The year was 1991.  I was at an unforgettable family gathering to celebrate my aunt’s birthday.  What made it unforgettable?  It was the first time I ever tried this amazing mutton dish called Raan Masala.  There was a whole platter of tender mutton legs simmered in an excellent spicy sauce that I could not get enough of.  I quickly asked our hosts if they cooked it at home. At first they said yes, but they confessed later on that they actually bought it from a Pakistani/Indian restaurant called Al-Shams along Makati Avenue. This was a momentous occasion for me as previous to this meal, I was not a fan of Indian food.  Yes, I tolerated it but it would not be my first choice.  Al-Shams’ Raan Masala was a catalyst for my awakening to Indian food so to speak.  After this I looked forward to and had several opportunities to dine at Al-Shams a few times before it closed down in the late nineties.

Chapli Kebab

Fast forward to 2012, an Al-Shams V2.0 has resurrected along Aguirre Street in BF homes. It has a more casual feel in keeping with the area and  is now run by the original owner’s son Adil.  The three of us plus our spouses decided to pay Al-Shams a visit. We decided to go on an unhurried Saturday evening.  As we piled into Kitchyart’s van, I could not help but feel the whole “field trip” vibe of the whole thing.  But hey, isn’t life a field trip in itself? A quick call to Adil a few hours before,  confirmed the fact the Raan Masala was still available.  It is not on the menu but you can order it a few hours in advance.  ”Would you like an order?” He asked. I think everyone reading this knows the answer.

Raan Masala

We started out with an order of Vegetable Samosas(P125).  Lightly spiced mashed potatoes, peas, carrots and corn kernels encased in a fried flour pastry served with tamarind and mint chutneys.  This was a good start to the meal as it was one of the better samosas that I have tried.  Although it was fried, the pastry was not overly oily but still retained its requisite crunch.  Next came an uninspired Chapli Kebab(P230).  Burger like patties made from minced meat that did not elicit any wows from the group.

Biryani

The Raan Masala(P365) finally arrived.  Although a little salty, it was still as fall-off-the-bone tender as I remember. A taste, instantly evoked a sense of nostalgia that brought me back to the nineties in an instant.  The Raan paired very well with the Mutton Biryani(P340),  long grain Basmati rice cooked with mutton chunks and topped with dried fruit and fried onions. The Biryani was quite a revelation. It was bursting with flavors and just the right amount of heat.  We all loved Al-Shams’ version so much, that it merited a second order.

Malai Kofta

Other notable dishes were the Kheema Masala(P290) and the Malai Kofta(P180).  The Kheema was very similar in flavor to the Raan Masala but had minced meat as a base. The Kofta or minced vegetable balls had a richer, thicker curry sauce.  Both dishes were good compliments to the Naan Bread(P65) that we ordered.

Kheema Masala

I would not consider Al-Shams a destination place as of yet.  However, if you live in, or are visiting the area,  I would recommend that you try it out.  Prices are at the reasonable to mid-price range and we did not have a problem with the service. Moreover, it is not everyday that you come across a place that has a proud tradition and legacy behind it.

Al-Shams
66 Aguirre Street,
BF Homes, Paranaque
Mobile: +63917.500.4399

I’ve been seeing mangoes a lot lately. Sweet, juicy, yellow fruit. There are also literal heaps of green (unripe) mangoes along with the bright yellows. And if life hands you green mangoes…you make “buro”. Buro literally means “to ferment” or “fermented”. But if you’re on the verge of freaking out, keep in mind there are many types of fermented foods you probably already eat as kimchi, sauerkraut and yogurt.

Bulacan and Pamapanga have traditions of placing fish in with cooked rice, salt and a powdered red “starter” called angkak that produces, after a few weeks, the nicely tart condiment known as balo-balo in Pampangueno or simply as buro in Tagalog. In the case of green mangoes, I think the process is a lot more closer to pickling more than anything. This version is adapted from one of Marketman’s recipes and approximates the sweet/salty/sour preserved mangoes you find in Binondo or those found in corner shops inside groceries along with all the champoy. It’s easy!

Peel and slice six medium to large tart green mangoes and place them in a bowl. I like them in thinner slivers. Others like them finger sized.

Mix together a slurry consisting of 2.5 cups of white sugar (yes, it’s a lot), 1/2 cup white vinegar (cane vinegar is fine), and 3/4 cup non-iodized rock/sea salt and pour over the mango slices. Mix. Leave and let sit for 8 hours or overnight. This process draws out quite a bit of moisture, softens the raw flavor (pakla) of the mangoes and salt cures them slightly. The mangoes will shrink a bit and will be swimming in its own sticky syrup the next day.

