Larry Cruz Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

May 21, 2008 by Janey

I was excited about Saturday evening because it was going to be a dinner with Bubba’s DLSU friends, where they humorously call the group “berks”. With all the college stories that Bubba has shared with me, I have come to learn their berks “talk” –a set of coded words that only their group understands. I enjoy hanging with the group because they are a bunch of really pleasant people –sensible, light-hearted and laidback. This dinner was a special one because of Alex’s homecoming. Alex works in Singapore but she is in town at the moment. Compared to the rest that I’ve hung out with last year, this was only the 2^nd time I’ve met her. She was warm and friendly. Her family is also going to Macau for a trip like Bubba and me in August (can’t August please come any sooner?)

fel7

Larry J. Cruz usually owned the busiest restaurants in the Metro. If I’m not mistaken, among the LJC group of restaurants (Abe, Bollywood, Bistro Remedios, Café Havana, Café Adriatico, etc.) it is only Larry’s Café in Serendra and Reunion Square in Malate that I have not eaten at. Larry’s different concepts have always been a winning choice. The latest one I’ve eaten at was at Abe in Serendra when I had a December dinner with Fay, a close friend from college who was visiting from LA with her family. Abe, where they serve Kapampangan dishes with a twist, is actually Larry’s tribute to his dad, Mr. Abe Cruz. Its counterpart is the newly launched Fely J’s, which is LJC’s homage to his mom.

Fely J’s is a modern Filipino bistro in a family setting restaurant amidst the lavish surroundings of the fresh Greenbelt 5. A big framed black and white photo of Fely J against a pink background greets the diners. A pink lamp sits on the table below the photo and huge white tulips. The white ceiling had big circle outlines and low lights. A wall near the entrance door is decorated with slim bamboo sticks. There is a Quiapo saloon enlarged newspaper clipping in one of the frames, the rest are paintings of aged women in pastel colors, which exudes aged elegance. The dining area is surrounded with pink walls with white floral embellishment, chocolate wooden tables while some are round granite tables, and matching brown chairs with orange or cream seats. The wait staff are all clad in black with pink apron.

Since Bubba and I arrived late, everyone went ahead and ordered. I would have wanted to try newer dishes like tilapia with sweet plum sauce or their butterfly butter prawns in curry but I guess the group ordered on the safe side with the more familiar dishes. We had a late lunch at 5pm that I wasn’t able to eat much during dinner anyway.

On the Table:

Pork Binagoongan

Dilis Rice

Fely J’s is modern in décor and refined in taste. It is decorated with subtle artwork, plenty fresh white flowers and dramatic lighting that exude the same elegance in their concoction of Filipino food.