GROUP dining is always fun, but what if each has a certain diet to follow? You’re a non-meat eater? How about the rest of your group? Try Rekado.
Although most of us equate Pinoy comfort food to the all-time favorites of crispy pata, barbecued fare and saucy stews, etc., non-meat eaters will have their share of home cooked meals at Rekado, Davao’s new address for Filipino comfort cuisine.
Your carnivore friends may just be surprised to learn that they can enjoy a full meal without missing the deep fried flavor of the restaurant’s bestselling meat dish. The rich flavor of the starter of Tofu with Mushrooms or the Vegetarian Tofu alone can take their minds off it. Any of these two starters can already make a great pairing with rice. Go ahead, no one’s going to judge you.
Feast on the mountain of fresh, organic leafy greens drizzled with cider dressing and topped with Malagos goat cheese created by Davao’s famed artisanal cheese maker. Although a serving of this salad can be enjoyed by four don’t let anyone stop you from ordering another.
Young budding Chef Pauline suggests the Chicharon at Kilawin Salad. It’s a generous serving of fresh greens drizzled with refreshing Calamansi mint dressing and served with a side dish of Malasugi ceviche topped with vegetable cracklings over the Guava-Tamarind dressing. It’s a good segue to the entrée.
Adobo you say? You want the skin crispy? Rekado grants your wish not with pork but with its Adobo Buntot ng Tuna. The twice-cooked dish is initially simmered in a secret sauce rich in spices before deep-frying until the fish skin turns crispy.
Pairing the fish with the Gising-Gising, a new entry on the menu, will put you in a “sorry not sorry” state as you order more rice.
Gising-Gising is a winged beans (aka sigarilyas) slow cooked in coconut milk and topped with crispy dilis. The crunch of the veggie, the sweet creamy flavor of the coconut sauce plus the mild spice is guaranteed to make your eyes pop with delight!
How about a combo of homemade goodness rolled into one dessert to cap your meal? Remember you mother’s ube halaya and minatamis na langka?
Enjoy both in a single bite in Rekado’s Ube-Langka Turon. Presented in lola’s plantsa (clothes iron heated with ember) is a bit of warning that the dessert is served hot. Let it cool down a bit before sinking your teeth on the delicious ‘crunchy on the outside and velvety on the inside’ Pinoy panghimagas.
Take your carnivore friends to Rekado Filipino Comfort Cuisine to prove your point that it is possible to enjoy a meal sans the famous Boneless Crispy Pata, or any meat for that matter. If it’s a bet, you’re guaranteed to win a free meal.
***
Rekado Filipino Comfort Food is located at 1050 Jacinto Extension. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday. Telephone: (082) 284-2136 or 0915-722-9299.
For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/ and http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/