World Wide Hedonists

Pala Pala Seafood Restaurant - Bacolod, Philippines

Two weeks ago, after many years of trying, I finally set foot in the Sugarland that is Bacolod. This is the place where my father’s roots are set.. a place where my family name is immediately connected to.

My whole brood came here for the huge Araneta family reunion which, I must say, was loads of fun! 1,400 people from all over the Philippines (well, okay, from the south mostly.. Bacolod, Iloilo, and Zamboanga) – all my relatives. It was two and a half days of free flowing beer (that’s what they DO here, apparently), good times and general mayhem! It was great to meet new people and just connect with your personal history.

But let’s not kid ourselves here – the biggest draw for me (and a lot of my family, I know for sure) was the food. Bacolod and Pampanga, arguably, are the two hot beds of food here in the Philippines. The reason for Bacolod being one of them is because, of course, of the once upon a time proliferation of Spaniards in the area. Due to a lot of interaction and trading, the local cuisine was heavily inflected with European touches! My Tita Gaita mentioned something about the French being here as well – hence the Bacolod treat of Napoleones (Napoleons elsewhere) – millefeuille, pastry cream, and a glazed sugar topping. SOMEONE had to teach us brown folk how to make millefeuille, right?

Anyway let me tell you about my highlight lunch. We went to this place called Pala Pala, a seafood centric joint. It looked like a lot of nice little spots you will find in my country – an open dining area, a long table filled with ultra fresh seafood and already cooked items in pots, and even a side room with air conditioning (guess who took the side room? Hehe!)

By the time we got there, an aunt of mine had already ordered some food. We were given the choice of looking at the soup, stews and other stuff bubbling in the cauldrons and ordering ‘em up if we wanted. My pop ordered a bowl of laswa. Funnily enough this means “lewd” in Tagalog, but apparently it also means “boil” in the Visayas region. Basically it’s boiled veg in broth, flavored with dried shrimp or dried anchovy or even bagoong, and sometimes topped with seafood (this one had clams) - very much like dinengdeng. It was a very tasty and clean dish, all the better to side with the other things we ordered. You’ll see why..

First up came prawns. These were “hipong puti” (literally “white prawns”) which have a thinner shell than,say, Tiger prawns. Skewered on sticks, they were simply seasoned with salt and grilled. Sweet and succulent, they were perfectly cooked as the shell came off very easily. Dipped in their vinegar (house made!) and a bit of soy sauce and chili for heat. MERCY! I like prawns but I’m not a huge fan or anything.. but I could’ve eaten just this and been quite content.

After that there was no letting up. The food arrived in waves! We had a grilled fish, of course. A bulgan or local sea bass, which was marinated in some salt, pepper and calamansi and then grilled and basted with achuete oil (annatto oil) and some soy sauce. I have to say that a lot of restaurants in Manila – the supposed best ones, at that – tend to overcook their fish. These guys have their timing down pat – pretty impressive considering the size and nature of the place. The fish was soft and juicy and rich, and paired very well with the basting sauce. Amazing flavor!

A load of crabs showed up as well. Cooked in just enough garlic and ginger and coconut milk, the crab’s sweetness was allowed to sing and float above the other spices. This is the kind of crab that my folks love – local crabs that retain their true goodness. To them, huge roasted Dungeness crabs are just that – meaty with no character. Although I DO like roasted garlic crabs (as most Filipinos who have visited San Francisco’s Pinoy favorite Thahn Long & Crustacean & PPQ Dungeness Island do too), I’ll have to agree that our smaller crabs have an edge in that sense.

How can you go to a seafood restaurant and not have kilawin ? Our version of ceviche, this version was made with freshly caught tangingue. Very meaty chunks in their signature vinegar (which wasn’t overly acidic and in fact had a complexity to it) mixed with garlic, onions, some chilies and salted egg. The egg added a layer of salty richness that made it that more delicious!

