A trip down memory lane at Hizon's, Za's Cafe

I love all things old -- houses, music, furniture. As a foodie, I love eating in old restaurants as well -- especially those that have been in business since the pre- 
or post-war days. Oh, I have such admiration for those enduring businesses 

in the food industry, considering the very stiff competition these days.

One of the so-called battle-tested restaurants is Za's Cafe in the heart of Manila. This is the coffee shop owned by the same proprietors of Hizon's Cakes and Pastries -- yup, the one whose No. 1 customer was the country's king of comedy, Dolphy.  The two -- the comedian and the bakeshop -- both started humbly in their own field 
and grew popular together as the years passed. 

Dolphy, I read, was just starting out as an actor when he began patronizing Hizon's in the 1950s, often buying his favorite ensaymada at its initial store on then Calle Raon. Eventually, Hizon's transferred to where it is now on Jorge Bocobo St., Ermita, Manila and Za's Cafe was established adjacent to it to serve not only Hizon's famous baked products but also hot meals. Dolphy, I learned, was a regular there even when he was already ill, to the point that he carried his oxygen tank 
to the restaurant! What loyalty! 

Anyway, it was my first time at Za's Cafe last month, with two of my dear sisters and a brother in law. We were there for late lunch/merienda and opted for something 
a little light as we had breakfast buffet early on. 

We ordered two sets of palabok with pandesal and two dinuguan with puto 
plus ensaymada for dessert.

Palabok with 2 pcs. pandesal, P300. per order

We in our family love palabok so this was a natural choice for us. We loved that all the right flavors from the whole gamut of ingredients were present. And the saltiness was well calibrated. However, it was a bit dry. Maybe, it  would have been better if they put a bit more of the sauce. And I do believe this palabok is overpriced at P300, considering that the serving is not that big and enough for just one person.

Dinuguan with puto, P200.

This, we raved about more than the palabok. It was an impressive dinuguan - very flavorful! It was served with several pieces of puto Calasiao -- those immaculate-white,  bite-sized and sweetish rice cakes from the Pangasinan 

town where it got its name.

Ensaymada, Big, P130.
Hizon's ensaymada is big, fluffy, cheesy and delicious. It's perfect with coffee or hot chocolate -- and great for merienda, I could imagine as I write this, on a cold December afternoon. This ensaymada wouldn't be Dolphy's favorite for nothing!

  Brewed Coffee, P95.

One of my sisters, who was then vacationing from Canada, so loved the coffee at Za's, and was moved to comment that it was even better than their "own" Tim Hortons which they have every work day morning in Canada. I loved this one, too! It's easily one of my best cups ever! It's bold and full-bodied with a very pleasant taste that makes it good even without any sugar and cream added. Halfway into my cup, my sister urged me to try it with some milk. I did and it was also very good! I would definitely go back to Za's Cafe even if only for their brewed coffee.

Inside Za's Cafe

 A picture of Dolphy hanging by the entrance. 

  Inside Hizon's bakeshop

 Hizon's at 1197 Jorge Bocobo corner Arquiza Sts., Ermita, Manila


Aside from the good food and coffee, I took notice of the old-world feel inside Za's Cafe. There are vintage things on use and display and there are pictures of elderly people, most probably the original owners of Hizon's. The present management is already second generation, I learned. One more thing not to be missed by anyone is the framed picture of Dolphy prominently displayed near the entrance, 
making the presence of the late comedy king felt in the place. 
What nostalgic feel this restaurant evokes. I loved it 
and would definitely be coming back.

Bo's Coffee for everything great

If you're no newbie to this site, you know I love coffee and hanging out at coffee shops on my days off from work. I have a number of favorites when it comes to caffeine places and the list is stretching! Bo's Coffee is one of the latest additions and I've been to their store at SM San Lazaro three times and at SM Manila on one occasion. I've also gone to their branch at the ground floor of Pacific Sky Loft on Lacson St. near UST in Manila, which might as well be the newest Bo's Coffee in the metro. 
So what draws me back to Bo's? The smell (of coffee, of course) is wonderful, the ambiance is relaxing and both the coffee and food are great.
What I've had so far:

Spanish Sardines Pasta, P185.
On days that you want to avoid meat, this one's the perfect thing to eat. And you won't regret the healthy choice a bit because this dish is so good! I loved the balance of spicy, salty, sour and tangy flavors from the fish, olives and dried tomatoes.

Bolognese Pasta, P185.
This is definitely crave-worthy. I'm actually craving as I write this! I remember the spaghetti being bathed in delicious red, meaty sauce that was rightly sour and with just a hint of sweetness. A piece of herbed focaccia bread accompanied this wonderful pasta 
that came in a huge serving.

Bangus Omelette, P195.
Don't be deceived by this omelette's plain looks because the taste is far from being plain. Flaked tinapang bangus, eggs and cheese and probably onion and garlic make up this divine dish that was perfect company to buttered wheat bread. I love smoked fish and I learned from here that it could go so well with cheese. You gotta try this one!

Coffee Jelly Frappe, P160.
I paired this with the Bolognese pasta and it couldn't be any better. Still strong iced coffee with the addition of coffee-flavored jellies and topped with whipped cream. My only problem was that it was sweet and that's sinful for me.

Latte, P110.
I love coffee at Bo's -- full-bodied but not too strong to give me heartburn in the aftermath. I love, too, the fact that only Philippine coffee varieties are used here, benefitting local farmers.

Cappuccino, P110.
Espresso, milk and cinnamon. Perfect trio!

Bo's Coffee at the Pacific Sky Loft on Lacson St., Manila.

Bo's Coffee is one of those go-to places for the caffeine fix that really has a following. I know because it's always hard to find a vacant table when I come! I almost always have to do some waiting. I bet it's because of my above-mentioned factors -- great coffee, food and ambiance. Add to these reasonable prices and friendly crew. 
Try Bo's Coffee if you haven't, folks! There sure is a store near you. 

Halloween: To celebrate or not?

Today is All Saints' Day and it was Halloween just a few hours ago. Many pictures are in my social media feed showing how my friends celebrated this occasion much like the way it's done in foreign countries, the US especially. Children and even adults are dressed as witches, goblins and zombies and seem to be having fun 
in parties and trick or treat activities. 

But are we Christians supposed to celebrate Halloween and (unknowingly) glorify evil by dressing up as creatures of darkness? Before I got born again in 2013, I considered Halloween as the second happiest occasion of the year next to Christmas. I thought it was a lot of fun and even held a party at home one time, with me and all my children 

and helpers dressed up as witches and ghosts. 

More than a year later, I became a Christian and learned that celebrating Halloween isn't a good thing to do because it exposes one's self to forces of evil and Satanism and glorifies the enemy of God. In the web, there's a lot of good reads about this but there are, too, other articles debunking this, and even saying that Halloween is originally a religious (Roman Catholic) tradition before it was commercialized 
and celebrated "differently". 

Reading all these could bring confusion than enlightenment, really, but for me, a Bible verse can put the argument to rest. It's 1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. One would be wise to do a self-examination with this verse and ask, "Do the things I do/wear to celebrate Halloween give glory to God?" Think about it and pray.

Meanwhile, I was at my favorite place last Saturday -- Amor Bakery along Espana Blvd. -- to have coffee and this was what I got: a "spider" on my cupcake! I never knew spiders tasted good. Haha! Nope, I wasn't celebrating Halloween. 
I only wanted a cupcake to go with my latte, 
and given a free arthropod, too. Tee-hee!