By Nathan Allen

It’s pretty clear that it’s not just her famous desserts, but also Karen herself that keeps drawing customers back. Her joy is infectious, and her bubbly personality can be spotted throughout the restaurant. I knew my readers would absolutely love this place, so I had to share it.

Karen already had her successful dessert business, but as her children went off to college, she felt that she needed something to help her through the “empty nest” years. A devout Christian, she prayed for answers. Soon, she found a building in nice, quiet part of Kapitolyo – a building that, amazingly, looked just like the logo was already using. 

Next, she needed a new direction to go in. She came across a bible verse which inspired her to create some wholesome, healthy dinner options to compliment her desserts. “…and settle down; plant gardens…and eat what they produce”, the verse read.

…but the Desserts…

One bite of Karen’s desserts, and you will understand why she is so loved by sweet-toothed foodies! By far the highlight of my visit, my personal favorites were the sticky toffee pudding, frozen ube-cado brazo, and red velvet cake.

Not just a feast for the belly – Karen’s Kitchen is a feast for the eyes, as well! This is truly an Instagramer’s paradise. Note the small details like the vintage accessories and the tea cup chandeliers! The design and atmosphere of the place is thanks to a partnership with friend and decorator Joi Cutter (she is a lot of fun as well, and if you’re REALLY lucky, you’ll get to meet both of them!)

Healing Foods

Upon learning that her son was sick one day, Karen realized that her healthier options might help to heal him, and she began to dial in her dinner menu even more. I personally love the idea of offering wholesome, healthy food along with her famous, decadent desserts. As we all know, it is quite challenging to make healthy food that really tastes good, but for me, she really pulled it off with the Dalandan Chicken, pictured below. 

No matter what the dish, though, it is clear that they are all created with a healthy serving of love. In fact, hearts can be found decorating the plates of just about every dish! You could say she serves the most “hearty” meals in all of Manila….haha. Seriously, though, Karen’s passion and artistry shines through with every single offering. What a presentation!

The restaurant can be found on a quiet street directly behind behind Privato Hotel in Kapitolyo, Pasig. I heard some customers park in Capitol Commons and walk if there is no street parking.

Best for: Mouth-watering desserts, a memorable afternoon tea experience, wholesome and unique dinner options, people who need a place to cheer them up! That wraps up my review, see you at Karen’s!

Website: http://karenskitchen.com.ph/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mykarenskitchen/

Karen’s Inspirational Blog: https://ButterflyInTheSpring.com/

My Kapitolyo Blog with Map can be found here

– Nathan Allen

www.idreamedofthis.com

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By Nathan Allen

Situated just northeast of Makati, Kapitolyo boasts more reasonably-priced hip restaurants than anywhere else I have been in Manila…and it shows no signs of slowing down. A community of food stalls called “Gastro Park” recently opened up, and another new and exciting restaurant seems to open up each and every day.

In this charming little neighborhood you can find anything your taste buds are craving – from a (cheap, but gourmet) 24-hour breakfast joint, to a top-notch sushi restaurant, to an authentic Irish pub. Of course, you can find plenty of great Filipino food as well.

Manila is quite a hectic city, but somehow Kapitolyo still feels more like a relaxed community. To be honest, it kind of reminds me of Brooklyn before it became too expensive. Right now there is still a funky, independent vibe. The food quality is quite high, but the prices are still reasonable. Let’s hope the arrival of the upscale new Rockwell condominiums won’t change the feel of this place too much.

Karen’s Kitchen

How about some afternoon tea…in wonderland? Well, at Karen’s Kitchen, you can do just that. Tucked away off one of Kapitolyo’s side streets, Karen and interior decorator Joi Santos Cutter have created a quirky, charming space that truly transports you into another world.

Karen is well known for her mouth-watering desserts, but she also puts a lot of love into her healthier dinner options. I personally loved the Dalandan (citrus) Chicken. Follow this up with her incredible Sticky Toffee Pudding or frozen Ube-cado Brazo, and you’ll surely be hooked!

Hopefully Karen will be there during your visit…because she is just as sweet as her desserts! She really knows how to make her guests feel welcome and special. This is an excellent place for baby/bridal showers, tea parties with old friends, or for anybody who has a sweet tooth…and is looking for a truly unique place to indulge! My full experience here.

