Thursday, September 6, 2012

All that Java Jazz!


Where else can you find world-class live jazz and delicious Filipino food? At New Westminster's Java Jazz Cafe & Bistro restaurant! Owners Salvacion (Salve) and Ed Dayao have been running the family-operated restaurant and sharing the jazz stage entertaining guests for the last 10 years. Salve does do double duty as the head chef cooking up her made-from-scratch specialities including pastas, burgers, curries and of course, classic Filipino dishes.

Fun Fact: The name Java Jazz was developed from a fusion of Ed's love for coffee and Salve's love for jazz. 
Salve & Ed Dayao
I had the privilege to meet Salve. Her warm and inviting smile easily brightens up the dimly lit restaurant. She sat down to introduce herself and I soon learned that she is also a fellow Pampangan (like me). Both her and Ed are trained musicians who have travelled the world singing (Salve) and playing the piano (Ed). They landed in Canada over 10 years ago and decided to live out their dreams by opening up their own restaurant while continuing to delight customers with their music.
Fan Fact: Pamanga is located in the province of Luzon, Philippines and is also known for their passionate cooks;) 
Salve then slowly introduced more Filipino dishes to the menu over the years with her own unique twists. Java Jazz now offers many Filipino favourites like Kare Kare (peanut-based ox-tail stew), Sizzling Pork Sisig (fried hog head, truly a delicacy but best with beer) & Lechon Kawali (deep-fried pork belly).

Salve's niece and waitress, Cheryl, gave her recommendations to help narrow down the list: Pinkabet Special (sauteed veggies in a shrimp sauce), Crispy Binagoongan (battered & fried pork in a shrimp & coconut sauce) and Beef Calderata (beef stew) - all served with coconut-achiote rice.

Pinkabet Special
Beef Calderata

Crispy Binagoongan
Served in large heaping portions, all three dishes were masarup! My favourite had to be the crispy binagoongan. It had a nice contrast of flavours and textures with the crispy pork coated perfectly in the seasoned shrimp & coconut sauce against the freshly diced mangoes, tomatoes and onions.

You will be welcomed with friendly service, tantalized with tasty home-cooking and entertained with good live music. So come on down and paint the town at New West's Java Jazz!

Java Jazz Cafe & Bistro Restaurant
412 - 6th Street, New Westminster
Closed Tuesdays, 5:30pm-12am

Candice's Recommendations:
Crispy Binagoongan - $12.99, Pinkabet Special - $14.99 & Chicken Wings - $9.95
New customers get 10% off!!

Java Jazz Cafe and Bistro on Urbanspoon

4 comments:

  1. Hi Candice,

    Your first post just appeared on Urbanspoon! Check it out:
    http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1565838/restaurant/Vancouver/Richmond-Central/Kumare-Restaurant-Bakery-Richmond

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  2. Thanks, Greg! I've gone in and claimed by blog, so excited to be one urbanspoon;)

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  3. We were there this evening at Java Jazz. It was our first time to try it out. We were not disappointed at all! The owner Salve was a most gracious vivacious host who not only made us feel welcome instantly but also entertained us with her stories of their singing travelogue around the globe. And the food was excellent! Although we wanted a little bit of light to shine down on what was on our plate to better appreciate it with our eyes, our tastebuds were not disappointed at all! We were gustatorily satisfied with her version of "Crispy Pork Binagoongan" topped with a special kind of coconut sauce, sprinkled with green onions, diced tomatoes as well as cubes of slightly green mangoes--OMGoodness, just glorious! Her "Beef Oxtail Kare-Kare" and her homemade shrimp paste were such a superdelight to my culinary senses as well! It has been a while I appreciated Filipino food this good--twas so heavenly my husband and I forgot about our rice-fast and devoured the last morsel of this delicately prepared aromatic rice. Highly recommended! (and this does not even include the rhythmic flavor of the live jazz music played by their excellent musicians!)

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