Gabe's Homegrown Dishes

"Inspiration grows even in the tiniest places" Its a note written on a piece of wood that greets its customers upon entering the place. Gabe's is considerably a small place but it provides an intimate venue to bring the family together. Their dishes are inspired from delicacies from Malabon, Bulacan. You should try their Horse Meat Tapa. Its surprising because I never expected it to be sweet and tender. Will definitely come back for more! Thanks Gabe's for one of the best dinners I had in my life!

I've been to Gabe's a few times now. We went there for lunch (first customers for the day), after massage across/beside the place and another time for dinner (last customers to head out). This is a good place to chill. Their specialty is Horsilog (that's horse tapa); it's sweet enough for the average Filipino's palate. Its flavor heightened that Gabe's offers beer.

While we waited, we got some boardgames to play and Filipino comic books to read; WiFi is also available. The waiting time is appreciated because the ambience of the place is cozy and you get to enjoy the "toys" of the place. On one occasion, I asked if we could play songs from our phone and they gladly accepted.

We were able to try their chicken, pasta, Horsilog, Laing and Sisig. I love their Laing and Sisig. I go around Pampanga and I could say their Sisig is really good (I requested the liver removed and lessen the mayo, since I don't eat those). By the way, Laing and Sisig were good for two.

It's been a while since we visited Gabe's Homegrown Dishes but we can still remember the taste of the food as if it was yesterday. The food here is really worth coming back since it was all made from well-loved family recipes so you are quite sure that you are tasting something that is close to home.

We were invited by the owner, Sir Dan, to have a taste of their food offerings and I am glad that we were invited! The owner is so kind that he wanted us to taste an item in each menu category. So, food coma again at this homey restaurant :)

(F)ood
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[Appetizers]

* Pinoy Cheese Sticks - even for quite a time the cheese sticks did not went hard even when exposed and I wonder why but this is just a typical cheese stick that we all love

* Kwek-kwek - your typical kwek-kwek but with a non-typical sauce. a homemade sauce that you will love, a mixture of both sweet and salty.

* Sumpia (Lumpiang Pirito) - I love this one! the dish is a simple vegetable lumpia, not sure of the contents maybe camote and some veggies but the sauce that came with it is so refreshing, a mixture of cucumber and vinegar. will re-order this when we are there.

[Main]

* Baked Ribs - tender pork ribs marinated in bbq sauce and homemade rub. This dish is so soft that it falls of the bone served with rice and fries, you wouldn't want to ask for more. :)

* Salmon Belly in Bechamel Sauce - it is great that they have a healthy optionh and they separated the yummy bechamel sauce. I think it is the same sauce they use for their carbonara (?) but it works! I just hope they remove the fins from the belly for better presentation :)

* Lengua - the sauce on this is perfect and that lengua is so tender.

* Crunchy Pork Sisig ni Gabe - Gabe is the name of their son and it's only fitting that they make this their signature dish with Gabe's name because this was so yummy! so crunchy and perfect as a viand and as a beer match! would love to order this again.

* Yummy Lechon Kawali - so crunchy and we love it! it is served with a sweet sauce and it is a perfect combination.

[All Day Breakfast]

Horseylog - if you are weak, you should not order this but you are missing out on a yummy dish :) BUT if you are so adventurous, order this since it just tastes like a tender beef tapa and is the right dish for you any time.

[Noodles/Pasta]

* Pansit Malabon - was not able to finish this at the resto and brought it home (thank you Sir!). They are generous on the toppings of their pansit malabon. It was so tasty and yummy that I would love to order this in a bilao! Perfect for any gathering!

[Desserts]

* Fried Oreos ala Mode - kids and adults would surely love this dessert because we surely did! :) Not to greasy and a flavorful batter indeed.

* Halo-Halo - all I can say that it is yum! It has at so many ingredients so you will not feel short changed by this halo-halo. Individually, the ube and the leche flan stood out! It was great to know that you can order their ube and halo-halo separately for you to take home and enjoy with your family.

* Valencia ala Malabon - this is a levelled-up turon with saba, ube, monggo and langka. A surprisingly yummy dessert that is a must-try! :) For sure you will love this too!

Overall, their food has a lot of variety, simple but has and yummy so no wonder they have returning and loyal patrons.

(A)mbience
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It is not that easy to find Gabe's because their sign may not be that evident when you are at the other side of the road (going to UP Diliman). Just a recommendation of sign improvement on the 2nd floor to make it more visible and enticing for those at the other side of the road. Additionally, but totally not their fault, is that you have to take u-turn that is far away from the restaurant, so others might get lazy and just remain at the other side of the road and eat at the restaurants there or just continue on to UP Town Center.

