For my 2nd day of Misa de Gallo, my friends and I went to Malate Church. The mass started at 4:30am. Believe it or not, it was my first time to hear mass in Malate Church. The whole celebration was in Filipino.
Dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies), Malate Church has been around for over 400 years. Originally built in 1591 by the Augustinian Order of Friars, it is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. The church was seriously damaged by an earthquake that happened in 1645. It was then that Malate Church was rebuilt with brick and stone in 1680. In 1762, the church was also used as a base of the British expeditionaries when they invested and occupied Intramuros for 2 years. Another earthquake paired with a tropical cyclone hit Malate Church in 1868 which caused severe damage to the structure. The Augustinians, once again, rebuilt the church and stood strong until the liberation of the Filipinos from the Japanese in World War II. Attacks left and right started a fire that left Malate Church in ruins. It was in the 1950s when the Columban Order restored the church for the fourth time. Malate Church withstood natural disasters and invasions. And up to this day, it is still standing strong. Interesting history, isn't it?
Standing inside the church, I am so proud to be a part of its history.
The mass ended around 5:30am. Too bad, I didn't see any vendors of bibingka or puto bumbong. Since we want to grab breakfast, we went to the nearest food place there is, The Aristocrat Restaurant. The said restaurant has been around for ages so I was confident enough that their dishes will satisfy our hungry tummies. 15 minutes after placing our orders, they finally arrived.
Chicken Sotanghon- Php53.00 and Hot Chocolate- Php51.00
Dinuguan- Php103.00 and Puto- Php38.00
Filipino Breakfast Set (Longganisa & Chicken Pork Adobo)- Php239.00
Boneless Chicken Barbeque- Php149.00
The Chicken Sotanghon was a bit bland but nothing that a dash of pepper and a half teaspoon of fish sauce won't fix. The flavor of the chicken was really prominent in the broth. The hot chocolate was definitely rich and was made from pure cacao. I was instantly flooded by happiness when I took my first sip of the thick and nutty hot chocolate. The Dinuguan, on the other hand, was okay. The flavors- sourness, meatiness, creaminess, were almost there. Their longganisa brought smile to my face as soon as I tasted it. Not too sweet, not too sour. It was perfect. I wasn't too happy with the adobo though. The meat failed to infuse the aromatic and intense flavor of the adobo. We all agreed when we said that we've tasted a meaner adobo than Aristocrat's version. The chicken barbeque was wonderful. The sweetness and almost peppery succulence of the chicken exploded in my mouth. For me, the flavors were spot on.
Overall, the breakfast was a nice way to cap the end of our 2nd simbang gabi day. 7 more to go. *grin*
How about you? How was your 2nd day of Misa de Gallo?
The Aristocrat Restaurant
432 San Andres corner Roxas Boulevard
Malate, Manila
+632.524.7671 to 80
The Aristocrat Restaurant Website
