Another Side of Manila: Mofara's Halal Food Haus

Strangely, I have never been to Quiapo, despite having lived in Manila for my whole life, so some time ago, my friends decided to take me on a Quiapo adventure. We visited a few churches, took a look at some fascinating ancestral houses, shopped for handmade souvenirs under a bridge, and also dropped by the Muslim mosque as well as the neighboring shops. I was eventually led to this quaint little eatery, Mofara's Halal Food Haus, that served halal Maranao cuisine. Something new and different? Excellent!

(Fun facts: Maranao refers to the people of Lanao, a predominantly Muslim region in Mindanao.)

Mofara's, a small open-air restaurant that's the exact definition of "hole-in-the-wall", also served non-Muslim, regular cafeteria fare, but why would we want to try that? We quickly ordered several exotic-looking dishes to try by pointing them out in the display case in front of the store, and eagerly took our orange seats to wait for our orders.

Affordable Fine Dining at Chef's Quarter

One day, my father suddenly had a craving for steak. We don't have steak very often, because of the cost and also because my family loves seafood more than meat. However, we do like a good steak once in a while, and it was up to me to find a nice nearby restaurant for us to enjoy some fine dining.

A few Internet searches led me to a restaurant in Robinson's Place Manila called "Chefs' Quarter." I've never heard of the restaurant, despite having been to RP plenty of times before, and when we finally found the restaurant, I realized why. Instead of being inside with all the other food establishments, Chef's Quarter is located outside, and there is no inside entrance. In short, you have to get out of the mall in order to get to the restaurant. No wonder I've never seen it before.

Despite the unfortunate location, its reputation is still enough to attract a hefty customer base, as I had seen from the many positive reviews on its Munchpunch.com page.

Tasty Dumplings

It's time for... more Chinese food! It's been a while since I visited Ongpin, but this time, I was less adventurous and decided to have lunch at an old favorite--Tasty Dumplings. Serving some great yet affordable Taiwanese style food, this place is a refreshing break from the salty, oily, MSG-laden, and not to mention expensive, Cantonese-style cuisine that's common for Chinese restaurants in Manila.

Tasty Dumplings

The Less Traditional Side of Chinatown - Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House

(First of all, I apologize for the super late post!)

As someone who grew up eating at every Chinese restaurant in Ongpin, I have to say I'm sort of tired of the usual fare. You know what I mean: siomai, siopao, pork asado, and so on and so forth. Although I still love a nice hot bowl of noodles, it's not easy to find something unique from all of the restaurants offering the same menu.

And then comes Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House, a relatively new competitor branching out from the famous Eng Bee Tin Hopia franchise. In fact, the store is named "Mr. Ube" after Mr. Gerry Chua, the owner of Eng Bee Tin who found success in his world-famous ube (purple yam) hopia that's being copied across the country.

Inside Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House

Celebrating Diwali at Assad Cafe

Today is the start of Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, a 5-day Hindu holiday in India. Coincidentally, my friends and I visited Little India in Paco, Manila, where I got to see all the preparations of the Indians living here.

We had a nice meal at Assad Cafe, a cozy little Indian restaurant along UN Ave., Manila. It's right across Unilever, so there were a lot of office workers having their lunch as well. They have two menus: one featuring regular cafeteria fare, and the other with authentic Indian cuisine. Of course, I'm here today to talk about the Indian food.

Inside Assad Cafe