Chachi’s Kitchen in Daraga was the one and only restaurant serving vegetarian food Albay on their menu. It only took me a few days to find out with the help of Google Maps. From Legazpi City, we took a taxicyle to reach Daraga. This is a new mode of transportation that I somehow enjoyed as long as it’s now raining. Twenty years ago, there’s no such thing as this when I was a college student in Legazpi City. In ten-15 minutes, we reached Chachi’s Kitchen without any challenges at all.
At a first glance, we saw a house. We’re sure we found the right one because the signboard of Chachi’s Kitchen is so damn big. We were expecting we’re gonna dine in a typical restaurant but Chachi’s Kitchen is the opposite. It is literally the home of the owners: the wife is a Filipina and husband is either Indian or Pakistani.
You know what, we actually love it! It is like dining here is going to your Auntie’s house to eat good food. Well, literally yes because I was told by the staff there that Chichi in Indian language means “Aunt” or “Auntie”.
We arrived already past 2pm - this means we don’t have much time because we need to take another 3-hour bus trip to home. As soon as the tablet is handed to me where the menu can be found, I asked the staff where is the vegetarian meal. He pointed it out and I ordered it in an instant.
Chachi’s vegetarian meal consists of Puri, Aloo Sabzi and Daal then Tadka (or Channa Cholay) and Daal Tadka. Puri is deep-fried bread, Aloo Sabzi is potatoes with cooked with Indian curry. Dal Tadka is a kind of lentil cooked with Indian spices with lots of oil if I am not mistaken. Chana Cholay is chickpeas cooked with Indian curry.
One thing I love about Chachi’s Kitchen is the serving size. My tired stomach can’t handle all of what I have ordered that I have to request to take the leftovers to me at home. Lentils are literally heavy in the stomach and mixed with strong spices, boy it is food on fire but I super love it!
Chachi’s Kitchen reminds me of the many Indian restaurants I and K used to frequent back in Manila. The smell, the taste and the warm ambiance - it is like I was dining with K again. Only difference is we would eat in Indian restaurants during dinner and not late lunch. I am manifesting that this year, I and K eating in here with Ollie our dog by our side.
It is our custom to cap off our meal with something sweet when we are eating outside so we ordered mango lassi or yogurt with mango. This is when I realized we should have come here a little bit early and making sure first that our stomach is empty! Homemade yogurts are the most nutritious because it has less sugar unlike those that are sold in supermarkets.
In the town where I stay currently, there’s no Indian restaurant so it was such a relief to relieve the beautiful dining moments I have had with K thru Chachi’s Kitchen.
The next time we are going to Albay, we will definitely going back here to order their vegetarian meal. Mom and sister ordered meat dishes which they loved the taste and sure as heck the servings are more than what their small stomach can handle.
Since my advocacy is on plant-based diet, I would not specify what are these because I want to focus on promoting food that is cruelty-free.
If you are looking for another option, check out this Mediterranean restaurant in Legazpi city, Albay serving hummus, falafel and samosa called Sitti's Kitchen.
No comments