Bag of Beans is enjoying a streak of success. Their branches are growing and the addition of Charito cements their place in Tagaytay as one of the most successful restaurants in this tourist city.
Edmund and I tried Charito for a change. We’ve been going to the same restaurants week after week. Good to try something else.
The ground floor capacity had been breached so we were ushered to the second floor where another small table had to be brought in from one of the private rooms to accommodate the two of us.
Stairs to the second floor
Breakfast menu
Soup and salad choices
Entree
Look at the price of the bangus. Milkfish is P50 – P70 a kilo in Rizal depending on the season. Gross revenue in food is sometimes 1,000 or more percent. But of course you have to factor in other restaurant operational expenses like rental, electricity, water, salaries and wages, repairs and maintenance, gasoline and transportation expenses, taxes, direct expense supplies like ingredients such as toyo, patis, suka, paminta, gas for cooking, etc.
In cars, dealers are lucky to end up with a 1% – 1.5% net profit before income tax.
In restaurants or just like in any business, the rental eats up a very high percentage of the gross profit that’s why those inside shopping malls are susceptible to losses due to the high rent expense.
Their wide range of food choices include sandwiches and hot snacks.
Edmund chose Roast Beef
Pasta choices
Pancakes and waffles
Dessert
The former house is compartmentalized with rooms and hallways.
The expansive balcony is overlooking the terrace on the lower floor.
Second stairs to the toilet.
I couldn’t blame the waiters for getting confused as to who ordered which. There were just too many people. The restaurant has to beef up their staff at least during weekends and holidays.
Edmund ordered soup. I saw a waiter brought a bowl of soup to the next table. I was wondering how come the woman hasn’t started eating her soup. It’s been more than 15 minutes, adun pa rin yung bowl. When Edmund called the waiter to follow-up his order of soup, the waiter looked around, then took the bowl of soup from the woman’s table and gave it to Edmund. That was classic. Edmund rejected it and told the waiter kanina pa yun dun. Of course the waiter vehemently denied it “bago lang yan sir”. Nope, that was not true. I’ve been observing that woman for at least 15 minutes and was curiously wondering how come she wasn’t eating her soup. Baka kako malamig na.
It took me about 5 minutes trying to recall what my order was. I couldn’t tell from this photo. It’s either I am really forgetful or the dish is forgettable.
When I asked my husband “how’s the roast beef?”, he answered “okay lang”.
This was their version of lechon kawali but I say this is merely fried liempo served with lechon sauce. Do you know how to make lechon kawali? It’s very easy. Others choose to boil first the whole slab of pork belly, then fry in the pan (kawali). Basta the trick is you have to fry the whole slab, pagkatapos at saka mo hihiwain. Outside could be a little crispy, but inside must be moist and tender. Kung iprito mo ang isang habang liempo, hindi lechon kawali ang tawag dyan kundi pritong liempo or pritong baboy.
And how is Charito’s pritong liempo? It doesn’t take a lot of effort and skill to make a good tasting pritong liempo. This one is ok lang.
How do you call this green vegetable in English? This belongs to the peas family I think. I just know this is called chicharo by my mom.
E—–“Tart, what are you doing?”
A—–“Inaalis ko yung gilid. Ito tinatanggal ito kasi matigas. Nung araw mapapagalitan ako ng mama pag hindi ko ito inalis”.
Every time we were going to cook this vegetable, I would spend time removing each and every strip of the hard sides or else my mom would get mad and call me lazy. Or when my father was eating and he chewed on this hard part, he would know I didn’t remove all. He would say “matigas pa”.
Chicharonis snow pea