Last week was a week of trying out new dishes and meeting new people. After the epic quiz night we had at Wingman (where my team won, yay!), I got to try the offerings of this 8-year old restaurant located along Connecticut Street, Greenhills - Angels' Kitchen. If you aren't familiar with it yet, where the heck have you been eating?? Haha just kidding. I only found out about it myself. You see, I don't usually venture out to that area, but now that I have, I think I'll explore more of it soon.
Angels' Kitchen is owned and managed by five women with passions for cooking and baking. We got to meet with one of them, Ms. Maizie Qua, who handles more of the admin side of the restaurant. She told us that the recipes used at Angels' Kitchen come from her partners - from the starters to the desserts. These women met during their daughters' days in ICA, which led to them offering cooking classes in Mandaluyong, and eventually releasing a cookbook in 2006! Talk about a talented bunch!
Complimentary starters:
Melba Toast with Chicken Liver and Pistachio / Tuna Olives Pâté
You haven't even ordered yet, and you're already full! The tuna olives pâté has the strong flavor of olives, while the chicken liver pâté is more subtle. It didn't taste as liver-y as I expected, so it's still worth trying for those non-liver lovers. ;)
Soft Shell Crab with Mango Dressing (P388)
Beef Taquitos with Crispy Wanton (P298)
It's a make-your-own taquitos platter! This is one starter that I bet even kids will enjoy. Diners can choose to top their crispy wantons with just their favorite ingredients (I know some people don't like tomatoes), but I still suggest putting them all! Angels' Kitchen gives us generous servings of ground meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes with every order. The crispy wanton remained crunchy the entire meal, so that's a plus as well!
Kielbasa Sausage with Onions (P318)
Sausages never looked so good! The Angels took something simple and turned it into an appetizing treat! The sausages were delicious, and more flavorful than I expected. It's one of those dishes that's perfect for when you need a little comforting. Have some beer too while you're at it, yeah?;) I'm definitely getting this again next time!
Crispy Boneless Bangus Fritters in Sambal Oelek (P438)
I'm not a huge fan of fish, but I really liked the way this was cooked. I'm glad it wasn't oily or malansa after frying, and that they served it with a different sauce, the sambal oelek, which is a sauce made from chili peppers. I usually encounter fish dishes with some kind of creamy mayo sauce, so this was a welcome change. It's a lighter, albeit spicier, alternative, but that's what I like about it.
Beef Salpicao (P398)
Another great comfort food. I don't think I've ever met a plate of beef salpicao I didn't like - so if you're looking to order something that's a sure win, get this. Things to remember: meat has to be tender and flavorful, and should be accompanied by lots of mushrooms and garlic - and guess what, Angels' Kitchen got all of that right. Personally, I think that a restaurant that fails to cook this, fails in general. It's often considered as an appetizer, but I totally recommend eating beef salpicao with rice.
Parmesan and Caesar Glaze Dory (P428)
The moment they placed this on the table, I knew I was going to like it. Gaah, it was heaven! For the longest time, baked dory with cheesy pesto has been my favorite way to eat dory, but now, I think it's this one. More than the parmesan cheese (if you've read my other posts, you'll know how much I enjoy anything with cheese in it), I loved how they added lemon to it - and not just to lessen the lansa, but to actually enhance the flavor. The creamy, lemon-y, and cheesy dory with crisp lettuce leaves, and bacon bits was a great combination overall.
Lamb Curry with Apple Raisin Chutney (P488)
I love curry, but not so much lamb, so to be honest, I had some apprehensions about this dish. There's just something about its flavor that I don't like. But this wasn't so bad. In fact, it wasn't bad at all. The meat was soft and sweet, and went well with the curry, though I would have liked the curry sauce with a thicker consistency. It was also milder than most I've tried before, but then again, I guess the sauce had to be mild since the lamb already had a strong flavor to it. The dish came with some apple chutney on the side, which I thought went great with the lamb as well.
Pinakbet Rice with Lechon Kawali and Chocolate Bagoong (P478)
Their award-winning signature dish! How often can you say you've eaten pinakbet rice? This dish is very Filipino, but in a way it's not, because Angels' Kitchen veered away from the usual way of serving it. Instead of laying it out with plain white rice, they've combined the two elements together to make an amazingly flavorful plate of pinakbet rice! The viand here is no longer the vegetables but the three huge chunks of fried lechon kawali you see above. Let's not forget the chocolate bagoong it came with. Yum!
Lengua Con Olivada (P528)
You know how when you were a kid, you used to eat everything, but now, not anymore? Well, ever since I found out what lengua was, I stopped eating it. For those who don't know, it's actually ox tongue. It's a really yummy dish, often served with mushroom cream sauce. It's been years since I had last eaten lengua, but I tried it again that night at Angels' Kitchen, and I'm back to loving it. I totally understand how ox tongue can turn someone off, but you know what, it's worth trying. Try a small bite. If you don't like it, then fine, don't eat any more. But if you find out that it's actually good, then at least you have a new dish to come back for (and you don't spend the rest of your life avoiding a dish you would've loved haha).
Plus, it's hard to resist a dish that smells and looks this good. Thank you, Angels' Kitchen, for reintroducing me to lengua!
Now, onto dessert! ;)
To be honest, I found it difficult to choose a favorite because they were all so wonderfully and deliciously made. Instead of picking just one favorite, here's my top three: the Cassava Con Mantecado, the Sunburst Lemon Cake, and the Chocolate Lava Cake. But all five were superb and I'd recommend them all any day.
Cassava Con Mantecado (P238)
Mango Cream Pie (P238)
Sunburst Lemon Cake (P238)
Chocolate Lava Cake (P228)
Rustic Apple Pie (P258)
Thank you, Angels' Kitchen, for making my Friday night an awesome one. Be back soon!