Ilonggo food always reminds me of angel wing clams, known in these parts as diwal. This used to be served in my grandparent’s house. My lolo (grandfather) LOVES this stuff - and with good reason! They would grill it and the clams would release their juices that would flood the inside of the shell. You had to gingerly open it, tear off the clam meat and dip it in the sauce of your choice (usually.. you guessed it.. vinegar) and then sip all the clam juice from the shell. I haven’t seen this anywhere else, really, so it’s such a treat. Unfortunately, a few years ago they were deemed practically extinct so I thought I’d never see them again. But Halleluiah God is good indeed because they are BACK! If I sound crazy it’s because you have to try this to appreciate it. ANYWAY – we had some of them served two ways. One was steamed with garlic and ginger. Awesome.. just yummy. Dip it in soy sauce or whatever – eat it straight up even. It was so good. But the second way was broiled and basted an achuete lemon soy butter. HOLY C*&P! This made me MOAN! Seriously – I think this is one of the best things I have ever put into my maw. This is proof that there are some things better eaten once in awhile so you’ll really appreciate it. Apparently there are certain months when you cannot fish it – which is great.

Rounding out this sumptuous feast was laing (gabi leaves stewed in coconut milk), sinigang (which I didn’t even bother with anymore), grilled scallops (tasty too, but by nature our scallops here are miniscule – unlike the huge sweet specimens you may find in other countries), some grilled pork (because the guys with us were meat eaters and they had to have some.. the pork was actually pretty good but I could skip it) and, of course, rice. If there was ever a time to have some rice, it was for this kind of meal. The bonus was that all we had was grilled seafood! No fried anything, no fries.. just pure goodness from the ocean. If I had access to this quality of seafood I’d eat it everyday!

By the time we had some mangoes to cleanse our palates, it was truly GAME OVER. We COULD have done some sights, I suppose. But what for? It looked like rain after lunch anyway. Perfect siesta weather. Hey – we were on vacation, ok?

Momofuku Ssam Bar - New York, NY

So when I was still in culinary school I met this chef, David Chang. He came over to talk about his restaurant and hopefully recruit some people for his kitchen. The restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar, was getting some kind of buzz - actually, a LOT of it. (I've read of a lot of people who are positively sick of hearing his name.. the hype is crazy!) His name was heating up, with his French trained takes on Asian inspired dishes his arsenal. However, I had heard some not very nice things about him (like he supposedly didn't like women in his kitchen, and that he had a horrible temper), and even talking to him made me think he was an arrogant bastard.

 Naturally, my two buds (fellow cooks Garren and Sung) and I decided to check the place out. Being the token Asians in our classroom, we more or less had an idea of how a bowl of ramen should be, and wanted to see if this guy's stuff was up to all the hype. When we got there, the place was PACKED. It's a sliver of a place on 1st Ave., right beside the much-lamented Krystal's Cafe (once one of the best places to get your Filipino food kick – now closed and whose space was taken over by … David Chang). You could literally lean back from your stool at the long bar and lean on the wall, and if you reached forward you could smack the chef on the head. But anyhoo, this post isn't about the Noodle Bar. I gotta tell you - we didn't really like it. The broth (for me the basis of a great bowl of ramen) was way too salty. Almost inedible, really. The pork buns were hoohah yummeh, but not worth the wait for a seat. 

 Anyway, fast-forward a few years. David Chang's popularity grows to stratospheric heights. He's multi-awarded, a demi-god amongst his peers, and his Momofuku has expanded (uhm... that didn't sound right). Nowadays he has the Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssam Bar, Momofuku Ko which is his "lab" and fine dining place, as well as Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar for cakes, ice cream and a few savory items (gourmet soft serve, anyone?) 

 Ssam Bar needed to be investigated. People gush about it, rave about it.. plus Chang is a rock star now! How could you not be curious, right? SO. On an extremely cold and rainy dreary crappy day, I drag my crew with me to meet up with some old friends so we could have a nice lunch at Ssam Bar. Lo and behold, the place was empty. It was also quiet, and quite pleasant, actually.

 Since no one wanted to fork over 200 clams to order the house special Bo Ssam - essentially a whole roasted pork butt - flavorful skin and fall off the bone meat - served Korean style with fresh oysters, several condiments, crisp leaves of lettuce and rice. The whole idea is to make a mini burrito. Too bad we were too few to order it.. but thinking about it as I write this piece is making me salivate. Damn.

 Not to worry though. There were other nice little dishes on the menu (by the way, this is a "small plates" kinda place, meaning you order a couple of small dishes and share. This is the chic way of making you try as many flavors as you want and show you are a food loving little piggy.)

