I'm a guy who needs a good, hearty meal every now and then and I'm blessed that some of the nicest restaurants are just a stones throw away from where I live in Quezon City. I've been a regular in their Tomas Morato branch but when I was still working in Eastwood City, I was so ecstatic that they also opened a branch right above my office. Situated at the second floor of Eastwood Citywalk is Big D's Smokehouse. This is the second child, a restaurant of Chef Dino Paulo Peralta and his partners that serve southern style - comfort food. It's reminiscent of Cajun or Creole which I've loved for years and I've always gone to this place if I feel a little sad because the food reminds me of home. I mean I'd imagine my home cooking in this level and I'd love to come back to something this good when I get the urge to go out and have dinner with friends and family. I'd do this too if I'm alone. It makes you curl up by the window when it's raining outside and you're about to cry. It comforts you in every sense of the word, but I'd like you to check out the plates so you get to see what I'm talking about.
The Eastwood branch is quite big. The Tomas Morato corner Scout Madrinan branch is a bit small but generally good if you're into dining al fresco. They have an air conditioned room (which I frequent a lot) that's got a wide screen TV, cozy bunk chairs and the whole Morato branch can probably fit around 50-60 people. The Eastwood branch could probably a bit more than that as they have smoking sections, the seats in the main hall and a couple more in the loft upstairs. If you're into small parties, they can accommodate that there.
The main hall when you open the restaurant's door looks like a saloon, southwestern/tex mex place which they designed themselves. Quite nice actually, as the walls could very well be your first conversation piece. Chef tells me they plan to spruce it up in a couple of months. Aside from that, they've told me that they're planning to open up a third branch in McKinley around June this year. That's good news for the people staying in BGC and nearby areas, at least you're going to have decent ribs down there. They've got SUPER GOOD ribs in slabs and half slabs, definitely would fit the bill.
We had our appetizers served first! This is their Pulled Pork Platter Nachos. Nothing seems to have made me lose my concentration more but when they mentioned "Pulled Pork". They spent hours on time to do this in their smokers so you get the meat to that quality where it literally falls off the bone. They separate this to strips and put on top home made chips (oh yes they make it themselves!) the usual garnish so you get that beer match going. They've got a real working bar downstairs, with tons of beer and liquor choices so you can easily order one if you see the need to.
This is the kind of thing that you would want to munch on quite slow, but turn out eating half the plate in a few minutes. The smoky pork pieces, the way they smothered it with the right amount of cheese sauce and sourcream, plus a bottle of cold beer, shall I continue? Ha-ha! This is ideally meant to be shared, so if you're in a group or being messed up with your siblings, you can save a lot in just a single order.
This one's their Chili Cheese Puff (of which we thought were just ordinary Hush Puppies). It's quite a nice idea to put in different kinds of cheese so you get that sharp, salty bite in every tater bite. I think you'll also get a hint of mozzarella, Parmesan and roasted pimiento flavor so make sure you order this if you have kids around. You know when you were kids, anything that had cheese on it was LOVE right?
Speaking of love, this was a hit with my peers during our Big D's visit. This is the Steam Pot Shrimp. While I was trying to keep my mind off the shrimp (of which I am allergic to) I couldn't stop myself because they all said the broth was so good. I could already imagine the herbs, the garlic, the caramelized onions all breaking down, sweating, simmering in an almost orange to red broth. They also added a spicy kick, making it richer, that I almost didn't see it because they almost finished the plate.
A perfect morning plate would have been hogging the title of Corned Beef with Dirty Rice. The soft, almost disintegrating, fork tender meat just tastes so fresh than those canned counterparts you have in the pantry. I love this as it's not too salty, it's cured well and the rice that comes with it is fluffy and seasoned well. If you see the one on the bottom, yes that's a hash brown because you need some more carbs with the rice. If this had an egg with it it'll be over the top, it's protein rich but still keep you full after a night shift. We love how that feels.
When it's a feast we want, it's a fest we get! Just look at the amount of protein on this spread! This ladies and gentlemen is called the Big D's Southern Platter. It's the perfect meal for me, anytime, any day! I'm a carnivore, I'm not discounting the fact that going vegan might be healthy but really, how can you not love a full slab of Ribs done hours in the smoker and grill, a mound of cut fries, grilled corn on the cob, pork chop slices, real spiced sausages, grilled chicken and a simple slaw. Imagine how each piece would land on your mouth complete with barbecue sauce spread in an almost 2 1/2 foot plank without the pirate pushing you. There are some really smart people in the kitchen to even think about this lovely offering.
They've already proven how good they are in doing real southern comfort food and these possible new additions to the menu will ease in this year. Their prices are not outrageous and I like how they painstakingly research what to serve for those who love southern cooking. I mean, if you want comfort food then by all means make it the best version of it. I regularly order the giant pulled pork tacos in this place but now they've got MORE to offer and didn't go stagnant. That to me is a good thing.
Chef Dino Paulo Peralta's cooking remind me of home. It makes you all warm and fuzzy. It also makes you feel that you get your money's worth because all you get from Big D's Smokehouse is real good food. Now you go and get your horses ready to visit them at the 2nd Floor of Eastwood Citywalk in Eastwood City or the 2nd Floor of POS Building in Scout Madrinan corner Tomas Morato (the brick building right across Il Terrazo). They're also planning to open one in McKinley real soon. Again, if you want real comfort food plus the best ribs in town, try Big D's Smokehouse coz it's the real deal!
For more information about their restaurant:
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