Uncle Jov’s Filipino Home-style Cooking

During our last visit, the customer in the table beside ours told the manager that it was their second visit in the restaurant since their food was really good. In my mind, I told them that it was may fifth visit in Uncle Jov’s due to the same reason. Every time I go in my hometown or vice versa, it’s always a choice between Uncle Jov’s, Cafe de Vito, Ten 2 One Restobar and Dutch Cafe not just because they are along our way but also because their dishes are definitely a must-try.

The facade and interior of Uncle Jov’s gives us the feeling of home as they design it with traditional Filipino home decorations. This shows that they serve Filipino home foods but with a twist that is tastier and more delectable. Their menu ranges from appetizer, soup, salad and burgers to steaks, ribs, sizzlers and desserts. Here’s what we got.

Grilled Tanigue

I remember the first time I ate here. It was because my mom tried and adored their Grilled Tanigue and Mais con Hyelo so she recommended and brought me in Uncle Jov’s. I ordered the same thing and she was right. Although the slice wasn’t thick, it was the flavor that mattered. I can feel the juiciness and freshness in every bite. The marinade was pretty good and the grilling was great. I understood why mom is into this.

Mais Con Yelo

As for the Mais con Yelo, the grated sweet corn and the amount of milk were just fine. I appreciate the idea of including the corn cream to add corn flavor and to balance the sweetness. The ice is shaved well enough leaving no big particles. You how I hate those bits of ice as it ruins my eating moment. Anyway, on our last visits, I didn’t notice Mais Con Yelo on the menu. Omitted or not, I’m lucky that I’ve got to taste Uncle Jov’s Mais Con Yelo.

Lechon Kawali

I’m willing to take in cholesterol as long as I’m ingesting one of the Filipino favorite dish, Lechon Kawali. We love Lechon Kawali because its tasty from its meat to its fats to its skin. Ordering Uncle Jov’s Lechon Kawali, I had these expectations. Yes! It was tasty but each strips only has a small portion of meat. The bigger part consist of fats. Even though the fats were flavorful, I won’t eat that. I just chose the meat and skin parts.

Tempura

I’m happy that they used king prawns for their Tempura. I’ve experienced eating Tempura but with medium-sized shrimps in it and thick batter filling the length. Totally disappointing! The usual Tempura is made out of king prawns with light butter. This one, I think, is a combination of Tempura and Camaron Rebosado because they had king prawns like the Japanese Tempura yet it has heavy batter like Camaron Rebosado. And that is perfectly fine with me.

T-bone Steak

My boyfriend and I are used to eating steaks. Every time we go out, we crave for it. I guess we already tried steaks from the least to the most toothsome in Manila no matter which part they are. Uncle Jov’s T-bone Steak is in the middle. The meat wasn’t medium rare as I asked for it to be. However, it was still soft, tender and juicy as I wished it to be. The gravy made it even delightful.

Lumpiang Shanghai

While ordering, we asked the waiter how many pieces of lumpiang shanghai served in this dish. We’re surprised when she told us that there are twelve. How generous was that! But when our lumpiang shanghai was placed on our table, we’re wrong. There are many sticks with sizes half than the normal ones. They may be oily and small yet they are soft in the inside, crispy on the outside, served hot and full of meaty flavor.

Pusit

The menu simply says pusit. But I think it should be buttered pusit because all that yellow thingy that’s covering the squid are butter. And it’s not the liquid type. It’s more of a creamy type which makes the squid became too sweet for my palate. I like it with the side dish though. The potato and the carrots were yummier with the butter they used. And I like the idea of stuffing the squid with small cubes of carrots and turnips instead of the usual tomatoes and onion.

Hototai

If they gave a small amount for lumpiang shanghai, it was the opposite for hototai. Although this is how it is suppose to be, I’m happy that they had a generous serving of chicken and vegetables. I may not be a fan of vegetables and chicken but the soup itself is enough to comfort my tummy. It’s delicious especially that the warmth fits to the cold season. My mom’s enjoying her lunch even though she only has the soup.