Haute Hawker at Lime 88

As a rejoinder to previous retaliatory post about my supposed snooty food facade, please welcome part deux of my attempt to erase the myth that I do not eat below my social class. I bring you isaw (intestine), balut (duck fetus), kwek-kwek (don't ask, I don't know either) and tuyo (cured fish).

With a twist, of course.

Exactly what Lime 88 is all about, street food with a twist, as their tagline indicates.

My girl group and I just couldn't get enough of each other and decided to meet a second time in one week, which is all but rare, this time for some good old Filipino cuisine. I've been craving for isaw (intestine) for a while... so this was a perfect crave buster.

Lime 88 is literally a house-turned-resto in the heart of Mandaluyong City. Entering the house gate feels like walking into one of those 80's soirees at some guy's house where chairs are propped by the garage, music blaring from the inside, and shabby chic lighting illuminates and sets the mood for soiree-ing. There is an indoor area complete with karaoke room, but we digressed, knowing for certain our Assumptionista gab would overpower any minus-one song by three decibels.The thought of beer garden also comes to mind, but hey, we’re not picky, like some people think.

The trivia of the place lies in the owner chef, Archie Val Juanta. His resume boasts an impressive Senior Chef position at Ayala's M Cafe, chef at Paseo Uno at the Mandarin Hotel, and corporate chef of Hagen Daz, Max Brenner, Olivers, Tea n Therapy and Blue Steak and Bistro. Talk about street cred.

So we got hungry, and I got motherly, so I ordered for the table... and boy did I order!

Lime 88's menu boasts of some homegrown streetfood originally peddled by those men in carts, but prepared like a haute brasserie complete with food styling and extra luxe garnishes.

Just like:

Kwek-Kwek aka Quail Egg Tempura with soy mirin glaze and sinamak (seasoned vinegar)

Usually fried and sold on the streets, the authentic kwek-kwek (it sounds so nasty and kinky) is usually orange in color due to food coloring... or I don't know, maybe the peddlers use some crazy batter. I like the orchid touch though it didn't really do anything for the flavoring, it was quite timid. But a good starter because the other dishes amped up the flavor bombs.

Silken Tokwa + Crispy Tenga (Silken tofu and pig's ear with sinamak soy dressing)

L88's take on tokwa't baboy (tofu + pork). I like that each component was separated. I also love silken tofu fried up. The pork ear was nice and crunch and really sinful... I seem to be the only one who enjoyed this, probably because my taste buds have been harnessed and well trained by three brothers and a famiglia of Capampangan (Pampanga natives) foodies.

Street-style BBQ Platter (chicken ass, chicken intestine, kidney, betamax + peanut sauce)

Now.. this was HEAVEN!!!!! Again, it raised a few eyebrows on the dining table, from my girl friends who are just plain grossed out, to the armcandy boytoys who seriously underestimated my stomach. Also because they do not believe that I would eat something as feudal serf as innards.

The chicken ass was nice and plump. The intestine aka isaw was quite juicy although J put his stick down because he is convinced that they did not clean it before cooking, and you know what a full intestine means. I finished my skewer. Betamax, for non-Pinoy readers, is basically clotted blood cut up into squares that look like Betamax tapes (duh), seasoned then grilled. Not a fan of this one. The best part was the peanut satay sauce, which really attempted to make this platter not as ghetto as it really is.

Crispy Sizzling Dinuguan (pork intesting, pork belly + oregano)

Ok... so this does not look appetizing on paper, but Filipinos out there.. it's time to salivate!!! Sorry foreigners... what the menu description didn't tell you, is that dinuguan basically means "bloodied". Yes, This is pork stew cooked in pork blood and vinegar and seasoned with spicy pepper to add a kick. Don't go to il bagno just yet; this dish is delicious and not icky-tasting at all. The best part about this version is that the pork is fried first before the sauce is incorporated, adding a crunchy surprise to the normally soggy dish. THIS IS GOOOOOD... just close your eyes when eating and you'll forget that this looks gross.

