5 Loaves and 2 Fish: Comfort Food for the Soul

Discovering different dishes in a neighborhood restaurant is a great way to spend an afternoon and that’s just what I did. 5 Loaves and 2 Fish serves home cooked meals restaurant style in the bustling suburb of Holy Spirit Drive in Commonwealth, Quezon City. As explained by proprietor, Ms Dinah Miro their restaurant is an extension of her home kitchen serving up comfort food for the soul.

The restaurant name is quite unique and its origins are from the bible:

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” ¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” ¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

It was quite timely that the name that they had intended for their restaurant wasn’t available when they applied at Department of Trade and Industry. It lead them to this unique name and has been a blessing.

The interior design focuses on family, comfort and bible inspiration sprinkled all around the restaurant. Seating is good for up to 60-65 people and they can cater to intimate events.

Chef Jay executes the menu that’s comprised of dishes Ms Dinah cooks for her own family.

It was quite a spread and it did not disappoint. I was introduced to Lengua (Yes! I haven’t tried it before!) and Lavosh, 2 new dishes to my palate. There was also salad, pasta, fish and ribs served for us to try and savor.

As much as possible all the ingredients used in the dishes were sourced locally. Ms. Dinah supports the local communities and has tried to be an advocate for supporting local and homegrown products.

Lavosh (Php195)

Lavosh has a Turkish Mediterranean origin. It’s a large, thin, soft or crisp flatbread with a rough surface created from air bubbles. The Lavosh showcased at Mercato Centrale in 2011 and also won an award at the Ultimate Taste Test 2011.

Ms Dinah was inspired to give more color to the Lavosh and used carrots, spinach and other vegetables to give it coloring.

Their dips include Chicken Liver Pate, Pesto Brulee, Dulong and Fresh Tomato Coriander Salsa. Individually dipped or combined, the Lavosh with a generous slather of these dips can be a meal in itself.

Balayan Salad

Honeyed balayan dressing with pickled mangoes is the focus of this salad.

High 5 Salad – To Share (Php265)

This is their bestseller salad served with guava vinaigrette.

Salpicao (Php235)

The Salpicao was tender and tasty having been seasoned with their house blend seasoning.

Vongole (Php248)

Lengua

I was hesitant to eat this after I was told it was made of ox tongue! The adventurous side of me said to hell with it and went for it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it tasted delicious. The meat wasn’t at all tough and it actually tasted like beef. The ox tongue is slow cooked and served with mashed potatoes.

Salmon with Four Cheese (Php350)

Salmon served with 4 kinds of cheese.

Spaghetti with Chicken Parmesan (Php240)

Spaghetti with house blend rich tomato sauce topped with chicken and served with a side of bread.

BBQ Spareribs (Php255)

The BBQ Spareribs is baked for 4 hours slathered with house blend BBQ sauce. Served with a side of rice and coleslaw.

Another specialty at 5 Loaves and 2 Fish are their delectable cakes. I was able to try their Tablea Cake and Classic Dulce de Leche.

Tablea Cake

The cacao comes straight from Davao. The usual gritty texture of cacao is not at all noticeable in this very rich slice of cake.

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