Dining | Hows your Hito, Hito-Go?
(photo credit www.valviajera.com)
Who would think of eating a hito on your table? When was the last time you ate one? For this writer I had one way way way way way way back. Who would like eat one black and slimy fish when you see one?
One person who took the challenge to make this fish delectable is Lucky Angeles, entrepreneur and executive chef, whose family and relatives owned catfish farms in Bulacan. They have a 20 hectare controlled farm in Bulacan assuring us that their fish are clean and healthy.
Now back to eating, luckily chef Lucky (smiling me) invited us to partake on this greatly important and famous fish in Valenzuela city. Admittedly the actual person who invited me didn't mention we were eating catfish or hito. Maybe somehow I would back out if I knew? Who knows? After me travelling different places and eating all things set on the table, eating hito is not a big of a stretch really. I welcome it actually as I have tasted one when I was child. Im almost half a century old imagine that.
Arriving in Valenzuela City branch of Hito-Go, we found out that among the two branches they have, this is the only one with a dining area. So when we went it, we were greeted with 3 big bilao (circular baskets). These baskets are their boodle servings each one with a hito in them cooked two ways. One was a grilled catfish, the other was the breaded one. Along with the fish, they had some squid rings, chicken, adobo and some vegetables on top as well. We liked the presentation if you see them here and look at the salted eggs and the tomato slices on the sides, wow. I can still remember the taste again just by writing here.
Now lets start with the serving sizes of their bilao or circular baskets. They have the small, medium and large ones. The small one is good for 2-3 persons and the one's served were the medium one that's good for 4-6 persons. The large size is actually two medium bilaos that can feed 6-10 persons easily. So we had one medium and one large size laid in front of us.
Just as a disclaimer and full disclosure - I did not had breakfast today. You will see why in the cover picture above and the narrative. I sat opposite of Valerie, another blogger friend I just met today and we HAD one bilao, a medium for both of us. The medium size that's good for 4-6 persons, we two enjoyed eating it. So serving size for one medium is good for 4-6 persons (really). If maybe I had breakfast, this bilao can feed 10 people easy. Even if there was only one hito or catfish in it, its enough as there were other dished in the middle that will surely fill your hungry tummy to the brim. And look at the rice that circle around it.
Taste wise? See the picture and judge for yourself. Eating boodle style is an enjoyable experience, sharing your food, telling your stories, banter among friends, you will pass the time away chomping down on them with gusto. The taste of the hito or catfish was nice. It wasn't as smelly and slimy as I remember to be. Nicely cooked, it was just fish and the preparation by chef Lucky made that fish delectable. The side dishes were equally satisfying our taste buds so seeing the picture, we had a great time.
We did not only stuck with our bilao, we dove in other's bilao as well as we had the breaded catfish, and we had to taste the grilled one as well. Both tasted great and just a tip, if you don't like the catfish with bones in them, stick with the breaded one. It's not a negative to grilled one but in fact I like it as well. The bones were needed to keep the integrity of the fish while being grilled, eating it will take a longer time as you stay away from the bones for obvious reasons. If you take the breaded one, you simply tear a piece and eat away.
Other dishes that came our way were the Hito sisig, which we find sooooooooooo great. Another one dish that was so nice was the chicharong tinik ng hito. Yes, those bones I told you to shy away from? They cooked it as an appetizer. Crispy, tasty and inviting, you can't stop picking one up to your mouth. Good thing I was already full with that bilao or else I could have finished one plate of it. Mind you its not greasy as you may think of a chicharon.
Price wise, One small bilao is Php349, medium is Php649 while the large one (consisting of two medium bilao) costs Php1,040. If you ask us, obviously I'm biased now and you soon will be, the prices are just right for a boodle fight of a serving and presentation. It's affordable considering the dishes that you are getting in that bilao. Another tip - this bilao you can bring to your outings where you travel for hours to your destination. It won't spoil during your trip. Tomatoes are finicky vegetable (fruit?) if cooked, but here we have them raw so they won't spoil your bilao. Better option this is compared to the pancit bilao for your outings.
The chicharon tinik ng hito is only Php49 per plate and is a good appetizer during your inuman with your barkada. Non greasy and its not junk food mind you. I do hope they have a branch near me for those inuman nights. The Hito sisig, Grilled Hito and Crispy (Breaded) Hito costs Php99 each. Very affordable right?
So the Catfish or Hito is the star of this restaurant, hope to catch one soon when they do franchising soon (please set up one near me). For more about them, visit their facebook page here - https://www.facebook.com/FortiasHitoGo/
