When you think of Rockwell, do you only think of the one in Makati? Well, let me confuse you haha. There is a Rockwell Business Center (RBC) in Ortigas, Pasig and there are restaurants there too (near Medical City). Thanks to Rockwell Land and Savor Filipino Cuisine for the reminder! Hehe. Now, I can add another location to my late-night food cravings that's very near Greenhills and Pasig. There are 2 Towers at RBC and they have around 12 restaurants (with convenience store). They're open at different times, some from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. while others from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.! We met up with Savor's founders Mel Dumlao, Raquel Estrella, Owen Gan and Executive Chef Trina Tiaoqui-Imperial one night and was given a crash course on Pinoy cuisine from all over the Philippines and an a la Masterchef to challenge to name the ingredients (by taste) of some of their dishes. Haha.
Savor was born out of the desire of the partners to bring out heirloom recipes from their families' baul and share the experience with the younger generation. What's nice about this partnership is that they come from different parts of the Philippines (north and south, more Ilonggo and Visayan food)! We found dishes that we've never heard about in the menu and it's so cool that many others can enjoy these food (na pinamana pa ng lola n'ya sa lolo ng lola nila) haha. Since some of the recipes are ancient, Savor has updated the dishes with what's available (ingredients) in the market today.
Partner Owen Gan describes the Savor (pronounced Sa-vor with a short "a") experience as "not Filipino fusion, but rather classic recipes personalized with our varied and unique experiences of how these dishes were prepared and enjoyed by each of us growing up - in the process of creating new menu traditions." I had my first Savor bite of this Crab & Shrimp Relleno and I was like "Hmm this tastes like.. but not quite." haha. Made me think of crab cakes.
Two of the partners are from Bacolod so they have this Boneless Chicken Inasal. Boneless is good haha. There's a citrus-y twist to this. I would have liked it juicier =)
This is Smoked Sardine Efuven. I think you can find this kind of noodles in Ilocos =) The sardine is not salty and I think I tasted prosciutto in there haha. I heard they make their own bagoong and smoked sardines.
This Krispy Pork Binagoongan is for super-salty-lovers. You need rice for this one.
Then I was transported to Pampanga with their Cowboy Sisig. Instead of pork, they used cow beef ;)
Ah, nostalgia! This next dish took me back to our visit to Atching Lillian Borromeo's kitchen in Pampanga when she told us about the Adobong Puti. I kept on eating this Sa Pula, Sa Puti dish!!!
Clearly, I had found my favorite Savor dish. On one side, it's soft adobo cooked without using soy sauce.
On the other side, it's like adobo flakes but not quite (Jeff: pork floss) haha. Even the vinegar was addicting LOL.
Whenever I see Sago't Gulaman in the menu, I order it haha. This one is just normal. I'm looking for one with the strong arnibal taste or made with muscovado sugar like the one I used to drink as a child and I had in Kainan sa Dalampasigan.
Another fun part of the night was the game they let us play haha. Taste the dish then name the most ingredients. Right minus wrong though O_O
I've always wanted to do this! This is called KBL (kadios - beans, baboy and langka) Soup. Tasted like salty tausi hehehe.
3 dishes so 3 rounds! Feeling pro wahaha. I got the salts and peppers right and actually won hahaha.
Savor has merienda treats available. Choose an item from A and B for P69 or choose 2 items from A for P89.
For dessert, we had the Savor Maruya. I tasted it a bit and I really liked the crust in the banana. Too bad it was smothered in chocolate (allergic) =( I would tell them to separate it next time hehe.
So many desserts to choose from! I just saw these last so yeah, I'm gonna come back for some of 'em. Haha.
Finally, I asked about the Tocino del Cielo. The server said it translates to "melts in your mouth" and not the tocino I was thinking about. Haha.
Restaurant Details:
Rockwell Business Center Tower 2, Level 1
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig
Open Mondays to Sundays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Open Mondays to Sundays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
584-6642
Savor has same owners as Savor Park Cafe in Makati and Zarzuela in Mandaluyong.
Giveaway Period: October 17, 2013 to November 14, 2013 12 a.m.
I'd love to hear from you below: What is/are your favorite Pinoy dish/es from childhood? Where is it from? Or maybe you miss eating a Pinoy dish, what is it? =)
I love dinuguan cooked by my mom.
ReplyDeleteI love to eat champorado.yummy.
ReplyDeleteBulanglang from Batangas City.Super saRAP
ReplyDeleteNothing beats Kare-kare!