Really hope that the newly built gas station beside would bring them new customers because their food is great unfortunately, their location is not giving them the proper foot traffic. The trucks and the people below,

Neverthelesss, you can feel the hominess of the place with the toys that can be used by your kids, a little tike playground outside that invites you to bring your kids and let them enjoy while at the restayrant, custom-built cute tables that reflect the playfulness and the creativity of the owners, the use of mason jars for the drinks, etc. You can also see a message wall by different loyal patrons and even celebrities who expressed their fondness of the restaurant.

(B)utler Service
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The servers were really friendly and are very attentive to the our need
They can answer all our questions about the food and the ingredients used.
The owner was even there, Sir Dan! (hello sir!) We can say that the owners are so hands-on because they create and experiment with the sauces and the menu :)
Love to see their family and town's native recipes in the menu.

Overall:
We believe that this restaurant makes it a point to compensate for the not so great location with their yummy food and great service so make sure to give this restaurant a try because we enjoyed all the food here! :)

Gabe's Home Grown Dishes Mission is simple to provide whole dining experience while creating memories for everyone. I think they're able to stick with that. The Filipino dishes they offer are great. Prevalent among the foods we tried is the sweet taste. Probably because we love sweet foods. They're located along the Katipunan Avenue, quite far than the usual place but perfect for those people who'll go to work in Eastwood Area or even Makati and Taguig if taking C5 route.

The restaurant is small. Perfect for some intimate catch up with Families and Friends. There's available card games such as uno cards and cards against humanity while you're waiting for the food to be served. Comics and Books to read on as well. Although I noticed the placed is quite dark, it would have been more lively when the place is well lit. We visited around 7PM maybe they might be almost closed that's why.

The foods served have decent serving for its price point. Not to mention the friendly staff who's very much willing to take on any of your requests with a warm smile. 😊 

Among the top foods I liked are:

Crispy Pata - their version of crispy pata is quite sweet thanks to the pickles that was garnished on top. Don't worry this is still crunchy even though you eat it at later time. 

Lengua - tender mix of beef and pork lengua on a creamy sauce is a perfect pair. I love how the meat melts in my mouth the moment I ate it.

Carbonara - I'm biased for this food because I liked pasta. But I find the server very appealing. Although it kinda looks dry probably because we didn't eat it while hot.

Sisig - this is also worth a try. Still delicious even if you don't it eat while it's sizzling.

Salmon Silog - I'm biase again for this food because I liked fish. But I loved how crunchy they cooked it and made it cookie shape. The cream sauce is quite a weird partner but still worth a try.

My dining experience with Gabe's is so nice. I felt I'm at home because the dishes they cooked are Filipino so expect to taste similar flavors yo had at home. If being asked to dinechoose again? I'll definitely say YES!

This place was very cozy and had the most accommodating staff. We were also surprised to find some card games; we played with them until they served our food.

Baked Ribs (3.5/5)
- Good: tender, portion was big, flavorful
- Bad: flavor gets tiresome after a few bites, fries that were served with it weren't good

Sisig
- Good: flavorful and portion was of good size
- Bad: it was TOO crispy, somehow felt like a chicharon sisig. I prefer my sisig having actual meat.

I would've rated the place 3.5/5 had it not been for the service. It was excellent and waiters were very sensitive to the customers despite the restaurant's humble size.

Would consider going back!

There will always be times when you feel like not going out and just stay at the comfort of your home but you crave for something to eat which requires you to actually get off the couch and go out of the house. And you think of eating different kinds of food – from street food to rice meals to pasta to sweet desserts. Let me tell you that it is very possible to be in an ideal scenario when you can eat what you want and feel like you’re just simply home and you can even bring your family.

Presenting the place I am talking about: Gabe’s Homegrown Dishes!

Situated at the outskirts of Katipunan Avenue (with outskirts, I mean in the quieter part of Katipunan hence more homey and relaxing), Gabe’s is a restaurant serving what a typical Filipino family would usually eat. So if you’re just plain tired of fast food, this is the place to be.

I love the feeling you get upon entering the door of the restaurant – it just takes you home. It has a relaxing ambiance, couches and comfortable dining sets are present, there is even a magazine/book corner which guests can borrow while waiting for their orders, and there is also a toy corner where guests with kids can freely borrow some toys.

Reviews of the restaurant, including its past celebrity guests (and I hope it includes me haha!) are posted all over the place and there is a sticky notes corner where you can read all the reviews of this restaurant.

[Read more…]

So, what did we order?

To be honest, they have a huge menu list and everything seems to be mouth-watering, but we decided to stick with the bestsellers:

Pinoy Cheese Sticks

I love how the cheese sticks are topped with some parmesan cheese and it surprisingly made it taste really special.

