Crisostomo: Revisiting Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere with Filipino Food

Instead of going to another Chinese restaurant, we decided to change it up a bit and go Filipino for our annual family Christmas get together. 


It wasn't just any other Filipino restaurant, it was a Noli Me Tangere themed restaurant.

Last Friday, my tita and my dad planned a pre-Christmas lunch together in Eastwood Mall. Given my blog, my parents turned to me for restaurant suggestions and I immediately chimed in, "Crisostomo! RJ and I ate here before and we loved it." 

RJ's a history buff and a big fan of our national hero, Jose Rizal, thus eating in Crisostomo was like love at first sight for us. Too bad I wasn't able to take pictures of our first time there so I was more than willing to eat there for a second time. Yes!


With their illuminated Maria Clara, Crisostomo Ibarra and other Noli Me Tangere character drawings and paintings, the restaurant feels like you're walking right into the pages of Jose Rizal's novel but with a modern and sophisticated twist. 

Crisostomo, like other Chef Florabel Co restaurants, is named after her family member, this time her husband, Christopher. It is a Filipino restaurant that incorporates other cultures that have influenced our national cuisine - Spanish, American, Japanese and Chinese. 


In order to learn what Filipinos ate at the turn of the century, Chef Florabel turned to Dr. Jose Rizal's novels for food inspiration, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Many of her dishes are drawn from the dinner party thrown by Capitan Tiago in the first novel. 


Chef Co then named most of her dishes after Noli Me Tangere characters like Crazy Sisa Squid (Green Mango with Crispy Squid Salad), Tadyang ni Tiago (Crispy Beef Tadyang) and Elias (Angus rib eye).

Mango Tamarind Iced Tea (left); Banana Shake (right)

To start off our meal, we ordered their unlimited Pandan Iced Tea, unlimited Mango Tamarind Iced Tea and Banana Shake. I loved the bitterness and the sweetness of my Mango Tamarind Iced Tea that I had 5 glasses of it. My Tita, on the other hand, liked how the Pandan Iced Tea wasn't too sweet. The Banana shake's unmixable clear syrup at the bottom was a mystery but it tasted like a regular banana shake. 


By the way, these drinks aren't on the menu so you need to ask your waiter regarding their drink selection. 

Ensaladang Erehe (Php195)

My mom's only request was a simple Ensaladang Erehe, which consists of fresh tomatoes, green mangoes, salted eggs and red onions. Instead of the usual vinaigrette, salty bagoong paste was used to tie them all together as a salad. 

Sinang Con Laing - Gabi Leaves with Coconut Cream (Php195)

Now a memory trigger, I ordered a dish that RJ and I had before, Sinang Con Laing. I haven't tried laing before RJ and I ate here but I was an instant fan when I tried Crisostomo's version. After trying their Bikolano rich and creamy coconut milk based dish, I am convinced I have to go on a Bikol food trip. I love this dish. :)

San Lucas - Grilled Panga ng Tuna (Php175/100 grams)

Another RJ and Smarla favorite food, I ordered their Grilled Panga ng Tuna, San Lucas. The tuna meat was very moist and grilled to perfection. It had a hint of sweetness so I'm suspecting it was glazed with sugar while it was being grilled. 


You can opt to have it grilled with coconut milk too but we decided against it. Honestly I would have also preferred it without sugar but with butter instead. I still like our home grilled version better. 

Yaman Dagat - Assorted Seafoods (Php525) (top); Ilo-Ilo - Chicken Inasal (Php250) (bottom)

My dad wanted a variety of seafoods so he ordered their Yaman Dagat dish. This includes tilapia, prawns, tahong, squid, bangus cooked in coconut cream sauce & lemon grass. We were a little disappointed at how small the serving was. This was just okay. 

We also had an order of their Chicken Inasal, Ilo-Ilo, for my younger cousin. I didn't get to taste it but she liked it so much that we ordered another Chicken Inasal just for her. Yes, having a huge appetite runs in the family. :) Yes, having a huge appetite runs in some members of the family. (My brother corrected me on this note since it doesn't apply to the entire family. Hahaha.)

Don Rafael - Crispy Pata with Garlic Sauce and Soy Vinegar (Php550)

In order to appease the young at heart members of our family, we also ordered their sinful, Crispy Pata with Garlic Sauce and Soy Vinegar (Deep Fried Pork Knuckles), Don Rafael. It's one of the best crispy pata I've ever tasted with its crispy chicharon-like skin and delicious sauce. Yuuum! You can have the skin refried if it's not crispy enough for you. 

Even though we're so accustomed to eat in Chinese restaurants for our family get togethers, eating in Crisostomo was definitely a nice change in routine. Not only did it serve praiseworthy Filipino dishes, it also revived nostalgic high school memories and reignited our love for Dr. Jose Rizal's novels. 


Definitely, Crisostomo is one of my favorite Eastwood restaurants. :) 


More Info on Crisostomo:
Address: 2/F Eastwood Mall Veranda, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Map: Click Me

Menu: Click Me

Budget: Php350-500/head
Contact Number: (02) 710-1693
Operating Hours: Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm


Other Eastwood Restaurants:
Kogi Bulgogi: Korean Restaurant, Eastwood, Reunion & Friends
Cookbook Kitchen: Where Homecooking Reigns as King in the Menu
Cyma: You had me at "Opa!"


~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter. :)~