Novaliches Food Trip

Novaliches Food Trip

It was a hot day last November 30, 2011, when a small group of food bloggers and friends decided to have a quick food tour . I told the group that since Novaliches is quite a large territory which consists of Caloocan and Quezon City side. It is wise to just concentrate on this particular stretch along Quirino Highway. This impromptu tour was organized by the author.

Naks ! Sarap

Naks ! Sarap Food House

This restaurant open sometime in 2009 in an old house within Barangay Talipapa near the corner of Mindanao Avenue and Quirino Highway.  This restaurant instantly got noticed by commuters and weary travelers that were stuck in the horrendous traffic jam along the main highway  during the rush hours. Their slogan is SARAP Lutong Bahay, Pagkaing Pinoy suggest that their Filipino cuisine are prepared in home- style cooking . Their promo ” ABOT-Kaya Mas Masayang Busog Eat All You Can buffet promo ” is a hit among their customers. Their buffet meal which is available from breakfast, lunch and dinner starts at P119.99 . They used to have a Php 99.99 buffet meal promo sometime in 2010  and is one of the cheapest buffet meal promo in this part of Novaliches.  The restaurant offers between 20 to 25 dishes in their promo and can accommodate at least 75 people at any given time  .

facade of Naks ! Sarap Food House

Naks Food House instantly became a by-word for those people who lived within the area who wanted a value for their hard-earn money . This restaurant was also featured in several television shows like Pop Talk of GMA -QTV channel 11, Balitang Tapat of TV channel 5 , local food and travel bloggers.

The restaurant also accepts reservations and the place is ideal for birthdays  , baptism, wedding , debut, meetings , conference, company team building , Christmas party and among others . The restaurant had a special function room with KTV and sound system readily available for these events.

Address: 542 Quirino Highway , Barangay Talipapa , Novaliches, Quezon City

Contact Person: Ms. Dada or Buboy

Operations: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm everyday

Telephone # 391-82-95 / 379-74-34

Telefax # 455-65-81

Kokko’s Barbeque Plaza

Kokko’s Barbeque Plaza

Located a few meters away is Kokko’s Barbeque Plaza  in Barangay Talipapa along Quirino Highway , Novaliches .

If you want a taste of grill foods, then you should try this restaurant. one of the  amenities of this place is  its  videoke lounge area .

China Pot               

China Pot

This is one of the personal favorite of the author, This restaurant had change their name several years ago and operates on a daily basis. Among its specialties are its chopseuy and pancit sa bilao . Located just a few meters away from the Naks Food House ,  this restaurant had also a KTV and had a sitting capacity of between 75 people to 100 people. The restaurant also have its value combo meals .

Store Operation :Everyday

 Address: Beside the main entrance of  Saint Dominic 9 Subdivision ,  Marigold Street corner  Quirino Highway , Barangay Talipapa , Novaliches , Quezon City

Telephone :939-59-87

Ocampo’s Breadline  Bakery

Ocampo’s Breadline

This bakery is considered by local residents of the place as one of the iconic landmarks of  Barangay San Bartolome area. This is also a favorite (tambayan) hang-out place for the students of nearby schools . The bakery started its operations about 20 years -ago and is considered as one of the best local bakery .

Residents of Rockville Subdivision would call this as ” Bakery of Stars” in reference to its celebrity clientele and local politicians that are seen to frequent this bakery. Television crew of TV channel 5 would also used the bakery for their location shoot.

Among the favorite specialty of this bakery  are its special butter-cream ensaymada , ham and cheese ensaymada  , ube ensaymada, custard cake, donuts, caramel brownies, mongo and pandan loaf, mongo bread, pan de coco, monay  and local pizza .

Address: #1 Rockville Avenue, Rockville Subdivision , Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches , Quezon City

Telephone # 936-72-72

Operation : 5:00 am to 9:00pm everyday

We also roamed around the subdivision and saw a couple of interesting karinderias and Mang Boy Alfredo’s Lugawan.

C and A Mami House

C and A Mami House

C and A Mami House was named after the husband and wife tandem of Mr. Carlos  Lim and Mrs. Amparo Lim a long time resident of the area . They started their restaurant operations in 1978 and eventually opened another branch within the Novaliches town proper a few years later . They had to closed the Novaliches town proper branch sometime in the late 1980’s due to stiff business competition and lack of restaurant staff.

Ms. Maricel Tinio

According to Ms. Maricel Tinio -(cashier of the restaurant and a niece of the owner ) , The restaurant is a favorite hang-out place for television crews of then ABC- channel 5 before the management was bought by Mr. Manuel V. Pangilinan present chair of Kapatid TV channel 5. Local customers of the mami ( noodle ) store would dubbed the restaurant  ” mamihan ng mga taga-channel 5 ”  noodle store of channel 5 , while there are a few people who would  also dubbed the store as ” kainan ng artista”  where celebrities would eat .

 C and A Mami House and Janet’s Pares House  are located near  Kapatid channel 5   station

” Madaming nag-order at kumakain dito na mga taga- channel 5 , ang alam namin pati sa mga taping nila nag-order din sila”.  The restaurant received a lot of orders and dine -in clients from channel 5 and even during their taping they would also order from us ” .

Hung along their wall is a picture of Ms. Sheryl Cruz a well-known actress together with the owners of the place.

Aside from Ms. Sheryl Cruz,  local politicians , councilors and television reporters would also frequent their place. Well known Kapamilya ABS-CBN channel 2 stars Mr. Coco Martin ( actor and commercial model) Mr. Ogie Diaz ( showbiz reporter / radio reporter  and talent manager ) also ate at their restaurant.

Chami – one of the specialties of the restaurant

Among the restaurant specialty is Chami– their ingredients includes minced pork , onions, bell pepper , sayote, celery, squid ball , cabbage, sprinkle with black pepper to taste and topped with chopped leaves of spring onion . Beef and Chicken mami noodles , pancit bihon, pancit canton, miki bihon , canton bihon mixed.

Siopao Asado with special sauce

Their Siopao Asado is a bit spicy due to the black pepper and the taste is comparable to other well-known siopao and their Pork Americana is also a sure hit among its patrons. The restaurant also serve break fast meals like tapsilog, porksilog, chicksilog , daing na bangus and value meals like beef caldereta and beef steak .

The restaurant maintains a quaint ambiance and can accommodate up to 40 people. The store also accepts catering and reservations. For take-outs, the minimum delivery order is Php 300.00 and they only delivers within Barangay San Bartolome, Gulod , RP and Holy Cross areas.

This is considered as one of the best Filipino- Chinese restaurant in this part of Novaliches. With over 30 years in the business and countless of celebrities, local politicians and television personalities tucked into its long list of its customers, a visit to this restaurant is highly recommended.

Address: 792 Quirino Highway  , RP , Novaliches, Quezon City

Operations: 6:30 am to 10:00 p.m. everyday

Telephone # 937-61-92 / 937-78-55

Carinderia / Eateries near TV5

About a decade ago, these eateries along Quirino Highway near then ABC channel 5  provides cheap meals to the employees, drivers, students and the crowd within the vicinity . these eateries  provide stiff competition to the existing restaurants near the television  station. Despite its quaint size and sanitation issues, These eateries still attracts a lot of loyal patrons  .

There are about 30 small eateries located near the station. Since Willie Revillame joined “Kapatid Network“, the human traffic steadily  increase due to the popularity of   ” Will Time Big Time ”  (formerly known as Willing –Willie). This area is now a very popular “tambayan” hang-out place among the fans of  this prime time variety game show.

Janet’s Pares House

Janet’s Pares House

A home grown restaurant which uses the traditional home-cooked style meals started as a small pares eatery with few seats sometime in year 2000 in General Luis Street, Novaliches . Janet’s Pares House was derived from the name of the owner .

 pork barbeque , grilled food and sago’t gulaman

The eatery primarily caters to the  residents of nearby villages and subdivisions, passers-by , students and workers at nearby factories. Word of mouth quickly spread that their clientele base soon expanded to nearby barangays and adjacent areas like Caloocan City and Malinta in Valenzuela City.

I hope someday to  interview the owners of the restaurant, which according to the store manager is quite reluctant to give interviews. ( I hope this is just the own opinion of the staff ) .

Take-out counter

The restaurant gradually expanded its menus and other viands.  Among the top favorites are Lugaw ( rice porridge ) ,  Puto , Tapsilog, Beef Pares serve with rice , Crispy Pata , Sizzling Sisig ,Siopao Asado and Bola-bola , Beef Mami , Miki- Bihon, Chopsuey Rice, Barbecue  and Janet’s Fried Chicken and at least a hundred more meal viands .

Lugaw ( rice porridge ) is among the restaurant’s  top favorite

Its Marianito -RP branch was opened about 6 years ago , the store can accommodate at least 75 people had  second floor and third floor which can also serve as a function area .

Janet’s Miki-Bihon with pork liver, kikiam, vegetables , carrots , bits of lean pork and beans

Locals would swear that a trip to Novaliches is incomplete without  a visit to this homegrown landmark restaurant. From its humble beginnings , now this restaurant had four branches scattered within Novaliches and Fairview area .

Halo-halo ( mix-mix)

Food, travel  bloggers and local media networks like those of TV channel 5 had already featured this restaurant . There is also an unofficial Facebook page which serves as promotional tool for their customers and local patrons .The restaurant also accepts catering services, reservations and delivery on a specific routes .

Address: 784  Quirino Highway corner Marianito street,  RP , Novaliches, Quezon City ( in front of SM Novaliches and a few meters way from TV channel 5)

street signage

Operations: 24 hours everyday

Telephone # 938-95-16 / 938-24-14

Contact person : Ms. Aira (0923-42-11011) RP branch

Branches : Novaliches Bayan -General Luis street ( main branch) , Novaliches- Bayan-Susano Road(937-37-12) , Lagro-Ascension Road in Fairview , Quezon City

JJT  Lugaw Ihaw Sentral

JJT  Lugaw Ihaw Sentral

The group then cross the Novaliches- Tullahan bridge then walked towards Buenamar street . We saw the catchy slogan ” Pagkaing Mura Pagkain Malasa”  Cheap Food , Food that is Tasty ,  this eatery specialty is its  inihaw and lugaw  which is a hit among the students and jeepney drivers ,employees of nearby business establishments and passers-by . Eat all you can unlimited  rice meal promo is a sure come-on for those which had a big appetite for rice which is the principal stable for most people.

This eatery operation usually peak during lunch time and after office hours  from people returning home from office would buy inihaw  and  rice porridge  from the outlet.

Address: Buenamar Street , Novaliches , Quezon City

Ernesto’s Eksotik Restaurant

Ernesto’s Eksotik Restaurant

This bar and restaurant is a must for those people looking for a different kind of food and ambiance .  This is also one of the few places in this part of  Novaliches which had  a garden  venue that can accommodate up to 100 people .  One of its in house specialties are its exotic dishes like Tapag Usa ( Deer meat )  taken from deer farms in Nueva Ecija . This  restaurant capacity on ground floor can accommodate around 40 and its second floor can accommodate up to 30 people.

Moks catering which is the catering arm of the restaurant located a few blocks away.

Buenamar Street , Novaliches , Quezon City

 Telephone : 418-53-61

Operation: 4pm to 4am ( variable closing time )