Drain the mangoes. Reserving a bit of the liquid if you prefer to use in the fermentation stage.

Place mangoes in a jar (preferably with an airtight lid; add a little bit of the purged liquid from previous stage if desired) then cover with simple syrup. Simple syrup is basically equal parts sugar and water mixed over heat and then allowed to cool. Amount depends on the size of the jar. I think I used about 2 cups. I also add a teaspoon of turmeric at this stage. This gives a warm, earthy flavor similar to ginger and colors the mixture an attractive yellow. (I’ve made versions of this placing cardamom, cumin, coriander seeds, chilies and black peppercorns in the mix and turned out great as well.)

Top with 3/4 to 1 cup of beer. I had some Red Horse at home and used that because of its sweetish taste. But otherwise, use whatever (light-colored) beer  you prefer. Mix again, seal the lid and leave in the fridge for at least 5 days. If you can resist eating it. Though it’ll taste better maybe after a week or so.

Goes very well with fried and grilled foods as a condiment. And adobo. With lots of steaming white rice, please.

I’ve always admired Filipino food vanguards Claude Tayag and Mary Ann Quioc for their efforts in getting the word on real Filipino cuisine out there. What I love more is their true passion for eating. Which is evident from Claude’s regular column on the Philippine Star, his earlier book Food Tour, which was basically an international crawl of good eats and to both Mary Ann and Claude’s actually giving a better explanation of what Pinoy cooking is to Anthony Bourdain on his No Reservations show. Not to forget Bale Dutung. They walked the talk further by recently coming out with “Linamnam: Eating One’s Way Around the Philippines”, a north to south eating guide to the country. They share a light moment On the Table talking about travel, love…and even first dates.

Linamnam reminds me of how the Michelin guide started, in that it was created for motorists to find decent lodging and restaurants while touring France by road. But instead of fine dining enterprises you feature all these wonderful holes-in-the-wall and family run operations serving up regional cuisine. What was your basis for selecting the type of food and establishments?

Claude: We initially started with our personal favorites, dishes typical of a particular place we’ve tried from our past travels to different parts of the country through the years. Each Philippine region’s cuisine has its peculiarities and nuances. But one thing we decided early on was that the food should be homegrown, available to the public in restaurants (not places with restricted entry, like exclusive clubs), from holes in the wall to fine dining finds, food that is store-bought or can be ordered from homes. What is the point of including a dish, no matter how malinamnam it is, if only a handful within a social circle can try it? The dish could be traditional, new, or a new take on an old standard; commonplace, exotic, or sublime. We’ve also included several destinations for their experiential totality. Given our limited time, we have no doubt there’s still a treasure trove of Filipino dishes waiting to be discovered out there.

Mary Ann:  Easy, that is Claude’s call. I do not suggest or offer a choice(s) anymore or else our car will never leave the driveway. We will be arguing even before we hit the road.  Life is easier when you have no choice!

How were you able to find leads for these places? Friends? Serendipity?

Claude: Leads and information from our foodie friends and relatives. All one needs is to get connected to one native of a place/region. You know how we Filipinos are all connected somehow: a cousin of a former classmate of an in-law or something. Food blogs like yours are a gold mine of information, too. Along the way, we’ve come across a lot of serendipitous discoveries as well (i.e. Crispy dilis salad, p.195).

Mary Ann:  Claude will say through leads from foodies and clippings. I say through his nose. I think God blessed Claude a sharp nose that can smell good food 3 market stalls away. How else one can explain how we end up in eateries tucked away behind fish stalls.  Indeed he is such a nosy fellow (pun intended)!

There are some dishes in the book that I have only heard of (e.g. Piyanggan manuk; which is chicken cooked with blackened coconut); I don’t think I’m alone being in the dark about some regional Filipino cuisine. Was there a particular dish featured in the book that you never had an idea existed, chanced upon, and loved in the end?

Claude: A lot of dishes like Pancit Choko en su Tinta and tamales from Cavite, Batil Patong and Pancit Cabagan, managat and imbao from Iloilo, diwal from Roxas City, to name a few.  Many of the dishes that we’ve discovered and tried for the first time beg the question of Magellan discovering the Philippines.  The dishes  were already there long before we “discovered” them.

Mary Ann: Oh many, many. Like the ants’ eggs in Ilocos’ Adams place, the nila-ga in Bacolod which is very different from our nilaga and the goto in Batangas without rice but more like a sinigang broth.  Some dishes in our country have similar names but that’s where the similarity ends there.  Like for example the bulanglang Tagalog and the bulanglang ng Kapampangan are worlds apart, and so with the Visayan tinola and the Luzon tinola. The pochero of Cebu and the pochero of the Tagalogs. This what makes eating in the Philippines not only fun but “wonderfun”.  You first wonder what it is and have fun after. In other countries where their food is so standardized, diners miss on the wonder factor, di ba? Indeed, eating is more fun in the Philippines especially with the Linamnam book on hand.

