Arriving hours early for the event, I was able to get pictures of the place not yet packed with attendees and get to casually chat with the owner of the place, Mr. Jeffrey Pelayo. When asked as to what Pinac means, he explained that it is actually a street in Candaba (formerly called Candawe), a municipality in the province of Pampanga. This street is actually surrounded by rice fields which explains the design in their menu. The interior is simply furnished with modern and old style, keeping in balance to the general design of UP Town Center and the desire of the owner of the restaurant.
Whenever I am asked to do a food review of a restaurant, I always try to find basic information about the place. For a food blogger, one needs to be aware of this basic things to prep and set an open mind for the experience.
The food that Pinac offers is based on classic Capampangan cooking with a modern twist. As stated by Jeffrey Pelayo: "It is like coming to our home and we welcome you thru our style of cooking."
That night, me and the rest of the attendees were treated to classic Capampangan cooking. From appetizer to dessert, it was plain food treat.
For appetizers, we had a platter (made for the event, only) of nearly everything that they are proud to serve - lumpiang hubad, hito balls, greens & buro, sisig and calamares. The lumpiang hubad was a delight! Topped with a peanut sauce that perfectly blends in with the lumpia, It was one lumpiang hubad truly delicious! The buro and greens was a treat! No smell typical of buro, simply good flavor! The hito balls was also good in terms of flavor, it just need some good quality control. The calamares could have been better with a little more salt and pepper and time control while it was being fried. I like the flavor of the sisig but for me, it needs a crunch. I guess, it is way different when served using a hot iron plate.
For our starter soup, Sinigang na Ulo ng Salmon sa Miso was served. This was the best for me that night! Whoever is the marketer of Pinac, he knows his fish. The salmon was fresh and rich with fat! It still has its natural fish sweetness and the fat is truly rich. The broth is rich in flavor. The fat is well preserved in the skin even if some of it blended into the soup. The fish meat was still in its orangie-pink color, showing its freshness. It still has its firmness but made soft when cooked in the soup. The vegetable was cooked. The only flaw of this dish is the radish. It was cooked right, that I would say, but it was not of the young type. There was a bitter center typical to that of a mature type of radish when cooked. Despite that flaw, this was still one dish to sink your spoon into.
For our main course, Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata was served. I know, this is best served with rice and the people of Pinac sure do know that fact. There was ample rice serving to those who can't dine with out this carbohydrate source. It was rice heaven when combined with this 2 main dishes!
The flavors were good on both dishes! The Kare-Kare's soup base was thick and flavorful that you don't need the shrimp paste. The vegetables were cooked right, though I was surprised to find one that is not common to the kare-kare that I have tasted before. It has bitter gourd or commonly known as ampalaya. A little note on the meat used; consistency on the cleaning of the ox tail and a little more cooking time for the tripe to absorb flavors and tenderness.
The Crispy Pata was fried with even color and crunch. The only drawback is the consistency of the meat. One side was slightly greasier when compared to the other side, thus resulting to two different meat flavor. One side was nearly dry while the other was perfect. Has the cooking made consistent, this would have been a perfect dish done in the classic way.
For dessert, what was initially served to most of the attendees was Manga, Suman at Tsokolate - a classic pinoy treat. For some reason, our table didn't received that plate but we were served a dessert platter that consist of Tres Leches, Salted Yema Cake and Calamsi Honey Muffin with Pastillas Crumble and Calamansi Curd.
The Tres Leches is your buttermilk cake with strawberry jam, covered with light milk frosting and white chocolate shavings and fresh strawberry slices. The concept is good because the tart of the strawberry balances off the rightness of the milk and white chocolate. It was not over mixed because there was no air pockets. The drawback . . . it was slightly left in the oven for 5 minutes. It was dry. It was made moist again because of the syrup coating before the frosting was placed.
The Salted Yema Cake was served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. The flavor mix is good. I can't say it was salty because I wasn't able to taste any salt but with the vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce it was a good tongue cleanser. The drawback . . .the cake was dense.
I am not aware as to how the Calamansi Honey Muffin really taste but I sure was able to have a taste of the pastillas crumble and calamansi curd. The crumble was a bit hard, which I find peculiar for a pastillas but the curd was a delight! I love that mix of tart and sweetness! The curd was of the right thickness, meaning it was decreased with a very watchful eye. It was a good cleanser from all the oil that I had that night.
Please note that this is coming from a home cook and baker's point of view. I may not be a chef but I do know my food and how it should be cooked and prepared.
As a whole, they sure are true to their aim and that is making you feel at home. It sure is a restaurant but the feeling is like being into their ancestral dining area and they are welcoming you to their home. Comfy seats, hearty food, real table mats (not paper),what more can you ask for? The price? It is affordable and comparatively similar to other restaurants in the market right now.
If you are looking for a comfy place with hearty food; a place to dine with family and friends, then come to Pinac! Enjoy Capangpangan cooking made modern without losing its history but giving you new taste dimension!
Photos:
(All photos used were personally taken by me during the event)
Pinac
