Why? (Why Dee Why? Haha sorry I couldn’t help myself)

It is, for me, the single most popular Filipino restaurant in the whole of Sydney and it has taken us 100 million years to join the fun and visit the restaurant. Being Filipinos doesn’t help – the fact that most of us believe Mum’s homecooking is better than any restaurant has steered us away from going to Filipino restaurants. But, the pull of our hungry stomachs and the lure of the beach, plus our own curiosity had us driving 45 minutes up north to Dee Why to see what the fuss was all about.

Kare Kare: tender meat & peanut sauce heaven!

Yes, we’re late bloomers. We also tagged along a high school friend who was equally eager to tuck into some grub from the motherland.

I was equally surprised at how good the food was. The prices were relatively good, the servings massive and most importantly, the food was fantastic!

As soon as you walk in, you’re immediately greeted by some regular bits and bobs found in almost every Filipino household:

So Filipino: spoon and fork

The giant fork and spoon (what’s missing is the framed “God Bless Our Home” and “God Bless Our Kitchen” hanging on the wall, but the fork and spoon will do).

While waiting for our orders to arrive, we entertained ourselves with the different drawings on the wall, each showing distinctive Filipino icons.

The Jeepney, every Filipino's staple public transportation complete with "sabit"

Kalabaw, or water buffalo - essential in farmers in rice paddies

There was no mucking about. We ordered three dishes that really showed how meat-hungry we were. We also ordered these three specifically because although we can cook, all three of us couldn’t cook these dishes. Especially the third one.

So, shall we? (and yes, we went straight to the mains!)

Beef Caldereta

Beef Kaldereta

This Spanish-inspired dish is a true crimson beauty. Tender chunks of meat in a pool of rich, mild-spicy tomato based sauce cooked to tender perfection. Pour the sauce over your white rice and this is a meal in itself. We certainly mopped the sauce with a healthy serving of white rice, just because.

Kare Kare

Kare Kare

I let out a silent squeak when I saw the black bowl-looking dish heading our way. This is how kare kare should be served: in a clay pot called palayok that screams AUTHENTIC! Imagine this: slow cooked ox tail, beef and tripe in a peanut sauce. Sounds heavenly? What if I tell you that to eat this the right way, you have to finish it off with a side serving of bagoong, a salty concoction of smelly shrimp paste that oh-so-oddly goes well with the heavy, heady peanut sauce? Again, serve with a side of steaming white rice and you got yourself a plate of food heaven.

Bagoong (shrimp paste)

Lechong Kawali Crispy Pata!

Crispy pata comes sliced off the bone, ready to be consumed

This is, by far, the creme de la creme, of every Filipino gathering. Whoever brings Lechong Kawali  Crispy Pata (I am such a bad foodblogger, I should be fired), is put on a pedestal and wins the award for best dish ever. Crispy Pata is simply put crispy pork knuckle, with tender, almost fall of the bone meat, crunchy pork crackling and finished off with a spicy vinegar dip. Life is short, have some pork!

Two words: PORK CRACKLING!

And so, with bulging bellies and a homely satisfaction that could make every Filipino proud, we staggered out of the restaurant pleased with our dining experience. Filipino food is increasingly becoming more popular, and just as how it should be. We are proud of our heritage, of our diverse and colourful history, of our mixed cultures, and of our wonderful, fantastic cuisine.

A Filipino degustation

…

La Mesa Cuisine

Shop 2, 874 Pittwater Road (corner Oakes Ave) Dee Why

9972 9877

http://www.lamesa.com.au/

He came home one day from work and joyfully declared that he was going to cook beef bourguignon. That one dish that I can never even pronounce, let alone cook. My dear boy, who could not even peel a potato when we first met, is going to make me Julia Child’s signature dish!

So we hunted the best recipe on the internet, particularly something that includes ingredients available in Australia. We opted for Billy of A Table for Two’s recipe because it’s simple and easy to follow but the finished product was oh so delightful. The whole apartment smelled wonderfully of meat, red wine and herbs. I’m sure Ms Child will be very proud.

Beef Bourguignon

Recipe adapted from Billy of A Table for Two

Beef & Marinade:

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig parsley

1 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 kg chuck steak, cut into rumps

500 ml red wine

3 tbsp olive oil

Rest of the dish:

2 tbsp butter

150g pancetta

2 tbsp olive oil

450 g button mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp plain flour

400ml beef stock

1 garlic clove, chopped

1. In a dish, combine all the marinade ingredients together. Cover with clingfilm and marinade in the fridge for 4 hours, mixing the meat every few hours.

2. Drain the beef from the marinade and dry in a kitchen towel, ensuring you save the marinade for later.

3. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add pancetta and mushrooms and fry for a few minutes. Set aside.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a deep pot. Roll the dried beef on to the plain flour, and lightly pan fry for a few minutes. Ensure you do not crowd the pot so the beef is seared and not stewed. Add the remainder of the flour.

5. Pour the marinade and beef stock on the pot, and cook for approximately 2 hours with lid on.

6. After 2 hours, add the melted butter, pancetta and mushrooms, and cook for a further 30 minutes. Serve with mash potatotes. Enjoy!