I imagine this project taking a few years to compile and to physically venture to the far ends of the Philippines. Travel and constant companionship sometimes tests a relationship. I laughed at Mary Ann’s introduction to the book when she said there were points where you wanted to smash each other’s faces. But how did this experience strengthen your relationship as a couple?

Mary Ann: Not smash, just crumple! We are not yet at the violent stage in our married life. I am sure all wives will agree with me. Marital fights are always started by men because they are not wise. They cannot tell the difference between a woman telling a story and complaining. They cannot also tell the difference between us showing concern (albeit reluctantly) and prying when a wife simply asks, “Komusta ang meeting, nyo?” I have long concluded the wisdom to tell the difference went all to Eve when God got Adam’s rib to create Eve. So it’s the woman’s wisdom to know when to talk and when to stop. Men may argue that they are scientific.  Then must be the big bang startled and damaged their eardrums. We also live with one rule we started from the beginning of our marriage: I shall not nag (that’s easy) and he shall never raise his voice on me (I don’t know if this is easy). Or else big big possibility crumpling may become smashing.

Claude: Amen to that. Men are really from Mars, women are from Venus.

Anything new you found out about your partner even after over a decade of being together?

Mary Ann: Travelling together really is an eye opener to every couple because you are together practically 24 hours a day.  I realized early that between us two, it’s me who has the backbone (no pun intended). During our honeymoon, I dragged mine and his suitcase down the stairs (there was no elevator in the hotel) while he was following me with a paper bag and munching on prosciutto and manchego cheese. I then learned he has a back problem. An American tourist was so fascinated at such sight and took a photo of us. We must have looked like a P.A. and a celebrity on honeymoon. During our food trips here, we “rediscovered” one another. Like, between food and myself, there is a possibility he will choose food. That is indeed heartbreaking and insulting to any woman till God gave me the opportunity to choose between him and the toilet.  Admittedly, I am more understanding now.

Claude: Another AMEN!

Was there ever a point during writing the book that you got tired of eating/food altogether?

Claude: Never. I guess, if one is truly enjoying whatever it is you’re doing, it is never tiring. And please keep in mind we didn’t do the “eating” one continuous time. It was over a prolonged period of time. There were plenty of “lean” days that leave you “hungry” again for the next eating adventure.

Mary Ann: That will never happen.  Though we are 2 very different people, it is my unconditional love for him and our fondness for food that cement us strongly together.

What was your most memorable meal as a couple?

Mary Ann: I will always remember this with fondness.  My friends who are all happily married (to foreigners) were matching me then with every white Tom, Dick and Harry during our Hong Kong days. I refused as I said, “I only want a Filipino,  preferably a Kapampangan who must be single and Catholic and who can cook and do body massage.”  “Where will we get a kusinero-na-masahista-pa in Hong Kong?” they would often complain. By the way, it is easier to find a cook (chef even) than a masahista. On Claude’s first visit, I invited them to meet and assess him. We were not yet dating then. At that time I didn’t know Claude cooks. He offered to cook Hainanese chicken rice. I thought he would buy ready steamed chicken and make broth from chicken cube and simply arrange the dish. But no, he went to the supermarket and did it all from scratch in my 2 x 2 meter kitchen. I think was if there more space, he would have bought a live chicken. One sip of the nicely flavored piping hot soup, one of my friends declared, “Bataan has fallen.”  And we all laughed that perplexed Claude.  Then one asked, “Claude, do you also know how to do body massage?”  “No,” he said “but I like having massages.” “Sold,” declared a friend, confusing Claude even more.

Do you remember how romantic (or disastrous) your first date was?

Mary Ann: Our first date was in a pizza parlor in Pampanga. Claude insisted it lacked flavor so we packed the pizza and went to his home. He gathered Italian basil from his garden and generously topped it on the pizza. He was obviously trying to impress me. But I do not eat vegetables. So I removed all of it (to his dismay) and sprinkled Tabasco all over the pizza. He was shocked but I think he liked what he saw. He saw one hot woman! Looking back now it is the Tabasco that saved the evening and created interest in Claude’s heart.  Or is it another organ other than the heart?

Claude: Amen to that again!

What was the last thing you cooked for your partner?