Haru Sushi

To be honest, I’ve always been skeptical about ordering sushi in the Philippines. It’s just not something I hear people talk about so much. Haha….however, after walking past Haru Sushi enough times, I finally decided to give it a try. I’m so happy I did!

I have gotten used to the excellent Sushi available to us in San Francisco, but Haru definitely did not disappoint me. The decor, staff and service was just wonderful, and all the ingredients were fresh and prepared just right. I’m a big fan of Agedashi (lightly fried) Tofu, and along with my spicy Dynamite Roll (tuna, salmon, and Japanese cucumber), I highly recommend both.

Cafe Juanita

From what I recall, Cafe Juanita was the first restaurant in the area, and it’s been going strong ever since. The decor is an eclectic mix of fabric and designs from all over the Philippines. The menu consists of very authentic Filipino comfort food, and while it’s a little on the pricey side, the quality ingredients and rich flavors are every bit worth it.

This would be a great place to bring a visitor who is new to the Philippines, or just take your friends and family for an excellent home-cooked Filipino meal. I tried the fried calamares, beef kare kare (meat in a sauce made from peanut butter, garlic, and onions…it’s much better than it might sound!), sinigang baboy (tangy tamarind pork soup), and the national dish, chicken adobo.

Everything was extremely flavorful (that’s how Filipinos tend to like it:), and I enjoyed it, with the exception of the “adobong bisaya”, which is a dry, crispy version of adobo. My Filipino friends love dishes like this (crispy pata is another), but I have yet to develop a taste for crispy meat. Haha.

The dessert offered to me was their cassava cake, and I really fell in love with it! Highly recommended. In general, the atmosphere and service here was excellent…it’s no surprise that they are the same owners as Haru Sushi next door! They have a piano player that entertains guests on the weekends, and being a piano player myself, I thought that was a nice touch.

Gastro Park

Just off the main street (down the small street across from Ace Hotel), you can find the recently opened Gastro Park food stalls. If this large park is not an indicator that Kapitolyo is fast becoming Manila’s “foodie mecca”, I don’t know what is. 

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to explore it as much as I would like….but the Seventh Element Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream certainly got my attention! There are so many dining options to choose from in the park, maybe someday I will update this blog after sampling some. 

A Unique Foodie Experience – At All Price Ranges

My personal favorite in Kapitolyo is Kanto’s Freestyle Breakfast, which wins a special place in my heart for being open all night and serving the best tocilog (sweet pork, egg, and rice) I have ever tasted. They also serve a huge assortment of savory and dessert pancakes, along with local barako coffee. Just about everything on the menu is under 100 pesos! Look for it diagonally across from the new food park.

Another very popular place is Silantro Fil-Mex Restaurant, which serves nachos, burritos, and cheese quesadillas. Be warned, though…these are not authentic, because they have a Filipino twist to them. That basically means everything ends up tasting like caldareta (tomato-based stew dish). Everybody seems to absolutely love this place, so you may find yourself waiting for up to an hour to be seated at peak times.

Stop by Locavore and try their unique and famous “Sizzling Sinigang” (again, I think this might just be a Filipino favorite). Locavore has excellent fried chicken – I never tasted anything quite like it. The atmosphere is sleek and modern, but not pretentious or unwelcoming at all. I really love it.

Locavore also serves a delicious California-style craft beer called “Fish Rider Pale Ale“, and it’s the best price I’ve seen for it anywhere! It’s nice for me to taste that little piece of home, even though the beer is brewed right there in Manila! You can also find it (along with plenty of European brews) at St Patrick’s Irish Pub on the main road.

Other Unique Kapitolyo Dining Options:

Fried soft shell crab burger @ Crunchy Crab (the entire crab between the sandwich buns!)

Shawarma @ Uncle Moe’s

Thai Food @ Smile Elephant

Street tacos (I recommend shrimp) @ Taco Venga

If you’re looking for more of “Makati-like” dining experience in Kapitolyo, you can always go to nearby Capital Commons.

Kapitolyo Hotels

Ace Water Spa

To be honest, from the outside, Ace reminds me of other hotels in Manila that are quite pricey, but rarely worth it. However, after staying here I changed my mind. Prices are reasonable, the place is kept up very well, the service is excellent, and the views of the city from Sky High Bar can’t be beat. Also worth mentioning is the breakfast buffet, blazing wifi speeds, and super comfy bed!

