Mama Lou’s – BF Homes, Paranaque

I shall also call this post, the day that I lost my escargot virginity.

I consider myself a reasonably adventurous foodie, but for some reason, I’ve balked at the thought of eating snails. Maybe because they remind me of the giant snail I found in our garden (which I named Sheldon). Anyway, my brother-in-law treated us to Mama Lou’s while they were visiting from the US. He ordered escargot so I figured, what the heck.

It was a pleasant surprise, I must say. It has a mild flavor that suits butter and garlic very well.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did everybody we had dinner with. I never even thought of Sheldon while eating these.

Mama Lou’s margherita pizza is one of our favorite things to order there. The flavors are simple and light, and it’s a joy to eat. It’s a simple pizza without all the clutter.

I tried their mac and cheese with truffle sauce for the first time, and I enjoyed it too. It’s really rich, so even if the serving is modest, you feel satisfied after eating it.

Mama Lou’s is a very laid back, homey place. It’s a great place to for a quiet date, dinner with the family, or if you want some peace and quiet while you eat. We have a lot of favorites on their menu (like their braised beef ribs, mozzarella burger steak, and squid heads), I’ll post those some other time.

Lola Idang’s – Doña Soledad, Bicutan

Here’s a combination you shouldn’t try too often (for health reasons). Lola Idang’s is a very nondescript, unassuming, simple restaurant where you can get home-cooked style meals at a reasonable price. My husband and I often end up spending less when we eat here than when we eat at fastfood chains.

The combination we love is kare-kare and crispy binagoongan. Once in a while, we share a plate of pancit on the side. The tripe in the kare-kare does tend to be gamy at times, but it’s alright. The crispy binagoongan is absolutely delicious. To be honest, we have not “moved on” to other dishes yet because we’re still enjoying this heart-stopping combination. It’s on our list of places to visit when in the mood for utter, unabashed cholesterol indulgence.

How to get here:
If you’re coming from EDSA, take SLEX and turn right at the Bicutan Exit (in between the two SM Bicutan buildings). Just keep on driving, follow the road, and after a few minutes, you’ll find it on your right side. It’s a bit easy to miss, so you gotta keep your eyes open.

Aaaaand, I’m back!

Let’s start food trippin’ soon!