I love eating Chinese cuisine and Its already a part of my life and childhood years and thanks to my parents for bringing us in a Sunday lunch or dinner in some Chinese restaurant in Ongpin in Binondo, Banawe in Q.C. and in Manila. I can name some of the classic restos that serves Chinese cuisine that we visited during the 80’s and 90’s and I’m proud to say that I still eat there and introduce it to my new family. I also discover some new resto serving the same food but I learned that there are kinds of Chinese cuisine and this was introduced to me by Komrad restaurant in Q.C. The new restaurant serves Hunan and Sichuan cuisine, the food mostly came from the province of Hunan and Sichuan, both province’s specialty is a hot and chili food and can you recognize the word “Szechuan” ? we know that from other restos and I didn’t know that it is Chinese in origin.
Komrad: Mao’s Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen restaurant stay in a new constructed dining venue in Tomas Morato called Il Terrazo, at first I thought that its just a small complex in Q.C., but I’m surprised that restos that stood there are very familiar and a crowd favorite, Komrad stand beside it and the discovery continues.
Let’s eat!
I arrived that night for the food tasting session with the media and bloggers and I’m glad that Mr. Leo and Ms. Xchose prepared a new round of plate for us to try, and I’m glad that there are other medias who arrived and there we dine in together and try the chilliness of Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. I learned that the two provinces shares the same title in hot or chili but the hot or chili and its aroma are very different. They say that the Hunan cuisine’s hot flavor stays in our mouth only and while the Sichuan cuisine’s spicy and chili flavor go directly and stays in our tummy, hmm that’s why I love the Sichuan because it keeps me warm up during a cold weather (or me overstaying inside an aircon room)
Fokien noodles (Php 225)
This is my favorite at Komrad, I love noodles and pancit but this version is different for me. I can taste the salty and spicy flavor of the noodles, added with seafood and veggies that gives more flavor to beat the saltyness yum and spice.
Hunan steam fish head (P455)
I checked their menu and this is the most expensive food in Komrad. They steamed a head of a fish and added with Hunan hot flavor, the sauce or soup coming with the fish head is very tasty and very hot. Check out those floating pepper and chilis.I forgot what kind of fish is this, but it looks like a big Maya Maya fish.
Siomao (P125)
A crowd favorite and its become the most common dimsum food after siopao. We see them in all MRT station here in Manila, but eating a siomai in restos are much more tastier and porky.
Kung Pao chicken (P198)
I love their Kung Pao chicken and they say that this is the most ordered food in their menu. A spicy take on our chicken, it looks like sweet and sour but the taste is much more hot and chili. I think this is a Hunan cuisine style, don’t worry the hot flavor in your mouth can easily be extinguish with a cold water or a munch of rice.
Xiao long bao (P164)
Its become a craze last year that pinoys went over with Xiao long baos and thanks to some resto for brining this to our table, but I just can’t remember if I ate this kind of dimsum during the 80’s, well I’m happy that Komrad is bringing in the mighty soupy Xiao long bao to us (and outside Greenhills and Mandaluyong hahaha). If you will eat this, make sure you use a spoon and not a chopstick. There’s a yummy soup inside the Xiao long bao and you need to dip it in a soy-vinegar before eating it. Bite, suck the soup and then chew!
Sichuan pata tim (P535)
I thought that the fish head is the most expensive, but the crispy pata reigns the main menu under the Mao’s porky friends category. The version of pata tim is the same but added with Sichuan flavor so expect a chili and salty flavor. I love their take on the pata tim and this includes in my favorite too. Also the pata tim sauce is sooooooo chili. It’s the most chili sauce for me. But I love it!
Kenya beans with minced pork (P198 )
One of the best seller in Komrad, the kenya beans is rare and I think this is imported from other countries. Crunchy veggie added with chili flavor and chewy porks. We order this whenever we visit Komrad, because this is one of their specialty.(also this is served too in their partner resto in Kung Fu Kitchen)
Sichuan mixed seafood with pig’s blood (P385)
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My first time to try a seafood soup with Sichuan flavor and I didn’t noticed the pig’s blood when I ate this, the soup is not black but it has the pig’s blood blocks floating. Very creamy and chili. It’s the chilliest soup on the menu, that’ why they have a different serving spoon so that you can get the seafood contents only and not the soup. I dared myself to try the soup but it was so chili grabe!!!
Happy Birthday noodle (225)
I don’t know why they call it Birthday noodles. An ordinary pancit or noodle with Hunan spice, veggies and egg. The noodles is not impressive to me, looks like a think pancit canton, too soft noodles.
Thai ice tea
It’s weird…where did this come from? hahaha . You know that Komrad also serves refreshing ice tea. The Thai ice tea is a must try.
Sichuan friend eggplant with pork strips (P198)
When I tried this here in Komrad, I told myself… why didn’t tried cooking this at home. Its just simple friend eggplant top with Sichuan flavor and pork strips. I don’t like eggplant especially if they are cooked this way or boiled, but this kind of cuisine makes me eat all of it because its yummy or I just love Sichuan flavor.
Braised Pork belly with preserved vegetables (P228)
I think this is the weirdest but yummy food on the menu. People should try this, the pork belly is wrapped around the preserved vegetables composed of Kimchay leaves, petsay and cabbage. Its so soft and the kimchay leaves is tasty thanks to its sweet sauce.
Now that you saw the food and here you can see the lovely design of their interiors of the restaurant.
Komrad displays and shows the life and Chairman Mao Zedong. Komrad Kitchen is inspired from the life of Mao and the province of Hunan and Sichuan.
Komrad resto have two branches here in Q.C
to know more. visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/KomradMaosHunanAndSichuanKitchenTomasMoratoBranch
My review:
It’s a new flavor for me, a flavor that I already tried in the past but I didn’t know where it came from. I tested this resto to my wife who is also an expert foodie when it comes to taste, so I’m impressed that she likes the flavor and kitchen style of Komrad. Some food experts say that their Hunan cooking style is not authentic,because the food was cooked by a pinoy chef and not a Hunan chef, I got an info that their chef are really from Hunan province, but they lessen the chili and spice flavor of their food because customers can’t take a lot of spicey and chili here in Manila because of our hot and humid weather, I suggest that you eat here at night or in a rainy day. Komrad is a new name in my taste buds and I will visit this regularly because I love Sichuan and also Hunan food.
The super winner here is that the food is not that expensive.