Claude: Guinataan na bilo-bilo which she loves so much. One afternoon she was craving for it and I made her. Wanting to WOW her, I filled in carabao’s milk pastillas in every bilo bilo. But she was not impressed. “Ingrata,” I said in jest.  “OA,” she said back.  The following day she gave it a second chance and liked it.  But still she complained, “I cannot eat more than 3 bilo-bilo. Too linamnam, too rich. It’s like choosing between Royce and my favorite M&Ms.”

Mary Ann:  I don’t cook for him. My role in this cooking and eating relationship is to eat what he cooks even at past midnight and yet make sure I wake up still with a waistline. Thank God that is easy.

Who is your biggest culinary inspiration?

Claude: My mother Adoracion Suarez Tayag. She cooked from the heart, meekly and lovingly played her role as wife to our father, mother to her 12 children, mother-in-law to our respective spouses, Lola to her 32 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren till her demise at 89 years old. Her house and kitchen was an open one – there was always plenty of food to pass around not just for her brood but also for the unexpected guest.

Mary Ann: My grandma Apung Pepang Lim de la Cruz. She was the mother of all foodies, if ever there was one. I grew up in her house where everything was done from scratch. She said commercially available stuff is not good enough. We made our own burung isda, talangka, okoy, heko (stronger than bagoong in smell and flavor), bagoong and yes even our brown sugar. Her patis should come from Navotas which is the unang tulo that is not sold in supermarkets. She would send a driver to Calasiao, Pangasinan, to buy puto or we make our own puto and kutsinta, and to Bulacan to buy bihon for her pancit palabok. Fish vendors in our town, when she was already paralyzed in later later years, would bring the fish to her before they offer it to the public in the market. We age our vinegar in tapayan in the basement which should be at least four years old before the tapayan is opened. We boil Arabica and barako coffee from Divisoria and sieve through a cheese cloth and topped it with gatas kalabaw. She taught me how to eat and appreciate the expensive duman (now P2,500 a kilo).

What is your favorite junk food?

Claude: Potato chips, chicharon with laman.

Mary Ann: Kisses, M&Ms. Salt and vinegar flavored potato chips (most especially Samboy from Australia).  Original Spam. Coca-cola. And of course chicharon bulaklak.

What is one thing you cannot or will not eat again?

Claude: Fried galunggong which I had the misfortune of eating and suffered food poisoning.

Mary Ann: Hmm… years ago, I would have answered any vegetable dish. For to me vegetables are a waste of space in the tummy.  But now for health reasons, I manage to eat greens.  I will never order it though but if I see it on the table, I will eat it. I ate the poisonous blow fish in Fugu but I will never eat cockroach (they say they serve this in Thailand) or vegetable if I know it is fertilized by fly eggs (vegetable na flies pa).  I heard there is a new farming technique in UK now that uses fly eggs to fertilize the vegetables because it has high protein content.

ManEatManila’s bacon jam started as an experiment.  He’d bring samples of his jams to parties and ask our friends to give feedback and after numerous batches of “jamming”, he decided to start selling last December. And they sold like hot-cakes. The bacon jam still tastes of bacon in a sweet, smoky base. It has a mild spicy kick and a deep onion flavor.

That’s where I got the inspiration for cooking my over the top bacon inspired breakfast.  I set aside some rendered bacon fat and bacon butter from my previous experiments and used it for anything that called for fat in the recipes.

Mac n Cheese in a pancake. Who does that?!

I made Mac n Cheese pancakes, loosely based on Shopsin’s recipe in the New York Times.  A man (in)famous for cussing and kicking customers out of his General Store in Essex Market on the Lower East Side and equally a madman in the kitchen for his outrageous culinary creations.  It’s a genius combination of two childhood favorites; the toasted cheese makes it so fun to pick on.

Since this was not a simple meal, I added some fluffy scrambled eggs cooked in some bacon butter and topped it on the pancake.  I then slathered on bacon jam all over the piping hot eggs. It melted just a little bit and turned a little sticky.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse.

But it didn’t end there; I placed another pancake over everything to create a breakfast sandwich.  I hurriedly took photos then polished it all off in a flash. Everything had bacon in it, even if there were no actual slices of bacon in the sandwich.  It would be a close cousin of a Sausage McMuffin, sans the sausage.  In hindsight, a breakfast sausage would’ve been great to pair with this but it was already such a decadent meal, I passed out for 2 hours after eating it.

So thank you, ManEatManila for inspiring this heavyweight breakfast idea! Keep on jamming!

Man Eat Manila
Email: maneatmanila@gmail.com

*For those interested to try the bacon jam, please check his site for updates.  He makes his bacon jam in limited quantities to ensure the best quality.