 So the whole deal with this guy is he's a cooking school grad (FCI - one of the best) and he's trained in some of the best kitchens (including working with Jonathan Benno of Per Se at Tom Colicchio's Craft) and at his restaurant he is churning out seemingly simple little dishes with extraordinary flavor using very sound techniques, and some of the best produce and meats from the smallest farms in the region. WHEW. He didn't really do it for me in Noodle Bar, but here at Ssam -- he's come up with some interestingly tasty stuff.

 We had this nice little hamachi sashimi served on top of some pureed edamame with horseradish, some pea greens, and some crunchy bits. Great dish to get your taste buds going for other things.

Of course, every one had to try the pork buns. This guy built his reputation on this stuff! If you must order one thing in a Momofuku, let it be this. It's essentially a roasted belly cuapao - simple, well seasoned, and very flavorful - with some cucumbers, scallions and a dollop of hoisin. Ask for some hot sauce. YUM! I'm sure any Chinese restaurant worth their salt can do something like this, but I think they won't use the same quality pork Chang does. It's as tender and juicy as a ham. 

  

I had heard all about Momofuku brussel sprouts. Don't cringe now. I don't understand how so many peeps despise this stuff.. I think it's delicious! In Ssam Bar they roast the sprouts with some fish sauce vinaigrette (patis!) and top 'em off with some rice puffs for texture. I don't know if my friends took to this, but I wanted to drink the sauce from the bowl. 

Bahn mi is one of my all time favorite foods. I haven't tried many varieties, though, but the one served here is tasty! Layers of ham, with chicken liver pate, pickled veg, some cilantro and other greens sandwiched on a crunchy baguette. Here is a sandwich I'd love to replicate. In fact.. maybe I will! 

Mussels were steamed in this heady broth that again I wanted to slurp up. It was steamed and topped with pickled ramps and grapes. This was the first time I had tried something like this - far from the usual baked with cheese or steamed in wine and herbs. Oh, it was my kind of dish all right! 

The last was a hit or miss. I liked 'em but my other friends weren't that into it. Rice cakes, chopped into little bits and quickly wok fried with chinese sausage, ground pork, crunchy scallion, chilies and green onions. Comfort food for me - and perfect with bowl of rice. 

I wish that the Milk Bar was open when we went, but alas, I think it was just in the planning stages. We tried the PB&J dessert - a "deconstructed" peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with a peanut butter crunch base, a salty panna cotta (I believe it was saltine cracker flavored, so it had a pinch or two of salt) - probably to have a flavor contrast to the grape jelly too. It was good, though I wish we just had a little ice cream to tame all those rich flavors. 

In the end, I was properly stuffed. Seeing that it was raining freezing water outside (ever showered in ice water? that's what it felt like), a nice homey feeling belly was in order. Or to paraphrase an imaginary tshirt design that blogger Alaina Brown created and posted on this website..

I was "Momofukin' Full". 

Di Fara's Pizza - Brooklyn, New York

Last summer my best buddy from culinary school Garren (a native of the Bay Area but whose wife is from Manhattan) called me up and said he wanted to take me for some pizza. This being the land of a thousand slices of all shapes and sizes (mostly humongous), with a joint in every corner, pizza was the farthest thing from my mind to munch on what with my limited time in the city. BUT, since G said he was buying, I thought what the heck -- a free lunch is hard to come by these days. 

I was ecstatic to discover that the slice we were going to get was no ordinary slice, but one from the now legendary Di Fara's over in Brooklyn. Once just a quiet neighborhood place on a quiet street corner, it is now considered by rabid fans to be the holy grail of pizza. Definitely worth investigating. 

Armed with my trusty camera, we hopped on board a J train and sped off for Midwood in Brooklyn. G and I amused ourselves with stupid stories until I realized that it was going to take a bit before we got there. Man, this place was in the middle of the J line! After what seemed like a really long time, our subway was ABOVE ground. What I thought would be a plain ol' pizza run turned out to be a pizza pilgrimage. Finally we got to Ave J. I asked G where Di Fara's was - and he pointed to this really tiny shop front. Didn't look like much - oh fine, I'll be honest - it looked positively dingy. 

Open the door,though, and a wave of aromas hit your face. Something just told you yummy things were coming into your mouth. Behind the counted was Dominic De Marco - the 70+ year old proprietor and pizza master who's been at it here apparently since the early 60's. He makes everything on his time FROM SCRATCH, so it's not unheard of to wait for 45 minutes for a slice. Yes, you read correctly. There weren't that many people when we were there, but there were a few standing patiently in line for.. you guessed it.. 45 minutes. G asks them why they seem so calm - and one guy just answered with such reverence that he would wait an eternity for anything from Mr. De Marco's ovens. Whoa. This better be good!

