If you asked me to recommend a good place for Filipino comfort food around BF Homes in Parañaque, you won’t find it along congested Aguirre avenue. You’ll find it, instead, along Pablo Roman street, near the Southville gate, in a transformed garage, called Kapeng Mainit. Owned and operated by chef Bryan Francisco, he was already the chef de partie at Bouchon Bakery in Las Vegas when he decided to move back to Manila and take his amazing culinary talent home, literally. I’ve been keeping this delicious secret to myself for the longest time, but as the season of giving is fast approaching, I figured to drag Jericho along for a trip to the comforting cafe.
First off, I love a good brunch or breakfast for dinner, and chef Bryan and I seem to be on the same wavelength since his Cornbread Bibingka Egg Waffle (₱135) is the bomb! Grainy and heavy with just a tinge of sweetness, this is served with butter and maple syrup, the east-meets-west combination bringing a whole new Pinoy flavor to the very Caucasian dish.
What better than a normal bibingka egg waffle? Cornbread Bibingka Egg Waffle with Sinigang Fried Chicken (₱295), of course. Chicken and waffles never tasted this good, a modern Filipino take on the midwest favorite. In lieu of buttermilk-marinated fried chicken, this one is deep-fried with sinigang powder, which lends a sourness to the crispy, juicy chicken, which also holds up well to the gritty bibingka waffle. Ugh, even just writing all of this down is making me salivate over that chicken.
Stop by for lunch and tuck into a comforting bowl of Fried Chicken Adobo (₱295). A simple masterpiece on a plate, these chunks of tender, garlicky chicken is served with a poached egg, an onion and tomato salsa, all on a bed of garlic rice. Mmm…
Going back to the Sinigang Fried Chicken (₱290), you can also get it with rice, because let’s face it, if we don’t eat it with rice, it’s only considered to be a ‘snack’ and not a meal, no matter how heavy it is! This is served with sinigang rice, which really can just be eaten on its own, it’s that’s flavorful!
I’m not typically a fan of processed meat, but chef Bryan won me over with his filling Spamusubi (₱125), using caramelized spam with kimchi rice wrapped in nori, it’s deceptively filling and subtly addicting, I always end up ordering two and saving half of the other order for later in the day.
If you’re looking for a palette cleanser that isn’t chocolate, Bryan has creative creations in spades, one of my favorites being his Calamansi Cookies (₱35 each) which are tangy and chewy, and go marvelously with a cup of coffee.
Cheesecake (₱120 each) seems to be all the rage for the past couple of years, but the ones served at Kapeng Mainit take the familiar creamy flavor and turn it on its head with flavors like jalapeño, salted egg, and red wine.
Another perennial favorite which put Kapeng Mainit on the map is Bryan’s Assorted Beignets (₱200). Light and indulgent, these French doughnuts are topped with powdered sugar with chocolate, green tea, caramel, and salted egg centers. Half the fun is biting into them to figure out which is which.
Kapeng Mainit is located at 3 Pablo Roman Street Corner Tropical Avenue, BF International, Las Piñas and is open Wednesday to Monday from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations please call +63 917 557 3375.
The post Weyt a Minit at Kapeng Mainit appeared first on Mucking Around Manila.
