From fresh takes on traditional Filipino dishes to inspired international fare, the lineup of must-eats from restaurants new and old keep the local food scene vibrant and exciting.

Even dessert shops are improving their game and keeping up with the times and trends. Here are some of the best stuff I enjoyed eating last June.

 

Gran Campechano from Lo de Alberto

Lo de Alberto, an authentic taqueria (complete with Mexican servers and chef), has transferred space (in the same compound, but now with air-conditioning).

Along with the move, it has added new items on the menu.

Among them—a quesadilla stuffed with chili slices, corn and sour cream; sopa azteca, chili papilla and tomato soup; and flauta de papa, crispy rolled tortillas filled with chorizo and mashed potatoes.

The most indulgent and gratifying of the lot is the Gran Campechano, an extra-big taco topped with fork tender lengua, chorizo, fresh herbs, chopped fresh tomatoes and crushed chicharon.

They all lie on a bed of mashed beans, which not just lends an earthy flavor, but also brings together the motley crew of ingredients into a satisfying whole.

Lo de Alberto is at City Golf Plaza, Dona Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig City.

 

Beef Spareribs Sinigang with Mango at Angel’s Kitchen

There have been multiple restaurant interpretations of our all-time favorite sinigang. There’s one soured with libas leaves, and another with strawberries.

But while there have been many, only a few succeed in being crave-
worthy. This is one of them. Angel’s Kitchen’s version is subtly sour but delectably rich, such that the flavorsome oil coats your tongue. The meat of the slow-cooked spareribs easily falls off the bone, while the strips of green mango are evident not just in texture, but also in lingering taste.

The dish also has a medley of vegetables not typically found in sinigang, like cherry tomatoes, sigarilyas and alugbati leaves, all of which give it a different character.

Angel’s Kitchen is at Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan City

 

Chicken Relleno by Pepita’s Kitchen

Dedet de la Fuente of Pepita’s Kitchen grew up eating relleno regularly—bangus, alimasag, talong and even sili. And so it was natural for her to revisit those delicious memories by coming up with her own stuffed chicken, a worthy follow-up to her already famous stuffed lechon.

She has two kinds, each addressing her daughters’ favorites. The roast chicken stuffed with portobello mushroom with pine nuts was a hit for Lileya and her classmates who had it while studying for their exams.

Meanwhile, her youngest, Liyora, loves bread, butter and foie gras, so those became the stuffing for the other variety.

Call Pepita’s Kitchen at 4254605, 0917-8660662.

 

Stuffed Roti at Any Any

We have come to expect any Asian dish by chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar to be great, with their restaurants Your Local, Hey Handsome and the new Any Any at Century City Mall’s Hole in the Wall.

Nicco has a number of Nasi Lemak variations (beef, chicken, fish and prawns), but his roti, which is cooked upon order, makes for a more playful case as it’s stuffed with either beef, mackerel, crab, cheese, onion or banana, and served with a dip of curry, condensed milk or caramel.

The mackerel with cheese and onion marries well with the homemade curry, making it a runaway favorite of many customers.

Any Any is at 4/L, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave., Makati City.

 

Grilled Tamarind Chicken at The Pigpen

Barely a month old, The Pigpen is the sister restaurant of the Black Pig in Alabang. This Makati joint has Mexican mole, Muffaletta from New Orleans, Pork Belly Kimchi, Papadum Nachos and Hungarian sausages in the menu.

The Tamarind Chicken comes as two pieces of chicken thigh fillets in between a half split skewer—grilled, slathered with tamarind sauce then sprinkled with fried garlic and served with papaya salad and java rice.

The Pigpen is at G/F, Eton Tower Makati, 128 Dela Rosa St. cor. V.A. Rufino St. Legazpi Village, Makati City.

 

Karai Niku Soba at Kazunori

Elbert Cuenca of the famous Elbert’s Steak Room and Ramen Yushoken has opened Kazunori—a café, a traditional dining room and an omakase bar under one roof.

Cuenca goes to great lengths and employs a soba master to teach his cooks the proper way to make noodles. like the Karai Niku Soba, cold buckwheat soba served with a bowl of fiery broth and sliced beef.

Kazunori Japanese Restaurant is at 2301 Chino Roces Ave. Extension, Makati City.

 

Artisanal Donuts from Nono’s

“I wanted to offer something freshly made,” Baba Ibazeta-Benedicto of Classic Confections fame, says. Her newest restaurant café, Nono’s, now also offers artisanal breads and donuts.

Benedicto collaborated with master breadmaker Richie Manapat. “We use high-quality flour. It is not sweet, more on the chewy side. And it is shaped by hand, not by cutters, so it’s more irregular in shape,” she says. The donuts are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, covered with sugar glaze, or draped with chocolate.

Nono’s is at UP Town Center, 216 Katipunan Ave., Diliman, Quezon City.

 

Choco Hazelnut Torte from Cupcakes by Sonja

Launched in time for Father’s Day, Sonja Ocampo’s latest torte offering is inspired by the Pierre Hermes masterpiece 2000 Feuilles.

Smooth and heavenly hazelnut praline cream act as cement between multiple layers of light and crunchy hazelnut dacquoise and crispy milk chocolate praline crunch. Caramelized Piedmont hazelnuts serve as a fitting crown to the beautiful creation.

Cupcakes by Sonja has branches in Serendra in Taguig; New Glorietta Mall in Makati; Promenade in Greenhills, San Juan; and SM Megamall, Mandluyong City.

 

Pasta dishes at Bakere Café

The grilled ensaymada choco sandwich and cheese cupcakes might be the ones haunting many social media posts, but it’s this shop’s lineup of pastas that I’d go back for more.

Formerly home-based, Bakere Café has found a permanent spot in Kapitolyo, Pasig, offering uncomplicated food and nostalgia. The Carbonara brings familiar comfort; and the Pesto with Grilled Vegetables brims with healthy satisfaction.

Bakere Café is at 3 Brixton St., Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

 

Beef Ribs from Hey Handsome

Last month, the team of young and talented chefs at Hey Handsome has concocted a satisfying beef dish that would make you long for rice. The ribs are cooked low and slow, 28 hours to be exact, then seared for that delightful crust. It is bathed with a rich sauce made with Thai chili, tamarind, toasted rice, local herbs and beef juices.

Hey Handsome is at G/F, Net Park Bldg., 5th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig