Don’t we just love the north? With its Spanish colonial vibe, friendly people, white sand beaches, waves and mountain ranges, it is hard not to fall in love with Northern Luzon. And have you eaten their delicacies?? Omg. *Drool*
Northern Luzon cooking are just so yummmy. The Ilocos bagnet and pinakbet, dinengdeng, Vigan longganisa, calderatang kambing and other dishes — most of them are cooked with fresh ingredients which are locally grown. That probably gives Northern Luzon food its deliciousness and flavour. Naimas! Delicious!
Yup! The Ilokano word Naimas means delicious. It also happens to be the name of the newly opened restaurant (just last November!) along Amorsolo Street in Makati City, Naimas. Woot. It brings the traditional dishes of the north, without you going out of the metro. Perfect for those random bagnet cravings you’ve been having for months now. :p (Though I also suggest that you go explore the North and take long drive to the beaches! Read: The Great Northern Cultural Trip)
The interior feels homey because of the wooden tables and chairs.
Nice ambiance, pretty patio too!
The Food
Pritong Pugo – Surprisingly good! Before I had a taste, I had a hunch that it’s going to be a bit bonier than chicken (I was right) but I also had the hunch that it’s going to be delicious from the way it looked and from its aroma (I was right again). I absolutely loved the vinegar shake that comes with it. Yesss, shake, as in vinegar that has been blended and turned into a shake. Cool, huh.
Gisaeng Balot – Be a gem and share the dish with others. Please don’t eat the three balot all alone. Putok batok! Savoury sauce, btw.
Crispy Tawilis – Crispy Tawilis is Love. It couldn’t have been more perfect as it has been paired with ensaladang mangga and bagoong. No joke on the crispy part. It crunches on my every bite. I cry. Naimas!
Pinatisang Baka – If I were to choose a favorite, this would be it — Tender short ribs cut into small pieces, with a concoction of spices, pepper and onion. Napadami ako ng rice. You’d think its going to be very salty because it was cooked in patis, but not really. It’s just right.
Adobong Hipon sa Aligue – I’m just going to let that sink in to you for a minute. Adobo (!). Hipon (!!). ALIGUE (!!!!!!!!!).
Sinampalukang Kambing – At this point, me and my buddies are near food coma. But upon hearing that we are being served a dish with goat meat in it, we were piqued. It’s hard to find restaurants that serve goat meat in Manila. They also have Calderetang Kambing and Adobong Kambing if that’s more to your liking. There’s Adobong Baboy Ramo too if you are feeling adventurous! We were told it sells fast.
Naimas Bagnet – There is no sinful food more than this famous pork belly. Gahhh! It’s one the best bagnet I’ve tasted so far. Naimas cook their bagnet the traditional way — boiled, hang out to dry then fried again. Two thumbs up.
Sizzling Litid – A dish I never thought was possible. Sizzling litid, huwaaat. Perfect for pulutan guysss. Attack!
Pretty sure I had a heart attack after eating all of this. Thank you Naimas for bringing the comfort of good food!
Naimas
G/F CAP Bldg Amorsolo St cor Rufino St,Legazpi Village, Makati
https://www.facebook.com/naimasrestaurant/
