by Lori Baltazar
Tita Cely is the one on the extreme left, enjoying her food.
I wanted to write more about Tita Cely (Kalaw), the culinary genius behind the Bicol Express. That article only barely scratched the surface of what this cook can do.
As I mentioned earlier, my Bin and I bought food from the San Lorenzo Sunday market last weekend. Tita Cely has a stall there serving the food that she offers in her store at Market! Market! She serves nothing but the most exceptional of home-cooked Filipino dishes: my Bin and I went home with generous servings of laing, longganisa (native spiced sausage), binagoongan (pork dish cooked with shrimp paste), and of course Tita Cely’s revered Bicol Express.
an array of food at the Sinigang Bar
Eating the food at home, my Bin and I couldn’t help but exclaim over how good the food was. There we were eating, our mouths ablaze from the Bicol Express and all I could think was, “Shoot, Filipino food is so good. It’s so good.” Granted, all Filipino food is good, but if it’s cooked by someone who respects it, understands the ingredients and how they pulse as one, then the ultimate in Filipino food is created. There are cooks and then there are COOKS.
Tita Cely runs a stall at Market! Market! called Tita Cely’s Sinigang Bar. It’s an unassuming little place that belies the gloriousness of the food that is offered; it’s down home Filipino food the way it was meant to be. Start off with one of her many sinigangs (Filipino sour soup), piping hot and sour enough to send tingles down your throat; and then proceed unabashed into the humba, steamed prawns, chili crab claws as large as a woman’s arm, dinuguan, adobo, fried chicken, various vegetable dishes, and plenty more. Chow down and eat all of this with rice. Plenty of rice. You’ll be overcome with a delirious sense of satiety and Filipino food so outstanding you’ll want to salute. No kidding.
salute!
ginataang halo-halo
bananas in sugar syrup
Don’t forget dessert. Tita Cely is remarkable with sweets. She serves a mean ginataan halo-halo (sweet coconut milk stew of sweet potatoes, taro, sticky rice balls, etc), matamis na saging (thick-skinned cooking bananas simmered in a sugar syrup), among others.
The best thing about Tita Cely’s Sinigang Bar is that you can have a better meal here than what you’d pay at other (more expensive) Filipino restaurants. Waddle off with a bursting stomach and still have plenty of cash to spare. Now that’s something to say mabuhay! to.
Tita Cely’s Sinigang Bar
Market! Market!
Taguig
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OH. MY. GOD.
I have to eat there. I am EXTREMELY susceptible to the lure of good ginataan.
And that CRAB CLAW! Oh my god. Again. Yikes. Wow. Insert expletive-filled-with-awe.
That is some crab claw! Whoa! Thanks for the tip on Tita Cely’s…can’t wait to check it out 🙂
here’s a little tidbit- Tita Cely used to cater for the national mental hospital back in the 70’s when my Lolo used to work there.
My mom says laing has been spectacular even then. tried the bicol express. love it but i dont think i can eat the chilis.. i feel they will come out just as hot lol!
let me know if you want to take them mountain bikes out on some trails. 🙂
OI! Jay P.! Foodies hang together!
Lori, this is the place you pointed out in Save-a-Lot, years ago, right? I want to go back to Market Market. 🙂 now I have a new place to check out.
I nearly bought from her at the Salcedo market last Saturday! Darn, I’ll have to make a point to buy tomorrow. The ginataan looks yumderful! And I love laing and bicol express, so I’ll make a point of getting a portion. Thanks for the tips!
If I have one regret about the restaurants you share with us, Lori-san, it’s that some of them in the Southern side of Metro Manila, to which I rarely go.
But I might make an exception to this one. The food looks really, really good. Manoman.
this has been on my list for months but had no reason to go.
thanks for giving me a reason this time to check it out 🙂
hey D.M. game! ummm err do i know you? lol! Lori if you need someone to eat with do let me know 😀
when are you going to publish your work? care to make a manila version of Zaggats?
Just some trivia… Tita Cely owned the Grove restaurant along Makati Ave in the 70s which moved to Pasay Road in the 80s to 90s.. Sadly it closed down when she was asked to manage a hotel restaurant in Davao. Grove was the first to have the “eat all you can” Filipino food with around 30-40 viands to choose from. Grove also served the best Guinataang Kuhol I have ever tasted. Tita Cely is really one terrific cook! I understand, she never uses bottled ingredients for her halo-halo… always fresh stuff and i think the secret of the halo halo is in the ice (she uses the old fashioned iron ice crusher) and the milk…
do you know the operating hours of this restaurant? 🙂
saan pa may nagbebenta ng ginataan?