I had gotten wind of this recently opened Ilocos empanada place along Visayas Avenue. Not that there aren’t any Ilocos empanada shops in Manila; but the case is there probably isn’t enough. I had gotten interested in this particular operation because it had the name Farinas attached to it. And what could be more Ilocano than that. Think congressman, mayor and bus lines. Come to think of it, there has been word of a particularly good empanada stall across the Farinas Bus Terminal in the UST, Manila area. I’m not sure if this is a spin-off from that but I did get the chance to visit this Visayas Avenue branch a few days back. Farinas Ilocos Empanada is a hole-in-the wall in between a drugstore and a gas station. Considering it was just about 3pm, there was already a noticeable group of individuals milling around, waiting for their purchases. A lady ordered eight pieces. Another ordered four. The lady at the counter says their current record since opening was about 30 pieces. The pies are made to order, save for several on cooling racks out front to anticipate sudden demand. The reserves never last very long.

I asked the lady cook if she was from Ilocos and she said she was not, though she did say she was sent to Laoag and was trained for a while in Dap-ayan, or that lane beside Laoag City Hall where all the empanaderos are. All the ingredients are brought in from the province save for the eggs. Their version uses mung bean sprouts, shredded green papaya, eggs and Laoag longanisa. All wrapped inside a radioactive-orange crust made with galapong (rice flour). It’s colored with achiote/achuete so no worries about artificial additives. The dough hardens to a dense shell when fried. So stiff that a corner of one pie stabs and punctures the plastic bag it was put in and it still held its shape. Not a crumb out of place.

Variations include the “ordinary” which contains one egg and the vegetables. There’s the “special” which has an one egg and one sausage link crumbled into the mix. I order the “super special” which contains a couple eggs and two longanisas. If I’m going to eat an empanada might as well go big, right? They put out chili laced bottles of the dark “sukang Iloco” for the customers along with bottles of ketchup as condiments. The latter I find quite off-putting.

But anyway, I pull out the still steaming pie out of the now grease drenched brown paper sleeve. The super special (or “double double” as its known in Ilocos) is noticeably thick and hefty. I break it open and see generous amounts of filling. The soft cooked egg (you can request the eggs done to a malasado or runny if you want) intermingling with the vegetables and chunks of garlicky sausage meat. I drizzle some vinegar and take a bite; half chewing, half blowing out the steam and tearing-up from the slight pain. Does it taste any different? Not really. But that’s a good thing in that it tastes just like the ones you get in Dap-ayan. Maybe even a little better as they keep their cooking oil fresh. All in all a pretty legit empanada. Manila should be ready for an orange pie invasion as, at this time, they’ve already put up another branch along Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City and one more in Mandaluyong. With several more additional stores planned to open in various parts of the Metro.

Along with empanadas, they also sell regional favorites as pinakbet, longanisa and bagnet (in 1 kilo packs), cornicks, sukang Iloco, bagoong and the small but terrible Ilocos garlic.

Farinas Original Ilocos Empanada

Current branches:

• 56 Visayas Ave, Project 6, Quezon City
• 140 Kalayaan Ave cor Mayaman St., Diliman, Quezon City
• Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong

Mobile: 0917.817.3146

For more info visit their Facebook Page

Single malt whisky traces its origins to fifteenth century Scotland and is normally produced from a single type of grain, hence its name.  I have had the pleasure of sampling numerous types of Scottish single malts both here and abroad.  A visit to the Glengoyne distillery outside Edinburgh was one of the highlights of a recent trip to the United Kingdom, that is however, meat for another post.

It was during said trip that I had come across a certain single malt of Indian origin called Amrut that was supposedly making waves around the world.  There were bottles available but I foolishly thought that it did not make sense to buy something made in India from Scotland.  ”I am sure this will be readily available in Asia”, I told myself.  Only to find out later on, that Amrut has not been released in Asia and is only available in limited quantities in Europe and America. A Classic definition of regret if there was ever one.   My quest did take a happy turn though, as I happened to mention Amrut to my friend and fellow Wine and Spirits Club of the Philippines member, Jay Labrador.  He told me that he was able to get a bottle from Distillery along Jupiter Street.  When I heard this, I quickly called my cousin who happens to be one of the owners of Distillery and we snapped up the last two remaining bottles of the award winning Amrut Fusion.

Amrut Fusion is rated at 97/100 by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.  Murray further adds that he considers Fusion to be the third finest whisky in the world.  Very impressive, I must say.  It has a mixture of Indian and Scottish barley and packs a wallop at 50% alcohol volume.  It is distilled and stored in Oak barrels  at the Amrut Distillery outside Bangalore.  Cost is about P300o per bottle at Distillery, when available.

