A Finer Take on Filipino Food: Pino Resto Bar
Foodies will agree that Filipino food is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. All across the metro, restaurants with the tagline "modern Filipino cuisine" or "Filipino with a twist" allure diners with their interesting menu, promising a unique experience and an unforgettable taste. But all these now seem redundant. Restaurants simply twist the classic Pinoy recipes: deep fry the dinuguan, drench the lechon in sinigang soup, contort the poor hapless tilapia; and then you have your own perverted Filipino menu.
Nowadays, I prefer to patronize those joints that belong to the originators, those that lit the fire and started it all. Because these put a premium on taste and satisfaction, and not just mesmerize would-be diners with catchy names and alluring versions of our Filipino food staples. Pino Resto Bar is one such place. Hidden away from the bustling jungle of the metro, long before it broke into mainstream, Pino was a by-word among the food bloggers. Legend has it that there was a joint that served the blood-pumping bagnet in a very peculiar way. Whatever it was, the mere mention of bagnet already caught my ears. And off we went in search of this secret place.
And when we got there, there was nothing clandestine about Pino. Parking was full and cars stretched all along Malingap Street. Its ominous dark signage lured customers in, with its sister shop Pipino with its green signage almost screaming to us to avoid the cholesterol and go green instead. But I was here to splurge on fats. And I fell into temptation.
As I browsed through the menu, I pretended that I didn't have anything in mind already. But everything on the set looked appetizing. Notice how simple the descriptions were: crispy tenderloin tapsilog, wasabi onion rings, nilasing na adobong kambing, etc. No overzealous jargon here. Just plain good Pinoy food in a different way.
And so of course, I got the Kare-kareng Bagnet. She was not too keen with kare-kare, so she ordered the bagoong version instead (as if to complement my order). We agreed to get an appetizer just to nullify some of the fats we were about to ingest.
Crispy Calamares, P175 (+service charge)
Nothing beats the good old squid rings for a rousing start to a dinner. Crunchy and deep fried perfectly, the squid itself remains soft and tender. The aoili dip only adds much to the equation. A definite crowd-pleaser. But, I could eat this all by myself.
Kare-kareng Bagnet, P255 (single serve; +service charge)
I couldn't wait to see the star of the show. I could hardly resist digging in immediately while I took quick photos of the Kare-kareng Bagnet. Three generous thick slabs of Bagnet, double-fried to crispy perfection, lying peacefully on top of thick kare-kare peanut sauce. A few leaves of veggies to douse your guilt, and a proportioned cup of bagoong rice to seal the deal. The perfect love team for your heart. There was no question about the crunch of this bagnet, and the peanut sauce was your good old homey kare-kare. The dish that launched a thousand ships. And the fats that sank all the others.
Bagnet Binagoongan, P245 (+service charge)
As if to catapult our cholesterol levels, the Bagnet Binagoongan equaled, if not surpassed, the aforementioned Kare-Kare. Deftly chopped crunchy piece of bagnet atop a bed of sweet-spicy shrimp paste, paired with white rice. Another deadly 1-2 punch. Just like its closely related relative, the Binagoongan did not disappoint with each crispy bite. Perhaps my only complaint was that I would have preferred a true binagoongan style of cooking: the pork meat simmered in spicy shrimp paste (and not just bagoong from the bottle, I suspect). Still, the dish delivered with a simple yet other-worldly taste.
Pino Flavored Beer (Strawberry), P95 (right) and Orange Juice
In an attempt to dilute some of the fats, I sampled the strawberry flavored beer. It was quite a hit for me, as the bitter natural taste of beer was nearly neutralized by the sweet sour strawberry flavor.
There simply is no question about the incredible creativity of the people behind Pino. Perusing through the menu, nothing else seemed redundant. In fact, soon after Pino was making waves, a lot of other shops attempted to imitate Pino's own unique style. However, Pino stands out because their versions actually taste great and not just look great on the menu and pictures. Prices are easy on the pocket and worth the breath-taking experience. Pino was once hard to find, nestled along a residential street, but it has broken mainstream lately with its new branch at Jupiter Street. Those who prefer a more quiet aura should visit their main branch in QC. I would definitely go back and try the other stuff on their menu. On second thought, the bagnet beckons again.
Pino Resto Bar
39 Malingap Street. Teachers Village
Quezon City
Written by Jones
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