It's not locavorism or ocean sustainability, though both are practices that I pride myself in practicing as much as I humanly can - as you should too. It's not the proliferation of $10+ desserts. It sure as hell is not smearing sauce on a plate (so let me get this straight... thick mucky sauce is a good thing now?)
No, my favourite trend is the sudden discovery and pride that opening a Filipino restaurant can actually be a viable business model. AND it doesn't have to be a dirty dingy hole in the wall (though they have their perks too)!
I recently heard about Isaac & Agatha through the blog-grapevine. It's located on the industrial strip of Bridgeport in Richmond, a bizarre paradox of eating to say the least. The Richmond Summer Night Market is close by, as well as modern Chinese restaurant, Hakka-san, practically a stone's throw away - mixed in with the McSubWendyBucks, cookie cutter office-park cafes, and even, the monolithic "Home of the 99c Rehydrated Breakfast" Ikea cafeteria nearby.
After culinary school and essentially 4 months straight of high-end fine dining food, I found myself seeking out my version of soul food as much as possible. Between all the brunoise, julienne and tourner practice drills -- I simply didn't have the time to visit my regiment of Chinese greasy-spoons, Hong-Kong cafes and Filipino cafeterias. Also didn't help that I needed to force-feed myself as much greenery as possible outside of school since we didn't get much of a balanced food pyramid in there (lobster again? well... okay...).
Isaac & Agatha doesn't advertise its Filipino pedigree. It certainly advertises every other cuisine under the sun, which usually causes me to run the other direction, but I wanted to give this stalwart a try. You won't even find the Filipino items on their main menu (consisting of a large banner by the entrance), but you have to soldier onwards to the counter, where 2 small "Special" boards list the good stuff.
No steamtable here! Everything is prepared to order (as much as can be), and the usual suspects are represented: rellenong bangus (stuffed milk-fish), kare kare (ox tail in peanut stew), chicken/pork adobo (vinegar stew) are all available among others. I was assured practically everything was good (I expect nothing less :-D) - and it was a warm and balmy late-September afternoon, so I went with chicken pandan, which I wasn't familiar with.
Near as I can tell, this is deep-fried marinated chicken thigh, wrapped in pandan leaf, then broiled to infuse a layer of smokiness. For $8, I got 3 pieces along with the ubiquitous upturned rice bowl (a Southeast Asia trademark!), sweet/spicy chili sauce and a side of sauteed veg. The pandan flavour came through as I cut through the very moist meat and a quick dip into the sauce gave me a big smile.
This is some good stuff here.
There were also a lot of small touches I wasn't expecting from an office park cafe, let alone a Filipino joint -- gracious table service, perfectly seasoned veg, and most surprising, A WARM PLATE! Chef Tony would be proud.
Along with Grill 7; Cucina Manila; and Aling Mary - Isaac & Agatha fills me with tremendous hope for the future of Filipino cuisine in Richmond. Check them out at 11911 Bridgeport Road in Richmond!
Done.
UPDATE: I revisted Isaac & Agatha and have posted a follow-up review.
6 comments:
Seen this place several times, had no idea there was a Filipino connection. Good to know!
Any thoughts on why Filipino places seem to die a quick death in this city?
Have passed by this place many times but never ventured in. I'm so afraid of being disappointed when it comes to Filipino food here that I don't even want to try anymore.
BTW, where's Grill 7 and Aling Aning?
shokutsu: I have a long winded theory behind that. It comes down to being able to provide to others is an integral thread of Filipino culture - hence it's a matter of pride to be able to cook a meal for guests, and share your table as it were. There's a lot of love in each plate, and eating in a restaurant doesn't quite translate that.
Also, the food very much developed from a peasant-culture (and arguably still is), so there's a lot of long cooked stews and braises, as well as chargrilled meats, which doesn't necessarily lend itself to fine dining. There's a also a mindset of keeping things simple.
It's only recently in the Philippines that the youth have become quite a great deal more sophisticated about cuisine that steps to take Filipino food into somewhere new have been more embraced. Rekados, previously on Main/King Ed, tried to do that years prior, and quite honestly gave me some of the best Filipino food I've had in my life - but inevitably failed because the local population wasn't very literally buying it. The ones who could've embraced it, the Filipino youth here, are more interested in disconnecting themselves from their heritage and seeking something truly different.
It's only recently that the more successful Filipino operations have found specific niches they cater to that the now larger population can financially support (Goto King = quick/easy diner food, Pin Pin = authentic BBQ, Cucina Manila = it's clean!). I'm going to stop here because I could go on for pages, but rest assured, I will blog about the topic later on.
ECV: Grill 7 is in an industrial complex on 7-3331 Viking Way (http://www.grill7.ca) They serve mainly diner classics (burgers...), but do have a chicken BBQ, and what my friend describes as the world's best crispy pata on their regular menu. Not to be confused with their other operation Cafe 7 which is located on the other side of their room.
RE: Aling -- that was a typo. I meant to say Aling Mary on 8085 Park, where you can get fresh warm pan de sal anytime of day :-) Aling Ening is on Fraser and 26th/27th, and is home to the best lechon kawali I've had in town.
I was wondering what smell that was when I was driving down that area. The flavours absolutely take over that stretch of Bridgeport!
Update - I stopped by Isaac and Agatha with a friend for a follow-up lunch today, and that will review will be posted in the coming week
I too have driven by and wondered about this place. I will now have to drop in next time I'm in the area.
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