It was then that I started to notice a few things. One was there were two kinds of pie: the usual wheel shaped one and a square one with a thicker crust. The second thing I noticed was the fresh basil plant in a pot that the old man would snip leaves from and cut 'em with scissors over slices before serving. And lastly were these two huge ass jars filled with porcinis and artichoke hearts in olive oil. Oh mommy. You don't see touches like this in most New York joints!

G and I decided to get one regular slice and one square one. The regular slice was topped with pepperoni (we wanted to be as basic as we could get), a great flavorful tomato sauce, and mozz. The crust could've been a bit crispier, but it tasted good. However, it was just that -- good. Not sure I would take another 30 minute subway ride for it though. I mean, just a few more stops and we would be in Coney Island - the END of the J line! 

The tides turner, though, on the square slice. This.. this is what made me a believer. An awesome crust, chewy with a bit of a crunch.. topped with the same great tomato sauce, mozz, some grated cheese which I now know is Grana Padano (a great touch) and lastly some rich porcinis in killer olive oil with a background of balsamic vinegar and finished with fresh basil and chili flakes. Pardon my French but HOLY SHIT.. this was SO GOOOOOODDDD!!!  If we both weren't married I would've proposed to G then and there. Damn. That's a pizza.

How does this tale end? On a rather stupid and funny note. 

So I go home to good 'ol Manila and tell my friends about this place. Just so happens one of my closest friends was getting married in New York, and a lot of us were flying over - so naturally I told everyone I'd take them there. 

It's October, in the middle of the fall weather - which for us tropical types is like the middle of winter - and some of the guys are late. We're all meeting up to hop on the subway, including my little girl Clara. Yes, is was another pilgrimage. 

We were hungry, and tired and somewhat jet lagged even. So we get to Avenue J, and the street seems awfully quiet. From afar I see Dom De Marco walking into Di Fara's. Yes! My friends would finally get to try what I was hyping about. Slices with mushrooms for everyone?

Hell no. They close on Mondays. I didn't hear the end of it.. and I STILL get it a few months later. *Sigh*

25 Random Food Things

I'm sure by now, most of you have read someone's "25 Random Things About Me" - especially on Facebook. Who hasn't? I know some people find these lists annoying - but I personally am fascinated by them. They can say a lot about a person.. or at the very least are very fun reads! In one of the websites I regularly trawl, some guy wrote a list of 25 random food things - and I thought it would be fun to make my own. After writing it, I realized that food memories are particularly vivid ones, and often hearken back to your happiest moments. 

1. One drunken evening in a cheap place called Yakitori Taisho in New York, my friends decided to order what to me has to be one of the funkiest things I've ever put in my mouth: cow's penis. I was thinking that maybe they'd chop it up or something to make it look more palatable, but no.. I was wrong. It was boiled whole and served with a side of lemon and some teriyaki sauce. When asked if it was good, the waiter paused a second and said "of course!" - the lying bastard. The sake we were drinking filled me with courage, and I managed to take a very brave bite into the vile looking beast of a dish. Suffice to say it was chewy, a bit fatty, and it stayed in my mouth seemingly forever. I didn't have the heart to swallow it, but swallow I did eventually. Never ever ever again. Balls, maybe. Peepee, forget it.

2. When I was a little child and living in the States, I had to drink a whole big glass of cold prune juice every day. YUCK. I'm sure the glass wasn't really that big, but back then it seemed humongous! I still remember what the glass looked like, actually - it was green with etches on the side, and was shaped like a fat scotch glass. *Shudder*

3. I don't remember how old I was, but I know I was less than 10: we were vacationing in Hong Kong, staying in Kowloon, and my mum and dad wanted to cross to Central. I was too lazy to go with them, not to mention there were no toy stores there, so my uncle took me on my first ever all you can eat lunch buffet at our hotel. I never saw so much food in my life.. I remember having filled a whole plate of cold items and appetizers, one of hot entrees, and one of dessert. We had planned to walk around outside after that so as not to waste the day, but instead we took a long nap. Ayayay. 

