Petra and Pilar

It's been busy at work and this post unfortunately had to be set aside, but the homestyle cooked food in Petra and Pilar is too good not to talk about.

Kojiro and I have been eating dinner out together lately, and thanks to the walking distance of this high end carinderia to both my office and his condo, Petra and Pilar has been our usual spot. You might be asking "Who is Petra and Pilar?". Petra is the Ponce-Enrile matriarch while Pilar is the Castañer matriarch, two great ladies who passed their love of good food to their granddaughter Katrina Ponce-Enrile (President and CEO of the JAKA Group of Companies).

Katrina's brainchild combines Filipino/Spanish comfort food prepared by chefs, presented to the customers in a minimalist space and familiar turo-turo (point what you want) manner. So off to the counter we went and started pointing which of the viands we want. Each serving of viand is big enough for 2 persons. We were quite hungry during this visit, thus we ordered the following (pardon the grainy images from my mobile phone):

L-R: Beef Kalitiran, Tanigue in Pesto, Chicken Sinigang
(not pictured: 3 cups of rice)

Beef Mushroom Kalitiran - P150

The Beef Mushroom Kalitiran is the house bestseller. Their menu changes daily but you're sure to find this as a staple. It's like roast beef with mushroom gravy, however I cannot tell if the beef was actually roasted prior to slicing or if the slices were simmered in the gravy to cook. Regardless of the cooking method, the results are absolutely fantastic.

Tanigue in Pesto - P150

Our next viand is really just mine to finish, Tanigue in Pesto. I've said it before and I will say it again; I love pesto! The fish cutlets were cooked just right, firm but flaky. The pesto they used was flavorful but doesn't scream "BASIL!", and that's a good thing. I think this dish would have gone to the next level with some juice from a lime wedge. Though I would have wanted it less oily, overall this creation was a winner, heck I ate all of it!

Chicken Sinigang - P 170

Our meal would not be complete without some soup. The offering for that evening was Chicken Sinigang. Sinigang is a dish that has meat and vegetables in a sour broth. It can be cooked with either chicken, beef, pork, fish or shrimps. The soup is also quite flexible wherein it can be made sour by using any of the following: tamarind, kamias (balimbi), calamansi (philippine lemon), or guava. The popular choice nowadays would be the ready-to-use powdered soup base that can be bought in all supermarkets and convenience stores.

I have a sour tooth and wanted the broth to be more sour. Kojiro agrees. The cooked vegetables were separated from the meat and soup, and were only added upon ordering. Its a good way to prevent it from being over cooked and turning soggy, however exposing it to air the whole day leaves it dry. This viand being the most expensive out of the three we ate turned out to be a disappointment. Next time I'll ask the staff if it's possible to just have some of the soup without any meat or veggies.

When I found out the dessert of the day, I made sure to leave some room for it. Leche Flan Pudding, mmmmm. Leche flan is a Filipino favorite with Spanish origins. Leche literally translates to milk, but the recipe calls for more egg yolks than milk (10-12 yolks). It can be considered as a stiff custard or a firm creme brulee with caramel sauce instead of the usual shell on top. Some would say that Leche flan is tedious or expensive to prepare, thus it has been associated with celebrations and special occassions in the Philippines.

Leche Flan Pudding - P130

Petra and Pilar's version has a layer of pudding, probably bread, which is barely recognizable. It blends with the flan so well that it looks and tastes as if it's all flan you're eating. It was firm and soft, the perfect balance for the consistency. I also love that it wasn't overly sweet despite the caramel sauce. As for the serving size, it is a considerable block good to share between 2-3 persons...if you'll be sharing it at all!

Petra and Pilar
JAKA Center
2311 Exportbank Drive cor. Chino Roces Ave.
Makati City