#ZomatoXABSCBN Marikina Food Crawl: Filipino Soul Food at Antonio J.

Marikina's emerging culinary landscape takes the spotlight in a special day tour of the city's best dining spots...

Zomato Philippines, in collaboration with ABS-CBN, recently organized a day-long food crawl dubbed The Hunger Games showcasing the best dining destinations in Marikina. Six restaurants in one day, let the games begin...

First stop, Antonio J. Named after the family patriarch, Antonio J. Lim, Antonio J is a haven for local comfort food drawing inspiration from cherished family recipes and one of the many tasty dining destinations in Marikina. And my Marikina food trip began with a taste of Antonio J's take on Filipino soul food...

Antonio J offers classic all-time local favorites, with huge servings that's great for sharing. After all, good food is a lot more fun when shared.

Antonio J's Pinakbet con Bagnet (P 225) takes the local vegetable dish to a whole new level topped with crunchy chunks of pork bagnet, adding both flavor and texture to the dish. The sweetness of the fresh vegetables, draped in a rich shrimp paste-based sauce with its sharp notes, pair well with the crunchy pork for a complete meal in itself. It's homestyle dishes like these that make your visit to Antonio J special, and go ahead, go for extra rice. 

The extensive menu at Antonio J includes a variety of seafood dishes, like the Inihaw na Tuna Belly with Atchara and Spicy Garlic Sauce (P 385). The tender and juicy tuna delivers a rich briny sweetness, punctuated by the tart pickled vegetables for contrast. The soy chili dip adds familiar notes to the dish, but try Antonio J's Spicy Garlic Sauce. It just brings out the clean and delicate flavors of the tuna belly without overpowering it. 

The Antonio J Classic Kare-Kare (P 295) is another must-try dish, with tender beef tripe and ox-tail stewed in a sweet peanut sauce topped with fresh vegetables. At Antonio J, the sauce is made from scratch using fresh peanuts and slow cooked for bold flavors. Extra rice? Absolutely.

Antonio J also shared their newest dish, the Bagoong Rice with Bagnet, another dish that's perfect for sharing. The richness of the crisp pork bagnet pairs perfectly with the soft and fluffy shrimp-paste flavored rice for balanced notes, with the red onions, tomatoes, and green mango slices completing the flavors.

Hearty and comforting homestyle cooking and value for money, it's a winning combination. And when you're craving for local comfort food with a bit of soul, Antonio J is the place in Marikina. One down, five to go. Stay tuned for more posts on the #ZomatoXABSCBN Marikina Food Crawl...

Antonio J is located at Unit 1 C&B, Mall Annex Building, Liwasang Kalayaan, Marikina or call (02) 664-8297, 631-2360, and 0920-921-8331 for inquiries. You can also visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/AntionioJ/.

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