Street-style Pizza (longganisa, tuyo + kesong puti)

Longganisa (native sausage), tuyo (salt cured tiny fish which reeks of socks but tastes fantastic) and kesong puti (white cheese made from carabao's milk) make this one tasty pizza. But pizza isn't really street food... so moving on.

To my favorite:

Balut in Red Wine Sauce (duck fetus cook in Au jus and butter)

This has got to be the most delicious version of the aphrodisiac balut next to my lola's (grandma's) version aka adobong balut, which is doused in Star margarine, lots of garlic, and lots and lots of Capampangan flair. Breaded and fried, balut gets a crispy shell that sops up the unforgettably haunting sauce. Red wine simmered with the grits of the pan and buttered up ala Francais... this dish needs its own blog because it will put duck fetus on the map!

Interestingly enough, it reminded me of the defunct MTV show, I Bet You Will, where MTV visits random college campuses daring students with money dangling to do crazy dares like, oh, running around campus on underwear, getting poured with tar and then bamboozled with chicken feathers, or girls getting their lovely locks shaved.

Then the balut dare arrived... about a dozen people declined before someone decided he had the stomach for it. First offer was $20 and he flat out said no. The bidding shot up to $450 before he had a bite, all the while gagging at the sight of the softly formed chick, with feathers and little ... oh you know... He couldn't eat another one. I WAS LIVID! Do you realize I could eat about six of that!!! 6 x $450 = one very rich and happy collegiate!!! Damn I wish I got that dare.

Anyway going back, the entrees arrived:

Creamy Garlic Tuyo Pasta (salt cured fish on EVOO, white wine and chili flakes)

This was absolutely sinful. Delicious and bursting with salty goodness, this was K's the creamy addict's wet dream. The little tuyo trumped on top of the pasta mound was a cute touch.

Binondo-style Pancit Canton (Chinese sausage, fish ball + butter)

Binondo is, from my very reliable Chinese history buff friend, supposedly the oldest Chinatown that exists in the world. Chinese immigrants decided to literally set up shop in the resource-rich Philippines and created a Chi-lipino cuisine that incorporates our lust for salty and sweet with traditional Chinese flavor. This was such a huge portion and packed with Binondo memories, my friend L couldn't stop but close his eyes to reminisce the seven wonders of the pancit (Chow Mien noodles).

Street-style Pomodoro (longganisa, kesong puti + basil)

A great take on the Italian sausage on marinara. The white cheese adds a very refreshing touch to it. Yummy and delicious.

Chicken Adobo Flakes (+ soft boiled egg and garlic rice)

Do you remember my Adobo post? Chicken flaked and fried to a crisp with fragrant garlic rice. I was so-so about this until I broke the egg. SOFT BOILED EGG. You know I have a love affair with egg yolk, runny, creamy and just begging for cholesterol acceptance. It was my ultimate comfort food dish.

Street-style Baby Back Ribs (BBW sauce + mashed potato)

Again, sorry but baby back ribs are too snooty to be found on the street. This was a bit disappointing as the ribs were definitely NOT baby back... and the sauce was so-so. Moving on..

Our table was filled to the brim, with dishes that ended up being balot (wrapped up) as well as oodles of conversation, laughs and girly camaraderie. Almost everyone had a partner, who huddled quietly and quite taken aback with disbelief, to discuss how through all our years of friendship dating back to high school, we could gab on about random topics as if we had never met.

Lime 88 was like high school, reminiscent of nostalgic moments when my dad would frown down at the thought of me eating hepa-inducing, uric acid-brimming, and cringe-defying sticks of these street food finds. But at least now I can say that it's cooked in red wine and garnished with orchids. That might demote the frown into a smirk, don't you think?

"Anybody can make you enjoy the first bite of a dish, but only a real chef can make you enjoy the last."