Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes: The Best Eating Place in Katipunan Avenue
Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes
We could have spent all our lunch breaks at Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes (or lived there, actually), had it been born years ago, when we were still studying in the Katipunan area in Quezon City.
However, we realized things weren’t too late for us. Just because we were no longer Katipunan babies does not mean we cannot go to this place anymore. After all, we were also told, it would always be worth the visit—wherever you may be coming from.
They were right.
One Monday night, we brought some close friends with us to have a food trip at Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes. The first thing we realised was that it was so easy to get there. From the Ateneo area, we just rode a cab and in less than 15 minutes, we were already there.
The Best Eating Place on Katipunan Avenue
We were welcomed by its homey atmosphere. Like what our friends said, “parang bahay lang namin” (it’s just like our house). Besides the comfy chairs, it also had decorations that easily made us feel at home. There were movie posters, framed quotations, and memorabilia from different cities in the world. There were already Christmas decorations on the tables, as well. We also loved the color scheme of the interior walls.
Marian and Gabe
Apart from the place itself, we also liked the fact that Dan and Marian, the owners, and their son Gabe (yes, the place was named after this nice boy) were so friendly and accommodating. We felt as if we were just visiting a friend’s house.
We learned that Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes opened in May 2014, after Dan and his wife Marian decided to start their own food business ad follow the footsteps of some family members. They thought it would be a great way to share the goodness of the recipes from Marian’s family.
Horseylog (Php95)
In no time, the ultimate food trip kicked off with their very own Horseylog. At first, I was hesitant to try this dish. However, when I saw my friends’ reactions and how they fell in love with it at first bite, I gave in. The Horseylog was so juicy and tender, which was surprising for me. I also liked its taste and it perfectly complemented the atsara it came with. The next thing I knew, I was close to finishing the entire thing.
Baked Ribs (Php140)
After Horseylog, we tried the Baked Ribs, which became a new favorite of mine. One of the things we loved about them was the fact that we did not need any knives while eating them. It had the perfect kind of tenderness. Everything looked so intact, but separating the meat from the bones was so easy, even if we were just using spoons and forks.
Besides their texture, we also liked the taste of the Baked Ribs. It was so powerful that we were reminded of the barbeque-flavored chips we loved eating as kids. The only difference, of course, was that this was the real thing. The ribs even came with an equally powerful sauce.
Lengua (Php200)
After that, the Lengua was served. The very first thing we noticed about it was its creaminess. It had the taste and consistency of a luxurious Western soup yet the meat reminded us that it was a proud Filipino-made culinary affair.
Kare-Kare, Good for Sharing (Php160)
The Lengua was followed by Kare-Kare, which, of course, came with Bagoong Alamang. The Kare-Kare was overloaded with vegetables. It also had beef tongue and tripe. What I personally liked about this Kare-Kare was the fact that its sauce was made from freshly-ground peanuts. It was not like the other versions with sauces made from peanut butter. We also loved the Bagoong Alamang it came with.
Carbonara (Php100)
The next one served was the Carbonara. I instantly fell in love with it, not just because I have always been a pasta lover, but because the dish provided me countless reasons to love it. Just imagine the right kind of creaminess plus perfectly cooked spaghetti noodles. It is definitely something worth coming back for.
Spaghetti (Php90)
We also had Spaghetti, which had a unique take on the national pasta of the Philippines. I can tell that it was unique because it was not particularly sweet, unlike the usual Filipino-style spaghetti popular on countless birthday parties. It wasn’t sour, either.
