Adding a dash of lively colors to the once Typhoon Yolanda-stricken city of Tacloban is Chew Love. I chuck a soft laugh when I hear my tricycle driver say “Ang cute pala dito ah! (This place looks cute ah!)” when he finally found the place. Borne out from the ashes of the devastation of Tacloban, entrepreneur, Coke Young-Go, found opportunity from the rubble. Chew love is a product of pouring in her creative interest in fashion, food, and photography. It’s hard not to miss this restaurant with its lovely European/Country-inspired theme that’s a sure head-turner.
Witty and Yummy
Just a look at the Chew Love menu is enough to make me smile. How can one not be amused with dishes named like “Crazy Pork You”, “Steak to One”, “Fish be with You”, “Chick Boy” or “Beef My Lady”. There’s a good number of meals available and the choices are not overwhelming. Coke fondly narrated that most of the dishes here are what they would cook at home like her favorite “Be Kare-ful with my Heart” which is a family recipe.
On my first visit, I tried their “Cheeky Feeling” a Vietnamese-styled boneless chicken barbecue meal with mushroom soup and cute heart-shaped steamed rice. I love the hint of rosemary on my mushroom soup for an added twist. The chicken meat was really savoury but what really brought out the flavor was the ngouc cham dipping sauce. They got a tangy, sweet, and sour bit of spice in them reminiscent of common condiments in the streets of Vietnam. I enjoyed it.
The second dish I tried was the “Steak to One”, a pan-fried beef pattie on top of another heart-shaped rice but this time with a hefty serving of gravy with mushroom. There’s a veggie on the side. I love the gravy and the patties taste so good that I wish I had more of it.
Guilt-free Refreshments
Also sporting their witty names, I tried a couple of drinks as well. The house specialty “Gingerly Yours” is a lemonade infused with ginger, Mexican turnips, carrots, and chayote. I like that the ginger taste is mild enough not to overpower the lemon flavor. I thought it was very refreshing.
There’s also the “Green Mind” also a lemonade infused with the cool cucumber flavors.
Dessert
This is one of the rare times I wouldn’t mind being called a “Gold Digger”. Chew Love’s version of halo-halo doesn’t use a typical shaved ice as theirs also has infused flavor before icing. The gold is the mango bits at the bottom. A dessert I look forward to digging again.
Chew Love is a place I didn’t really expect to find in Tacloban making it a wonderful find. It has a cheery atmosphere, more than witty and tasty food offerings and the prices are definitely affordable for the quality it offers.
Chew Love
P. Gomez Street, Tacloban City
Operating Hours: 11am to 8:30pm (Mondays to Saturdays)
Facebook: /chewlovetacloban
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