I had the impression that Friends & Family wants to give their guests a different take on the usual Filipino comfort food. Looking at the menu can really be overwhelming because they offer a wide array of mouth-watering dishes! I guess this is why Friends & Family is perfect for… uhmmm… friends and family! Harharhar! My husband and I really wanted to try almost everything that was why it was such a struggle for us to choose what to have for lunch. I think we scanned the menu more than five times before we were able to come up with a decision.
After we finally decided what to eat for lunch :p
My husband had been craving for monggo for ages. I know how to cook it, but I’m still in the process of perfecting it. Boyet spotted the monggo in the menu so he immediately asked me if I also wanted to try it. I initially had second thoughts because I was a bit traumatized the last time we ordered monggo from a restaurant. Mas masarap pa kasi talaga ‘yung first time na nagluto ako ng monggo! But because I am big fan of Raintree, I gave my full trust that their monggo would be far better.
Back in 2013, we paid a whooping PHP165 for a bland monggo with overcooked shrimp. Just like what I said in the post, kasing labnaw ng utak ko after 8 hours of work ang monggo ng Cafe Via Mare! Five years after, I finally gave restaurant monggo another shot. I have to say that the PHP195 we paid for the Lechon & Espada Monggo Stew was all worth it! The monggo was thick and tasty. I really like it when the beans are nearly mashed giving the broth a thicker consistency. The chunks of pork gave the already tasty broth more flavor. I liked that the sili leaves were not cooked with the broth so they didn’t end up all soggy. I’m not sure if the leaves were fried or baked, but the slight crisp added more texture to the dish. Crunchy with hints of saltiness, the espada made the dish even more impressive!
While I took some time before I finally agreed with my husband’s suggestion of trying out their monggo, I didn’t need to convince him when I asked if he wanted to give this a try…
For PHP550, you can get a platter with 7 different kinds of ihaw-ihaw – BBQ Pork Tenga, Isaw Bilog, Isaw Manok, BBQ Betamax, Special Pork BBQ, Chicken Skin Inasal and Chicken Ass Inasal. I initially thought that the platter is a bit overpriced for a street food, but they fairly compensated with the taste.
The platter comes with atchara and two different kinds of sauces – sweet sauce and peanut sauce. But to tell you honestly, each stick was already good on its own. Sobrang malasa na. The sauces were good, but I went with the classic vinegar with crushed sili!!!
7 Kinds Barbecue Isawan Platter PHP550
If I may just nitpick on this dish, I just wish that the pork ears had a more manageable cut. It would have been better if the pieces were thinner and smaller. I wrote the same thing on the customer feedback form. :)
We finished our sumptuous lunch with these Filipino favorites! Boyet had sago’t gulaman while Zayne and I shared over the fresh buko juice. I have to note that the buko was refreshingly good! 195 nga lang, pero ang sarap ng tamis at lamig. It was perfect for a scorching hot afternoon.
Fresh Buko in the Shell PHP195
Sago’t Gulaman PHP95
Apart from the mouth-watering dishes, Friends & Family also offers other things which can be enjoyed at the comforts of our home like salted egg potato chips. I also saw some jars displayed inside the restaurant, but I forgot to take a closer look. I’ll check them out on our next visit! :)
Friends & Family
Bonifacio High Street Central,
7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig City
* All photos were taken with an Asus Zenfone Selfie
Post a Comment