Hearty lunch at Rekado

In time for the love month, Rekado has rolled out some new items on its menu that can be enjoyed during your date with your special other, friends, or family.

Offering classic Filipino dishes with their own take on it, Rekado is adding to its menu Morcon Rekado Style, Mindanao Style Beef Stew, Crispy Pork Strips with Burong Hipon, Rekado’s Pancit Malabon, Tagalog Glazed Wings, Fried Lapu-Lapu with Honey Bagoong Glaze, Rekado’s Chicken Inasal, and Shrimp con Mayonesa with Crab Fat.

Chef Pauline Benedicto, chef and owner of Rekado, on the new items on the menu: “It’s more Filipino food we all love but with a twist on it, which is how we present our version of comfort food since day one.”

Last week, lifestyle writers and bloggers had a taste of these new offerings from Rekado. Overall, I did enjoy the food that was served. However, there are dishes that really stood out to and I cannot stop thinking about it.

At the top of my list are the Morcon Rekado Style, Mindanao Style Beef Stew, Tagalog Glazed Wings, and Rekado’s Chicken Inasal.

Morcon Rekado Style

The Morcon Rekado Style is “stuffed beef marinated in soy mixture braised with aromatics until fork tender.” The filling is made of Spanish chorizo, cheese, and chicken liver. This was a delicious dish and the morcon was tender as they say it is. I also loved its sauce.

Mindanao Style Beef Stew

The Mindanao Style Beef Stew looked just like any simple beef stew. What sets it apart is the layers of flavors you get from the meat, Rekado’s special spice paste, and coconut milk. The burnt coconut taste was a pleasant surprise after tasting the dish. This dish was soulful and I love every bite of it.

Tagalog Glazed Wings

Among the dishes on the table that I could not forget is the Tagalog Glazed Wings. If we talk about the new menu of Rekado, this is the dish that would first pop into my mind. It is that memorable. The sweet soy glaze was delicious. It has this wonderful balance of sweet and salty that would keep wanting for another bite. The chicken has been brined for 12 hours and then marinated.

Rekado’s Chicken Inasal

What I loved about Rekado’s Chicken Inasal is how full of flavor it is. The skin and outer layer of the chicken quarters are the only ones that are packed with flavor but the flavor has seeped in down to the bones. The chicken quarters were also brined for 12 hours and marinated in lemongrass, calamansi, and soy sauce. The chicken is sweet, salty, and sour.

For dessert, we were to be served some classic kakanin — Bibingka and Puto Bumbong. Unfortunately, we were not able to try the bibingka but I’ll make another visit soon to try it.

Puto Bumbong

While we were only able to try the Puto Bumbong, it was delicious. This popular kakanin, commonly served during the Simbang Gabi in December, is purple rice cake steamed in bamboo tubes and served with grated coconut and muscovado sugar. What makes their puto bumbong special is the melted margarine, which binds the components of the kakanin together. Also, who does not love hot melted margarine?

Fried Lapu-Lapu with Honey Bagoong Glaze. “The sweet and spicy bagoong adds a kick to the flavorful fried fish.” – Rekado

It was a soulful and comforting lunch at Rekado. I always enjoy the food here. I love how they put their twist on these humble Filipino classics.

Rekado’s Pancit Malabon. “Noodle dish with a flavorful sauce made with shrimp & Annato oil served with chicharon and egg.”

Whether it is a date with your special other or a sumptuous meal with loved ones, you will enjoy the dishes served here.

Shrimp con Mayonesa with Crab Fat. “Sauteed shrimp served with rich mayonessa dressing with crab fat.”

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