Christmas at Remely’s Filipino Restaurant

Christmas at Remely’s Filipino Restaurant

By Kaitlin Jingco

Walking into Remely’s Filipino Restaurant, it is evident that they are ready and excited for Christmas; the walls are decorated with wreaths and bows, and the sounds of Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe album can be heard through the speakers. In addition to the warm, holiday aura, there is a certain bustle in the restaurant, as the staff are hard at work juggling Christmas season orders with regular customers’ needs.

Despite the challenge that comes with the holiday busyness, Vince, Remely’s son, says that the employees of Remely’s are keen on providing food, service, and an atmosphere of the highest quality.

GLAZED HAM

When Remely Depante Gutierrez came to Canada, she would cook authentic Filipino dishes for personal clients: Filipino immigrants who wanted a taste of home. Remely’s customers were so happy with her food that eventually, her clientele grew so big that she needed to open a restaurant in order to accommodate all of her customers and maintain the high quality of food. And that is how Remely’s Filipino Restaurant was born.

Today, Remely’s is a Filipino hit in the GTA that sings by the same tune that it did when Remely was simply cooking for personal clients from her own kitchen; they cater to the clients’ needs by providing authentic food that tastes just like in the Philippines. Christmas time at Remely’s is no different.

Vince says that the chicken relleno is a big seller at this time of year. It is a chicken that has been stuffed with ham, chicken, sausage, and a bit of vegetables and then baked in the oven. The relleno bangus is another Remely’s holiday hit. To make it, the chef debones the fish, takes out the meat, mixes it with pork and other ingredients then bakes it in the oven until cooked. On top of these two dishes, the glazed ham is another Christmas favourite.

Relyenong Manok

On the dessert side of things, orders of puto bumbong and leche flan go up substantially at this time of year. Puto bumbong is made of puto rice, sugar, and coconut, and is remembered by its purple colour. Following the Christmas Eve mass in the Philippines, people would head right to their favourite street vendors for a taste of the purple treat. Classic leche flan is made simply with eggs, milk, and caramel. Although it is simple, it is a key component to Filipino dessert tables at Christmas and other special occasions. In addition to these classic Filipino treats, Remely’s Restaurant also supplies special Christmas cakes.

Vince says that sales of these dishes go up because they are staple pieces to have at the Noche Buena feast in the Philippines, and Filipino immigrants want to carry on these Christmas traditions here in Canada. However, the Remely’s staff cook lots of other things at this time of year too. Customers can order anything on the menu that will help to customize their holiday meal to be exactly what they want.

Remember that this time of year is very busy at Remely’s. It has special holiday hours to accommodate the extra need, but they still encourage people to put in their orders as soon as possible. Vince jokes that Filipinos have a tendency to do everything last minute, so they often get many rush orders. Note that the restaurant is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, giving the staff and the Gutierrez family a chance to relax before starting up again for the new year. For specific restaurant holiday hours, prices, and other details, visit the Remely’s website at remelys.com, call them at 416-609-9661, or visit their location at 4830 Sheppard Ave. East in Scarborough.

From left: Remely and Rolly Gutierrez, Gisselle Buenaobra and Vince Gutierrez