Porch Cafe By Mari: Comfort Food At Its Best

It’s the 62nd day of quarantine period in our region and ever since the lockdown has been modified, I was going back and forth Pinamalayan and Calapan frequently. How I miss long rides! But aside from travelling, I also find time to revisit restaurants from the north. My recent catch up was in Porch Cafe by Mari.

As we dined in, I remember how this cabin-like restaurant attracted me when we first visited. Examining the place, I had a hunch that this cafe was an old house of the owner. But since more and more people are getting interested to the delicious smell inside, they opened their porch to accomodate customers who would like to have a cozy dining experience and, at the same time, eat comfort food at its best.

I’m not sure if I guessed their success story right. But I’m sure that the food they offer is incredible.

Garden Green Salad

My taste buds were activated when I tasted their Garden Green Salad as it had all sorts of amazing flavors. I grasped some sweetness from honey, tanginess from mayonnaise and some spices. But the flavors of Dijon mustard was dominating in the Remoulade dressing. The grilled chicken was salty, which balances the flavors of the salad. The fresh greens were crunchy and the walnuts and parmesan cheese powder added some texture.

Beef Pares Soup

Porch Cafe’s Beef Pares Soup wasn’t able to give me the roadside Pares House vibe. When it comes to taste, their version wasn’t as beefy as the soup served in these kind of restaurants. The broth actually reminds me of the beef-flavored cup noodles without the noodles and the MSG. But we are just talking about the bowl of clear soup here. Perhaps, I must try their Beef Pares Rice Bowl next time to try the braised beef.

Mexican Nachos

The colorful chips of Porch Cafe’s Mexican Nachos were thin, making it really crispy. However, those on top easily soften because of the dressing. But upon tasting, I realized that it’s not a big deal anymore because it’s undeniably yummy. I like that the salsa was made with natural tomatoes. I just think it’s lacking in cheese sauce and chili con carne. We also tried their Cheezy Nachos and I’m surprised it’s still good even without salsa and chili con carne. 

Chicken Pesto

You could easily tell from the linguine pasta that it was handmade. It had inconsistent cuts but, of course, its imperfection made it interesting. I always say that chicken is the best topping for pesto pasta and I’m glad that Porch Cafe combined these flavors well. The pesto may be bland but the chicken slices were flavorful. I wish it has more parmesan cheese though. The pasta has a delightful toast on the side. It’s between plain and toasted.

Porch Smoked BBQ Ribs

I was feeling grand during our last dinner at Porch Cafe as I tried the Porch Smoked BBQ Ribs. We all know that this dish is expensive but I’m glad that they offer it in solo serving and in an affordable price. I totally love the sauce and I’m happy that they served it in an ample amount. So even if the pork wasn’t juicy enough, the smoked BBQ sauce was able to retrieve the beautiful flavors of ribs. The purple cabbage coleslaw was a great side.

Porch Chicken Wings

Their take on wings isn’t the crispy type. These wings and drumettes had soft skins and were saucy. So if you’re expecting an American-style wings, the Porch Chicken Wings is different. But I actually like the honey soy garlic sauce. It has both the sweetness and umami taste so I must say that it successfully got the flavors of honey soy garlic. I find it fitting to the soft-skinned and fleshy chicken. The meat was salty though.

Salmon Belly Teriyaki

OMG! This dish is so lit. It’s my first time to try salmon that is cooked this way. Although the fish bones were bothering me, I still enjoyed the flavors. The teriyaki sauce was sweet but it’s not satiating. Honestly, I always want my salmon as simple as possible. Most of the time, I like it baked, steamed, buttered or seared. But Porch Cafe gave it justice in this style. Since their fish section is mostly salmon, I hope they could also release salmon steak soon.

Porch Halo Halo

Everyone in our table had one brand in mind when we tried Porch Halo Halo – Razon’s. Like Razon’s Halo-halo, the secret is in the ice. Aside from being milky, the crushed ice was fine that it melts like butter in mouth. However, it focused on milk that they forgot to add a little bit of sugar. Although this cup has minimal ingredients, the leche flan, lychee, nata de coco, coconuts strings, ube and corn were already enough for my taste buds.