Stories by Lilypad: Food With A Story To Tell

“The world is shaped by two things - stories told and the memories they leave behind...“- Vera Nazarian. I think that quote from Nazarian’s book: Dreams of the Compass Rose, speaks volumes to just about every soul in this world because frankly, everyone of us has a story to tell or to share. Your story tells your loved ones where you’ve come from, who you are, where you are going, and highlights your, dreams, your hopes and your desires. 

When I started this blog, my main goal was to relate to anyone by sharing my life, experiences and things that I am deeply passionate about. Because I believe that when we share stories of the defining moments in our lives, we connect at a deeper level. I keep it a point to be always open, candid and vulnerable. The more I share my life or my stories, the more I feel like I connect to people around me. After all, it’s unarguably a human thing. 

In a span of two weeks, I’ve visited two homes turned into restaurants which got me all sentimental. Both reminded me of my childhood and the ancestral house that I grew up in. I got so nostalgic that I even messaged my mumma if we still have photos of that house, unfortunately most of them got destroyed by Ondoy. She told me, she’ll ask my Mama Violy, my grandmom who’s now in the States, if they still have some. I hope she was able to keep some mementos because I really want to have them copied digitally. 
 

The second restaurant that I’m talking about, which opened back in October 2016, is called Stories, and it is perhaps the most literal example of the current enthusiasm for appreciating the narrative powers of food. Stories by Lilypad begins as an ancestral home along Times Street that was built in 1972 by spouses Aproniano Tangco and Julita Dychangco-Tangco. In this stately home, the family hosted small gatherings, as well as big celebrations, making the house a venue for fellowship and bonding. 

This elegantly laidback resto-café was named Stories because it was a home founded on goodness, generosity, and love that extended to those whose lives the Dychangco-Tangco family touched throughout the years. Thus one of the grand-daughters, Angel Tangco aims to continue the legacy by re-opening its doors to everyone.

Lilypad is usually when or when frogs jump from pad to pad to avoid being eaten. It is somewhat the safe landing spot when jumping off out of a tough situation. Unmistakably, our homes are the same things right? It is where we find refuge after a tiring and long day at work, where we long for our families’ comfort and love and of course those hearty meals. LilyPad, Inc., the group that runs Stories, is named after Julita or “Lily” to honor her contribution in making this “Pad” a home. The owners didn't want to completely renovate the whole place and retained most of its structure. Memorabilias from the old home can be seen around the cafe some as is and some refurbished or upcycled. 

I love their garden area where the outdoor seating can be found. I imagine how nice it is to have a coffee here while reading a book or studying, during a lazy afternoon, with the sound of the fountain water creating a soothing ambience. That custom-built fountain by the way contains mugs from families and friends of the owners. And you guess it right, there are stories behind those mugs. 
 

Stories by Lilypad serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, desserts and coffee. Each comfort dish is delivered with a backstory which without a doubt is inextricably linked with memory and emotion. Here are some of the dishes that Stories offer: 
Create Your Own Platter - this is the all-day breakfast series of Stories wherein you can choose amongst the wide selection of breads, spreads, mains and eggs depending on your mood or cravings. What we had were crispy bacon, frankfurter sausage & veggies omelette, plain pancake and Nutella Pancake. Right off the bat, I was impressed by the presentation. How pretty is that right? I almost didn’t want to eat but they all look so appetizing that I gave in, like, I have a choice LOL! The bacon was so good and not at all oily. The pieces of sausages and veggies gave the omelette a great texture. Those pancakes probably are the thickest pancakes I’ve ever eaten my entire life. They kinda reminded me of those little Japanese pancakes except that these ones are bigger but had the same consistency and fluffiness.  

Beef Tapa - traditional rice meal served with egg, breakfast rice and salsa. This is easily a no brainer choice amongst the rice meals at Stories. I mean, come on, who doesn’t love a good ol’ Tapsilog. The tender beef meats had a sweet and salty taste which how I like my tapa to be. 

Fish N’ Chips - Winston Churchill referred to the combination of fish and chips as "the good companions". I am not British and I’m not used to eating just meat and veggies, but I can make exceptions and I’m up for it. This was an irresistible mixture of steamy, crispy fried fish and chunky potatoes. The fish was expertly cooked, had a good crisp coating and was fresh-tasting. The chips or potatoes were perfectly seasoned and not greasy. I loved the sauce that came with it which was the signature Godofried sauce of Stories. It was on the sour side but surprisingly worked perfectly with the fish. 

Grilled Cheese Sandwich & Tomato Soup - this is definitely a classic! It's the perfect snack or soup-dipper. For someone with a strong affection for cheese, just by the look of it made me salivate like a bats hit crazy dog. The outside was toasted on the inside and out with a light buttery flavor. It was salty, gooey, crisp, buttery, and comforting in all the good ways. The tomato soup was a little bit sweet and a little bit tangy which truly a good combo with the grilled cheese.   

