Whenever I eat out, I tend to stay away from Filipino food restaurants simply because I want to eat something that’s different from what I can have at home (and my mom’s a magnificent cook, I tell you). I don’t even like eating at Barrio Fiesta or Cabalen (does that ring a bell?). But if I were to eat in a Filipino restaurant, I’d go to Chef Islaw.
Chef Islaw is located at Level 2 of SM Marilao, Bulacan. It also has a branch at Sta. Lucia East Mall but I don’t know where other branches are located.
Like any other Filipino restaurants, it projects an ambiance reminiscent of nipa huts or the old Spanish houses, with its sliding capiz windows (which by the way, are fake, of course) and wooden furnishings. I find the soft light conducive for a quiet meal. Except when there are really rowdy customers. But at Chef Islaw, I have yet to experience such.
The nilagang baka is quite to my liking, not too salty, not too bland, not too oily. However, I wished that the corn weren’t cut like that. I’d rather have the corn grains allowed to boil until it was almost so tender because it will add to the sweetness of the soup.
my rating: 
No, these aren’t flowers, obviously. Hehe. But I dig this presentation for the lumpiang ubod. I normally wouldn’t eat lumpiang ubod (I prefer lumpiang sariwa) but I guess the peanut sauce did it for me. I love that there are chunks of peanuts in the peanut sauce and the ubod actually tastes like something and wasn’t merely there for the crunch factor.
my rating: 
I apologize for the blurry photo, but that’s excitement manifesting. I didn’t think that cheese would taste great in a chicken afritada! It made the sauce taste yummier and more creamy and it almost tasted like eating baked potatoes with cheese. And yeah, the chicken. Who doesn’t like chicken?
my rating:
Ukoy or okoy? Whatever and however it is called, here’s one that isn’t greasy nor taste too salty. I just love the crunching sound I make whenever I bite into one, especially one that is served at Chef Islaw. Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!
my rating:
I’m all for desserts. But where’s the pandan taste in this buko pandan? All I could taste is milk. Hmmm…
My rating: 
Much as I would like to post photos of all my favorite foods, I just wouldn’t be able to for now because these are those served during an RTD (Round Table Discussion) that I attended recently at Chef Islaw. Maybe when given the chance to dine there again, I’ll be able to post about my favorite dish from Chef Islaw, laing. 
My overall rating for this restaurant:
Yup, to be honest I stay away from Filipino restos too but that chicken afritada looks lovely… yum yum…
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[...] Chef Islaw | Food Trip Tayo! [...]
[...] Chef Islaw | Food Trip Tayo! [...]
[...] Chef Islaw | Food Trip Tayo! [...]