Rainy days call for Goto Monster

Squishy socks, leaky roofs, out-of-this-world traffic jams, and flooded streets—we could go on and on about why we hate the rainy season. On the other hand, there are some small comforts: instant plant-watering, cooler weather, and of course, rainy day food.

Hot soup is probably at the top of the list, and when it comes to favorites, goto is often mentioned. It’s a pretty simple dish with not too many ingredients. Most of these can be found at home—onions, garlic, fish sauce, and ginger. The less common ingredients are beef stock, beef tripe, and glutinous rice, though these are easily found at the market. It’s the beef tripe that sets goto apart from lugaw, which is plain rice porridge.

It's the perfect weather for some goto at Goto Monster. Photos: Carmela G. Lapeña

One might wonder, what’s the big deal? The recipe isn’t too complicated, either, but goto is one of those dishes that are best eaten outside, usually on a street corner near a tricycle terminal, or a makeshift stall under a train station. Like siomai or mami, it’s the kind of snack that you just have to have when you see it. This is probably because goto stalls are always busy, and you can’t just watch as other people enjoy their bowls of steaming porridge. The thing about goto is it’s served steaming, so it isn’t the best dish for warm weather. But once the rainy season comes around, you could eat goto morning, noon, and night.

Die-hard goto fans have their go-to spots—“secret” nameless stalls at the neighborhood market. On a residential street in Makati, there’s one not-so-secret place that’s been very busy: the 24-hour Goto Monster.

Similar to GoodAh!!! in the brownout days, Goto Monster has become a popular remedy for midnight cravings. The servings are large and the prices are reasonable—the plain lugaw is P55, and the specials are P95. Extra servings are available for P25. For the seriously hungry, there is a Goto Monster Challenge. If you eat everything in 45 minutes, it’s free, and you get a shirt. If not, you pay P750—by far the most expensive thing on the menu.

Their plain lugaw is already satisfying, and like any other goto place, there’s an assortment of condiments. But if you like variety, they have everything from bagnet and chicharon to shiitake and salted duck egg. One of the fun things about goto is it goes well with side dishes. Tokwa is a favorite, and at Goto Monster, this can come with talong chips, chickcharon, bagnet, or mushrooms.

They also have silog meals for P120, and choices include pork bagnet, chicken bagnet, sisig, bangus, tapa, longganisa, and pusit. They also have vegetarian-friendly dishes such as mustasa salad, fresh tofu, and fresh spring rolls stuffed with talong chips.

The main attraction is still the goto, which is more than enough, but if you can manage it, they also have pineapple herb slush and iced salabat, as well as a barako vanilla float and mais con yelo. For dessert, they have bibingka special ala mode, and ice cream pops in bibingka special, banana chocnut, and leche flan. For a place called Goto Monster, they have a lot of food that isn’t goto. Fortunately, everything is done well.

If there’s anything that could be improved, it might be the space. If you’re looking for a place to hang out, this is not it. There’s only one long table inside, and a few foldable tables on the sidewalk. You can see the huge pots of goto in the open kitchen, where staff do an impressive job of cooking and serving quickly. With a steady stream of customers, it can get quite crowded. Then again, goto is best eaten in the company of strangers, and Goto Monster is no exception. — BM, GMA News

Goto Monster is at Primo Rivera St. corner Vito Cruz Extension, Makati City.