Razon's of Guagua: Extension of a Filipino Home

Many in my circle of relatives and friends have already tried Razon's of Guagua. But as famous as this restaurant is, I have to shamelessly admit that I haven't tried eating in any of their branches yet. (I know, I'm such a loser.) Fortunately, the next Eat's a Date event that I attended was held at this famed Filipino comfort food destination.

Razon's of Guagua was established as a food business back in 2003. However, it uses the same recipe handed down by the three Razon sisters, Severina, Elena and Virginia, who started all the buzz of their great Pancit Luglug and Halo-Halo in Pampanga. Throughout the years, Razon's of Guagua has expanded not only with their visibility -- putting up over 20 branches in the Metro, but also by offering new food items that cater to the greater Filipinos.

For this Eat's a Date event, my date and I along with bloggers and OpenRicers alike, paid a visit to Razon's of Guagua's Eastwood branch where we were so warmly greeted not only by the staff but also by the cozy interior. Frankly, I was expecting a fast food feel to the whole place, but just imagine my awe in seeing a simple yet nicely decorated restaurant complete with native accents, a map of Pampanga and comfy dining spaces.

We were then treated to a night filled with delicious Filipino food starting with a serving of Razon's of Guagua's possible next item on the menu -- Chicharon with Atchara (pork cracklings with pickled papaya).

The Chicharon was good -- crispy, not too tough to bite and salty, but it was not mind blowing. However, when eaten with Atchara as suggested by our host, Mr. Roman Baltazar Jr., VP of Razons Food Corporation, the delicacy was taken up to a whole new level of goodness. The balance of the saltiness from the Chicharon and the sourness of Atchara was so good!

This unusual combo really works, and it received a very positive feedback among our group. Every plate of Chicharon was wiped out, as well as every bowl of Atchara.

Next, we were given a serving of Dinuguan with Puto (P120) (pork blood stew with steamed rice cake) which is a combination well-loved by most Filipinos.

We were first wondering why this bowl of Dinuguan was not as thick as how home-made ones are. However, all the hesitation were thrown out the window as we got our first spoonful. The stew was slightly sour yet still very savory. The liquid in itself was already good, but the choice of meat and offal swimming in the stew was even more satisfying. Even my date who does NOT eat Dinuguan became a convert.

The Puto serving which came along with the bowl of Dinuguan was also really good. Each piece was a bite-sized soft ball of sweet semi-glutinous rice. My date told me that it is probably Puto Calasiao which is a famous variant of steamed rice cake in Pangasinan.

We also got to try one of the food items which made Razon's of Guagua a hit -- their well-acclaimed Pancit Luglug (P90).

Just the sight of this Filipino pancit variant made my date so happy as this is one of his favorite foods. True enough, Razon's of Guagua's passed my tastebuds with flying colors. Each mouthful is so savory and untiring that I can eat a plate of this dish everyday for merienda.

After the meal starters, we then proceeded to the main course. Each one of us were given a serving of rice and were then treated with Sizzling Sisig (P175).

Being a sisig lover, I can say that Razon's of Guagua's is good. The dish had the right balance of sour and savory with a little hint of spice in it. However, it was nothing spectacular as it didn't left a big Wow in our palate unlike the Dinuguan with Puto and Pancit Luglug.

It was a different story with the Sizzling Bulalo (P238) (beef shank) though as everyone in the table nodded approval for this dish.

The beef's texture was so soft that it seemed like butter in the palate. Every mouthful is just bursting with a seriously savory flavor. It was so good that each of us was getting a second and even a third round from the serving plate.

We also got to try Razon's of Guagua's Chicken Pork Asado (P175) which unusually is tomato-based rather than soy sauce-based.

Having been used to home-cooked asado in soy sauce, eating Razon's of Guagua's version felt as if I was eating Mechado. This dish was also good though, but it was not as memorable as the Sizzling Bulalo.

We were also treated with another possible addition to Razon's of Guagua's menu -- Lechon Kawali (crispy pan-fried roasted pork) served with atchara on the side.

Razon's of Guagua's take on this Filipino favorite is good, but not a lot different from other Filipino restaurants' version. The skin was crispy, and the meat along with the fat was juicy and very tasty. At this point though, eating this was a heart attack awaiting to strike.

Before jumping to desserts, we also got to sample a hot bowl of Razon's of Guagua's Arrozcaldo (P83) (chicken rice porridge).

Although I'm not a big fan of congee, I really appreciated how this hot comfort food tasted. Just the porridge was already oozing with meaty flavors. It was even taken up to a notch by the garlic bits which made the taste richer. A bowl of this is so good that one need not add any more condiments like fish sauce or soy sauce.

We already ate a lot, I know, but the food adventure doesn't stop here. To start our desserts, we were brought a plate of Silvanas (P28 per piece) which was a sure hit. This Sansrival-like pastry in a cookie form, is so good that in a matter of seconds, our plate was already emptied.

We were next treated to a plate of Ensaymada Bites (P145). Yes, it's ensaymada but bite size. And similar to the Silvanas, our group liked this sweet tasty bread topped with tons of shredded cheese. My date surprisingly loved it too. (He's not much into sweet breads, or breads in general as far as I know.)

After all the food we sampled, it was finally time to taste the most famous item in Razon's of Guagua -- Halo-Halo (P90), a shaved ice and evaporated milk dessert with sweetened saba, macapuno strips and topped with thinly sliced leche flan.

As we start digging in the lovely and finely shaved ice of the Halo-Halo, Mr. Baltazar shared to us that there's really no secret behind this simple icy sweet treat. Some guessed that it's the ice. Some hypothesized that it's the milk. However as we were told, everything just boils down to a consistently finely shaved ice, and to a consistent proportion of high quality ingredients.

THE VERDICT

I have to admit that I was not initially enticed by Razon's of Guagua because I believed that the Filipino food they serve can already be found in the comforts of my own home. However after this visit, I am glad to say that I was wrong. Razon's of Guagua may serve Filipino dishes, but in a special and really delicious way that is far different from how my mom cooks. Don't get me wrong, my mom cooks great but Razon's of Guagua offers a different yet very satisfying take on these familiar dishes -- like an extension and second kitchen of our home.

Taste - 4.5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 4/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Razon's of Guagua, Eastwood City Walk 2
2/F Eastwood City Walk 2, Libis
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 470-3859
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