Aysee’s Sisig

When I was back in college, our professor told us that “you haven’t been to Ortigas if you haven’t tasted Aysee’s Sisig”. I was only a freshman back then, and it was my first time to be in an area that was so “uptown-ish” compared to my suburban abode. Wanting to experience Ortigas in full, me and my friends decided to give Aysee’s a try.

Our professor told us that it’s the best Sisig Ortigas can offer, and with that we thought we couldn’t afford it. However, we were surprised that Aysee’s (commonly misspelled “Aycee’s”) was just a humble, hole-in-the-wall eatery around Ultra Sports Complex. In fact, we were even more surprised that a lot of business people were having lunch there. And so, we were led to believe that this little eatery had something to be proud of.

And with that, what our professor said held true. Aysee’s really got the best Sisig in town. For such a small price (90 pesos), you’d get more than what you expect. I mean, I must admit, you’d be thinking for a price that low, a Sisig could only be as bland and un-sisiglike—but hell no—they’ve got that recipe down to home-cooked goodness.

Their Sisig is served popping hot on a sizzling plate, with a dollop of fresh egg, and all the rice you want for only 10 pesos a cup. Unlike the kapampangan version of the Sisig, Aysee’s use only pork meat and skin.[1] You might be thinking that their Sisig might only be good for one, but in fact, a plate of this dish could already satisfy two hungry office workers—who are definitely not on a diet.

And oh, they’ve got pulutan dishes that are really good too with rice. For example, they’ve got Tokwa’t Baboy where the size of both ingredients are quite huge, and what’s more, the pork is fried to a crisp – so it’s more like Tokwa’t Bagnet. And they also got Papaitan that’s served on a bowl that’s being continually heated with a burner—so you could have all that hot pulutan goodness right at your table for a fraction of the price.

Yes, that’s one thing I’m proud I’ve learned from my professor. Haha. So if you’re really hungry and are on a budget, you and you’re friends could just head on out at Aysee’s. It’s along Ultra Sports Complex, there’s a big sign along the road that says Aysee’s Sisig. You wouldn’t have to bring lots of cash, ‘coz this one’s very affordable.  Definitely try it out sometime!

PS: If you aren’t convinced, click here.

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[1] since the kapampangan recipe calls for more expensive ingredients

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Pho Hoa’s Soup for the Soul

A few spring rolls ago, Pho Hoa has been featured in this little blog of ours. Now, I’m going to feature this restaurant again.

Anyway, Pho Hoa is more properly known for their specialty Vietnamese soups. One thing about Vietnamese noodle soups (they call it Pho) is that these guys have their own way of eating and preparing their soups. Europeans put butter and dip bread on theirs, while the Chinese sprinkle shredded meat or crack an egg, and Pinoys usually add toasted garlic on ours. The Vietnamese, I’ve come to understand, add fresh herbs and spices to theirs.

Vietnamese condiments could be mistaken for a salad.

I don’t have any experience when it comes to Vietnamese food so I read the how-to-eat-Vietnamese-pho on the menu. Once you get your soup, you then pluck out some basil leaves as well as some bean sprouts (which are already given to you) then add them on your soup. You then squeeze in a pinch of lemon juice, some hoisin and/or chili pepper sauce-then eat.

I’ve ordered what they call a Pho with meatballs, tendon, fatty flank, and brisket since I thought it would taste like bulalo. Okay, to tell the truth, it didn’t really taste like it. The Pho tasted like some herbal, therapeutic, and “minty” version of our beloved beef and marrow broth. I guess it’s because of all those herbs that they use. The meat was sweet and succulent, the meatballs were savory, and surprisingly, the tendons were extremely soft. In any case, it was a refreshing and tasty experience.

Now here's some with herbs on it

It costs about 199 Php for one “small” bowl. Okay, even though they call it “small”, it really isn’t. Well, not unless Vietnamese people eat out of cauldrons then it is. But to tell the truth, one Pho Hoa small bowl of soup could already feed two people. I know, I’m quite a big eater but then I had a hard time clearing up my bowl of soup. In any case, don’t order the large bowl if you’re not planning to feed three people.

Here comes the personal part. Even though the serving was quite big, the price was a bit too edgy when it comes to your daily lunch-money. Also, it’s Vietnamese food-something that’s quite different from the Pinoy’s common palate of Japanese, Chinese, American, and Italian food. So if you’re willing to eat on the safe side, I suggest you just put your 200 pesos on Kenny Rogers, Jollibee, Chowking or somewhere else. But if you’ve got the money (and the curiosity), then Pho Hoa is a refreshing and interesting break from your usual lunch diet.

And oh, Pho Hoa has two branches here in Ortigas. One’s in Megamall Building A (ground floor) and the other’s at Metrowalk. Enjoy!

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