Going in, I had very low expectations of the water spa. I mean, what is a water spa, anyway? I had no idea. I couldn’t imagine water being able to give me any kind of worthwhile massage…and boy, was I wrong. I think I stayed in the water for a few hours! If you have the time, there’s enough pressure to relax all your different muscle groups. I also liked that I was the one in charge of the massage, for a change. A very cool experience!

You can book Ace Water Spa or get more info HERE

Privato

I would describe Ace Hotel as warm, modern, and homey. However, if you’re looking for something a bit more sleek and modern, try Privato Hotel. The reviews are quite good…the prices aren’t bad, and they also have incredible views from their rooftop bar.

Book Privato or get more info HERE

Kapitolyo Restaurant Map

If you try to use my map, good luck! Haha.

Happy eating, see you in Kapitolyo:)

– Nathan Allen

www.idreamedofthis.com

 Thanks for reading, and feel free to share the foodie love!

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By Nathan Allen

“I’d Rather Go Hungry Than Eat Filipino Food Again”

Thanks for your honest opinion about “Filipino food”.  Thanks for not holding back.  Mostly, thank you for making me (another foreign blogger writing about the Philippines) look good.  I mean, you’re making me look really good.  Yes, I wrote a “letter to the Philippines” a few weeks ago, and I worried it might be misinterpreted by some Filipinos. 

However, now that I have the perspective of reading your blog about Filipino food, I realize that I had nothing to worry about.  My blog was received VERY well in comparison.  You are receiving a lot of very negative attention, and I am usually a compassionate person, but in this case I think you may know exactly what you are doing.

In fact, it seems like you might be intentionally trying to antagonize Filipino people in order to bring attention to your blog, and here is why:

A full month ago you wrote another blog about your “impressions of the Philippines”, and you included a few negative sections about the food.  Then, perhaps you sat back and watched all the comments slowly start coming in.  When you realized how sensitive and proud Filipinos can be about their food specifically, you decided to take advantage of the situation and write another inflammatory post all about the food. 

Knowing how many comments came the first time,  you chose to make your opinions and wording even more abrasive (offensive?) the second time…and guess what?  The comments did indeed come pouring in!  Yes, they’re almost all negative (though you have done a good job hiding the people who are really speaking their mind), but look at all that blog traffic! 

Of course I can’t say this is exactly what happened, but it certainly seems to be a possibility.  Yes, you have a lot of eyes on your blog, but is this really the kind of attention you want?  You hurt a lot of people to gain a few followers.  You said: “The biggest disappointment was not trying traditional Filipino dishes.”  You admit that you weren’t able to sample the best the country has to offer, so how is it fair to say you’d rather go HUNGRY than eat Filipino food again?  Saying you would rather starve? Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?  I’d call it borderline unethical. 

Aside from all that, I would give you more credit if your observations resembled the actual reality of being a foreign tourist in the Philippines.  It pains me to read how you describe Filipino people and cuisine.  You mention that people asked you to pay for a photo of them, and I’m curious as to how I spent an entire year all over the country (as a photographer), but have never been asked to pay for a photo once?  Am I being nicer to them?  Better luck? 

As for being “ripped off”, you seem to be a seasoned traveler, so you must realize how dishonest taxi and tuk tuk drivers are in other countries – in fact, much more so than in the Philippines.  It’s not fair of me to comment on China (from experience) because I’ve only been to Hong Kong, but from what I’ve heard, it’s actually very bad there (and I think that’s where you have spent the most time!). 

You also mentioned how the different forms of public transportation are unsafe because of no seat belts – well (with the exception of airplanes) most people know that seatbelts aren’t used in public transportation anywhere in the world.  Basically, honesty is great, but not at the expense of fairness.

If You Don’t Want to be Treated Like a Tourist, Stop Acting Like One

Speaking of fairness, to be fair, at first I did not enjoy the food in Manila or some of the touristy areas I visited.  I agree that some of it was over-flavored and unhealthy.  The irony is that in my opinion, that’s because these specific foods were very WESTERNIZED.  Though it’s not nearly as bad as you make it seem, in my opinion the “obesity problem” you mention comes from the American-style fast food culture..and I only noticed it a bit in Manila, specifically.

Other than that, in touristy areas, they serve food to…guess who?  Tourists!  In a place like Thailand, for example, that means you see these “western” fruit breakfasts, pancakes, French toast, hot dogs…etc.  The same thing is happening in the Philippines.  A lot of backpackers are looking for western foods after traveling so long.  Demand creates supply. 

