It was early on in our dating years, and as early as then, he figured out that the one thing that makes me really giddy is being able to try something I've never tried before. He had this idea that I was the type of girl who only ate in places where credit cards are allowed. (Not true. They don't accept credit cards in McDonalds, Jollibee and KFC. Haha.) That I only ate in airconditioned spaces. That, if I weren't off to some far-away, out-of-town & country destination, I was the type who'd live my life inside the mall. HAHAHA! OK, fine. There was a semblance of truth there. It ain't a bad life really, but I suppose he was trying to see if I can actually go a level down if I had to.
One evening, driving around without any real destination in mind, we got to talking about how we spent our free time when we were both single and unattached. So I talked about meeting up with Cheffy and Ade and Nikolodeon and Lola, sometimes for something as late as a 10:00 p.m. dinner in Greenbelt on a weeknight because we would all be coming from work. He talked about drinking sessions with Riki and Ehd, about Mayric's, about driving around all over Metro Manila, waiting for sleep to catch him, after which he would find himself in only one place before calling it a night.
"Gusto mo i-try?" he said, a tinge of excitement notable in his voice.
"Syur!" I said (yes, I said syur, haha). I mean, we weren't really going anywhere, and besides, well...this one, at least, is something new.
See, maybe I'm weird. Up until then, I didn't know what pares looked like. I did not even know what it meant. Haha! As in, hello, pares na what? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Hay....=)
We arrived at this open-air roadside eatery along Espana (es-pan-ya, but I don't know where to find the darn en-ye, haha). It was an old place. Slightly run-down, but clean (well, as clean as it could possibly get) and brightly-lit. Considering that it was already late at night, I was surprised to note that the place was packed.
"Dito kumakain yung mga taxi drivers na sa gabi namamasada...yung mga galing sa gimmick...yung mga galing sa trabaho..." he explained, as he directed me to one of the free stools.
"Pares, pare. Dalawa." he signaled to the "waiter" in pambahay shorts and shirt. =)
Service was efficient. A bowl of beef stew was scooped up from this big vat placed on makeshift kalan, a bed of charcoal underneath it. The beef stew (which looked like a version of kalbi jim without the sesame seeds) came with a plate (and a rather generous serving) of fried rice with toasted garlic liberally sprinkled on top . A free mini-bowl of steaming clear soup (I'm thinking just broth) and a ramekin filled with calamansi was served along with it. The waiter scooted over two stools down and moved a plastic basket filled with condiment containers toward us.
"Pares. Kase, magka-pares sila. Ulam at kanin," Hubby Sweet explained, before proceeding to squeeze the calamansi into a small ramekin filled with soy sauce. "Gusto mo ng chili-garlic?" he asked.
"Yes, please." I said, just observing him as he went through the entire process, "but I'll have it on the side. Don't add it to the soy sauce."
He looked at me like I was an alien. "Tweet, bawal mag-English dito." HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Ngyah. =D
He then proceeded to sip the broth, before adding a spoonful to the fried rice. He then scooped beef stew over the now-wet fried rice before topping it with the soy-sauce-calamansi-dip and a dash of chili garlic. The entire spoonful went into his mouth.
He then proceeded to sip the broth, before adding a spoonful to the fried rice. He then scooped beef stew over the now-wet fried rice before topping it with the soy-sauce-calamansi-dip and a dash of chili garlic. The entire spoonful went into his mouth.
I tried.
I LOVED. *Bright eyes, grinning from ear-to-ear*
Yum, yum, yum! ^_^
After devouring everything in sight, I reached for my 8-oz Pepsi bottle (no diet version, no cans). Comfort food at its best. *Sigh ^_^*
I turned to the Hubby, lips glistening with the oil from the stew, "Uh...Sweet...can you ask for table napkin?"
Hubby Sweet almost blew out his drink before guffawing himself silly. He looked at me with amusement, like I had lost my mind, before blurting out the only word that came to his mind. Patay. HAHAHAHAHAHA! =p
Since getting married and establishing our home base in House Pioneer, however, we found it inconvenient to travel all the way to Manila for a serving of pares. Great joy, therefore, that by then, JONA'S (which started out as a turo-turo along Mayon in Manila) has already opened its first ever branch in Robinson's Pioneer! Yey! ^_^
For the record, methinks that the Jona's version is not as good as the pares along Espana, but it's still pretty good pares. And if I were to believe the blurb on the poster/mural prominently displayed inside the restaurant, Jona's actually "invented" pares. Starting as a garage turo-turo to augment the couple's income. Jona's went through a series of reincarnations (from mami and siopao to lechon manok to ulam) before they finally quite serendipitously stumbled on their winning...uh...pair. With people clamoring for a rice meal, they decided to serve the beef brisket stew (that they use to flavor the mami) with fried rice. Soon it became so popular, they had to coin the word pares to speed up the order-taking process. =) Today, the Mayon branch has evolved from a turo-turo sa garahe to a more sosy take on the carinderia. Canteen set-up. Bright interiors. Vinyl tables and swivel chairs. Fully airconditioned.
The one in Robinson's Pioneer stays true to the turo-turo concept, but while the Mayon branch carries their full line (from a range of ulam to merienda to desserts), the Pioneer branch menu is simplified--probably for inventory efficiency. Just the pares, plus the mami, the siopao and the siomai.
Pares has evolved into such a comfort food for me that if I had my way, we'd eat there everytime we find ourselves in Robinsons Pioneer to do our groceries. I think Hubby Sweet is beginning to regret having introduced it to me. Haha! (Sweet revenge for all the Zaifu and Nan Ban Tei trips. Hmp.)
Hubby Sweet usually just goes for the all-beef version, but I prefer going for the Halo Pares. It's beef stew with isaw added. Not exactly the healthiest dish in the world, but really, I don't care. Haha.
The meal includes this big bowl of fried rice (the last time I went, they were sadly out of green onions so only toasted garlic was sprinkled on top). It used to be equivalent to two cups of rice, but I suppose, with the rise in rice prices (tongue-twister there =)), without much room to increase their meal prices, I think the serving size has been slightly reduced. Mga 1-1/2 cups na lang siguro. Haha. =)
Everything, of course, is served with a free cup of clear broth, and is best eaten (no, devoured! =)) with these. Bottomless chili-garlic so it's close to heaven for me. =)
It just dawned on me that on the night before my wedding, I actually hauled Sister Pusjing, Bro-in-law G-Genius and niece Patita to Jona's from our nearby hotel. I was craving for something uncomplicated and pares was the first thing that came to mind. Pares was my last dinner as a single girl. Hmmmnnnn....=)
These days, Cousin Dooders always jokes that when he comes home from L.A. this year, their church wedding will be @ the UST chapel as His Special Girl MJ wants it, followed by a full-buffet reception @ Jona's Mayon. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 'D
Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind. REALLY. Haha! =p
**************************************************************
Jona's is on the 2nd floor of Robinson's Pioneer, next to the department store entrance. In case you want to try it out. =)
