I love authenticity in my food and I am willing to go as far as it takes to get a taste of the real thing. I’d go to Malabon for Pansit Malabon or Iloilo for Lapaz Batchoy. However, there are times when I get lucky that I manage to find restaurant gems in the middle of the Makati jungle where I can have the real thing without having to travel so far. Ladies and gentlemen,welcome to Aida’s Chicken, Bacolod Manokan Country.

Aida’s Chicken is a gem of a restaurant found inside the Makati Cinema Square right beside Emer’s, which is my favorite place for delicious Pata Tim. The place reminds me of those artsy places in Cubao X. Apparently the owner is an art lover, as evidenced by the paintings and blown-up photographs of women, in sensual poses, that pepper the walls. Nothing risque, just tasteful art and I think it enhances the dining experience.

I managed to try really great tasting Nilagpang (or some people say Linagpang) Na Manok. It’s grilled chicken with onions and spices then they put boiling water on it before serving. I thought it was kinda lame, but lo and behold, Aida’s Chicken Nilagpang is so very very good!!! So good I got a recipe here for you. I’ve tried it and it’s so good!

How to cook Chicken Nilagpang

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Tomato (2-3 pieces)
• Ginger
• Onion (1)
• Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce
• Salt
• Pepper
• Shrimp paste

Procedure:

1. Grill the chicken, tomato, ginger, and onion.
2. Peel the tomato, ginger and onion then slice to small pieces before mixing in a wok.
3. Flake the chicken before adding to the tomato mix then saute.
4. Add boiling water.
5. Add soy sauce/fish sauce, salt, pepper, shrimp paste to taste.

This is how a P120 (US$2.61) plateful of “Paa” (chicken leg and thigh) looks like. It comes with eggplant salad and salted egg. On every table is a warm bottle of oil that you can mix with your rice to make it so ohh-la-la delicious.

See the menu? It’s not expensive at all. Chicken heaven starts at P95 (US$2.05) only! Aida’s Chicken is located inside the Makati Cinema Square beside Emer’s. Come early because they close at 7.30 pm everyday.

I once saw this restaurant some time in ’06 and I asked myself, ‘who would dine here?’ Apparently, a lot of people dine at Emer’s Food Center inside the Makati Cinema Square. According to the cashier, they have been in business for 26 years and the customers just keep coming back. I heard about this place from one of the managers at our office who raved about the place and said that the Pata Tim (soy-braised pork leg) was their specialty.

According to a Pata-Tim afficionado (yes, I know one) and fellow foodie, Pata Tim originated from the Chinese province of Sichuan, supposedly the most agriculturally wealthy part China where they have the most abundant food supply.

Most recipe books will tell you that Pata Tim is painstaking to prepare. First, the pork leg is boiled in seasoned water for a couple of hours or more. Then it is baked, which gives the skin a singed appearance. Lastly, it is steamed before it is braised and served over a bed of lettuce. These cooking methods give the Pata Tim its fall-off-the-bone tenderness. But why go through all that for delicious Pata Tim when you can just dine at Emer’s or call for takeout (811-1833/ 843-6113). Sorry, they don’t deliver.

This is how it looked when it was brought to my table. Less than five minutes after ordering, I was treated to instant gratification. All for only P295.00 (US$7.00) per order. Plus the staff and crew were very accommodating. Thanks a lot to John who was both our waiter and guide to the world of Pata Tim.

I think one order is big enough for three hungry people. I had to take out my left-overs, which I still had for dinner that night.

So the next time you buy your DVDs at the Makati Cinema Square, make sure you check out Emer’s Food Center’s Pata Tim. Come with a big appetite for maximum satisfaction.