Tres Indios en Crisostomo

Last week was fast-paced as we had our first young scientists conference but there was a sense of accomplishment from all the finished tasks that a reward is inevitable. From here on, when I say "reward", I usually refer to treating myself with good food. It was Tuesday afternoon and off we went, my two friends and I, amidst the 5:00 PM rush and the threat of rain, to Nuvali, Sta. Rosa. Worn-out scientists definitely need a break. 

You must be lucky if you have friends who are also food lovers. Food and friends always make good combinations. Add good conversation and the whole dining experience will be perfect! And so the three hungry tummies decided to eat at Crisostomo. 

Crisostomo is by far,  the Filipino restaurant I've been to that has the most diverse food options with recipes named after characters of Noli Me Tangere (e.g. Crazy Sisa Squid, Achara ni Ibarra, Sisig Isagani, the list goes on). Crisostomo in itself is the name of the main character in the novel. It has a Filipino-Hispanic feel and the wooden tables and chairs made me feel like my mother is going to serve my dinner. I am a fan of "lutong-bahay" and I can't wait to place our order. 

Three hungry tummies agreed to get two salads -- Crispy Beef y Albino and Crazy Sisa Squid. The former is a concoction of lettuce, tomato, onion, "kesong puti" (cheese from goat's milk), and crispy beef strips in vinegar dressing. Crazy Sisa Squid is also lettuce, onion, and tomatoes but with "manggang hilaw" (green mango stips) and dried squid. I especially requested that we order it because of the dried squid and I was a good choice! We also got Victorina's Secret, a recipe of fresh oysters with native vinegar and chili. Our main dish was Kinamatisang Pork Chop. As the menu said, the pork chop slices were cooked in sweet native tomatoes and served with salted eggs. We also ordered fried rice with "tinapa" and salted egg, 

While waiting for our order, we were served with "kornik" (the crispy corn from Ilocos Region) and our drinks -- Malunggay-Calamansi Juice and Tamarind Iced Tea. How's that for Pinoy ingenuity in concocting beverages?

What I like best in Crisostomo was the creativity of the recipes -- with how they named them and the spin they made to the ordinary food served in typical Pinoy dining tables. I also like the Hispanic-Filipino ambiance and we were lucky that there were few customers when we came. We got the best seat in the second floor. The waiters were respectful and always on stand-by to refill our glasses. 

Kinamatisang Pork Chop, Victorina's Secret, and Tinapa Rice (clockwise from right)

The food tasted good! I was a newbie on the fresh oyster and I am not a fan of raw meat/fish but after finishing three shells and the perfect sourness of the vinegar, I did like it. The pork chops could have been more tender but the sweet-sour blend of sauteed tomatoes made me drain the sauce for the meat and the rice on my plate. The salted eggs  didn't have the strong salty flavor, which is how I wanted it to be. I was going easy on the rice but heck, I think I did more than a cup. 

The best part were the salads. The Crazy Sisa Squid was my highlight of the night. The dried squid in the salad was definitely a treat. The veggies were fresh and the subtle sweetness of vinegar dressing did the trick. The green mango strips gave that different sour-y kick that made me finish half of the serving. 

Crispy Beef y Albino (top) and Crazy Sisa Squid (bottom)

The Malunggay-Calamansi Juice and the Tamarind Iced Tea were both a pleasant healthy surprise. I ordered solo serving but the waiter was too kind to refill my glass a couple of times.

Though the whole course was a bit pricey (plus 12% service charge) if you're used to the cheap-but-good-food in my beloved Los Baños, it was worth the experience and the three tummies were happy.  All in all, we paid around PhP 1,800.00. I have to defend that we deserve the extravagant dinner as a reward for the productive week we had. 

Five big burps for Crisostomo. Bon appetit!