ReplyDeleteI have always loved Halabos na Hipon since I was a kid. It's a very simple dish, just simmered and voila! so yummy.
ReplyDeleteclassic chicken adobo of my mom! yummy! :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite since then is kare kare and up to now I still love that. I go from one resto to another to look for yummy kare kare
ReplyDeletecuracha from alavars resto in zamboanga city
ReplyDeleteMy new favorite dish a a retake of one of my favorite childhood dishes. Seafood Kare-Kare. With Clams and Catfish, it is healthier and has a different, unique flavor of its own
ReplyDeletemy favorite pinoy dish are chicken adobo and sinigang(all kinds). Yumminess!!!!
ReplyDeletemy ever favorite pinoy dish is kare-kareng pata.. with super thick peanut sauce, maraming gulay plus a sweet and spicy bagoong alamang..
ReplyDeletePancit Malabon and Quekiam are my childhood faves.
ReplyDeleteI love nilagang buto-buto ng baboy cooked by my nanay!
ReplyDeleteSinampalukang Manok with real sampalok leaves and sampalok!!! Super delish and I miiiiiiis it a lot!! Craving right now :-)
ReplyDeleteI miss eating my favorite Pinoy dishes from childhood is the Pakbet ilokano it is from Isabela.
ReplyDeleteMy all-time favorite Filipino dish is my Dad's specialty, Dinakdakan.
ReplyDeleteBulalo
ReplyDeleteginataan, with bilo bilo
ReplyDeletePalabok and lumPia shanghai is my all time favorite
ReplyDeleteI love bicol express! luto ni mommy...^^
ReplyDeleteI miss eating filipino style spaghetti!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI really like to Eat Adobo that's my favorite Filipino cuisine. My mom cook it for me once a week :)
ReplyDeleteSinigang forever! :)
ReplyDeletepork barbeque :)
ReplyDeletemy Lola's kare-kare....the best!
ReplyDeletei miss the binagol from dagami. one of my favorite desserts ever!
ReplyDeleteI love native "tinolang manok".
ReplyDeleteMy grandma makes the best lumpia for me and I suddenly miss that..Anyways i'll get to taste it again soon because she will be cooking it on our year-end reunion which is a month away. :))
ReplyDeleteI love sinangag (fried rice) and tuyo (dried fish) with kamatis & hot cup of coffee during breakfast... =) Yum!!!
ReplyDeletei loved sinigang na baboy when i was a kid... but now, i prefer nilaga or kare-kare :) i don't miss any dish because my mom is a great cook and if she's unable to prepare something, there are plenty of restaurants/fastfoods that cater to our taste :)
ReplyDeleteI love my mom's super asim na sinigang. But I am missing the nilagang baboy with patani that my grandmother used to cook when I was small. we're from Laguna by the way.
ReplyDeletekare kare cooked by my lola from pampanga.
ReplyDeletei also loved my lola's leche flan from batangas... :))
Sinaing na isda from Batangas. Better if cooked in a clay pot. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Pinoy dish is Okoy which I usually buy from the nearby marketplace. :-)
ReplyDeletekare-kare, sinigang na hipon and baboy, pritong adobo, boneless bangus, inihaw na pork belly :D
ReplyDeletethis looks promising! can't wait for the desserts! haha
ReplyDeleteI love DINUGUAN. I dont know, but i just love the taste since my childhood days. I remember, dinuguan is one of the dishes serve night before the wedding. Funny but i like going to my relatives weddings and always asking for dinuguan :)
ReplyDeleteIf Im given the chance, I wanna eat all kinds of Adobo Pilipinas Could offer and lots of Puto!
ReplyDelete-KAny Vic Perez
I like Dinuguan and Sago at gulaman! I really am looking forward always for this. - julie gonzales
ReplyDeleteI really love pinakbet and lechon kawali! - Zyra Anne
ReplyDeleteSinigang and adobo! - Victoria Jose
ReplyDeleteAdobo and kare kare!
ReplyDeletePansit malabon and puto!
ReplyDeleteSinigang na Buto buto ng Baboy, anything that has gata like ginataang sitaw at kalabasa, bicol express, ginataang langka, ginataang papaya. Yumyum. :)
ReplyDeleteI miss eating bibingka and puto bungbong.
I miss the pansit habhab in Lucban Quezon with all the native food that you can buy anywhere.
ReplyDeleteid loveto eat pinakbet nomnomnom!!
ReplyDelete