the next dish

Ito Ay Atin

We were on our way one weekend to my parent's house in Chino Hills for a weekend visit. My brother decided that he had a craving for Filipino food. He stated that he's been going to this small "point-point" joint  in Azusa and Amar called, "Ito Ay Atin". So we detoured from the 60 Fwy, exited Azusa until we reached Amar. The restaurant is near the Thai BBQ we used to frequent.

When we got in, there were a few diners already enjoying their food. The food was arranged under a warmer and a heat lamp, typical of a "turo-turo" or "point-point" joint, (mom-and-pop store). The first thing I checked was the quality of the food. Was the food sitting there under the heat lamp for a long time? Are there certain selections that people are not buying? The answer is yes and no.

Food: Most of the foods that were there appeared to be cooked "recently". It may have been there for a couple of hours or freshly cooked. There were a couple items that looked like it's been sitting under the warmer for a long time that needed to be removed and changed. A few minutes later, after trying to decide what combo I want, a lady came out of the kitchen and removed the couple of items that looked old and replaced it with a newly cooked food. That's a good sign.

Ambiance: Friendly. Many people ate at the restaurant after buying their food. The impression I got was that they're enjoying their food. The decor of the place is loud yellow. They may need a re-vamp in the future.

Price: Cheap and affordable. P

arking: Good. Plenty of spaces since it's located in a shopping strip mall.
** Recommended.

Location: 1559 E Amar Rd West Covina, CA

anniversary cake

when the hubby and i got married, we saved the top layer of our cake so that we can eat a slice to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. we've had it in the freezer for one whole year! i took the cake out of the freezer and defrosted it prior to dinner so that we can have cake for dessert with coffee. everyone (couple friends) told us that if you didn't pack and seal the cake correctly, it will be soggy and the cake will taste bad. i've forgotten how i packed the cake. we came home from dinner and started unpacking the foil around the cake. after all the foil and saran wraps were removed, it appears that the only damage were the flower candies. it became soggy. after slicing a piece, we were ready for the taste test. surprise! the cake tasted the same! i must've packed the cake tightly enough that there were no frost bites around the cake. we made it!