Recipes by Cafe Metro

We've been patrons of Recipes since the start of 2000, I think, back when Jquai and I were still dating... still eating beef and pork... and still loving white rice. Our must-haves then consisted of the laing, crispy tilapia, lechon kawali, korean beef stew, garlic fried rice, bottomless iced tea or ripe mango shake and banana fritters. It's been almost 9 years now and even after turning whole wheaters and anti white food lobbyists (with exceptions to white chicken, turkey & duck meat), we still frequent this restaurant. We've dined at their Mega Mall, Trinoma, and Greenbelt branches (I know I'm forgetting a couple of locations I'm sure we've visited) with each dining experience constantly meeting our expectations.

Now, however, our list no longer includes the lechon kawali, korean beef stew and fried rice-- they've been replaced by the tender spicy squid and perfectly crunchy general's chicken, no rice. And when laing's not available, we can make do with the gising-gising. But in my opinion, it couldn't outshine the laing if you placed 3 spot lights on top of it.

Recipes is all about "home cooked" flavors. Their uncomplicated viands make for effortless gastronomic satisfaction. All you have to do is sit, order, wait, eat, enjoy. Here' s few of our favourites at Recipes:

Crispy Tilapia

This Tilapia (or St. Peter's fish) dish is the most famous of Recipes' offerings. True to its name, it is delightfully crispy and when eaten with the accompanying vinegar-soy sauce concoction, it can become an easy addiction.

Laing

The crispy Tilapia should not be eaten without the Laing. Their recipe for this well known Filipino dish may not be the best I've tasted, but it is nonetheless good and it brilliantly complements the crispy tilapia in every divine bite. When at Recipes, I always order this.

Spicy Squid

It isn't that spicy unless requested I guess. It's a blend of sweet and sour and spicy that make the dish balance out the flavors of the crispy fish and the laing. They are done tender and easy enough to slice through

General's chicken

I love this dish. The crunchiness of the batter -- the type of crunch that's just right and not hard at all on the teeth and gums-- is a welcome bonus. It has a sweet barbecued flavor about it that almost makes it taste like the famous bufallo wings of another famous joint.

Their servings at Recipes aren't that big though. Most of their dishes are good for just two people and sometimes I can even finish an entire crispy tilapia and an order of laing by myself! And I shouldn't forget -- their main courses / specialties are best enjoyed with rice unless, of course, we share the same eating habits, which i doubt... :)

End your meal with the banana fritters (bananas rolled up in crunchy lumpia wrapper topped with vanilla ice cream)-- yummy! Or try their other delicious desserts... just because.