Kwek-Kwek

See? You really can satisfy your streetfood cravings here at Gabe’s. It may taste like your typical kwek-kwek, but the vinegar dip was actually good and made its taste stand out.

Calamares

The squid is just tender and the breading was mixed just fine. It can blend with either mayo-ketchup or the kwek-kwek’s yummy vinegar dip.

Lengua

It was my first time to taste lengua in my life, and I must say that I am trying it again here at Gabe’s. Awesome!

Baked Ribs

This is a must-try because the meat is soooo tender, I promise! Simply cooked to perfection! Please, please order this! J

Crunchy Pork Sisig Ni Gabe

This is not your typical sisig because its special recipe is developed by Gabe’s parents, hence the name.

Yummy Lechon Kawali

The pork was so tender up to the skin and very chewable. If only I don’t have too much to eat, I would like to pair this one up with a beer.

Pansit Malabon

I have tasted a lot of pansit malabons in my life, including the authentic ones in Malabon, and I can say that it really tasted like an ideal Pansit Malabon. Knowing the fact that Gabe’s family’ is from Navotas validated my claim about this dish. Legit!

Fried Oreos Ala Mode

This is like the wicked oreos from a popular restaurant in Taft Avenue, if you know what I mean, but this one is better and less ‘nakakaumay’, especially if eaten with a vanilla ice cream. Its sweetness is just perfect for a dessert. Yum!

Valencia Ala Malabon

Composed of leveled-up turon with saba, ube, monggo, and langka

This is simply like a halo-halo in a wrap! At first I cannot imagine how would these ingredients taste in a fried type of food, but the ube component actually made it special.

BONUS TIP: Their sour lemonade is really yummy!

The Verdict

I think I stated my point clear enough that Gabe’s will give you the perfect Filipino comfort food and will give you a homey dining feels. The location is quiet enough and very accessible. The staff were really attentive to the needs of the customers and are very hospitable and welcoming. It is perfect for a ‘me time’, a barkada bonding session, or a nice time with your family. In fact, when my sister saw the photos of the food at Gabe’s, she definitely want to come, and of course, I would love to come back at Gabe’s. So guys, like Anthony Bourdain said, “Get off the couch. Move.”, and let me add, “Come to Gabe’s!”.

From the restaurant’s name to the meals they serve, I really felt the comfort of home in Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes. We were able to try a lot of meals from their menu—meals that were served by their very welcoming and accommodating staff! I really enjoyed everything they served!
1. Cheesesticks and Kwek-kwek
- These are two of their appetizers which are perfect to be munched on while playing board games or reading books/comics which Gabe’s lend to the customers. The cheesesticks are really cheesy and the kwek-kwek really taste good!
2. Pansit Malabon
- I really love how the Pansit Malabon is presented. It’s super appealing. I also enjoyed eating this since it tastes different from the Pansit Malabon offered by other food joints. Special!
3. Baked Ribs
- These baked ribs are soft and tasty. The barbecue sauce is delicious too!
4. Crispy Pata
- This Crispy Pata is unlike other crispy pata too. The crispy skin is sweet which I really loved! The meat is soft and delicious. I also appreciate how the special vinegar dip compliments the crispy pata!
5. Crunchy Pork Sisig ni Gabe
- This is the classic Pork Sisig that we all love but this one’s crunchy and a lot tastier! This is perfect when paired with beer which Gabe’s also offers!
6. Horseylog
- This is Tapang Kabayo (Horse Meat) with rice and sunny side up egg. This is unusual yet special! I really loved how the horse meat tastes! It is delicious and less oily. This is a must-try!
7. Iced Tea and Lemonade
- These drinks are really refreshing! I enjoyed their best-seller Lemonade which was freshly squeezed! I truly value when drinks are prepared with effort!
8. Halo halo
- This halo halo is superb! It has a lot of ingredients and is generously topped with macapuno, ube, and leche flan! This is good for sharing!
9. Valencia Ala Mode
- I never thought that Turon has a special version. And it’s called Valencia. Monggo and Macapuno are what made Valencia extra special. The valencia is partnered with the creamy vanilla ice cream. It’s a good combo of hot and cold dessert in one serving!
10. Fried Oreos Ala Mode
- This dessert has fried oreos and the creamy vanilla ice cream. The oreos are battered and then fried. Just like Valencia ala mode, this one’s also a combo of hot and cold dessert. What makes this stand out is that it isn’t too sweet
11. Ube and Leche Flan
- These are the classic filipino desserts but Gabe’s Ube and Leche Flan taste so much special!


I super enjoyed my eating experience in Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes! Everything really tastes delicious but very affordable! I highly recommend this place!