4. When I was around 8 or 9, my lolo on my mum's side would take me out to different restaurants every Saturday, no fail. French and Italian,mostly, because that's all there was back then. Chinese and Japanese was reserved for family events. This went on until I was about 13.. the year I discovered girls. In retrospect, maybe I should've just kept on going out to dinner with my lolo. Them girls were either a pain, or just trouble.

5. That lolo of mine was very influential on my palate - it's because of him that I ate things like coquille San Jacques (baked scallops), escargot Bourguignonne (snails in garlic butter) and goose liver. Pretty impressive for a kid, I think.

6. My dad's parents also gave me happy food memories but of a different sort: not of haute cuisine, but those of home cooked adobo, inasal, luglog, lechon, kare kare, home made ice cream and cakes. I spent many hours in my lola's kitchen watching her churn out freshly baked croissants, pandesal and cinnamon rolls - exemplary versions to this day. It's too bad that I'm lousy at pastry.

7. For many many MANY years, a birthday in my family meant Mr. Ho. Then it was Jade Garden.. and for few years Peacock Restaurant in the Sheraton Hotel. Sadly, none of them exist anymore. We were and very much still are pretty big on Chinese food.

8. I don't really know why, but for some reason we were never ones to go to Chinatown for Chinese food. My first trip to Chinatown was in my mid-20s. 

9. My lolo and lola met this Japanese couple during a trip (I think it was to Japan). The couple came to Manila, and opened a restaurant called Kaneko. For many years this was our go-to Japanese restaurant - even before Manila's beloved Kimpura. Kaneko-san and wife (Mrs. Kaneko-san? hehe!) were very gracious and hospitable. I think of them very fondly to this day, but for the life of me don't know anyone else who has actually eaten there. 

10. This is from my original random 25: when we first moved to the States, I remember sitting on the bare, furniture less floor and playing while waiting for my parents who had stepped out for awhile. They came back and gave me a brown paper bag with my lunch: a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese and fries. Thus began my love affair the Quarter Pounders which, by the way, I don't eat very often anymore but when I do it still puts a smile on my face.

11. I loved Quarter Pounders so much that when I was sick or would throw tantrums my folks would bribe me with it so I would shut up and behave. Once when I had a fever, and my lola was babysitting me, she went out and bought me one without the cheese.. and I shed many tears, even after they put a slice of American cheese from the fridge on my burger. It just wasn't the same, you know what I'm saying?

12. Other than McDonald's, my food memories of that time in the States revolve around this place called Farrell's. It was a chain restaurant, fashioned after a turn-of-the century ice cream parlor, with a ragtime band and a candy shop by the entrance where they sold all day lollipops, salt water taffy, gum balls and so much else. It was my happy place.. until someone would order The Zoo sundae - the biggest damn ice cream concoction I had ever seen. It was this giant bowl that would come in on a stretcher and it had a ton of whipped cream and plastic animals on it. When an order was placed the waiters would ring a bell, a siren would go off, and someone would bang this huge bass drum. Naturally, I bawled and wailed at the top of my lungs. Terrifying stuff.

13. When my grandparents were still living in their house in Makati, for awhile they had this transvestite cook named Gloria. He/she was a great cook, was equally flamboyant, and had a penchant for hugging and kissing me. One day Gloria's son came over to visit, and for that day and that day only Gloria changed her name and appearance to a burly macho man named Max. 

14. My father was always and is still quite the food expert. His mom and most especially his lola are great cooks, and he grew up with fantastic food and much food knowledge. So much so that when he stayed in my mom's place for a bit after they got married, he lost much weight because the food in my mom's house sucked big time. He just couldn't eat it.

15. Just like most males, my pop is the steak master. For many years he'd cook the steaks himself, standing in the heat of live charcoal and smelling of grill smoke soon after - until he realized he could ask one of the help to do it for him while he watched from a safe distance. He is now the steak commander, and he has steak troopers. 

16. My mom loves to eat all these things that my dad can't stand. I would know when my dad wasn't eating at home if our dinner table had nice and stinky buro (fermented fish or shrimp) and malunggay on it. Suffice to say I learned to enjoy all this stuff, smell be damned. 

17. Mom and her youngest brother have this amazing chicken eating method. They'd pop a part into their mouth and out would come the bone, all clean and devoid of any stray meaty bits. These people know how to eat their chicken!

