1
00:00:00,123 --> 00:00:02,611
- When it comes to stews,
Filipinos are the ones

2
00:00:02,611 --> 00:00:03,996
who are good at it.
- Why is it noisy there?

3
00:00:03,996 --> 00:00:06,748
- [Martin] I'm doing my spiels
for my outdoor shoot.

4
00:00:06,748 --> 00:00:07,617
- Me too.

5
00:00:07,617 --> 00:00:09,591
Why are you doing it here?
Go to some other place.

6
00:00:09,591 --> 00:00:11,610
- [Martin] Who came here first?

7
00:00:11,610 --> 00:00:12,798
- I don't have a rebuttal
for that.

8
00:00:12,798 --> 00:00:13,822
Let's leave here.

9
00:00:14,102 --> 00:00:15,557
- Just kidding.
We love each other.

10
00:00:15,557 --> 00:00:16,494
(laughs)

11
00:00:21,300 --> 00:00:22,154
(grunts)

12
00:00:23,102 --> 00:00:23,892
There.

13
00:00:30,045 --> 00:00:31,085
(grunts)

14
00:00:34,087 --> 00:00:34,991
Go ahead.

15
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You don't have anything 
beside you. Just continue.

16
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You got anything for me?

17
00:00:45,415 --> 00:00:46,444
There's still some stuff
in this.

18
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So today we're going
around the metro

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to find out which kare-kare
is the best.

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00:00:51,791 --> 00:00:53,211
In my opinion, anyway.

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All right. So today
we're going around the metro.

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Maybe we'll go 
to three establishments

23
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that serve kare-kare,

24
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but then different personalities.

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Like the first one
we're going to go to

26
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would be an establishment
that made it as far

27
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as London.

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Imagine, our stew 
has become international.

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The second one 
is homegrown.

30
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It's a small home business.

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The last one, they've been
around for a very long time.

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So yeah. I'm very excited.

33
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So we're going
to Romulo Cafe.

34
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Now it has three branches here
in the Philippines—

35
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QC, Alabang, and I think
in Makati.

36
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But did you know
that they also have

37
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a branch 
in Kensington High Street

38
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over at London?

39
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Classy!

40
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So Romulo Cafe actually
is run by third generation already.

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If I had to describe 
kare-kare to you,

42
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I'd say that 
it's a rich and creamy stew

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that has a very prominent
peanut flavor

44
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and that strong broth
that we used

45
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to tenderize,
our ox tails, our tripe,

46
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and whatever beef part
you put it into.

47
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And of course,
there's the steamed vegetables

48
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and bagoong,
'cause that really compliments

49
00:02:03,507 --> 00:02:06,310
the savory 
and peanuty flavor.

50
00:02:06,310 --> 00:02:08,356
And usually, kare-kare
is eaten with rice

51
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since it's already packed
with meat, veggies,

52
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and a thick soup.

53
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As you can see,
it's not as smooth

54
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as your usual kare-kare,
and that's

55
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because they actually grind
their own rice

56
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and that's what they use
as thickeners,

57
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which is what we use
traditionally anyway.

58
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And so at first,
I saw the prices on the menu,

59
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you'd think it's a bit much,
but then

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when they served the food,
it was packed with tripe

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and ox tail.

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This is what a family serving
really means.

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Standard beans, cabbage,
and eggplant.

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Wow.

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This is their bagoong.

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So let's taste it first
without bagoong.

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That's usually what I do
whenever I eat kare-kare outside.

68
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To be honest,
the fact that it's not smooth

69
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actually reminds me
of the more traditional kare-kare.

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Well, obviously my preference
is a smoother sauce

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or smoother soup.

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Some people would really
love this.

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I think it's time to move on
to another place

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that serves an heirloom
kare-kare recipe.

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This business was started
by two couples

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during the pandemic.

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And they are called
Iya's Kare-Kare.

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Let's go.

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00:03:33,344 --> 00:03:34,656
Oh my, my back.

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We're on our way
to Iya's Kare-Kare.

81
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They are an online business,
but they're nice enough

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to let me in.

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- [Iya] It was April 2020,
my husband and I

84
00:03:51,452 --> 00:03:52,735
just kind of craved kare-kare.

85
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And then at that time,
I asked my grandmother

86
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to teach me how to cook it.

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- [Martin] So it's really
an heirloom recipe.

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- Yes.

89
00:03:58,910 --> 00:04:01,454
Then, I cooked one
and she said

90
00:04:01,454 --> 00:04:02,501
that it's good.

91
00:04:02,661 --> 00:04:06,262
I even posted in Facebook
without having any idea.

92
00:04:06,270 --> 00:04:09,466
My caption was like,
"It's my first time cooking it

93
00:04:09,466 --> 00:04:11,195
and it tasted good."