So how did it taste? I am by no means an expert in evaluating single malts, but I could tell that we have a winner here.  It was bold at first, with a strong licorice and vanilla note and finished subtly with nice chocolate undertones. The smooth finish was very surprising, given its complexity and high alcohol volume. As a food pairing option, Amrut Fusion should complement  either beef or game, but I am sure it would go with most meat dishes that do not have a saucy consistency.

It is quite encouraging to note that there are other single malt whisky options out there aside from those from Scotland. Japan, also has the Suntory line of Single Malts, of which, The Yamazaki 18 years has also been very well reviewed.  Of course,  The Scottish distilleries still have the majority in terms of volume and tradition, as there are multiple distilleries that have been producing great single malts for many, many years.  Hopefully, the success of the Amrut Distillery, will encourage the emergence of other Asian whisky makers to come out with their own version of excellent single malt whiskies in the future.

I’ve had a few tacos in this place. And while I do generally find their meats lacking a little bit in flavor (or too toned down), I came back for the tripas taco. I think this is the only place in Manila right now serving this variety. Tripas, or tripe, takes a very long time to process. It has to be washed several times to get rid of “pieces of matter” even before its cooked. And it has to be boiled for at least four or five hours to get it tender; lest you want to be chewing on rubber bands. You’ll definitely know if tripe wasn’t prepared too well; it’ll definitely smell and taste like a barnyard. But I have to say, Achiote does a good job with theirs. Their tripas tastes so clean. And just like callos, so fatty and pleasantly gelatinous. Just a tad under-spiced though. I love the mild saltiness the cheddar and jack cheeses provide and that zip of tang and heat from the sliced jalapenos. As a whole it’s pretty ok.

I do love their queso fundido though. I appreciate how they bake their white corn tortilla chips so that it’s still warm when it gets to the table and I love the goat cheese they use for the dip itself. It comes hot in an earthen casserole; still stringy and gooey as you scoop with the chips. This particular version has chorizo bits added to it. Notice that red, smoky film of chorizo oil on top.

Offal and gamey melted cheese. A beer or two. Things that’ll make me come back to Achiote.  Though could I also hear the ceviches calling…

Achiote Taqueria
G/F Power Plant Mall,
Rockwell Center, Makati City
Tel. (0915) 922 9336

We booked the Anthony Bourdain menu, created for the new year.  The Tayags made a special appearance in Bourdain’s show, “No Reservations” just a couple of years ago and put together this menu for people to try what Filipino cuisine has to offer.

Mary Ann guided the diners through 10 course degustation menu, explaining each dish and encouraging everybody to eat all the 10 dishes first, then ask for seconds later.

The whole experience was delectable, a perfect setting for those who are curious to try Filipino cuisine for the first time. The staff are well informed and helpful.  The Tayags did a wonderful job turning their home into a cozy dining spot.  All in all, the lunch lasted over 2 hours and I’m happy to say I managed to eat through all 10 courses and still asked for more sisig and dessert.

I don’t want to reveal everything about the dinner for those who wish to try this, but I do regret not knowing about being able to call ahead and order the Tibok Tibok (Carabao’s milk pudding) to bring home.  Their website contains all the necessary information, I’m just waiting for more friends to come and visit the Philippines and take them to Bale Dutung.

Bale Dutung
www.baledutung.com
Villa Gloria Subdivision
Angeles City, Pampanga

T: (02) 668 4038 / (02) 502 4527
M: 0917 535 9198
E: reservations@baledutung.com

*photos by Rodmond

Turns out, it was not my first time In Uno; we’ve killed time here before joining one of those walking tour groups. And had a few lunches before visiting Dr. Tan (this freakishly effective chinese doctor, whose clinic is also along the same stretch). I just weirdly never bothered to find out the name.

XO

We’ve never tried the Oysters XO either; which was apprently worth the travel for my friend. I asked him how they cooked it and he said they batter and deep fry osyters till brown and crisp and then toss them in XO sauce. His mouth was watering as he explained this. Which triggered my salivary glands as well. XO sauce is made with shredded dried scallops and dried shrimp as primary ingredients and has this incredibly tantalizing aroma. It’s a bit spicy and a tad oily. A Chinese style flavor enhancer. Which only meant we were up for some quantity oriented (a.k.a. babuyan-style) eating.

Alas when we got there, the lady referred to as Tita (who my friend chatted with in Fookien, and who I presume is the manager) said they had no oysters available for the day. Which was a total letdown. Two hours of traffic and no dice. But our appetites were still intact so we ordered quite a bit. Somebody got the requisite siomai as appetizer. Pretty good, in that it didn’t taste so processed as spam. And it didn’t taste like it was sitting in the steamer for most part of the day.

Scallops and fish.

