AS a child of the late 1960s and 1970s, I have been fortunate to have grown around an incredible amount of excellent cuisines and dishes, thanks to parents who were in the habit of eating—not just Lola’s table fare but also in popular restaurants then. In those days, when money matters were not pressing as they are today, a growing middle class family could still afford to dine out every weekend, not just on special occasions.
A number of these dishes we enjoyed then, I have belatedly realized, are making a comeback, and a number of restaurants which were favorites in those days are still around today, possibly passed on to the heirs of the original owners. During this pandemic, they have become popular again, no doubt due to our desperate need for food that comfort us and remind us of more relaxed, joyful times.
CORN DOGS
WHILE I waited for Mama to check out her purchases at the old Uni-Mart in Greenhills, I would have a corn dog at the stand near the main supermarket entrance. (The stand was beside the soft-serve ice cream kiosk, so my post-grocery shopping snack was usually either of those products.) The corn dogs at Uni-Mart were fat suckers, with a super thick deep-fried batter coating the dog. I would then ask the manong vendor to squirt on the ketchup, which he would do so in a zig-zag fashion.
It must be the Korean “invasion” which ushered the return of corn dogs, as I have seen boxes of them in neighborhood Korean stores, although I lucked out in buying a box of Willy’s Famous corn dogs (6 to a box) a few months ago via a food delivery app. They use beef franks, by the way, and now that I’m an adult, I enjoy them with a squirt of stone-ground mustard and Japanese mayo.
COOKIE MONSTER CHOCOLATE CAKE
SOME people may argue that chocolates cakes never went out of style, but I grew up with the one baked by Cookie Monster, again a kiosk at the old Uni-mart. So if there was a special occasion, or Mama just felt like it, she would buy an entire cake for the family to enjoy. And after having it for so many years, no other chocolate cake quite compares.
The cake base was moist, with the middle filled with a caramel-like cream. Its matte chocolate icing was generous, with its top in a lace-like pattern. And the best part was the taste was perfectly balanced, never cloyingly sweet. I am told the granddaughter of the original Cookie Monster bake shop owner is now busy baking in her kitchen, giving many in my generation a happy blast from the past. I personally have not tasted it yet, so the jury (of one, haha) is still out on this one, but do check it out at Cakes by Louise on Facebook.
BARRIO FIESTA CRISPY ‘PATA’
IN my youth, if you could not afford to feed your guests an entire lechon, at least there was always crispy pata for your celebrations. Barrio Fiesta—I vaguely remember one branch to be around the Timog/Tomas Morato area where the ABS-CBN complex now stands—was among the go-to restaurants then and popularized the pork knuckles, deep-fried to a crunchy, heart-stopping goodness. It became such a hit, it even surpassed the kare-kare, one of the popular original dishes on the restaurant’s menu.
A casual look through my food delivery app and community marketplace on Facebook recently showed, however, just how many restaurants and food retailers are now serving up the beloved crispy pata—from the neighborhood turo-turo to fine-dining restaurants. Even Mini-Stop sells it now. One of Barrio Fiesta’s heirs, a celebrity cook, also sells a frozen version of the delectable delight in supermarkets. But for the original, there are still Barrio Fiesta outlets in several malls, along with one on Edsa, in Greenhills, San Juan.
ROAST BEEF
Albergus was one of the first food outlets I ordered from during the early stages of the pandemic last year. Located in Capitol Hills in Old Balara, Quezon City, it was such a popular venue for wedding receptions back in the day, with the star being usually its most tender Roast Beef with its oh-so-creamy gravy; it continues to be my favorite among its offerings. It also offers other classics like its bibingka and ensaimada, and other frozen, ready-to-heat dishes, as well as bottled atchara, tuyo, even cocktail nuts. You can order directly from its main outlet, or from its kiosks in select malls via food delivery apps.
EGG PIE
THERE is just something so simple and satisfying as having a creamy egg pie snack. I grew up eating this for merienda when I would accompany Mama to the Zurbaran Market in Santa Cruz, Manila. I have a hazy recollection of what her purchases there were—usually it was an assortment of stuff for the home at bargain prices as it was like Divisoria, except to her mind, it was much safer to go to. At some point, after her shopping spree, she would bring me to one food stall which sold a luscious egg pie. What a find to Mama, I guess, considering the area.
Since the pandemic, there are now a hundred-and-one purveyors of the egg pie on the Facebook Marketplace alone. One popular chef also has a more decadent version of it, using local chocolate, in a thick, voluminous version. Personally, I am happy with the egg pie of Bagong Pag-Asa Bakery along Road 1, which has been around since 1977. It is just a simple slice of heaven and calm, amid the chaos of the indecisiveness accompanying our community quarantines. As they say, just eat your feelings.
What is your favorite retro dish or restaurant?