Food & Dining

Denlim’s Kitchen

I’ve been reading about DENLIM’s KITCHEN, a small, hush-hush home-based exclusive restaurant in Pampanga from bloggers with nothing but big compliments for the meals served. And although I’m not very fond of Filipino food, I liked the thought of a provincial dinner experience with the fambam. Take note that the place is not air-conditioned so best not go during summertime.

Denlim’s Kitchen accepts a minimum contingent of 12. And a maximum of 20 -with only 1 group per night. So with the Buensalidas whom we consider family in tow, we went there one Sunday after a 3 month prior reservation by my niece Angela. Yes, that’s the shortest waiting period. The more curious I became of the gustatory delights cooked by a certain DENNIS LIM.

Denlim’s Kitchen San Fernando

San Fernando, Pampanga (0917) 528-2520
P850/head minimum of 12 persons
Our menu:
– Bread & Spread
– Summer Salad
– Pasta Negra
– Garlic Shrimp
– Chicken Kebab & Couscous
– Caveman’s Shank
– Pugon Liempo
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There is no sign on the frontage. Best to ask around for the now-defunct L.A. bakery & the locals will point you to the right direction.

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Every nook & cranny is a photogenic area.

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The staircase leading to Dennis humble abode. Yes, although he doesn’t speak the language, he is of chinese descent so the idea of having a business below where you live applies. πŸ™‚

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The dining room was bright & airy so I didn’t have a hard time taking photos of Dennis’ beautiful meals. <3

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No nonsense set-up. No elaborate design. But the food.. THE FOOD!!! <3

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No. I don’t know him personally. Lakas ko lang talaga maka-social climb! ;)) Seriously, Dennis Lim has such a friendly & humble air around him that you can’t help but like him instantly. Thank you so much my dear ANGELA for making the reservation & taking care of every detail! <3

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He also encourages you to doodle.. so I did! Ang hirap pala magsulat sa pahigang pader! πŸ˜›

Denlim’s only has sodas so if you want something else, better bring those on your trip. Wine is acceptable with no corkage fee. Same with dessert, bring your own as a meal-ender.
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Assorted soda all for the taking.

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Freshly baked bread with spread. The spread you can buy at 250 php/bottle.

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Summer Salad. A combination of apple, walnuts, raisins, cheese, and special dressing made by Dennis himself.

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Dennis serves all food family style. Just perfect for our group of 10. In case you fall short of the required minimum number of guests, just multiply your bill by 12. It’s 950 php/person. Not bad!

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Chicken Kebab & Couscous. <3

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Pasta Negra. <3

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The Goppets with squid ink on their teeth happily eating away! πŸ™‚

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Dennis always explains the food he puts on our table after serving it & answers our questions patiently. 3 kids in our table want to be future Chefs so there were Q&A’s thrown around. Thank you for being so kind & patient with our lot, chef! πŸ™‚

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Super crunchy & tasty garlic shrimp sauteed in Olive Oil. <3

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Caveman’s Shank. This was a ginormous platter of beef shank which we greedily devoured. <3

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Clearly the star of the night was this 12-hour pugon cooked crispy lechon with buro! LOVE AT FIRST BITE! <3

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Dennis demonstrates to us how to wrap the lechon with lettuce, tomatoes, and buro.

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Surprise of the evening was our yummy starwberry yogurt & banana dessert. And no, we weren’t the ones surprised, lels. It was Chef Dennis who had the biggest surprise of all when we asked him if he could make up a dessert for us with the boring bananas we brought along teehee. He good-naturedly accepted the challenge even though he doesn’t normally make dessert & it wasn’t part of our package. Thank you Chef! :-*

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Attack mode! Clearly they were hungry after a day of physical activities.

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Herbal tea was served to us after that heavy, cholesterol-filled meal. Dennis was so gracious to even give me some home to plant after I gushed over how I loved the flavor & aroma. Again, thank you Chef! <3

Dennis Lim doesn’t use big names & fancy titles for his dishes. He calls it as it is, plain & simple. But believe me, there’s nothing ordinary with his cooking. They may not be grandoise in scale or production, but it’s simplicity at its best that gets to you.
Of course, his people skill is not to be scoffed at too. It was just like having meal at a friend’s house as he was entertaining us the whole time & even teaching the kids how to cook some of the featured dishes. Dennis also gave me some leaves seeing how I loved my herbal tea!
Thank you so much Dennis for opening your kitchen to us. We certainly had a very satisfying meal after a hard day of play. This is one meal, and experience, we will never forget. And thank you so much my dear Angela for arranging this. <3
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12 Comments

  • Reply Noel Q.

    Waaaahhhhh… inggit ako to the maaaaax! Kulang pala kayo ng dalawang tao, sana sinama mo kami ni The Partner! hahahaha…

    Seriously, this is one of the restaurants I really want to eat at. One of these days matitikman ko din luto ni Chef Denlim. =)

    August 8, 2014 at 9:28 am
    • Reply sugargospice

      Oo nga sana pala kasama kayo para lalong mas masaya!! Next time!! You really need to book na Niel!! πŸ™‚

      August 8, 2014 at 10:01 am
  • Reply med

    Very interesting! Pero ang tagal naman ng hintayan – 3 months!

    August 8, 2014 at 1:03 pm
    • Reply sugargospice

      hay naku 6 months na daw ngayon meding hahaha. OA na diba???

      August 8, 2014 at 1:19 pm
  • Reply michymichymoo

    Woooooowwwww! I’m super curious about this place too!!! πŸ™‚

    August 8, 2014 at 2:56 pm
    • Reply sugargospice

      Gora na with your prince charming! For sure he will like it there! πŸ˜‰

      August 8, 2014 at 3:42 pm
  • Reply Chel Pablo

    Definitely a must visit when I come home!

    Miss Jane, natawa ko sa yo akala ko talaga close kayo :)) Until mabasa ko yung ilalim ng pic πŸ˜€

    August 8, 2014 at 3:26 pm
    • Reply sugargospice

      Hahahahaha alam mo naman echoserang frog ako!! Feeling close ako sa lahat ng tao! :))

      August 8, 2014 at 3:42 pm
  • Reply majo Callao

    Hi Ms. Jane,

    follower ako ng blog mo. and i love your articles! πŸ™‚ i just want to ask how much yung Bellevue Signature Club? im planning to bring my kids there on September for their birthday. thank you! Godbless πŸ™‚

    August 12, 2014 at 1:34 am
    • Reply sugargospice

      Hi Majo! πŸ™‚ Thank you for your kindness. I’m tickled pink when my readers reach out. I believe an overnight stay at the Bellevue Signature Club is around 6-6.5k but meals at the Signature Lounge are already included for 2 adults & 2 kids. Enjoy your stay, it’s really fun at The Bellevue Manila. πŸ˜‰

      August 12, 2014 at 7:00 am
  • Reply Rea Agbayani

    Hi can I have a contact number for denlims kitchen? Thanks

    September 15, 2016 at 12:01 pm
    • Reply Jane Go

      Hi Rea. Sorry I’m clueless, can’t be of help. Maybe try his facebook page for contact details? Our friends were the ones who organized kasi & we just tagged along.

      September 15, 2016 at 12:11 pm

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