Chef Patrick's Kitchen: a delectable foray into Filipino-Chinese cuisine

Last August 22, 2015, Mr. Ramon Dy, an esteemed PR Practitioner, invited me and other bloggers to take part in the restaurant tour and food tasting of Chef Patrick's Kitchen. After an hour's trip from Quezon City, I finally reached the place in Caloocan City. It was a good thing that the rain didn't catch up with me as I was travelling.

Upon reaching the place, we were generously entertained by Mr. Patrick Lim, the owner and proprietor of the establishment. He went to culinary school and immediately took over the helm of the business after graduation. Together with his sister and their crew, they comprise a hardworking team that aims to create a restaurant brand that serves excellent Chinese food.

After several pleasantries, we then proceeded to discuss the nature of their business. According to him, the restaurant serves a hodgepodge of Filipino and Chinese favorites, cooked panciteria-style. We were also told that the restaurant doubles as an events place and a catering business. Talk about being entrepreneurial! The branch in Caloocan is actually their second while the first one was established in Tondo earlier. Despite the competition in the area, the restaurant seems to grow strong. Since, the place was used for catering and events purposes, Chef Patrick was able to derive multiple streams of income and thereby create a bigger customer base in the area. Parties, weddings, debuts, and seminars are usually held in the spacious venue that is well-equipped with huge ceiling fans and high-powered air conditioning. As a matter of fact, a grand birthday party took place during my presence. Chef Patrick also disclosed his plans to open up a new cake and coffee shop right beside the restaurant venue in the near future. I was really impressed with how Chef took pains to expand his business and become a premier Filipino-Chinese restaurant in the area.

Now we move on to what I came for, the dishes! We were served a set meal that is usually availed by their loyal patrons, including some other favorites. Since the entourage resembled a Chinese laurait bursting with flavors, some of the typical crowd favorites such as pancit and roast chicken were present. However, high-quality Filipino dishes also made it into the plate such as pata tim and chopsuey. The repertoire of dishes that greeted us resembled a Chinese wedding lauriat; except that these had a unique flavor that truly expressed Chef's unique approach to taste and presentation. For starters, the saucy pata tim was garnished with leeks and tomatoes for a finer level of presentation. When it came to the meat, I wasn't disappointed. The texture was absolutely soft and easy to chew. Chef explained that the meat was slow cooked for 5 hours before served, hence the pata tim was soft and savory at the same time. Apart from the meat, the sauce was not too sweet. It also complemented the meat by adding flavor to it. The cua pao, or those little steamed dough balls, served as a form of sandwich to be eaten with the pata. Chef noted that the Chinese were usually big fans of this arrangement. Filipinos prefer the meat with rice instead.

On the other hand, the fried chicken was cooked to perfection. Its taste immediately brought back memories of the panciteria food I used to eat when I was a kid. The skin was the tastiest of the lot. The flavor was highly concentrated on that part. The meat didn't disappoint as well. It had a firm and chewy texture which wasn't too oily. By the way, the chicken was also well-complemented with the customary cropek chips usually served with it.

The pancit canton is usually a staple during lauriats. It is usually near at the end of the event, when the guests have had their fill of the other dishes. In our case, however, the pancit was served with the other dishes at the same time. This wasn't an issue; because we were able to savor it completely even if it wasn't served according to custom. To the say the least, the noodles were well-cooked and firm. It wasn't soggy or oily. The generous fried egg toppings enhanced the already flavorful dish. The other toppings included pork fat, carrots, and the ubiquitous shrimp, which by the way, were in abundance. Also, I noticed that the noodles were the dry type and not the saucy ones usually served in other Chinese restaurants. This seemed to reinforce my opinion that the food had more of a Filipino flavor.

The garlic-topped chopsuey, while being a staple in a panciteria meal, nevertheless suited my palate. It was generously topped with garlic and fried to perfection. The vegetables, consisting of carrots, string beans, chayote, and cauliflower, were pretty moist and tasty as well.

Chef Patrick didn't end his hospitality there. He even asked us to try his other staples: namely the Braised Beef Brisket, the hot and sour soup, and the dimsum cart! For starters, the hot and sour soup brimmed with a delectable mixture of spiciness and sourness that wasn't typical of Filipino cuisine. The soup was also generously laden with meat and egg toppings. One could think that the bright red color of this dish was a result of spicy ingredients such as chili and peppers.

The brisket, on the other hand, was a helping of beef meat and tendon garnished with vegetables such as chayote, leeks, and carrots. The dish was slow cooked for a number of hours before served. The mixture of heat and high pressure made the meat and tendons very soft to the point that it melts in the mouth. The sauce that came with it was also very tasty.

As for the dimsum, I'd say that that the hakao was the best. The shirmp was pretty fresh and the wrapper was firm and not soggy. As for the all-time favorites, the pork and sharksfin siomai, I'd say that these truly expressed genuine Chinese cooking. Chef noted that his dimsum delights were free of extenders found in those roadside dimsum stalls. Also, these are made in house with fresh ingredients shipped at the day they were made. Another good thing about the dimsum is the price. The rate is at 50 pesos all day! Unlike other restaurants, Chef Patrick's is generous enough to keep the price low.

To Filipinos, no meal is complete without dessert. Chef immediately addressed the need by offering us two of his bestselling catering favorites: the buko pandan and the panna cotta. These two are usually offered for his catering services. These desserts, specially made by Chef's sister, burst with flavor without being too sugary. I especially liked the panna cotta for having a chewy texture.

Lastly, the prices are very affordable. Chef keeps it that way to effectively compete and maintain a market of loyal patrons. His menu revolves around a la carte orders (as shown in the picture), party trays fit for 10-35 pax, and huge catering menus that can fit 500 people or more!

As the day ended, I can say that Chef's hospitality was immense! Apart from that, his cooking skills adequately showed his expertise and passion in maintaining a restaurants that serves dishes fit for a king!

Chef Patrick's Kitchen is located as 231 UE Tech St. University Hills Subdivision, You can call them at 361-04-93 for catering or event services. Also, do visit their Facebook page fopr the complete menu at https://www.facebook.com/chef.pat.kitchen82?fref=ts

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