This is resto is so good, that even after I’ve written about it here and here, I wanna do another post on it. This time with photos from my DSLR. I feel like my previous posts didn’t do the food and the place justice! On my last Manila trip I ate at Cafe Juanita TWICE in a span of 3 days! (Unhealthy I know!) But I cannot be blamed… I haven’t been back in Manila since March 2011 and I am craving for Pinoy food like anything! Photos of Cafe Juanita at The Fort and the new incarnation of Cafe Juanita Kapitolyo after the jump!
CAFE JUANITA AT THE FORT
The first was with my best friend Jenn + hubby and college friends Cory and Raymz at The Fort branch. I almost bailed on this one because I was just so tired after a long exhausting day. Boy am I glad I didn’t… I was revived by the food and company! =)
The interior is shabby chic-on-steroids! If anything catches your eye, everything is for sale.
I like the cute bag benches for the ladies (below left).
Christmas is in the air. Now if only I had a space big enough for that amazing capiz chandelier! LOL! =P
Ice cold San Miguel Light beer in a frosted mug (WOOT!), manggang hilaw (green mango) with 2 kinds of bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) and fried chicken skin with vinegar & mayo dip. WOW. Cafe Juanita takes these ordinary dishes to a different level. This has to be the BEST chicken skin I’ve ever tasted – and it’s not oily at all. Have it with vinegar, not the mayo dip.
Bagnet salad (below top), crab meat wrapped in taro leaves (bottom left) and Kare-kare (bottom right).
Everyone agrees that the Kare-kare was the runaway hit of the night. That peanut sauce is just amazing. The night was full of laughter with topics that got stranger as it grew later. =P
CAFE JUANITA AT KAPITOLYO
My family arrived from Mindanao and we were in the Ortigas/Mandaluyong area and the only place that popped into my head for dinner was Cafe Juanita in Baranggay Kapitolyo. Boy was I happy that I thought of it, because I got to try the new branch in Kapitolyo. The original branch is no longer there, but this is quite near the original location, with more tables and parking to accommodate the growing popularity of the resto!
We sat at the Mezzanine and my little sister loved ringing the bells to call the wait staff!
This time we ordered the best of the best! Crispy chicken skin with vinegar for starters. Good thing they didn’t serve it with the mayo dip like they do in Fort. The servings at Kapitolyo is bigger – YAY! Below left is the Beef Salpicao that my lil sister absolutely loved. Below right is the Ratatoy (Pinoy Ratatouille) which is veggies with salted fish for flavor and a spicy kick.
Crispy Lapu-lapu with tamarind sauce. This is a must-try at Cafe Juanita.
The favorite Kare-kare which is definitely plated better and has much more sahog (or ingredients) at Kapitolyo than in Fort.
Crispy pataaaaa! (crispy pork knuckle) Cooked perfectly…tender flavorful meat and crispy skin! With soy sauce-vinegar dip with garlic, shallots and chilis.
And even if you think you are full already, when you taste their sticky toffee pudding you will have space for more. The contrast of hot and cold and the melding of flavors was the perfect way to end our fantastic meal. Everyone was satiated and happy.
My verdict? For a foodie like me, it is still worth it to trek all the way to Pasig to enjoy the Kapitolyo branch of Cafe Juanita. The wait staff is better trained (by a wide margin), the portions are bigger and the quality of the food is better. If you haven’t tried the Kapitolyo branch though, you wouldn’t know the difference as the Fort branch is still above your average Filipino restaurant.
After all the times I’ve gone to this resto, I can’t believe that the original foodie in the DiploFamily (TD!) hasn’t tried it yet. I am definitely taking him there when we are in Manila for the holidays!
Guess what? Cafe Juanita was featured in Time Magazine’s Manila: 10 Things to Do. How cool is that?
Related links:
- #19 West Capitol Drive, Barrio Capitolyo, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
- +632 632-0357 (same number)
- Unit WS-2 Burgos Circle, Forbestown Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, 1634, Philippines
- +632 403-1952
- cafejuanita@yahoo.com
- Mobile: +63 929-8794442 (Charvy)
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