#hoghops

  A week ago, a group of friends and I were craving the famous Crispy Pata from Livestock in Sgt. Esguerra street. So we walked in the restaurant and waited on the corner sofas for a table. As usual, the restaurant was full. Luckily, the maître d was proactive enough to tell us about their new sister company called Hog Hops. We could sit inside the restaurant and order food from both Livestock and Hog Hops. We agreed. The new restaurant is located in the same compound as Livestock. It only took us a few steps to get there.

  Since my friends and I were already hell-bent on eating Crispy Pata, we did not look at the Hog Hops Menu and hastily ordered food from Livestock. However, I took note of their House Specialties which were written on a chalkboard directly in front of me.

Being a sucker for anything that looks fancy and interesting, I made a mental note to come back the following week with my boyfriend and have a date there. I already prepared my order: Creole Sausage. The description definitely looked tasty.

 Fast forward exactly one week later, and I find myself in the same area alone. To be honest, I was getting restless at home and I wanted to take myself out on a date. I was waiting for my boyfriend to arrive at my house so that we could have lunch together. But due to Manila traffic and the heat, his travel time was delayed. I was only slightly peeved. After five years in a loving and trusting relationship, I really don’t mind my boyfriend being late anymore. Considering that he’s the one who has to brave through the Manila traffic to get to me, I appreciate that he even does the whole arduous journey. Practicing mindfulness, I decided to look into the reason why I was even irritated. It turns out, it’s because I really wanted to go out of the house and enjoy a different environment for a change. So I went out and drove myself to Hog Hops. I left my boyfriend a message to just meet me there. He agreed. Trivial conflict avoided. (Thank you, universe!)

 There’s something great about just going out on my own with a good book and sunshine. These are small moments that I am grateful for. I order my sausages and garlic rice and I choose the Creole and Italian, waiter’s recommendation. I was expecting Hungarian-sized sausages. I was met with Longganisa. Hah! Such is the effect of ingenious wording on the mind. I was surprised to see a hearty meal served for me.

 The spices of the Creole sausage were strong. I could feel the cumin overpowering my taste buds. I thought I would like the Creole sausage more than the Italian sausage, but I was wrong. I preferred the sweet and spicy flavor of the Italian sausage to the burning spices of the Creole sausage. My boyfriend arrived and he tasted my order. He liked the Creole sausage more than the Italian sausage. To each his own, right? This is the great thing about different tastes. The other person can finish off the food you don’t like. He ordered a smoked bacon slab and I preferred it to my order. Once again, we’re presented with a difference in tastes. He loved the sausages and would rate it an 8/10. I loved the bacon slab and I would rate that an 8/10. Then we would rate our respective dishes at around 7/10. So take our ratings with a grain of salt. It’s pretty good food.

 Hog Hops is a comfortable nook for hanging out with friends and eating one of the best pork dishes in Q.C. Being the sister company of Livestock, you would get the choices of two restaurants instead of one. So it’s convenient to explore different types of food there. (I think it’s also a great marketing strategy for Hog Hops.) Would I go back there? Very likely. But maybe right after I bring my cholesterol down a notch, first.