Whether you’re dining out or sending for food this Father’s Day weekend, there are new and exciting flavors to enjoy.

 

Maria Maria

 

The new Maria Maria restaurant in Greenhills, San Juan, is home to culinary delights enjoyed by the Ejercito clan.

 

It is where you’ll find dishes cooked the way the late matriarch Doña Mary Ejercito did for her large brood, who included former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Senators Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito.

 

The place is a merry mix of the old and the new.

 

On the menu is delicious Taguntong—freshwater shrimp from Tanay cooked in coconut cream with chilies. It is addicting, the crunchy shrimp that is spicy and sweet, rich and creamy. Fair warning: once you start, you cannot stop eating it. It’s like popcorn—for no reason, you just find yourself digging and digging in.

 

Pair the Taguntong with Manila Mayor Erap Estrada’s favorite, Ribs ni Love—US ribs marinated in salt, pepper and vinegar, char-grilled to perfection. This is good Pinoy-style inihaw that’s so soft it falls off the bone.

 

For the kids, there’s Doña Mary’s recipe of old-fashioned meatball spaghetti with garlic bread. The flavors transport you back in time!

 

The restaurant is rather small, so it’s best to reserve.

 

Maria Maria is at G/F 81 Xavier Residences, Xavier St. cor. S. De Jesus, San Juan. Call tel. 6313948.

 

Diplahan Lechon

 

Lechon remains the centerpiece of Filipino celebrations. It is said that a party is never complete without this roasted pig favorite.

 

Of late, there have been new ways of enjoying it. The Diplahan lechon is one of the latest variants.

 

Proprietor Luisa Viray describes Diplahan lechon: “In the town of Diplahan in the Zamboanga Peninsula, the lechon is golden brown.

 

“Once chopped and apportioned, the meat might remind some of lechon kawali or wok-fried pork. Do not be misled; this is a one-of-a-kind lechon known as lechon maalat that is best eaten with steamed rice.”

 

Credit goes to Luisa’s husband, businessman Jotle Viray, who happened to taste the lechon on a business trip in the south. “I liked what I tasted and suggested to the couple who run the business to allow us to replicate the lechon in Manila,” said Jotle.

 

“The lechon is a bit salty so we also had to find the perfect balance of seasoning and flavoring without losing what makes it different from the others,” he added.

 

Diplahan lechon, he pointed out, gets its blistered skin through the intermittent stirring of the coals. The way the pig is cleaned and flavored is the secret to its taste.

 

But what sets it apart are the right amount of aromatics stuffed into its cavity, the right organic pig with the proper ratio of fat and meat, plus the proper salting.

 

Instead of liver sauce, Diplahan lechon is served with special vinegar which, Jotle said, is “concocted to enhance the taste of the silky meat and texture of the skin.”

 

To give back to the town where Viray tasted his first lechon maalat, a portion of the proceeds for each lechon is given to the local government of Zamboanga Sibugay.

 

For orders, contact 0917-8268010 (Carol) or 0917-8268017 (Wee).

 

Milky Way building

 

For food that’s consistently good all the time, there’s the Milky Way building where you’ll find Azuthai, Tsukiji, Cirkulo and Milky Way.

 

I suggest you order three dishes, which I’d like to label as “man food”—perfect for all dads on their special day.

 

Tsukiji’s Ohmi Wagyu Beef Steak: Ohmi Wagyu beef is the finest Japanese Wagyu beef, for a time reserved only for the Japanese Imperial family.

At Tsukiji you can have Ohmi prepared pan-fried as a steak, grilled as yakiniku, simmered as sukiyaki or shabu-shabu, and seared as teppanyaki. Whichever way it’s cooked, this beef is sinfully delicious, ultra- soft and intensely beefy.

 

Call tel. nos. 8434285 or 8122913.

 

Cirkulo’s Cordero Lechal al Horno: Roasted suckling lamb marinated with garlic, rosemary and olive oil. There are two lamb servings—good for six to eight persons, and 12-16 persons.

 

This milk-fed lamb is seasoned to perfection and melts in your mouth! A treat for all lamb lovers.

 

Call tel. nos. 8108735 or 8102763; allow 48 hours notice.

 

Azuthai’s Neau Steak: Seared US rib-eye steak served with tamarind sauce. It’s a twisted take on steak, for those looking for something new.

 

Call tel. nos. 8130671 or 8176252.

 

Once you’ve had your fill from any one of these restaurants, don’t forget to stop by Milky Way itself for its ginumis. Sarap!

 

Milkyway Building is at 900 A. Arnaiz Ave. (Pasay Road) cor. Paseo de Roxas, San Lorenzo Village, Makati City.