ottawa foodies

I was told their story and do not remember all of the details, but more or less, it was the chef daughter's dream to open a restaurant and the family put everything they had into making it happen.

I've had their empanadas four times as i was passing by and needed (ok wanted) a snack. All good every time.

warby Glad to hear you enjoyed your pork chop! I ate my way through their menu last year and the pork chop dish is definitely my favourite although everything is good ;)

The restaurant is a family run restaurant. I can't remember what role the husband plays but the wife is a chef so she works in the kitchen. She came out to meet the diners each occasion I ate there and she loves feedback and she is very personable. Their two daughters work their as well - one is the waitress and the other is the pastry chef. She was completing the pastry program at Algonquin when the resto opened last year and the desserts have proven to be very popular!

I visited after work because I'd been wanting to check it out. Service was absolutely wonderful: friendly and enthusiastic. I was surprised to be the only customer from around 6pm to 6:45pm on a Tuesday. Walking into the restaurant, there's no explicit indication that the focus is on Filipino food. The menu, however, is undeniably guided by the cuisine of the Philippines!

On my first visit, I asked about the popular dishes and ended up choosing the grilled pork chop platter for around $14. For the next 15 minutes or so, I looked around the room gazing lovingly at the dessert counter and hearing wonderful sizzling sounds coming from the kitchen. The delicious smokey smell hinted at what was to come. When the plate arrived, I dug in. The pork chop was thick and juicy, perfectly grilled, and marinated with the characteristic salty-sour components of Filipino cuisine. A small bowl with more vinegar was provided for dressing the meat and garlic rice as desired. The mango salad was sweet and a little funky with fish sauce, albeit lacking the chili pepper mentioned on the menu.

All in all, this is a nice addition to Ottawa's food scene!

Tamis Café is a new Filipino restaurant which recently opened in the Glebe. I was mesmerized by the dishes described in Peter Hum's review in the Citizen: ottawacitizen.com I pass through the Glebe fairly regularly since I am a season ticket holder to the Redblacks and I have a membership with the Ottawa Film Society so I am always on the look out for restaurants in the area. I had only one Filipino dinner - and a very enjoyable one - to date and it was at the now closed Bulalo House . I was happy to hear there is now a new Filipino restaurant in town. I stopped in last Thursday on my way to a ball game. I was the only one there when I arrived around 5:45 but another couple arrived half an hour later. The inside of the restaurant has a rustic feel to it with hardwood floors, wood tables, metal chairs and handwritten menus on the walls above each station (dessert counter, coffee bar, and cash). The menu items are moderately priced and the menu items all looked so good it was hard to decide! I ordered the pork chop with garlic rice and a mango salad. The pork chop was very moist and cooked to perfection and likewise the rice and salad were equally as enjoyable. I plan on a return visit. My only concern is the location since it is on a side street (Fourth just off Bank) and the side streets in the Glebe don't seem to generate much foot traffic. I hope the owners get enough business to stay open for many years to come.

I love pretty much anything made with ube, that purple yam so prevalent in Filipino sweets. I was hoping my meal here would leave me with enough gastric vacancy to enjoy a slab of the Ube Cake ($4.75/slice). It did, but barely. This dulce de leche (aka yema) filled layer cake was phenomenal! Perfectly moist, very sweet, and eminently purplicious.

The server told me I was extra lucky as the cake had been made earlier that same day. With 12 slices, this cake should disappear quickly. So get out there and help keep the inventory fresh. You're welcome!

After polishing off my platter of food and this giant slab of cake, I found myself slumped over in an insulin-induced stupor of dumb happiness. Will I be back? Ube-tcha!

Tamis Cafe offers a number of main dishes - I had chicken cooked in lemon with rice and grilled veggies. My husband had shredded beef. Both very good.

Started with an empanada - lovely crust and moist, tasty filling.

Dessert offerings were a highlight and change day to day - I had meringue stuffed with purple yam - delicious. Also offered gluten free chocolate/ raspberry cake, casava cake, cookies, many more ( I plan to go back with friends for coffee and desserts so I can try more)