18. My grandmother used to have very obsessive eating habits. When she would really like something, she'd eat it every day for years! For me her most memorable obsession was gelatin. She ate it for lunch and dinner EVERY DAY, with an occasional soup of veggies and rice noodles or toast with melted cheese to break the monotony. 

19. I have had the good fortune to eat in most of Thomas Keller's restaurants: Per Se, French Laundry, Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery. At Per Se I had one of the best and most memorable meals of my life. It is as experiential as it gets for me - this man is amazing. There is a reason why Chef Keller is revered in the culinary circles. Me? I admire a lot of chefs, but secretly I want to be Jamie Oliver, because he looks like someone I'd hang with and I like what he culinarily stands for. Or heck, I wouldn't mind being Ina Garten either (she rocks!). 

20. I spent a year in culinary school in Manhattan, and it was there, amidst restaurants both big and small, in the cafes, side streets, boroughs, delis, specialty shops and farmer's markets that I truly had my "food awakening". The things I learned there changed everything for me. It's both a blessing, and sometimes a curse, because it can get in the way of my enjoying meals sometimes. In this day and age when everyone fancies themselves a "foodie".. we forget that it's just food. What's more important is what it brings to you, and who you share it with. A simple plate of sardines and hot rice shared with good friends can be just as enjoyable as an gastronomic adventure in a Michelin starred restaurant.

21. The mere fact that I am writing this proclaims my geekiness. Yes, I am a major food nerd, and can talk about food, cooking and restaurants for hours on end. I used to think that food and my other passion - music - were on equal footing.. but now I'm realizing that my food knowledge has kinda surpassed the music knowledge. I read a load of books, magazines, watch shows, collect food movies, make imaginary menus, cook, teach, write about and breath food. 

22. When I was in high school there was a caterer in the canteen who sold pretty yummy food. This was apart from what the school canteen was serving. The only problem was that it was a bit pricey. I knew a lot of guys who would line up, buy 2 cups of rice for like 2 bucks, and ask for a ladle of gravy. That was lunch, and as cheap as it got. Better than some guys who came to school with just a fork. They'd buy a cup of rice and just mooch off everyone else's food (some more than other! pity the one with the tasty viands). One of these guys with just the fork is now one of the wealthiest guys I know. I wonder why...

23. My final exam in culinary school was pretty tough. We would be given a mystery protein, and had to develop a dish using that and whatever could be found in the pantry. You were given 2 hours to finish, and the pecking order was chosen via lottery. I was horrified to find out that ours was pheasant - and although I had travelled to many places, I was still an island boy from the boondocks of Manila at heart. What the hell - I had never even eaten one! After much pondering - stew it in wine, maybe? Or fry the damn thing? - I decided to go local: I made it into an adobo, and served it with garlic rice and swiss chard which I cooked in the braising liquid - kinda like adobong kangkong. Of course, I didn't say it was just adobo. I had to call it something - Braised Pheasant Adobo with Lemongrass Coconut Ginger Reduction, Swiss Chard, and Shallot Garlic Rice. Got a 96, baby. Hehe! 

24. I belong to a cabal of burger aficionados aka my family. I'm always compelled to try a new burger whenever I see one (or at least bite into one). One of my favorite Manila burgers is this often blogged about place called "Sango! The Burgermaster". The reason why I love this place so much is because the first time I ever went there, the Japanese owner would go from table to table giving out tiny origami animals. I know it doesn't sound like much, but his good vibes make the place so much more pleasant and fun to eat in. He truly loves what he does - you can tell! And the burgers aren't bad either, in a Japanese sort of way. 

25. I will never forget Tita Marivic's legacy to me. Apart from being the mom of Poopi, one of my oldest and dearest friends, she also passed on to me one of my favorite things ever. One summer, I drove for her and her family and took them to Napa Valley for a day of fun. For lunch, she wanted to have a cheeseburger. Unenlightened me was thinking "I drove all the way to Napa for a burger??" because, of course, Napa is the home of a gazillion excellent restaurants. After my first bite of a cheeseburger from Taylor's Automatic Refresher, I knew I had found my one true burger love. I hung my head in shame for thinking it was "just" a burger. It is my bench mark for what a burger should be. Now me hungry...

So that's my 25 random food things. What's yours?

 

Cooking Dinner - Los Altos, CA.