Godofried Chicken - the popular Godofried chicken is named after one of the owners: Gigi’s dad, Godofredo, who taught her the secret of cooking this special brand of crispy chicken. This method, combined with Gigi’s recipe and unique dip. I swear, these chicken had the crispiest chicken skin I’ve ever eaten, even Jollibee’s chicken isn’t at par with its crispiness. The meat was also fresh and juicy. This uses the same sauce like that of the Fish N’ Chips, but even without that the chicken already a two-thumbs up. I won’t be surprised if this is the best-seller among patrons of Stories.  

Jakothai Rice - this dish is inspired by Japanese, Korean, and Thai flavors. The story behind this dish was on a stormy day, the owners were stuck at home and had to survive with the ingredients available in the pantry. So they whipped up their “survival food”, what is now known as Jakothai Rice. I have to say, among all the dishes that we tried that afternoon, this was the one that appealed to me the most because it was something different but had the familiar flavors that are found on the those 3 cuisines. Plus it was that spicy too which I appreciated because I have quite a low tolerance of spicy food. If you happen to find yourself at Stories, I highly suggest you should try this!

Sausage and Garlic Pasta - if you like pasta dishes I would definitely try this one out. When this dish was put on our table, its aroma was just simply irresistible. By the get-go you know this dish is savoury. It’s super creamy and has just the right touch of garlic and other spices making it another go-to dish at Stories. The sausage in this is grounded and I can’t put my fingers on it but they tasted like Vigan longganisa. 

Grilled Chicken & Lime Pesto - this pasta dish will remind you summer afternoons. It’s easy to the palate yet tasty. The combination of pesto and lime is such a simple one and yet it’s so amazingly good. It’s nothing but zesty and earthy.

Lemongrass Tea - this drink is all natural, no preservatives added and brewed at Stories. The lemon flavor was quite pronounced but it surely is refreshing. And I kinda like the bottle that it is served with, it looks vintage and like a collectible. 

Salted Caramel Blended Coffee - The drink sizes at Stories are named as Short Story and Long Story, which I find super creative and staying true to the name and idea of the cafe. I ordered this Salted Caramel Blended Coffee and it was similar to the popular blended drinks found at your other favorite coffee shops, this beverage blends salty sweet into a frothy mix. I loved that it was overly sweet. It had just the right amount of bitter, salty, sweet and everything good in between. 

Java Jelly Blended Coffee - heads up for your blended coffee with your favorite pastry. This is what happens when a coffee-based frap goes extraordinary with some coffee jelly. This was sweeter than the salted caramel blended coffee though. 

Milo Dinosaur - this drink is the stuff of our childhood dreams and a dream come true, well at least for me. I remember my parents would always scold me when I sneakily get spoonfuls of Milo and ate them as is, because they are too sweet and Milo is supposed to be made into a drink. If you like Milo growing up, you will surely be transported back to your younger years with this drink. This is probably the only dinosaur that won’t get extinct hehe. Btw, for every purchase of Milo Dinosaur at Stories, a certain percentage of sales will benefit Grace To Be Born - a shelter for unwed mothers and an orphanage.

Strawberry Banana Shake - this is probably one of the prettiest drinks at Stories.  The Strawberry Banana shake packs intense flavor for a truly refreshing thirst-quencher. It's absolutely delicious. 

Caffe Latte - a coffee-based drink made primarily from espresso and steamed milk. This was exceptionally creamy and a deliciously mild coffee.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake - this all American favorite gets upgraded with a triple dose of chocolate. Every one of us chose this as their top pick among the 3 cakes we tried. It’s easy to accept if this is the crowd favorite at Stories because had rich chocolate taste, with hints of saltiness and tanginess from the cheese. It is a surefire decadent dessert that is ultra-creamy and smooth.

Brooklyn Cheesecake - of course nothing will ever beat a classic. Sharp notes of cheese in this super creamy and moist slice of heaven. I will probably never ever get tired of a plain cheesecake, it’s always comforting in so many ways. 

Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake - this dense cake offers an intense chocolate experience with a complete with thick and fudgy frosting. The dark chocolate’s sweet and bitter flavors seems so straightforward but turned out pretty darn fantastic. 


I greatly enjoyed our late lunch at Stories by Lilypad while exchanging anecdotes and narratives with my fellow bloggers. After all, stories have always been shared over a good meal right? Other things that you will love about Stories by Lilypad, is that this establishment is pet friendly, part of their sales goes to the Anawim, a foundation for the home for the aged and that you can hold almost any type of events here. If only I lived nearby, I would likely frequent this café. It’s Instagram worthy and a cozy hangout spot for sure. 

With all these, I’m leaving with you with these words: Our lives are stories that we constantly invite others to help us create, share and live, for our stories convey the meaning of our lives, experiences that shape truths we come to believe. We all walk many different paths in life and we each have a story to tell. 


STORIES BY LILYPAD 46 Times Street, West Triangle,  Quezon City, Philippines  Contact No: 023744376 / 09568240094

Email: storiescafe.lilypad@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/storiesbylilypad Instagram: instagram.com/storiesbylilypad


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