We also had some absolutely brilliant razor clams in briny tausi (black bean) sauce. Still wanting to fill the XO void we decided to order the scallops and “fish” (dory) in XO sauce. Both braised in a light seafood broth and served over stir-fried asparagus. The ingredients were unquestionably fresh. The scallops small yet so tender and the asparagus had that pleasant crunch. My XO fixated friend ordered some additional XO sauce on the side and seemed to douse everything he ate with it.

Fatty fried chicken

I loved the Hong Kong fried chicken. Apparently they import their poultry from HK. Lovely, crispy, deep brown glazed skin. Obviously larger and more plump than local broilers and had that distinctive yellow fat layer underneath the skin. One would hope this was free range and grass fed, but most likely fed with corn; hence the fat color. Tasted great nonetheless.

The salted fish fried rice was suspiciously a bright yellow and a bit bland; ironically needing salt. But I suppose proved a perfect “accompaniment” for the rest of the dishes. In a typical lauriat dishes are served one by one with the rice usually served last. But I guess this was meant for Pinoy style eating.; wherein the fried rice is eaten along with the viands (i.e. ulam and kanin). Not a complaint, just an observation.

Beautifully jiggly pork belly.

The Tong Po Pork came last as they probably had to steam for quite a bit. My first impression was that the sauce seemed a bit pale. I then broke open a hot mantau and stuffed a slice of the jiggly pork belly. And my goodness, was it ever so soft. The pork fat layer just disintegrated into the downy mantou as I bit into it. Though, my first impression proved correct in that it lacked depth of flavor. I tasted the pork but the whole dish really needed seasoning. However it was nothing the XO sauce couldn’t help in tweaking. A spoonful in the bun does wonders.

Left: Sans XO, Right: With XO

Uno’s in a particularly competitive location for a Chinese restaurant; with President, Wai Ying and Savory just a stone’s throw away and Emerald Garden, Szechuan House and, my current favorite, Mabuhay Palace along Roxas Boulevard. To name a few. It’s the type of place you’d eat in when you’re already in the area. At least for me. As with all restaurants, some dishes will be better than others; and they do have some winners (i.e. chicken pie). Good enough for a return visit soon? Well, let’s just say if I do come back it’ll probably be a good idea to call ahead if they have oysters.

X.O.X.O.

Uno Seafood Wharf Palace
270 Escolta, Binondo, Manila
Tel. (632) 232.10.54

Jean Salonga Fernando leads a very busy life.  She is head of operations of the Fersal Hotel Group that counts Hotel Elizabeth Baguio and Hotel Elizabeth Cebu among its properties.  She is also an avid diver,a world traveler and has a very engaging blog called  Trip or Treats, where she shares with us her food and travel adventures.

Let us venture into her world and see what she is all about:

Of all the things you could write about why food and travel?

Trip or Treats actually began as therapy after I had a very bad experience in a “luxury” resort in Bohol.  The entire time on the plane going home, I couldn’t stop thinking about what a rip-off my stay was, and that it was unfair to portray something as a “small luxury hotel of the world”, when I was treated like I was in a hostel.

I lived abroad for most of my adult life, from Malibu to Santa Monica, all the way to New York and even studying in Italy for a semester.  Being in a different city/country/culture/, livens me up and brings me back to my heyday now that I am based in the Philippines and still have a sense of reverse-culture shock.  When I  travel I’m reminded that I know only one part of the bigger picture, and going around to visit new places allows me to see the different facets of life, culture and traditions that seem unorthodox in the Philippines.

As for food, well dining is one of the cheapest ways to experience a different culture or country without even having to take a plane.  It also goes hand in hand that when you travel, you usually remember an amazing meal at a random taverna with interesting people.  Food has a lot of emotional attachments in our memories.  Also, Filipinos usually exhibit care and hospitality through serving food, so it was an easy combination.

Who are the food and travel writers that inspire you and why?

I love Ruth Reichl because she puts poetry in the basic of ingredients and really elevates culinary literature.  Anthony Bourdain, for his satirical standpoint as well as sarcasm, and for his short stories on Kitchen Confidential.

As for travel, I really love Alain de Boton.  Though not a travel writer, his books The Art of Travel and A Week at the Airport, attempt to explain the emotions and intangibles of traveling as a quest to find one’s self which is really what seeking the world is all about.

Many regional cuisines like Thai, Singaporean and Vietnamese have found their place on the world culinary stage, why do you think Pinoy food has not achieved the same global claim?

I think that reason why it’s not at the same level of exposure as Thai and Vietnamese cuisine is because Filipino food is very regional.  Take for example, adobo. Capampangans like to make it fried and very dark; Ilocanos use tomatoes, and so on.  One dish is reinterpreted as much as we have dialects, so our national culinary identity is also varied.  It is a tough sell when we ourselves cannot pinpoint what the official components of a single dish are.