One of the things I learned in culinary school and was drilled into my head once again during my last trip to the US is the importance of knowing where your food comes from. It’s no secret that huge food companies use all sorts of tricks up their sleeves to ensure better and faster output: special feed for chickens, chemicals to ensure growth of vegetables, insecticides, etc.  Unfortunately, while this makes for lovely looking tomatoes, year round strawberries, and Godzilla sized chicken drumsticks, these practices also put all sorts of junk into our system.

There are many ways to address these issues. I learned one way during a pleasant fall afternoon.

I brought my troops over to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins for some family time. Of course, I also offered to cook up some dinner.

It was in the States that I truly learned to appreciate tomatoes: heirloom tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes.. so many different varieties! During their peak season – the summer – tomatoes are some of the most luscious, juicy and delicious morsels you can put into your mouth. Though I knew they were not at their peak, I suggested that our meal start with a tomato salad.

My aunt and cousin knew of this guy who sold tomatoes from his garden, and he lived just a few minutes away, so off we went to get some. I didn’t know what to expect, but what I saw was a pleasant surprise: a lot filled with flowers and all sorts of plants; an unmanned table with a boom box playing soft music, notebook, a scale, and a little box with a piggy bank like slot; and a few more tables absolutely groaning with some of the freshest, most amazing produce I had ever seen! You just drive up, take what you want from the tables, weigh them, list them down and leave some money. Talk about trust!

But it was all about the produce here: onions so big, as big as my baby’s head (and she has a big head!). Eggplants in a beautiful light purple, unlike our dark ones available locally.  Huge ears of corn. Pumpkins because it was near Halloween. And of course tomatoes of many colors, shapes and sizes - some so damn ugly but you just knew they were going to taste fantastic. I popped a plump yellow one in my mouth and felt the juices dribbling down my throat. I even gave one to our yaya (“nanny”) and told her to eat it. She said she’d never tried a tomato like that ever.

The owner of the lot came out to say hello. This simple fellow did this service because he enjoyed it. He does everything sans pesticide by planting things that attract bugs who naturally feed on pests in the vegetables. Not a new technique at all, and something we can all learn from. It was then that I also found out that Alice Waters herself would get supplies of vegetables from him! Knowing her extremely high standards, this bit of info put this guy into a whole new light in my eyes.  It made me all the more excited to taste what we bought. Time to scoot!  

On the way back we passed the local Safeway for a few more items then it was home to start preparing dinner.

Our loot bag filled with tomatoes were sliced up and arranged in a platter. Adorned with slices of burratta, some fresh basil leaves, a dash of kosher salt and a dribble of olive oil,  they were absolutely sigh inducing.

My uncle had some handsome pork chops in the fridge, so that took care of our main course. Pork chops in the States are like lean steaks, and because they are cut thick, they’re great for grilling and roasting. Wrapped in bacon and with a sprig of fresh rosemary, we pan seared them and roasted them in the oven together with some baby carrots and onions.

As a side I made some spaghetti with sardines, sautéed fennel and onions, raisins, and white wine. This is a classic Sicilian combination that I really like because it’s not something I usually make and is quite tasty as well.

A great, healthful meal, some good wine and family to catch up with: this is what makes life satisfying.

 

 

 

I have no excuse...

...yes, folks, I haven't posted in awhile. I'm so sorry. according to my blog manager, my last post was October 4th. Then I went to the States, then when I came home the holidays were kicking in (Yes, Christmas lasts 4 months here in Manila), then I got busy with some stuff. *Sigh* So here I am. It's almost midnight, I'm actually droopy eyed and sleepy, but I promised myself I'd blog SOMETHING today, so here it is.

The nice thing is there is a lot to look forward to. I have A LOT of stuff to blog about. (God, this blogging business is harder than it looks..) I experienced a lot of cool places in my trip to both coasts of the US. 

But for now, let me just leave you with some local eating tips:

1. In S&R, there's this new thing they sell called Beer Chips. The chips are kettle cooked, seasoned with some salt and a little sugar, and then given beer flavor. Yes, when you swallow you taste beer. I am not one to condone the consumption of chips, but if you must, then I'd go for these. Damn tasty!

