Keeping It Simple and Sincere on Father's Day

Dad's recent recurring regular indigestion and mom's cholesterol report did not allow our plans to go buffet at Seven Corners or go Gasthoff and food trip some more at A. Venue Mall in Makati.

I would have really wanted them to try Contempo Asia Restaurant as their soy cheesecake is really smooth, simple, creamy and delightful. They have scrumptious main entrees as well, like the pepper crusted shrimp on this special rice pilaf which I've tried in their booth at the Market at the Hills.

So, after they picked me up at Eastwood, we wanted a hassle-free and easy yet quality lunch which would be enjoyable for my folks who can't eat on quantity, like the usual.

Since my brother had just got his first paycheck, he offered to treat the four of us. But of course, trusting the foodie in me, he let me do the picking of the resto but reiterating he did not want to spend much.

Coming from the East side, I usually pass by C5 when heading to Fort. For quite a few times the past month, after getting passed Tiendesitas and the Valles, I see this huge sign of Kopi Tiam at Green Valley Bowling and Billiards Center.

For the longest time, I wanted to try Kopi Tiam after hearing a couple of friends from New Manila say that it is a place to scrimp yet enjoy scrumptious. Well, Kopi Tiam being a brainchild of Raffy Soon, the man behind North Park, Tianamen and Next Door, I felt more than confident to entice my family to try Kopi Tiam despite it being located in a non-commercial, seemingly exclusive venue.

So after having a hard time deciding because of their venue extensive menu, we finally ordered...

We were first served our Chap Chee (or Japche), a Korean specialty which I've tried before in Seoul Barbeque, World Topps and Cho Sun. So far, this is at par with Seoul Barbeque's which was then on top of my list. A plate good enough to share amongst the four of us costs 140 pesos.

A little later, our Shanghai Seafood Rice (150 pesos) was served, which my mom said, was filling and tasty enough even without a viand.

Not long after, our Stuffed Eggplant in Tausi (190 pesos) was served along with our half-order of China Chicken (195 pesos). Boy, a slice of the eggplant with a bit of sauce is filling and flavorful enough to serve as ulam for your entire plate of rice!

As we uttered our order items, I thought we did not have much especially when mom said half-chicken... But with their serving, we had more than I expected...

The entrees were full of flavor but a bit on the salty side for me. Maybe because I've been recently enjoying much of some bland greens and broth from my favorite Vietnamese restaurants (Zao and Pho Hoa). But for my brother, salty taste was good enough for him. Maybe the viands I ate were best with plain rice. Yeah, definitely. Or maybe, next time, I'll ask for lesser salt sprinkle on our orders....

A little later, we ordered dessert... Dad's tummy was still not very stable and bro had to finish all the food on the serving plates which we can no longer touch... Hence, only mom and I ordered...

She had Vanilla Black Gulaman Jelly (65 pesos), which we all tried ( a sip). We all agreed that it tastes really good. It really is... Mom does not have sweet tooth and for many times, I've made her try my favorite desserts, with only a fair reception. So for her to really enjoy this thing, this is definitely a must-try...

... But the best treat of all for a sweet tooth and chocoholic (Moi), is the Warm Chocolate Tablea Cake (95 pesos). This upstaged my Warm Choco Lava Cake favorite from Agave and Zuzuni's Chocolate Sin. With some sprinkle of almonds, some creamy white strip of filling inside along with the gooey chocolate oozing from every slice, I am reminded of my favorite Ferrero Rocher. This is my new to-die-for warm chocolate cake. For a cheap 830 pesos, we had a simple and surprisingly enjoyable Father's Day lunch. Initially, I thought I'd fail them because we entered a rather plain and very basic Bowling Center on the way to the restaurant. When we went inside, there was also nobody else dining, so initially, I was feeling I had a loser choice. Although, the interiors were not really disappointing... It had a feel of a cantina upon entering. But as soon as we got settled on the soft couches by the view of the pool side, we actually found the place cozy. It's not a dinner-date place, but a casual dining after work place or a bonding with family and friends place. Well, a little later after we were seated, big families came in. The family of Chef Amelia Ann Alba (the woman behind the famous Barbara's Catering, with a restaurant venue in Malate) and Chef Joshua delos Reyes (who owns Cake Gallery) also came in for lunch (So, I was thinking, if these chefs who really cook good food patronize Kopi Tiam, then it must be good). The Philippine Bowling Team was there to enjoy Father's Day as well. About three more tables also got occupied while we were starting our lunch, so the aura got festive.

For less than a thousand, we truly enjoyed because it was an unsophisticated, simple, sincerely intimate and scrumptious lunch treat for the man of the house.

On our way home, we passed by a cake shop, bought lola her favorite crema de fruta and celebrated with her (in her house), my cousin Eleiza and my Tita Nancy, "Father's Day." We also had lolo (in our thoughts) with us over the simple merienda. It was a time for talk and boisterous laughing about stupid and simple things about our lives.

Nothing grand. All simple. But the experience was heart-warming and comforting enough like a good hug and a perfect cup of coffee on a rainy day.