94
00:04:11,202 --> 00:04:12,587
So I posted it.

95
00:04:12,827 --> 00:04:16,445
We were living then
at a condo.

96
00:04:17,376 --> 00:04:19,096
At that time,
marketplace is common

97
00:04:19,096 --> 00:04:20,266
in condos.

98
00:04:20,462 --> 00:04:21,902
- [Martin] Oh, yeah.
The Viber groups.

99
00:04:21,902 --> 00:04:23,055
- [Iya] Exactly, right?

100
00:04:23,175 --> 00:04:25,048
So I offered it
without thinking

101
00:04:25,071 --> 00:04:26,797
of anything.

102
00:04:26,797 --> 00:04:29,879
I was surprised
that someone ordered.

103
00:04:30,408 --> 00:04:33,105
Never in my wildest dream
did I imagine

104
00:04:33,105 --> 00:04:34,968
that this would evolve
into something

105
00:04:34,968 --> 00:04:37,683
like up until now,
two years have passed...

106
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It's still small,
but now there's more people

107
00:04:41,514 --> 00:04:42,657
who knows this.

108
00:04:48,167 --> 00:04:49,816
- We're not saying
that we're already there.

109
00:04:49,820 --> 00:04:52,285
But hopefully one day
we can reach it.

110
00:04:52,445 --> 00:04:54,459
- Actually, this guy 
over here,

111
00:04:54,488 --> 00:04:58,402
he's one main critic
when it comes to kare-kare.

112
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That's automatic.

113
00:04:59,637 --> 00:05:02,324
When he says that it's good,
it's really good.

114
00:05:02,424 --> 00:05:06,001
For me, this is the perfect
tenderization of meat,

115
00:05:06,011 --> 00:05:07,989
when it still keeps its form.

116
00:05:08,191 --> 00:05:09,380
- [Iya] Chef, bagoong.

117
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- They also make the bagoong.

118
00:05:13,359 --> 00:05:14,985
How many times
do you have to make

119
00:05:15,009 --> 00:05:17,195
your bagoong,
since you make it by batch?

120
00:05:19,275 --> 00:05:21,283
- [Iya] Maybe I do it
once a week.

121
00:05:22,896 --> 00:05:25,068
Honest feedback, okay?

122
00:05:28,140 --> 00:05:29,058
- It's so worth it.

123
00:05:29,084 --> 00:05:30,113
(laughs)

124
00:05:31,034 --> 00:05:32,306
It's really good, man.

125
00:05:33,857 --> 00:05:34,903
That's without bagoong yet.

126
00:05:36,368 --> 00:05:37,603
- [Iya] Thank you!

127
00:05:37,748 --> 00:05:38,677
That's how I usually eat.
- You know what,

128
00:05:38,677 --> 00:05:39,861
I don't believe
that you've just started

129
00:05:39,861 --> 00:05:42,116
cooking in 2019.

130
00:05:42,196 --> 00:05:43,220
- Oh, you!

131
00:05:43,304 --> 00:05:44,810
(laughs)

132
00:05:48,268 --> 00:05:49,179
- But it's really true.

133
00:05:54,769 --> 00:05:56,218
There will be nothing left
for you, Julius.

134
00:05:56,855 --> 00:05:58,257
I'm sorry.

135
00:06:00,010 --> 00:06:01,436
It's so good.

136
00:06:02,813 --> 00:06:05,559
So you guys can order
from Iya's Kare-Kare.

137
00:06:05,578 --> 00:06:08,708
We'll just put that
in the description somewhere.

138
00:06:09,958 --> 00:06:11,624
It would be weird
if we mention

139
00:06:11,655 --> 00:06:13,237
any Facebook or number.

140
00:06:13,494 --> 00:06:14,584
So we'll do it later.

141
00:06:15,844 --> 00:06:17,629
So I'm not going to wait
until we get back

142
00:06:17,648 --> 00:06:18,392
to the office.

143
00:06:18,427 --> 00:06:21,228
This is really one
of the best kare-kare

144
00:06:21,236 --> 00:06:22,329
that I've had.

145
00:06:23,499 --> 00:06:24,937
Trust. Trust.

146
00:06:25,317 --> 00:06:27,080
Even though this is not bread,
trust me.

147
00:06:36,584 --> 00:06:37,584
It's beautiful.

148
00:06:38,734 --> 00:06:40,581
So we are here at our last stop.

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00:06:40,606 --> 00:06:42,912
This space is called
Cafe Juanita.

150
00:06:43,199 --> 00:06:46,323
It's full of trinkets.
The place is very interesting.

