MENU
Pilita's Baby Back
By Margaux Salcedo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:10:00 06/15/2008
MANILA, Philippines - Life should not be so complicated. All you need is love (according to The Beatles), music, and for flavor, maybe some good tomato sauce (or chocolate, if you're Lori Baltazar). This is what I learned on my recent food trip.
I entered a room filled with senior citizens. Men's hairstyles ran the gamut from the BMW (Buhok Mo Wig) to the comb-over, to Now Showing (now showing the scalp), to Top Gone (absolutely bald). Women sported grays or dyes. Standards, including the classics “As Time Goes By” and “The Nearness of You,” filled the air from a lone keyboard at the corner, where a little stage has been set for people who would like to express themselves. On this visit, I was with a group of senior citizens myself, save for two of us thirtysomethings. Later in the evening, after a couple of bottles of Chateau Montrose care of Uncle Joe, Tito Frank sang “If You Are But A Dream.” From another table, a woman who looked fortyish later rendered her version of “Someone To Watch Over Me.” It felt like a family reunion with distant cousins belting out the classics.
Enter the family matriarch. A real breath of fresh air, never mind that she's as senior as the Top Gones. She goes around the room making sure everyone is having a grand time. Then to the delight of us all, she takes the stage and blows us away with her version of “A Million Thanks To You.” What a woman!
She is of course Pilita Corrales, the singer, the star, the legend - whose mere presence makes this restaurant worth the trip.
The name of the restaurant is Pilita's, a fact you can't miss from the huge black and white photos on the wall, the collection of music awards at one corner, and the collection of album covers by the mini-stage. It is a quaint little hangout near the Music Museum in Greenhills where, even on an ordinary day, you'd easily spot Kuya Germs, Dulce, Eddie Mesa, and other local showbiz legends. On my first visit, I was lucky enough to catch Eddie Mesa take the stage and engage us with his Elvis moves. You'd think he was single and in his twenties. Then Pilita took over with Angie de la Cruz (daughter of Katie dela Cruz) for a comedy routine that had the audience rolling on the floor laughing out loud.
That's what Pilita's is all about. It's about having a good time, with the music of yesteryear. It gives you a peek into what was happening in the '50s and '60s (or is it '40s and '50s). It also makes you overlook the fact that what you are eating is nothing spectacular at all.
Their menu is simple: a few pasta dishes, meat, fish and chicken. All very basic. It really is like a visit to an aunt's home, but this is the aunt whom you love not for her cooking but for her personality. From the items that I've tried on several visits, and with my friends, I've probably tried all the items on the menut: he verdict is that like in show business, only few stand out. The star of the menu is the unassuming pork chop. It is a generous slab that is juicy and thick. It is tasty on its own, i.e., without ketchup or gravy or any other sauce that you would prefer, and just an absolute delight to consume. Close but not of the same star quality is Pilita's Baby Back Ribs.
On my second visit, the entire table agreed that this is not the best baby back in town. Although it was tender as a baby back is expected to be, it did not seem to have enough gusto in its marinade to leave an impression, unlike the lady it was named after. Maybe Pilita should attach her name to the pork chops instead. Lastly, another possible celebrity is the Pork Schnitzel, but more because of its accessories than on its own: the schnitzel adds some pizzazz into its plate by the addition of a sharp-tasting tomato sauce and melted cheese. Along with the acceptable pasta siding, it makes for a very satisfying pork order.
Everything else is satisfactory but, unlike the three little pigs mentioned earlier, do not have enough star power to steal the show. The Fish n' Chips, which is a fillet of sole, swims in its clothes, i.e., there's too much flour for too skinny a slice of fish. Instead of the fish standing out with the flour present only to give a hint of crispy, the flour here is a little too thick for its own good, effectively upstaging the fish. Meanwhile the pastas are too basic - a puttanesca, a napolitana, and several others. They were by no means unacceptable, mind you. In fact, I was pleased with my penne puttanesca, which delivered on being tasty and filling, especially with the black olives and the additional anchovies. But I've been to school cafeterias with similar pastas.
The least appreciated of all, however, is the burger, which costs over P200. I ordered it precisely because it was expensive; I wondered, why the price, what made it special It's huge, alright, but not in taste. The meat is pale and sullen ... it tasted like it came from a lonely cow. The insertion of a slice of ham and some cheese helped, giving the burger a dimension of salty, but otherwise I wouldn't order it again.
This is probably the reason why people don't come to Pilita's for the food. Unlike the owner, who is full of life and star power, the menu is utterly devoid of personality, something even great service cannot make up for. I had heard from the grapevine that to improve its sales, the restaurant is considering moving to another location, with a new partner. Hopefully that new partner will have taste not only in music but also in food. After all, the place is still a restaurant, not just a mini concert hall for Pilita and friends.
Speaking of friends, Tita Mom, who was with me on one of my visits remarked, “Alam mo ba kung bakit walang kumakain sa Pilita's Kasi may Germs sa pinto!” (Do you know why no one comes to Pilita's? It's because of Germs by the door!), referring to Kuya Germs, who usually parks himself on the table right beside the entrance. (On my visit with Tita Mom, he was there playing poker with Pilita's other friends.) I personally think it's lovely to have him around; he adds such character to the venue.
But Pilita's friends should watch the snob factor that keeps the younger crowd away. On my visit with Tita Mom, we were a group of eight, babies of the '70s, '80s and '90s, all excited to take the stage although the standards were not in our music vocabulary. When my friends got up to sing '80s hits like “Against All Odds” and “Crazy for You,” the geriatrics at the next table got up to leave, and outside, the other oldies looked dismayed by our presence. And when Tita Mom got up to sing, the pianist said, “That's all for tonight, folks!” quicker than you can say Pilita. And to think Tita Mom wanted to sing “Maalala Mo Kaya?” too, a song that would have been right up his ancient keyboard ally. So I witnessed another factor contributing to the sparse visitors of the restaurant: why come when you're not welcome
Nevertheless, when Pilita's around, it's all magic. You once again believe that in life all you need is good lovin, and good music, give or take a few good baby back ribs.
PILITA'S. Ground Floor, Theater Mall, Greenhills, San Juan. 722-0361.
|