Another reason I see is that when people attempt to inject some sort of “Fusion” into Filipino food, it is not very successful. Filipino food is homey and very regional. Aside from our Spanish and Chinese influence, it’s hard to describe what Filipino cuisine is, aside from “it has a lot of sauce”, and is “served with rice”.

You have been writing your blog for a few years now.  What changes have you observed in the local food scene over the years?

For one, people are more willing to shell out for good food.  Back in the day, dining out was a once a week treat.  Now, I’d be kidding you  if I told you that I ate at home more than I ate out.  People are willing to experiment with unusual flavor pairings and even have dining clubs with foodie friends.

Dining out is the new Starbucks.  You don’t really sell food anymore, but the entire experience of the restaurant, the ambience, the way a certain restaurant perceives who you are in conjunction to dining there.  Starbucks was never in the business of selling coffee, it was there to offer  a 3rd place between the home and the office.  Dining is the new third place.

What is your favorite food blog, cookbook, food-related TV show and food magazine? What is your favorite city, hotel, airline and airport?  (Please tell us why.)

I have been addicted to Top Chef since my Santa Monica days, because, though it’s a reality show, it doesn’t attempt to bastardize the contestants’ skill at cooking.  The best really wins, not the coolest or the “nicest” chef.  I even have the cookbooks which are based on the recipes the contestants create.

I have a love affair with Florence, New York and Santa Monica, mostly because I’ve called those cities my homes, and I built my culinary palate as well as my character in those places.  I can build you a one day, week, one month itinerary on those places alone with matching tidbits of random information and why.

I collect Saveur Magazine because the dishes are so ambitious.

Lately for long haul flights to Europe, Qatar Airways seems to have great rates, and if you fly business class they provide you with pajamas during red-eye flights.

If for example, one day, Anthony Bourdain calls you and asks to spend the day with you.  Where would you take him for breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner and cocktails?

I would take him to my grandmother’s house in Guagua, Pampanga, for some Adobong Balut (duck fetus) and some Buko Sorbet (flavored with dayap, and frozen using ice and rock salt contraptions).  For lunch, I would take him to Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung, for some art and Filipino food.  Then for dinner, I’d invite him to Pepita’s Kitchen for a 16 course Filipino Degustacion, with four kinds of stuffed Lechon.  Then for dessert, I’d take him to Baguio for some “kulangot” and see how he likes it.

After reading your blog, I know that your love for cooking is evident.   Please tell our readers what is your signature dish?

I usually cook a lot of pastas, but for special occasions I make this amazing rib eye roast, which is like roast beef but it’s all boneless rib eye meat.  I slice the meat and insert whole cloves of garlic in certain areas, rub a garlic EVOO mixture all over it, then I coat it with a dijon mustard/horseradish crust and put it in the oven for about 8 hours.  It’s the best steak people have tried, or so they tell me.  That’s why when I eat at restaurants, I hardly order steak because my family always brings in our own meat when we go to the US.

What junk food do you love?

People would laugh, but do you know Cheez-it?  The local cheese snack that has a mouse on the packaging?  I love it!  it’s incredibly light and leaves your fingers bright orange.  And Oishi’s Sponge Crunch.  It’s a chocolate revelation.

Is there a type of food that you just can’t seem to enjoy?

Camaro.  It’s a Capampangpangan delicacy of mole crickets.  My father loves it, but I can’t seem to get past the crispy legs.

Can you give three tips to aspiring food bloggers?

First would be, prepare to gain a lot of weight!  You really have to love food or else you would never allow yourself to indulge as much as you will.

The second one, is to take as may photos as you can.  Change angles, play with the light.  Be creative.  There is a reason why digital cameras are a godsend because you have all the second chances you need to create a shot that visually represents what you verbalize through words.

The third would probably be to keep an open mind and be original.  Everyone talks about food nowadays, it’s important to find your niche and not just be the next talking head for restaurants.  Be honest if your meal sucked.  But also be objective when writing a complaint.  The last thing people want to read is someone who bitches just to get a free meal.

What are the future plans of Jean Salonga Fernando and Trip or Treats?

I just migrated to my new site (no more blogspot) so I’m still in the process of putting the old posts on the .com.

Well now that I’ve gained all the chubrub from the food, 2012 is geared towards finding a balance between indulgence and wellness.  If I get to that equilibrium, I’ll tell you how it goes.

As for the traveling, I’ve set my 2012 itinerary for trips and I’m maxed out!  But, there’s always that last minute inclination to just disappear for a weekend or so.

As for community, I’m cooking something up where foodies can meet together over “potluck”.  We’ll see how that comes along.

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