As you should know, if you want the “real deal“, you must escape the tourists (and vendors who sell to them).  It’s simple.  “Street food” in the Philippines is not the enemy, and I don’t believe you have to go to fancy traditional Filipino restaurants to get great food.

My “Sarap na Sarap” Love Affair…

Me?  Once I made an effort to get “off the beaten path”, I found that traditional Filipino food was in fact quite unique and delicious!  My love affair started when I collected fresh clams with a family in Palawan.  They made halaan sa tanglad (ginger clam soup).  Next I got hooked on tocino each morning for breakfast, fresh, delicious mangos for (part of my) lunch, and tangy sinigang soup for dinner.  From there I went to the BBQ stalls of Cebu and enjoyed puso (hanging rice) and of course adobo, lechon, crispy pata…and lastly: pork afritada and mechado (two of my favorites).

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-Nathan

Oh, and Agness, I have two words for you:  HALO HALO.

Yes…ice cream, fruit, and cornflakes may seem like and odd combination to us in the west, but I can assure you that the delicious buko (coconut) halo halo on the left is a unique and refreshing dessert – and it was exactly what I needed on a hot day in Dumaguete (Negros Oriental).  Around this time I finally tried chicken inasal as well, and promised myself I would eat it in Bacolod someday. 

From there I journeyed to Siquijor island, where I was thrilled to eat fresh kinilaw na tuna.  After that, it was time for Baguio and Banaue, where I tried strawberry taho, lugaw, bulalo, and “pinikpikan” chicken – which was freshly prepared outside of my nipa hut by a very hospitable Ifugao woman.

BBQ stalls in Naga, Bicol.  Isaw (intestines) on the left, chicken heads in the middle.  Pork BBQ on the right.  Very adventurous eating! 

Next, I decided to go back to give Manila another chance.  There I discovered another favorite: pininyahang manok (pineapple adobo, I think?).  Then came Bicol.  Ohhhhh Bicol, how I love you.  Spicy, delicious dishes such as bicol express, pinangat, and laing.  Add to this lumpia sariwa, famous Guinobatan longganisa, and toasted siopao, and I was in culinary heaven!! 

I even enjoyed foods that I was hesitant about:  infamous “balut” and also “dinuguan” (savory meat stew consisting of lungs, kidneys, intestines, ears, heart and snout)…it’s simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili and vinegar.  I loved it!

All this, and as far as the food goes, I know I just barely scratched the surface.

I know it’s not fair to compare my experience to yours, because it seems you may have only been in the country for a week or so.  However, your short stay is exactly why I (and many others) hope you will be more careful with the “impressions” that you put out into the world in the future.  Agnes, you may be doing a real disservice to a country and a culture that has a lot to offer international travelers – and a country that could surely use the money generated by tourism. 

A Possible Diagnosis For You?

As for Filipino food making you sick, I must admit that I have a strong stomach.  Filipino food (in any form) never made me sick.  While I’m sure it happens occasionally, I don’t recall any tourists being sick – and some of them ate balut with me  

You mention that after eating the food, you felt bloated and tired.  You also mentioned that you had massive migraine headaches, and mood swings.

I’m no expert…and forgive me for saying this, but based on the symptoms you have described, it appears you might have been experiencing PMS during your stay in the Philippines.  You certainly don’t look very happy in the black and white photo at the top of your post.  The tone and mood of your post seems a bit irritable also, so it would make sense if you were uncomfortable during your stay in the country.

If this is the case, it is especially unfair to blame your sour mood on the food of the Philippines. 

Balik Sa Pinas

I say come back (just don’t tell people who you are  Give it more time, explore the country more fully, and with an open mind.  I’m glad you acknowledge that it’s one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever been.  On closer inspection you just might find that this admiration extends to the people and food as well…I know it did for me! 

Filipinos are wonderful people…so wonderful, in fact, that there is a good chance they will let you come back – just to prove you wrong about their culinary heritage

Just thought I should give another foreigner’s opinion. 

Sincerely,

Nathan Allen

(*Update: It seems I was right about her intentions…a few months after this happened, another Polish blogger received a TON of web traffic for trash-talking Boracay, one of the Philippines’ most loved beach getaways. After a bit of research, guess what I discovered? You guessed it. That blogger and this blogger are friends. What a shame. )

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