I'm sure you still remember my little adventure down south when I judged the recent semi finals of Lee Kum Kee' s Big Grill Masters (remeber BAGA Manila?). Well apparently they're not stopping there. They're partnering with several restaurants now in hopes that they too would benefit from the lovely products that they have today. A stones throw away from my house is Luna J Filipino Gastropub in Sct. Madrinan corner Tomas Morato in Quezon City. They serve real deal Filipino comfort food dishes and I must say, their version of ribs just spoke to me. I wanted to whip out an ouijia board and some glasses so I could spread my mumbo jumbo, but it's not magic or incantation that was happening, the Baby Back Ribs was cooked with Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce.
It was savory as savory as can be. It was a little on the salty side as you'd probably have to pair it with rice. The sauce says it all, dabbing a few of it on the blanched vegetables, corn and carrots just made that perfect bite happen.
It wasn't fall off the bone soft, but it had the right bite to it that you can still distinguish it as meat... as it should be. It was easy to bite off the bone, so if you're in Luna J, don't hesitate to get a little messy when you have to hold the ribs with your bare hands. Make sure the white rice is piping hot too because it really completes the experience!
Aside from those lovely ribs, they have other greats like this Bagnet Kare Kare. I've had several ABSCBN friends who swear by this as their favorite. They'd walk a couple of blocks just to have this for lunch and walk a couple of minutes back because they want it. It was pretty good!
Now I adore crunchy veggies and this version of Bicol Express was just lovely. Aside from the finger chili, I think this has string beans, winged seguidillas beans and the oh so soft (binagoongan) shrimp paste laden pork. The coconut cream makes it creamy, hearty and lovingly perfect to pair with steaming hot white rice. This is joy!
To end our meal, we also had this plate full of Palitaw. It's rice cake formed and boiled til it floats. Then after that, rolled in coconut, sprinkled with sugar with roasted sesame seeds. It was nutty, sweet and so nice to have that afternoon. I almost finished the whole plate by myself but thought of the others who haven't had it yet LOL! This was really good, don't go out of the restaurant without ordering it!
While you have your old stuff in the kitchen, try something new like the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce and maybe you, your friends and family would love it. I'm experimenting with their soy sauce in the kitchen too and getting great feedback with my steaks and sauces. There are going to be a few more restaurants that will try their hand on the Lee Kum Kee products, I'll keep you posted about that!
For more information about their products:
LeeKumKeePh
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