Maze: Merla's Kitchen in Chicago

When it comes to food, there's no other choice but Filipino food for me. Wilma, my fellow parishioner at St. Joan of Arc Church in Evanston told me a few months ago that she goes to her mom's restaurant to help. [Wilma also directed and choreographed the SJA Filipino Community Simbang Gabi dance program "Hawaiian Dance by Hula Hula Chics"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpXKzZsRm9U ]

So I called my friend Mila and Vicky for us to try Merla's Kitchen and have lunch there before going to the movie theater to see "Knight & Day" (Tom Cruise & our favorite Cameron Diaz), "Prince of Persia" (Jake Guillenhall), and "The Last Airbender" (by Director M. Night Shaymalan).

We went inside Merla's Kitchen and saw 7 tables prettily decorated with flowers. And the walls decorated with paintings of a local artist, picture frames of Merla when she was a child and a young girl and of course, a painting of Philippine scenery. Small and neat. It's like going to the small kitchen of a good friend with her mom cooking homemade favorites.

We're getting hungry so we all ordered the hot summer special - Merla's Platter of filet mignon or rib-eye skewer, fresh homemade mango salsa, steamed rice, fried plantains and dessert of halo-halo.

We tried it and we like it.

Yummy food to satisfy our tummy.

Merla and Leni, one of her 4 daughters, posed with us.

Jihan Palencia, a contributor to local magazine Asean Tribune and niece of our very dear friend Melba, wrote short story about Merla, her life and love of cooking in the kitchen.

Merla's Kitchen was featured on ABC7's Hungry Hound with Steve Dolinsky.



Published 7/3/10  lib's labyrinth
Web Page"  Maze: Merla's Kitchen in Chicago