A bigger and brighter Penpen's Kitchen

A bigger and brighter Penpen's Filipino Kitchen Cubao X just got a facelift, and it begins at the entrance where the restaurant welcomes you with its large glass walls and flashing lights. "This PenPen's now is the one we've always wanted to have. But we couldn't do it in the previous place because it was too small," says actor Ping Medina, who calls himself CEO of the PenPen's kitchen. He says that the restaurant is basically a collaboration between his mom and himself, with his brother and two silent partners helping out. The restaurant has transferred from its previous spot along Scout Castor, where closely spaced tables could seat groups of four. The new space is considerably bigger, and groups of six or more can sit comfortably in the Filipino diner-themed space. A movie poster of the popular Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington is on the wall, and the center beam is covered with a collage of old Filipino movie posters like Oro Plata Mata, Virgin Forest, and the immortal Shake, Rattle and Roll. But the real attraction is the food.

"Basically the food and servings are more family-oriented now," says Ping. He is hands-on in the kitchen, from revising the recipes to the plating, to the size of the portions. He says some of the items on the menu are family recipes, while others are recipes from various places reinterpreted through their own versions. There are also some, like the best-selling Bulalo Negro, that are recipes of his own. "I was just playing around with the bulalo at home when I discovered the recipe," he says, describing their version of the bulalo as having a darker and richer broth. A real crowd-drawer is the Eat-All-You-Can Pasta Weekends, where diners can stuff themselves with pasta for 300 pesos. What sets their pasta buffet apart is the sauces, which like everything else on the menu, are unusual twists with the Pinoy palate in mind. They have Penoy & Bacon Carbonara, Tinapa Flakes, Lucban Longganiza Meatballs, Pinoy Veggie in Pili Oil, and Pinggoy's Pasta Aligue. If you aren't a pasta kind of person, Penpen's is sure to have something you'll like. From heart-attack appetizers like the Smoked Cheese Dynamita, the Isaw Chicharon with Pinakurat, and the famous Crispy Liempo to platters like the Three-Cheese Baked Bangus Belly and the Five-Way Adobo, PenPen's is every health buff's nightmare, and every Filipino foodie's paradise. Ping smiles at the observation that the food is dangerous, but he says they're also about balance. True enough, the drinks list includes the refreshing bottomless Pandan Iced Tea and the badly-needed cleansing Dalanghita-Malunggay Juice. They also have fresh fruit shakes, and Carrot-Cucumber-Tomato Veggie Juice. The menu isn't all bad either, as they are careful to be vegetarian-friendly. Herbivores can munch on their Breaded Tofu with Asian Vinaigrette (120 pesos), Paco Salad with Lato and Orange (140 pesos), or Mango-Pili Oil Vinaigrette with Goat Cheese Salad (120 pesos). More filling options include the Creamy Garlic Kalabasa soup (90 pesos), the Munggo Espesyal (120 pesos), and the Pinoy Veggie in Pili Oil Pasta (155 pesos). "We try to balance everything," says Ping. As he says this, the food begins to arrive and the table is barely visible beneath the large plates. It's obvious that balance is not the word to describe the situation - it's a week's worth of meals vs. three adults and an eight year-old. The only vegetarian at the table, I am perfectly happy with the Smoked Cheese Dynamitas (140 pesos), which I can honestly say takes cheese sticks to a new level. "It's a complicated cheese stick," says Ping, who reveals that they use Queso de Bola, cheddar, and kesong puti. "The last bite is the best, because that's where there's a burst of cheese," he says, as if telling me the secret to happiness. It's true - the last bite is the best, but cheese sticks don't really count as dinner, so I end up switching to pesco-vegetarian for the night. I taste the Pasta Aligue, which unlike other versions does not scrimp on ingredients at all. The aligue also comes on a rice dish good for three hungry people - the Talangkanin (185 pesos). "We get our ingredients from all over," explains Ping. "Iba yung authentic. Pinoy is not just Manila. It's hard but if you really want that certain ingredient then you'll really do whatever it takes," he says. They source their pili oil from Bicol, their buro from Pampanga and their organic beer from Bacolod. Ping tells me about their Catfish Flakes with Pampanga Buro, which is dried hito meat served with buro (fermented rice) shipped straight from his father Pen Medina's hometown in Arayat, Pampanga. "There's nothing like an authentic buro recipe passed down since the time of the Spanish," says Ping. It isn't only recipes that run in their family, but acting. Pen and Ping Medina are, after all, familiar faces to theater and indie cinema fans. But Ping spends most of his time at the restaurant, and you can tell how passionate he is about their food. Ping describes the Smoked Tapang Usa & Duck Egg Silog (210 pesos) as an upgraded version of the tapsilog. "We use gamey smoked meat served with duck egg, which has a creamier yolk than the regular egg," he says. He says duck egg yolk is also used for the creamiest leche flan you'll find in this part of town. The Five-Way Adobo, which has chicken, pork, beef, goat and adobo flakes is good for three to four people. The Crispy Liempo (210 pesos), which looks like bacon, and the Isaw Chicharon with Pinakurat (110 pesos) were the fastest to disappear, and the Three-Cheese Baked Bangus Belly (148 pesos) lasted for a few minutes before I not-so-sneakily ate the last melt-in-your-mouth bite. The Creamy Kalabasa Soup (90 pesos) was lovely in between all the chewing, and the Dalanghita-Malunggay Juice (70 pesos) was like ice-cold water in the summer. As I easily predicted, we were no match for all the food, so we took the rest of it home and had Penpen's food for the rest of the week. The Bulalo Negro was still excellent even when it was reheated, and my sister who doesn't like bulalo says it was really special. Even after that much Penpen's food, we'll probably be back for more, especially because they'll be coming out with a firepot line. This will feature Arroz Callos, Smoked Tilapia, and Adobo Congee. There's also a lot of dessert to try, like the halo-halo with Carabao Milk & Melons (130 pesos), and the Leche Flan Tsokolate-E (70 pesos). The only trouble is the food can be a bit expensive, with a price range from below a hundred to almost 400 pesos a dish. But, as Ping says, it's a family-oriented place, so bring your folks and share the bill - and the experience of adventurous Filipino cuisine at PenPen's Filipino Kitchen. - YA, GMA News All photos courtesy of Ping Medina