Thursday night unspecial

December 19, 2013. One Thursday night, Ford and I were already starving to death so we decided to just eat out. We were in the South area and I remembered that there's a Filipino restaurant there that we haven't tried yet. When Pinoys go hungry, you bet that nothing can beat a delicious rice meal.

Ang layo pa pala ng restaurant na yun so lalo kaming nagutom. We were surprised na walang masyadong tao sa loob, pang-tatlo lang kaming diner.

When we browsed their menu, we of course thought of not ordering what we usually have at home (like liempo, lechon kawali, bistek tagalog, afritada, etc.). I am a pork sisig fanatic at di pa uli ako nakapag-sisig simula nang tumuntong ako sa Canada so it was really my first choice.

Ang pinakamadilaw at pinakamatabang na sisig na natikman ko! 

Then we added kare-kare. Inasmuch as I want to try cooking this at home, masyadong mahal aabutin sa dami ng ingredients (mahal pa naman ng mga gulay dito). Dalawa lang kaming mag-asawa sa bahay kaya hindi sulit. Kaya dapat orderin na lang ito sa labas.

Maasim, maalat, mamantika, mahirap ipinta

But what we hoped to be a good dinner turned out to be a big disappointment.

Sa totoo lang, HINDI MASARAP ang pagkain. I am just not sure kung yung inorder lang ba namin ang hindi masarap o ang lahat ng tinda nila. But we were certain na yung nakain namin ay malayong-malayo sa dapat na lasa ng sisig at kare-kare. Tsk.

The worst part, we spent $38.16 (or Php1,564.56) for these two ulam plus rice. Ni wala kaming soda nyan ha.

I felt cheated. $38.16 is hard-earned money here, we deserved something better.

I used to eat out almost everyday in the Philippines but I cannot do that here in Edmonton. It's too expensive and I am not earning yet. Hence, we could have spent that $38.16 somewhere else. In a Chinese restaurant perhaps, where food tastes great at malaki pa ang serving.

I really couldn't forget this awful experience and Ford was wondering why. Masyado raw akong bitter.

More than the money, I felt kasi that those Filipino restaurant owners are doing injustice to their fellow Filipino customers. Kung Pinoy ka na nagtatrabaho sa abroad, comfort mo na na makakain ng lutong Pilipino sa totoo lang (lalo na yung hindi mo niluto). And with the amount that you are paying, you deserve to be served something good.

Tsk, natikman na kaya ng owners yung putaheng sine-serve nila? Hindi kaya sila nahihiya na nagput-up sila ng restaurant yet hindi naman sila masarap magluto? I am a newbie cook at hindi pa ako nakapagluto ng kare-kare sa buong buhay ko. Pero sa tingin ko, kaya ko namang gumawa ng edible kare-kare, yung lasang kare-kare naman kahit papano.

I guess only good cooks can make good restaurant owners. Never engage on anything that you are not passionate about or else you are doomed to fail. I'd be happy to see this Filipino restaurant close down. There are many other deserving Filipinos here in Edmonton who can take-over.

I've been to a few Chinese restaurants here and I was impressed with their food. Masarap na, decent pa ang serving size. Kaya marami silang non-Chinese diners eh, lalo na Caucasians. Sa Filipino restaurants, puro Pinoy lang talaga ang dumadayo. Hindi talaga maka-keep up ang Filipino food sa international market. Siguro kasi nga maraming Filipino restaurants abroad are serving mediocre-tasting (and even below average) dishes. These restos pa naman ang "representative" at "front-liners" natin sa ibang lahi. Kung sa atin ngang mga Pinoy eh hindi pasado ang lasa ng mga pagkaing sineserve nila, sa mga foreigners pa kaya?

I was so traumatized by our horrible experience that I no longer want to eat at any Filipino restaurants now. Siguro if I am craving for something, pag-aaralan ko na lang lutuin. I know my husband feels the same.