151
00:06:46,323 --> 00:06:49,508
And you know,
this place is actually described

152
00:06:49,508 --> 00:06:52,243
by Time Magazine
as a place where the food

153
00:06:52,243 --> 00:06:56,330
is as close to home cooking
as it can get.

154
00:06:56,330 --> 00:06:58,922
And also, another thing,
it's proudly Filipino,

155
00:06:58,922 --> 00:07:01,609
naturally home cooked,
but made contemporary.

156
00:07:01,609 --> 00:07:03,603
I'm very excited
to try the kare-kare,

157
00:07:03,603 --> 00:07:06,061
especially since it was mentioned
to me that they have

158
00:07:06,061 --> 00:07:09,456
the main focus on the trinity,
where I also feel like

159
00:07:09,456 --> 00:07:11,289
it should also be the main focus
of all hospitality business

160
00:07:11,289 --> 00:07:14,455
which is service, food,
and the ambiance.

161
00:07:22,385 --> 00:07:23,570
Wow, it's so soft.

162
00:07:23,780 --> 00:07:25,376
It's so tender.

163
00:07:25,387 --> 00:07:27,519
Of course, we have
different favorites,

164
00:07:27,519 --> 00:07:29,216
but of course,
it's perfect when there's

165
00:07:29,216 --> 00:07:32,880
a balance of vegetables,
ox tail, tripe. Right?

166
00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,979
And of course, this bagoong.

167
00:07:36,004 --> 00:07:38,480
And what's great 
with their bagoong here

168
00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,770
is that, like the others
we've went to today,

169
00:07:40,770 --> 00:07:43,201
they actually process it
themselves.

170
00:07:43,201 --> 00:07:45,402
They cook it here,
they get the raw materials,

171
00:07:45,402 --> 00:07:49,210
and have their own formulation
or like own recipe for it.

172
00:07:49,210 --> 00:07:50,744
Let's taste it as is.

173
00:07:54,034 --> 00:07:55,576
This is how tender it is.

174
00:07:55,586 --> 00:07:58,708
Now this is what 
you call fork tender.

175
00:07:58,708 --> 00:08:00,720
It didn't separate 
into pieces,

176
00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,144
its mass or shape
is still intact.

177
00:08:03,144 --> 00:08:05,253
But you can use
the back of a spoon

178
00:08:05,253 --> 00:08:07,316
or even just your fork.

179
00:08:09,064 --> 00:08:10,432
It's so solid.

180
00:08:17,491 --> 00:08:18,691
It's so delicious.

181
00:08:20,514 --> 00:08:22,285
This is the food 
that you can bring

182
00:08:22,294 --> 00:08:24,739
to any potluck 
and it'll be a winner.

183
00:08:24,979 --> 00:08:27,063
The ox tail is so soft.

184
00:08:27,090 --> 00:08:29,166
The flavor of the sauce
is delicious,

185
00:08:29,166 --> 00:08:31,161
there's a bit of sweetness
and savoriness to it.

186
00:08:31,161 --> 00:08:33,255
Its seasoning gets completed
when you eat it

187
00:08:33,255 --> 00:08:35,133
with their bagoong.

188
00:08:40,983 --> 00:08:42,508
I won't share this,
this is all mine.

189
00:08:45,736 --> 00:08:48,461
So we've gone through three 
of the best kare-kares here

190
00:08:48,473 --> 00:08:51,149
in Metro Manila
according to our sources.

191
00:08:51,509 --> 00:08:53,357
And I'm about to give
my verdict.

192
00:08:53,375 --> 00:08:54,480
But before that...

193
00:08:57,980 --> 00:08:59,127
Don't get mad at me,
Erwan.

194
00:08:59,127 --> 00:09:01,354
Julius and I 
are really just like this.

195
00:09:06,284 --> 00:09:07,899
Iya's Kare-Kare
is the best one.

196
00:09:09,317 --> 00:09:11,261
Kare-kare will always be
one of our go-to

197
00:09:11,274 --> 00:09:14,049
Filipino dishes,
and I can definitely see why.

198
00:09:14,049 --> 00:09:16,859
Savory, comforting,
loaded with meat

199
00:09:16,859 --> 00:09:17,684
and vegetables.

200
00:09:17,684 --> 00:09:20,201
And best of all,
it will always remind us

201
00:09:20,201 --> 00:09:22,389
of our mom's
or our grandmother's cooking.

202
00:09:22,389 --> 00:09:24,613
Iya's Kare-Kare wins
this one for me,

203
00:09:24,613 --> 00:09:26,351
but do give the others
a try as well

204
00:09:26,351 --> 00:09:27,730
and let us know
whose kare-kare

205
00:09:27,730 --> 00:09:28,999
is the best for you.