Food discoveries that are worth a return visit

It’s been a while since I last wrote about my food discoveries. These days, I find myself going back to the same restaurants simply because I know what to expect — not just from the food but also from the service. There’s something comforting about returning to places where you already feel at home.

But every now and then, good friends come along and remind me that there are still plenty of new places to try. That’s exactly what happened last Friday when I was invited to lunch at Esmeralda Kitchen along Balete Drive in Quezon City.

I had heard quite a bit about Esmeralda even before my visit. For one, it made it to the 2026 Michelin Guide. It is also known for its take on traditional Filipino comfort food, with familiar dishes given a little modern twist. And perhaps the best part for me is that its Balete Drive branch is barely 15 minutes away from home. Sometimes, good food really is just around the corner!

As it turned out, I was the only one in our lunch group who hadn’t tried Esmeralda Kitchen. The family-run restaurant started with its first branch along Mayon St., and my companions were already familiar with its menu. Since I was the newcomer, our host decided that we should order several of the restaurant’s specialties so I could sample as much as possible. And what a feast it turned out to be.

The Ultimate Crispy Pata certainly lives up to its name.

We started with the pako salad with chicharon and bite-sized pieces of crispy bulaklak. I’ve always loved pako salad, which was introduced to me decades ago by the late Alfie Lorenzo, who hailed from Pampanga. Made with fiddlehead fern, the traditional salad is usually tossed with tomatoes, white onions and a light vinaigrette, sometimes with salted eggs thrown in. Esmeralda’s version has a slight hint of mustard in the dressing, while the chicharon adds a nice crunch to the fresh greens. It was a refreshing way to start what would turn out to be a rather filling lunch.

The pako salad with chicharon and bite-sized pieces of crispy bulaklak.

We also tried the Dinamita Pops, a spicy appetizer made with cheese and pork stuffing wrapped in wonton wrappers and served with chili sauce on the side. Crispy on the outside and flavorful inside, these little bites had just the right amount of heat to get our appetites going.

For the main dishes, we had the Kare-Kare, one of those Filipino favorites that I can never resist when done well. Esmeralda’s version came with tender beef and oxtail in a rich peanut sauce, served with their house-made bagoong. It’s the kind of comforting dish that makes you want to spoon more sauce over your rice, with the bagoong adding just the right salty kick.

Then there was the Ultimate Crispy Pata, which certainly lived up to its name. The skin was wonderfully crunchy, while the meat underneath was tender and juicy. It came with an assortment of dipping sauces, giving us different ways to enjoy every bite. Needless to say, this wasn’t exactly the day to worry about calories.

To go with all that meat, we also ordered gising-gising, made with green beans, coconut milk and lean ground pork, with sili labuyo giving it an extra kick. Its creamy and slightly spicy flavor was a nice contrast to the Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata.

Another dish that caught my attention was the Tortang Ilokandia, Esmeralda’s take on the Ilocano favorite poqui-poqui. It featured eggplant stuffed with ground meat, served with banana ketchup aioli, mango salsa and tinapa flakes. The combination of savory, sweet and smoky flavors made for an interesting twist on a familiar regional dish.

Of course, we also had to try the pork dinuguan with puto, the dish specifically mentioned in the Michelin Guide. Rich and savory, it was another good example of Filipino comfort food done with care. What made ordering it a little more interesting was the waiter’s question: would we like our puto steamed or fried? Without much thought, we all said steamed. It was only after the dish was served that I realized we should have tried the fried version. I’ve had puto countless times, but fried puto? Now, that would have been something different!

By this time, we were already feeling the effects of our rather generous lunch. But there was still dessert to think about, and we weren’t about to skip that. Our waiter recommended the Tres Marias. So, we decided to give it a try.

It turned out to be Esmeralda’s version of the familiar Filipino bilo-bilo, with a nutty surprise tucked into the mix and served in a light, gingery latik syrup. It was comforting without being too heavy, and the hint of ginger gave it a nice warmth. Together with my cup of hot coffee, it was just what I needed to end the meal.

I also liked the atmosphere at Esmeralda Kitchen. The green and beige interiors give the place a warm, homey feel. It’s casual and relaxed, the kind of restaurant where you can sit back, enjoy your food and take your time catching up with friends. And speaking of friends, the good company certainly made the meal even more enjoyable. There was plenty of food, lots of stories to share and quite a few laughs along the way.

I may still be someone who likes sticking to familiar restaurants, but Esmeralda Kitchen has given me another reason to venture out and try something new. It’s always nice to discover a restaurant that serves Filipino comfort food with familiar flavors but adds a little creativity to the experience.

And the next time I visit, I already know what I’ll order differently: fried puto! After all, some food discoveries are worth a return visit.