A few weeks ago, we heard about this place called Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes from foodie friends and decided to check it out.
GABE’S HOME GROWN DISHES
It is a bit hard to find. It is along Katipunan Avenue, but it’s on the Blue Ridge side on the way to Libis, not on the Ateneo side. It is located on the second floor of the YDG Building. On the plus side, parking is available and FREE.
The restaurant is small and casual, like a secret nook. Check out the interiors:
Oh, and did you notice the chairs and tables? They were custom-made for Gabe’s.
They also have games so you can hangout with friends and family! The place feels like visiting a friend’s house.
The restaurant is named after the owners’ eldest son, Gabe. Isn’t that just sweet? 
THE FOOD
Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes serves Filipino comfort food, with most of their specialties made from scratch. They also specialize in Malabon dishes.
This is Gabe’s Kare-Kare (P200) – it’s only P200 and it’s good! Really good. Flavorful, not too sweet, There’s more sauce underneath all the vegetables. They make their own bagoong, and it’s a nice complement to the Kare-Kare.
Next, we had the Lengua (P250) – hey, where can you get a good lengua dish for only P250? Gabe’s Lengua has a mushroom sauce. The Lengua is soft, tender and delicious. If only they delivered to our place, I would order this very often!
This is Gabe’s Pancit Malabon (P100), it is only P100! One of the owners is from Malabon, so Malabon food is one of Gabe’s specialties.
The crunchy Lechon Kawali (P160) was also good. Gabe’s serves it with a sweet, onion-y, ketchup-y sauce, which, oddly enough, works.
Here’s the Crunchy Pork Sisig ni Gabe (P185) – also good.
We also tried their Laing with Dilis (P90) – this is another dish that I think I would be ordering very often. Omg, it is so good with lots of rice! Pasok na pasok ang lasa. I actually like this better than the usual laing with pork. The coconut milk, the dried fish, the gabi leaves, all come together to make this perfect comfort food.
I wasn’t a fan of their Baked Ribs (P190), but J liked it and asked me if he could eat the rest of my portion. The taste was good – it was sweet and actually tasted candied. But I found it dry, almost candied, and difficult to eat.
Finally, we also tried their Horseylog (P115) – this is tapa made from horseflesh. It tastes like beef, but it’s gamier. And it’s really good! It is sweet, salty, gamey, pairs well with vinegar, and more than flavorful enough with rice, or just for papak. If you would like to try horse tapa (horse jerky), go to Gabe’s!
Horse meat also has health benefits. It is healthy, with lots of iron and half the fat of beef and far more Omega 3 essential fatty acids, and it is packed with protein.
For dessert, don’t miss the Valencia ala Malabon (P80) – I love Turon, I love Ube. Oh, yum! It’s a sweet, fried parcel filled with saba bananas, ube, monggo and langka (jackfruit). Best with a scoop of ice cream (there’s a small additional charge for the ice cream).
For second dessert, we had the Fried Oreos (P100) – personally, I found it too sweet, but I’m sure a lot of people would love it. These are Oreos dipped in a light batter, then deep-fried.
SUMMARY
Almost all the dishes exceeded my expectations. Admittedly, the name Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes does not inspire visions of gourmet food. However, as Pinoy comfort food / home cooking, the food is fantastic. I could eat their Laing every week and not get tired of it.
My only, very slight issue is that I wished they served better quality rice. I know they want to keep prices low, but hopefully there’s an option to pay more for better rice? The ulam is so good that I felt like anything less than creamy, white, fluffy, good quality Dinorado wouldn’t do it justice.
I wish they delivered to Manila! Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes is very affordable, and the food is delicious. If you live near their area, take advantage of Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes and eat there or order from them!
Prices are super affordable, and the food tastes like home cooking back in the days when mothers had time to cook food all day long. It’s actually quite nostalgic! It’s Filipino comfort food that’s worth every peso!
Make sure to order the Valencia ala Malabon for dessert!
Gabe’s Home Grown Dishes
2nd Floor, YDG Building, 219 Katipunan Street, Blue Ridge, Quezon City
Contact # (02) 439 2093
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabeshomegrowndishes/
Instagram/Twitter: @gabeshgd
