Big Ben's Kitchen: A tribute to history and good food

All ideas that are great start with good intentions. With the proliferation of fast food and things that are foreign. Many people still long for the good old days and the food they grew up with.

That is the main goal of Big Ben's Kitchen and its owner Mr. Gene Guiterrez. With a recipe he got from his grandmother Teresita Sayoc-Reyes, they started the business in 1950.

The restaurant is quaint and familiar. A house most common to many Filipinos from the 50's and the 60's. Many houses in Bangkal, Makati look just like this. The restaurant seems hard to miss in Imus, Cavite. Most people are familiar with it.

The space is small and yet functional. The space is filled with graffiti from costumers. The decorations are also simple but well chosen.

They also sell stuff you can bring home especially their longganisa (Filipino sausage). But this is their special Imus longganisa. The sausage is said to be done in the adobo style.

You can take some sukang sasa (nipa vinegar), honey, peanut butter, chili sauces, mushroom chicaron and others.

We tried some of their special Imus cuisine. The food as explained by Mr. Gutierrez comes from the rich influence of the Chinese, Malay, Spanish and many other local tastes.

Here are some of the food we tried:

Pancit Langlang - The celebrated pancit that Jose Rizal loved. Honestly, I don't give a fuck to what Rizal likes to eat. You should try the food because it is good. Not because a certain hero liked it. The pancit has generous amounts of egg, rich stock and meat. The so called pancit is of course mentioned in the novel El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal.

Sinampalukang baboy - With most of the things in this restaurant. They don't rely on microwave food or anything that needs flavorings. They used organic pork and local vegetables from the area. Thus making sure the taste is as real as it can be. Not artificial. Not fast food.

They also provided us with cucumber-calamansi (Philippine lime) juice with honey.

Sinabawang halaan - The fresh waters of the area provides the needed halaan (Venerupis philippinarum). Again with fresh vegetables and rich stock.

They also told us that the stock is done by boiling meat and bones for a long time. To get all the juices out and also is a great way to deal with the so called unneeded parts that most people won't eat.

Sinigang na hipon - I am not a fan of seafood especially shrimp. But this one is quite good. it has a good balance of taste. Not too sour and again with well cooked, not over cooked vegetables.

We got served of course the Imus longganisa with egg and rice. The Imus longganisa is usually eaten with sukang sasa (nipa vinegar). But I love it as it is. I feel the vinegar covers the real taste of the flavors.

Adobong manok - A common dish but usually the chicken used before are the one's who didn't win in a cockfight. A long time ago the favorite past time of the Filipinos was not sports but cockfighting. Of course, they don't use those anymore. They use local free range chicken now.

Pork hamonado - It looks like lechong paksiw. But it is not. They used some kind of hammed meat and then coocked it the way I remember our ham is cooked at home, with pineapple. I like the taste because it not over powering. Something of a good comfort food.

Kare-kare - The food that I really hate. I don't like peanut when it is cooked this way. But I gave it a try and I enjoyed it even without the shrimp paste. The vegetables were good and cooked well.

Menudo - This is not the lazy ones with the hotdogs. It is done with meat and properly prepared vegetables.This is more simple and delicious. Not lazy or weird like other versions of the menudo in the Philippines.

Here we have the stuff we tried. Some people are getting the so called flat lay. Don't give a shit about such pretentious presentations.

Pancit Macao - I don't know what holy light hit my picture but this is an interesting take on another familiar food. Prominent is the patola or gourd (Luffa acutangula)

Then there is my favorite part of every meal. The sugar stuff.

Silvanas - They are not the same crumbly type I always see. Doesn't flatten like pan de sal. It is dense and feels like an ice cream sandwich. It is not overly sweet.

Finally there is the leche flan - they used just yolks and also some macapuno. They topped it with just the right amount of sugar and cream.

So that is my adventure.

BIG BEN’S KITCHEN (Chef Gene Gutierrez)
385 Medicion 1st-D Imus, Cavite, Philippines
Email: gene.gutierrez888@yahoo.com / imus.longganisa@yahoo.com.ph
Telephone: +63-46-435-1967
Mobile: +63-915-137-1888 / +63-918-505-5886
Facebook: D’Famous Imus Longganisa

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bigbenkitchen/