Daniel D.
Yelp
I take a bite out of my delicious Adobo Burrito and I find myself transported to Wednesday, March 8, 2000. I'm in Quezon City, Philippines and my grandma had just finished making me breakfast. "What am I doing here?" I wonder. The aroma of the house is so distinct, the humid air is mixed in with a strong scent of grilled food. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's my childhood. The sun shining in the living room leads its way around the corner to one side of the dining room. This area was such a monumental place. It's where I spent time breaking bread with my loved ones- family and close friends alike. My lola (grandma) places a fresh plate of adobo with a steaming pile of rice in front of me and I look up to thank her, but she's suddenly gone, as are my surroundings.
My eyes blink and I'm in the present. "What just happened?" My burrito is finished, presumably by me judging by the mess on my hands. It all happened so quickly, and I find myself wanting more. I shrug off this phenomenon and reach for the next plate. Luckily, I still have the Ube French Toast to match the savory taste of the burrito. I bite into the fluffy toast and I instinctively close my eyes due to the palatable rush. I'm suddenly back in my childhood dining room with my grandma next to me. She's smiling at me as I am now eating some sweet bread. She tells me that she misses me and to be a good boy. I can't respond. All I can do is feel my eyes well up with tears as I go to hug her. As I do, I feel her body slowly dissipate into thin air, I yell out for her to stay as I try my best to hold on tighter. And just like my Ube French Toast, she is gone. Though not in the same way because I absolutely did not digest my grandmother.
I don't know what just happened, but it was a welcome experience. I found myself being transported through different parts of my life while going through the dishes. It all makes sense now, the restaurant has perfected the art of combining the past with present through a culinary approach. Breezy truly is the definition of a "New Filipino" Restaurant. Was the food that great? Yes. Was I being too dramatic over it by writing a whole story about my late grandmother? Absolutely.
So anyways, it took like 1 hour for my party of 8 to be seated, but it was worth every minute because of how good it was. Truuuuust. I'd wait an hour all over again just to order something new, like their longanisa plate. Just gotta remember to put myself in the waitlist as early as possible.
RIP Lola aka "Nanay" (my mom called her that so we did, too) you the realest, 1924-2012.