Adobo is as important as rice in Filipino culture. There are probably thousands of recipes for it, and each family has their own unique and secret mixture. A Filipino’s love affair with adobo can be traced back even before the Spanish era, and this is what brought couple Meredith Ngo and Jerome Uy into putting up a restaurant specially designed to cater to this adobo affair.
Adobo Connection started in 2010 and since then, it has been unstoppable. Their desire to bring people together in a casual-setting restaurant serving a variety of adobo will never fail to remind you of home, wherever you may be. We were lucky enough to experience what Adobo Connection has to offer. According to the owners, all recipes from their restaurant was made possible through experimentation. They are also open in taking suggestions from their customers because what is always important is their opinions. Jerome and Meredith graciously served their best dishes starting with Kuya’s fried mixed adobo.
It is a combination of chicken and pork and has an intense garlic flavor. Honestly, it tastes like my mother’s adobo. I am really into garlic, so this is a hit. The pork and the chicken are very juicy and tender. This bestseller is the perfect example of a traditional adobo recipe – marinated in vinegar and garlic until brown.
The Pork adobo flakes and the Modern Nutty Pork Adobo came next. We all think that the Pork adobo flakes would be better if they were a little moist. Nevertheless, it is still a hit. I have tasted adobo flakes before, but it is so dry and bland that I have to pour a lot of vinegar in it. The modern adobo is one adobo recipe I will never forget. It is not your usual adobo because it is “a sweet adobo similar to kaldereta and topped with nuts”. It’s more like a pasta-flavored adobo, and for me, it is the best-tasting adobo ever. The modern adobo is the perfect recipe if you wanted to veer away from the typical adobo taste.
According to Jerome and Meredith, the Chicken Adobo sa gata is their take on the traditional adobo known to Filipinos. In some provinces, adobo is very spicy and is simmered in coconut milk (gata), and this kind of recipe is proof of that. The chicken is cooked just right so that it is easy to eat.
Adobo Connection also prides itself on adobo Lenten specials that you will surely love: Fish and tofu adobo and Adobong Pusit. Like the other dishes previously served, the fish and tofu adobo satisfied everyone’s palate. It even managed to convert bloggers who are not into tofu. Now, you must wonder, how good is it really? Well, isn’t the answer too obvious? The flavor seeps through the tofu while the sweet sauce is complimenting it. On the other hand, the adobong pusit is tasty! It retains its chewiness yet is still tender enough to eat.
Gising-gising, “chopped Baguio beans sauteed in coconut milk” and Poqui-poqui, “sauteed grilled eggplant” came to the table next. I don’t really like vegetables so I was thinking twice about eating them but I have to. Gising-gising is truly a panggising upgrade because it is spicy. There is actually no hint that it is a vegetable. Same goes for poqui poqui. I liked it so much because I am really into grilled eggplant.
Adobo Connection didn’t let the moment pass without letting us taste their newest item: Pork adobo rice. It is the cheaper version of their other rice meals. You have the adobo rice and the topping of adobo flakes. As a new addition to the dozens of adobo offerings from Adobo Connection, the pork adobo rice is surely something to come back for.
They also serve beer, and if you are looking for the perfect match, you should try their Sizzling pork binagoongan. It seems like a cross between the binagoongan we are used to with lechon kawali. The taste of the bagoong is very dominant, but it doesn’t overpower the taste of the pork. Speaking of the pork, it is so tasty that you could even eat it with rice.
The whole experience will not be complete without desserts. Adobo Connection served us with Leche flan and Flan turon. The leche flan is not too sweet – it’s just right to the tastebuds. There will be no umay factor. If I could eat one dessert forever, it would be leche flan, and Adobo Connection’s version is one of the best-tasting ones. Meanwhile, the flan turon is something new to me. As the name suggests, it is turon-filled with leche flan. The vanilla ice cream beside it complements the flan turon so well.
Located at 500 Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong, Adobo Connection is one of the best places to chill when you are around the area. At an affordable price, you are given the chance to taste all the best-tasting adobo you have never tasted before.
Address: Ground Level, 500 Shaw Zentrum, 500 Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong
Tel. No.: (02) 8655-1190
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday
9:00 am to 2:00 am
