, but neither was noted. Even the peanut sauce did not taste peanutty.
• Be warned that the servings here are small – i.e. when they say “solo”, they’re serious in limiting you from sharing.
• Be warned, too, that some Thai condiments – e.g. tamarind paste – aren’t available. “Ubos na,” we were told.

If there aren’t other Thai restos in the area, Som Thai Silang Bypass should suffice. But this is Silang, a municipality in the Province of Cavite that has too many restos to count. So yeah… you can try if you want, and considering its limitations. Otherwise, let’s just discover more lafang venues.

Som Thai Silang Bypass is located along Bypass Road, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Cavite.

Truth: Pizza isn’t a Pinoy staple food. So even if we know that – when properly done – pizza can be really, really good, it can be challenging to find a local venue that knows how to properly make one. Heck, even the supposedly “award-winning” venues in Makati City aren’t that good, truth be told!

@outragemag Looking for #pizza #lasagna, #babybackribs in #QuezonCity? We #LGBTQ ♬ original sound – outragemag

The search for a good slice (or slices, preferably) of pizza led us to Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña, which – seemingly belying its name – is making a name not just because of its lasagna, but also because of its pizzas (with some of them looking mouth-watering in socmed reels, yeah).

So… how did we find Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña?

Una, the place reminded me of small eating venues in non-touristy streets in Paris – e.g. turned picturesque thanks to hundreds of fake flowers that added character to multi-colored decors. So when there, you can’t help but think they have a very specific market in mind – i.e. socmed people.

Ikalawa, the staff were actually nice – e.g. they even provided us (and the guests in another table) with a phone stand for the selfies. And when you make inquiries online, they respond fast, ha.

Now – ikatlo (and lastly) – how was the food?

• The Famous Beef Lasagna (₱289) was hefty… for its price. Di tinipid. It was yummy, said Arthur, though a bit sweet for me. But we both agreed that the accompanying garlic bread was really good.
• Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña has various 12” types of pizzas to choose from, with the prices ranging from ₱520 to ₱590. To be on the safe side, we just ordered the Primo Pizza (₱590), which paired half of the 4 Cheese Artisan Pizza with half of Pizza de Barcelona (pepperoni and cheese with meat sauce and three kinds of cheese). And that proved to be – this has to be stressed – an intelligent decision. Because while the pizzas looked IG-worthy, and appeared to have lots of sahog, the very first bite wasn’t pizza-like. That’s because the dough used can be likened to pan de sal and not what’s usually used for pizza. It was more similar to the garlic bread served with the lasagna, actually. And for me, that it didn’t even seem well done was also an issue.
• The baby back ribs with shrimp aglio olio pasta (₱490) was… okay. Admittedly, the ribs were somewhat dry even if the flesh was soft enough to seemingly peel off the bones. At least the pasta (cooked al dente) was quite good.

Considering the many offerings of Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña, you are bound to find something that will please you if you decide to pay it a visit. That’s good for you… and for this business.

Admittedly, we have misgivings… like those pizza slices that left us with not-too-great memories. But that’s all good, as we continue discovering good lafang places.

Reach Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña HERE.

There are three branches.

Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña P. Noval Manila Branch is right beside UST, and is open from 10:30am to 10pm; parking is available along P. Noval St.

Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña Sta. Mesa Branch is in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, and is open from 9:30am to 10pm; parking is available in front of the restaurant.

Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña QC Branch is located at 27 Roosevelt Ave. corner Gen. Lim St., right beside Fisher Mall, and is open from 11am to 11pm. Parking is available in front of the resto.