Off the bucket list...Mitchell's Ice Cream; Ube Ice Cream

With warm weather creeping up on us – while we hold our breath of course, this is San Francisco after all – ice cream joints become increasingly busier.

One place that has been busy regardless of rain or shine has been Mitchell's Ice Cream, which has been a praised local establishment since 1953.

Their ube ice cream is the most notable flavor, as it has found a place in 7x7's Big Eat list. Ube is the Philippine term for purple yam. Philippine bakeries serve ube in all forms – cakes, rolls, and rice muffins. It's sweet and somewhat chalky, but in Mitchell's ice cream-form it's incredibly creamy without being too decadent. 

Other Philippine flavors pepper their menu such as buko (baby coconut), halo halo (buko, langka, ube, pineapple, mongo, and sweet beans), lankgka (jackfruit, relative of the fig), and macapuno (sweet coconut).

The traffic is controlled pretty well via a “please take a number” system, so don't be too intimidated, as turnover is fast.

A single scoop is pretty hefty for $3.25.

Location:
688 San Jose Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94110


Open daily 11am-11pm

Authentic Filipino Food -- Ongpin Restaurant

A good home-cooked Filipino meal that is away from home can be savored at many places in the Bay Area, but one that tops my list would have to be Ongpin Restaurant in South San Francisco. Eating here fulfills my craving for the succulent, rich cuisine of my heritage.

Pictured on the left Tapa, strips of grilled beef marinated in vinegar, pepper, and soy sauce. Its marinade is in fact the sauce that it is served with, but with diced onions added to it. This is typically eaten for breakfast with garlic rice, sunny-side up egg, and salted slices of tomato. ($9.50)

Kare Kare is quite possibly every peanut butter lover's dream. It's a stew made with peanut sauce, oxtail, bok choy, tripe, and eggplant. Served alongside it is a shrimp paste, which is essential to the dish. I would describe it as a Filipino-style curry that is exquisitely comforting and savory. Pour this over a bed of rice and you're good to go. ($12.00)

You can't eat at Ongpin without having their Crispy Pata, a deep-fried leg of pork that is one of the top delicacies of Filipino cuisine. That's because Filipinos love their pork, and this is one of their favorite ways in enjoying it. Cutting into the meatiest part of the leg, you hear the delightful crunch of the skin. The skin is of course the best part, in all its fattyness and melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Crispy pata also pairs extremely well with kare kare, because not only is it their harmony of flavors but also the creamy texture of the peanut sauce and rice that carries the crunch of the pork leg perfectly. ($13.95) 

Location: 73 Camaritas Avenue, South San Francisco, CA



Filipino-Spanish Cuisine: Patio Filipino

I'm not typically a fan of fancy Filipino restaurants, simply because I don't think they need to be. I enjoy feasting on a hefty mound of rice, succulent lechon kawali, and saucy kare-kare off of a sectioned plate from turo-turo eateries. Turo-turo means "point-point" in tagalog, because that's how you order your food. You walk up to an array of unnamed dishes and point at whatever you want. It's a Filipino family-style small restaurant, and is usually the kind where my family and I dine. 


But this time, we decided to try something new with an added twist. 

Patio Filipino is a Filipino-Spanish cuisine restaurant located off El Camino Real in San Bruno. Their menu is a mish-mash of Filipino and Spanish dishes, from Pork Sinigang (pork and veggines in a tamarind broth) to Callos alla Madrillena (tripe, tendons, and chorizo in tomato sauce). Filipino cuisine is hard to describe, but it is definitely diversely influenced by its surrounding countries and Spanish colonial history.

To be quite honest, I wasn't so sure about this restaurant. I liked how there was a frontal patio dining area. But upon walking in I saw formally dressed waiters, two dimly lit dining rooms with neatly presented tables, and to top things off I heard pretty dated, cheesy songs. This wasn't my typical Filipino restaurant ambiance and believe me I tried really hard to put my harsh judgments aside. Besides, it is a Filipino-Spanish restaurant, so I shouldn't make a big deal out of it. Also my parents and I were there for the Spanish food, and wanted to check out the notable dishes that were featured on Check Please! Bay Area.

Patio Filipino is known for their Paella Valenciana, a heavenly combination of chorizo, mussel, scallops, shrimps, and chicken in saffron rice. This order, which costs $22.95, serves 4-6 people. By no means did I finish this all on my own, although I could have easily done so. I came with my mom and dad. 

You need to allow 30 minutes for them to prepare it, and in fact, my dad was able to call in our order ahead of time. I recommend it unless you don't mind the wait. 


I went to Spain towards the end of my stay in Europe this past April, and had some really amazing paella dishes. My favorite of all of them would have to be arroz negro, a combination of rice, squid, and its ink. I loved it especially since it was served with a side of garlic aioli, which I hoped this restaurant could have done as it is typical in Spain. Still, it was an enjoyable dish, and quite a deal given its price. 

We also had Calamares Fritos, calamari served with what they call "Patio sauce," a chili sauce and mayonaisse mixture. It was great to have it alongside the paella in terms of texture and it added a boost of seafood. They were perfectly crisped and paired well with the sauce.

Location: 

1770 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA