Casa Vieja Cantina's Cordon Blue

Craving for chicken cordon blue on a weekend? Visit one of the latest food shops in town - Casa Vieja Cantina Chicken breast stuffed with mozarella cheese and ham, breaded and fried. Served with cheesy buttery mushroom sauce.

Priced @P90 per roll

NOTE: They also serve traditional Caviteñean dishes

Bacolod Chicken Inasal

Resto Name: Bacolod Chicken Inasal

Location:  Harbor Drive, MOA

Type: Filipino

Average Price Per Dish: P130-P300

Timeout to Mang Inasal who's chicken deteriorated since it was sold to Jollibee so I decided to try Bacolod Chicken Inasal yesterday. 

Bacolod Chicken Inasal is pricier since a Petso P115 and Plain Rice P29.50

Blue Lemonade – P49.50

The chicken is whiter than that of Inasal brushed unevenly with achuete oil.  Some portions of the skin to my surprise is crispy so I guess they might have placed it in the oven to ensure that it is warm when served. The top chicken meat is juicy but bland in taste. It does not have any hint of smoky flavor like most flavorful inasal. If weren’t for the soy sauce and calamansi it doesn’t taste anything. After 75% done devouring the chicken PETSO to my surprise and dismay the meat nearing the cartilage is still pink and raw !  I decided to just have two more spoons of rice sayang naman then when I asked for the bill I told the waiter if they won’t give me any discount since the meat is still raw. He took away the plate and after a minute told me from afar to just wait. Minutes later he came back with my bill and re-serving the leftover chicken again!

The kitchen re-brushed with achuete oil the leftover chicken, reheated, placed it in a new plate and banana leave with 1/3 rice and a new saucer of calamansi and sili. 

The incident seems like a normal everyday thing. After paying the bill surprisingly the waiters disappeared when I was leaving. I wonder who the manager of the store assigned yesterday but definitely will never go back eating again at this resto. 

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Food – 1 stars

Service – 0 stars

Ambiance – 4 stars

Value – 1 stars

OVERALL RATING – 1.5 stars

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HO CHAI LAI Restaurant

Resto Name: Ho Chai Lai Restaurant

Location: Noveleta, Cavite

Type: Chinese

Average Price Per Dish: P130-P250

There's a new Chinese Restaurant in town and finally got to try it last weekend. It's the former sales office of the residential houses in long beach and after being abandoned for a long time it was converted into a Chinese restaurant named Ho Chai Lai. After researching online found out there are 2 other branches one in Muntinlupa and the other in Laguna so this is resto is a franchise. 

Got excited with the menu that we immediately turned to the last page to see their specialties but sadly after saying our preferred dishes majority is either not yet offered or out of stock.

No lapu-lapu, crab or any of the other yummy seafood dishes listed. Even the best seller Spareribs Salt and Pepper which was offered for us to try was not available later when it was checked in the kitchen. Around 80% listed in the menu is not available :-( After several order revision because of unavailability this are the dishes that we got to try that night.

Jasmine Tea - Free

 

Of course every Chinese resto offers free tea so this is the first thing we ask if they do and luckily they have. 

Hototay Soup - P 220 (Regular)  

Since Nido soup is not available we end up with Hototay. The taste of the broth is good but a bit pricey especially it only contains 2 pieces of shrimp, very few meat and vegetables. Also unlike in Chefoo that they immediately serve it with calamansi and soy sauce here you need to ask it yourself.

Cold Platter 6 Kinds - P 380

Jelly Fish, Century Egg, Beef Kenchi, Soy Chicken, White Pata and the missing Pork Asado (out of stock) which was replaced with Soy Chicken.  All dishes are yummy and the platter is definitely sulit for its price. The Jelly fish has this crunch that at first you will have a hard time thinking what you are eating if you have no idea what it is. The beef kenchi melts in the mouth. The chicken is tender and flavorful. Hope next time we get to taste the asado.

Yang Chow Fried Rice - P120 (Small)

One of the best rice dishes so far  and worth to order.  Tasted like the one served in North Park. Yummy.

Seafood Chami - P220 (Regular)

A bit salty and the sauce is too thick. This is our least favorite that night and just ended up being taken out.

Fish with White Sauce - P225

We prefer sweet and sour but since they don't have any ingredients for the sauce after debating between Steamed Fish Fillet in Garlic we ended up with this. Coated dory fish fillet in a bit salty sauce. Our 2nd least fave.

Mapo Tofu - P200 

The yummiest dish of the night. Bursting with flavor plus the hint of spiciness is so perfect. 

Grass Jelly - P50

This is too sweet that one will end up a diabetic. Hope they will lessen the syrup a bit. 

Pineapple Juice - P70

Ho Chai Lai will rival Chefoo in Chinese dishes. If one wants more authentic Chinese cuisine near Cavite City then this restaurant is worth a visit. Let's just hope in the coming months that 100% of their menu will finally be available.  Also waiter is friendly and service is good. Definitely worth balik-balikan even there is nothing special about the ambience - too plain and ordinary. 

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Food – 3.5 stars
Service – 4 stars
Ambiance – 3.5 stars
Value – 3.5 stars

OVERALL RATING – 3.625 stars
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Kare-Kare/Adobong Caviteño/Kilawin

The traditional and ever famous Caviteñean TRIFECTA or TRIO food terno eaten every Sundays in traditional Caviteñean households.

Kare-Kare / Kari-Kari - is a stew made from either oxtail (buntot), beef tripe (tuwalya), pork's face (mukha), or various cuts of pork (laman) in rich and thick peanut sauce with atchuete . Best paired with bagoong.

Adobong Caviteño/Adobo Seca/Adobong Pula -  pork, chicken or both or with liver marinated then simmered in garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns and achuete. 

Kilawing Papaya - grated green papaya cooked in vinegar with grilled mashed pancreas and chopped librillo of cows.

  

Cavite City makes a point in serving their dishes in proper combination also called “terno- terno”. Usually a piquant dish is paired with a bland one, a sweet with a sour, a salty with a sweet and a wet with dry. The combinations are traditional and have been so far as long as Caviteños remember.

Sarciadong Itlog

Typical sarciado is made of fish but at home my mom usually turned hard boiled egg into sarciado. And here is my attempt to replicate her version.


Ingredients:
hard boiled eggs, sliced into half
tomato, chopped
garlic, minced
white onion, chopped
fish sauce
cooking oil
water
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Saute onion, garlic and tomatoes. Add water, and season with fish sauce. Simmer to boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the top of sliced boiled eggs. Let sit for few minutes. Serve with steamed rice.