Along Lakeshore Drive in Barangay San Isidro in the town of Tanay, and right beside the Ynares multi-purpose hall that is always busy with basketball tournaments, is a restaurant called Kainan sa Tabing Lawa which specializes in Filipino food.
I’ve been there once before, back in 2001 when we first moved to the suburb, and we had an early dinner there last night after a short road trip in Tanay to test camera lenses.
The setting is decidedly rustic with wooden floors and grass ceiling, bamboo shades on wide windows…
…wooden plates lined with banana leaves. Diners are supplied with spoons and forks as a matter of course but, in places like this, it is best to eat with the hands, kamayan-style. The specialties, after all, are freshwater fish from nearby Laguna de Bay, cooked home-style with no frills and no pretenses.
While waiting for our food, we sipped fresh coconut juice…
… and my husband prepared the dipping sauce.
We had sinigang na kanduli. It was supposed to be with miso but I couldn’t find the miso in the broth. Delicious nonetheless.
Then, there was a whole crisp fried butterflied dalag (mudfish)…
…that we dipped in the mixture of soy sauce, kalamansi juice and crush chilis that my husband prepared earlier. This dish we enjoyed on my first visit there (see my version), and the reason why I wanted to go back. We had grilled pork liempo (belly) too and rice.
It was a delicious meal, well worth the eight year wait. If you’re lucky enough to dine there when there is no basketball commentator shouting into the microphone, you’ll enjoy the experience more.
See more photos from our afternoon in Tanay.
Connie:
One word sums it all: SARAP!
It’s 220 a.m. here and reading your post gave me intense cravings for sinigang na isda and inihaw na liempo! Makahanap nga ng dalag bukas!! Kangkong na rin!I have miso in the fridge. Is the red miso paste OK for this sinigang recipe? Just curious. Thank you for this post. The photos of the healthy looking goats on the road and the lush trees are very nice!!! This is a nice break from all the Chip ruckus over the weekend
You mean the kind of miso used for miso soup? I haven’t tried using red miso for sinigang but I think it’ll be fine. It’s more savory, truth be told. I’m bored with the Chip Tsao issue already LOL Wrote a column (coming out tomorrow) about how many of those angered by his column are just as insufferable.
This is soooo good! The reason we always thought of going back home even for a short time.
Yummy!
I can have Chip Ahoy or whatever his name for snack… haha
LOL I closed the comment thread in the other blog already. Most of the comments posted in the Chip Tsao entry are just noise anyway.
Thank you for the tip. I just checked, the miso I had contains bonito flakes. It would make the broth really flavorful, but I think I would use the yellow ones from the Filipino food market. The flavor of the broth would be more subtle, just like we remember good, old sinigang.
You gave me great ideas on the Powershot G10. I was looking for a better camera and I think I would be eyeing this one. Have a great week ahead.
Ah yes, miso with bonito flakes is the kind used for miso soup.
Hmmm… Miss the country so much. We try to replicate here the dishes we used to enjoy back home, but sometimes the packaged seasoning available here, (sinigang/pancit palabok/kare kare, etc) cannot really bring out the “lutong bahay” flavours.
I would definitely try the restaurant featured above next time I visit P.I.
Looks like Tanay is a clean place, huh?
Cleaner than more highly populated towns.
Talking about replicating the dishes, I pulled up few surprises. In Cebu and Mindanao the favorite dish is known as STK shoot to kill but actually sinugba tinola kinilaw. I used jackrabbit fish or Philippine fish kitong for sinugba, then Manila clams or Lapulapu head for tinola and tuna (sushi quality as alternative to Philippine fresh catch) washed in Datu Puti mixed with onions, green onions and kalamansi plus home made leche flan for dessert. Not bad with authentic San Miguel beer that can be bought from the Filipino store. My wife relatives were asking why I did not do that before.
We managed to surprise friends and relatives who came from the Philippines during the summer and enjoy a little Filipino feast while dipping into the pool. Basta no karaoke requests in the open.;)
LOL I like the last part best.
Hi Connie,
This is kinda off the topic but do you know any good places to eat between Laguna and route to Bicol? (Sorry but I don’t know the name of the highway) My family & I are visiting the Phil on April & most likely be driving from Laguna to Bicol. Thanks and God bless.
I’ll have to ask my hubby. We’re going to Bicol in April too but we’re flying.
Thanks Connie. Enjoy your stay in Bicol.
Ms. Connie,
You’re going to Bicol? Sayang,our trip to Maogmang Lugar (Naga) might be shelved bec. of work. I would’ve loved giving you a tour. I hope you’ll try eating in out-of-the-way places in my hometown and feature them here. That’s the proud Bicolana in me speaking, hehe.
Naku, sayang nga. We’re flying to Naga then going to Tabaco City where we’ll stay for 4 days. But we’ll be driving all over.
Janete,
Re:good places to eat between Laguna and Bicol. There’s a karinderia in Atimonan which is famous for its fresh seafood. It stands out among the other carinderias as it is the only one with crowds lunchtime or not. There are also many palaisdaan-style restaurants in Quezon. Once you’re in Bicol, you will have a lot of choices. Hope that helps.
Mabalos soloops. My father in law (who is white) will be with us so we need a good place to eat. Enjoy the holy week!
i think you’re referring to Lita’s Carinderia at Brgy. Gamao, Gumaca, Quezon, it’s near the boundary between Plaridel (Siain of old) and Gumaca, and pls don’t forget to drop by at San Diego de Alcala Cathedral in Gumaca proper,left turn(when going to Bicol) before the Municipio along the Maharlika Highway, it’s beautiful.
Why is that so much better looking than your Bicol dinner?
HAHAHAHA Tastier and cheaper too.
hello ms connie. i am a long time follower and has been reading your archives every free time. thanks for the inspirations. anyway, i noticed the sinigang na kanduli has patola on it. i love patola in misua. but in sinigang how does it taste? thank you so much.
I don’t eat patola so it got left in the bowl.