ERICJAZ FOODIES: LAS PAELLAS

Friday, October 25, 2013

LAS PAELLAS

My paternal aunts from somewhere far, far, far, away were here last August and as a welcoming "gift" to them, me and my husband decided to treat them to one of their favorite restaurants, LAS PAELLAS.

Oh yes, do realize that in our family, events and gifts always coincide with the word EAT:

"Oh it's your birthday? Let's eat... " "Oh you just had your first day of school? Let's Eat" "Oh you just had hair implants in your forehead? Let's Eat."

By the way, the last line? Purely fictional and wishful thinking on MY part. Tee hee...

LAS PAELLAS CAFE

LAS PAELLAS in Greenhills accepts reservations on weekends that's why I think it's a perfect restaurant for the family after church.

Believe me, the last thing you want is to see my growing boy wailing and pulling his hair if he does not eat on time....

I'm talking about my husband by the way... Tee hee!

Ate Jojit and Tita Meldy, Dad's younger sister.

Mati, MEH, Tita Carmi (Dad's older sister), my Dad, and Mom!

LAS PAELLAS is actually one of MY Dad's favorite restaurants. He loves Spanish food especially the Seafood Paella with lots of "tutong". We used to dine frequently in Casa Marcos near Gilmore but then it closed so we were left to look for other establishments to satisfy our paella craving. The reason why we haven't been to their new branch in The Fort is because we now go to LAS PAELLAS for their delicious food, warm service, and reasonable prices.

And since this is Dad's favorite, it became my Aunts' favorite as well! HA!

My naughty little boy...

... and Andrei...

Kidding!

Andrei and Yub!

My little guy Andrei does NOT like eating and before we even started, he flashed me his tummy saying that his tummy is so big already.

For the millionth time (since he started doing that "tactic") I reminded him that he has not even started with his lunch yet so it's impossible for him to be "full" that early.

It's a 360 degree turn for my first born however who does not need ANY sort of coaxing to eat his food. Mati ordered his favorite... LAS PAELLAS Clam Chowder (P118.00 / with sourdough bread add P58.00).

With his growing appetite, Mati could easily finish this LAS PAELLAS soup by himself in no time. But he loves his lolo, my dad, so much that he voluntarily shares with him always.

Oh yes... the rare times when my son shares his food!

Time to ORDER UP!

Mati's order of LAS PAELLAS Crispy Squid Tentacles (P168.00) were crunchy and a great welcome to start the meal!

Though it's really an appetizer, Mati likes to have the LAS PAELLAS squid with garlic rice!

For some veggies in our system we got the LAS PAELLAS Caesar's Salad (P155.00)...

... and Harvest Salad (P165.00). Both starters had the right amount of tasty dressing tossed with the simple but fresh vegetables. It's a perfect vegetable side dish that's why it's a Sunday staple in our LAS PAELLAS lunch.

Another favorite is LAS PAELLAS Sizziling Baked Clams (P158.00) which are served bubbling hot from the oven.

Just in case you're wondering, the server said the clams are nestled on a bed of salt to make it stable and not spill the butter sauce.

The kids love this and 1 order is not enough for the 2 of them. We would usually get 2 or 3 servings of these LAS PAELLAS clams!

Us oldies love these lip smacking clams too because they are perfectly seasoned with fresh herbs and creamy butter! Oooh lala!

For some reason though, Andrei declared that he suddenly went blind so it was impossible for him to feed himself.

Yes... another one of his "tactics"!!

LAS PAELLAS Callos Madrilena (P415.00) is a usual dish in our table as well! The flavorful tomato sauce is catered (I guess) to the Filipino palate as it has a slight sweet taste that is utterly "malinamnam"!

The thick hearty stew is served on a wee white pot and atop a burner to keep the tasty sauce warm while you eat it!

I love LAS PAELLAS Paella Negra (P450.00) because it is just so SAUCY! Now I'm not sure if this is how they do it in Spain but this is how I like my squid ink paella!

Add a hearty dollop of garlic aoili mayonnaise to your paella negra and you surely got yourself a winner of a LAS PAELLAS dinner!

Or lunch... He he he he he!

Yub's favorite is LAS PAELLAS Pork Chop Andaluz (2pieces P255.00) are thick, juicy, and very tender to the bite! Don't forget to order an extra serving of the delicious gravy! Well we always do! Ha ha ha ha!

And of course my Dad's favorite, LAS PAELLAS paella marinera (P495.00)!

We always request to have the LAS PAELLAS dish to be cooked on high to have crusty burnt rice at the bottom. We call that "tutong"! He he he he!

My plate! My carbo laden LAS PAELLAS plate!

Let's EAT! As usual my little Andrei does not want to join the picture and my Tita Carmi did not want to turn around. Ha ha ha ha ha!

My Dad asking my Mom to dig in deeper for his "tutong". Ha ha ha ha!

Chomping!

I don't know if we are just a family of light eaters or if the servings are more than enough, but we were not able to finish the LAS PAELLAS food no matter how good it was!

I suspect though that we also have a lot of left overs so that we have a lot to take home too! He he he he! Yes, the LAS PAELLAS grub keeps very well and still tastes delicious for after reheating!

Andrei got a new happy meal Smurf toy from Mcdonalds and requested that I include it in my silly little foodie blog....

Me and my Tita Carmie! Actually she's my baptismal godmother and one of the principal sponsors in my wedding. He he he he!

And just in case you're wondering, the reason why I got "branded" as Jazmin Carmela was because of her... She's CARMELITA, by the way. Ha ha ha ha ha!

For dessert we had our favorite LAS PAELLAS frozen brazo de mercedes (P118.00)! You should try this cold delectable treat because it's a new take on an old favorite! Oh wowzers!