2. In case you haven't heard.. there's a new chicken in town. When I was in New York, the craze for a while was for Korean fried chicken. No, it's not doused in kimchi. It's marinated in a whole load of spices and some soy sauce and garlic. Both crunchy and juicy, Korean style fried chicken is usually served with side of pickled daikon radish. Sometimes it has sweet and spicy sauce as well (it that's your preference). Well, guess what -- it's now here in Makati. BBQ Chicken, which I saw being constructed, fooled me by making me think it was another grilled chicken house. But no -- "BBQ" apparently stands for "best of the best quality" or something like that. It's menu boasts a quote from Ed Levine himself. This man is one of my food Gods.. and here he is being quoted in a Korean chicken joint on Jupiter St. They have two outlets: one that is strictly for delivery, and one to eat in. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and go there NOW. Try any of the chicken dishes, including the sweet spicy ones, and also try the spicy noodles (they made me cry -- literally -- from the heat, but the broth is pretty good). This, folks, is certified rice food. Don't forget to order extra pickles. You'll forget about KFC for awhile, that much I can guarantee. 

3. Lastly, try Malacca restaurant in the building where IO KTV is, also on Jupiter (I think IO has changed their name). They have a Malaysian chef busting out authentic stuff: laksa, belachan anything (shrimp, okra, etc.), bak kuh teh (KILLER broth!), lamb stew, nasi goreng... finally a place in Manila that serves up good Straits/Malay/Indonesian cuisine. Tell them to keep the spice authentic... and bring a hanky to wipe your forehead. 

Ok ok. I know this doesn't make up for not writing.. but expect a lot of posts. Keep on reading! :)

Kanin Club - Alabang

The restaurant biz is an unforgiving one. You have to have a solid product, know your (super fickle) market, have marketing savvy,a nice space, good service, and gobs of good luck - among other things. Open something named Kanin Club in a nation full of rice lovers and you know that people will show up at your door. These guys know exactly what they are doing. I could tell when my friend invited me over to try this place that this was probably something already written about by every Pinoy food blogger. Sure enough, if you google "Kanin Club" (don't you love how "google" is now a verb?) there are a million and one entries. At the risk of sounding redundant by covering it again, I actually have a simple point to make here.

But first, more about the place. Kanin Club (tel.no. +632 771400) is located in Westgate, Alabang, with the original in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. It's owned by the same folks who own the very popular Cafe Breton - another much blogged about establishment. On the basis of that alone, I commend them -- Breton has been satisfying us for many years - who would've thought that crepes would make such an impact? So anyway, the owners have taken a step into a completely opposite direction by doing very good Filipino food. The twist, to state the obvious,is to offer the eating public many varieties of rice, and lots of it. 

Funnily enough, I came with two other guys who like me don't eat rice at the moment (you could make this into some lyrics, Alanis..) so we ordered a lot of veggies and a few mains. As you could probably expect in this place, even the veg would've gone great with rice. *sigh*

First came a plate of crunchy sigarilyas (winged beans) in a nice coconut gravy with onions and a *little* pork.. probably some bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) too. I could have just this and be happy. Pretty straightforward dish -- and it hits the spot too. 

 

Next up was a nice little vegetarian curry. A myriad of fresh vegetables in a tasty curry sauce - my only complaint is it could've used a little more of a spicy kick.. as could the sigarilyas. I imagine this can only work to their advantage, because more spice means more rice!

 

Of course, we didn't want to feel sorry for ourselves by going all veg so we did order some fish. A bangus (milkfish) served in a black bean sauce with some tofu squares. I'm pretty sure the sauce was made from scratch, because it sure didn't taste like the bottled variety (and if I'm mistaken, I'd love to find out what brand it was because it was pretty good!)

After all that, it was time to be a little bad. You have to walk on the wild side sometimes in your life, right? Just like all those blokes who crack and egg and put mayo in their bloody sisig. (Ayayay) Previous to our drive over here, two people had mentioned that we order one of the house specialties. My fingers and my food conscience are tingling by just typing this -- crispy dinuguan (blood stew). Crispy crackling pork belly, skin and fat on, swimming in a rich stew of pig's blood, aromatics and stock. Makes one want to order the Club's unlimited rice option. Man. Sin on a plate. The three of us didn't dare finish the whole thing (we left a piece of two...) I won't tell a lie -- it was DELICIOUS. 

Now to the earlier point that I wanted to make - I have seen so many restauranteurs plunk gobs of money on all these places that serve super mediocre - or even plain lousy - food. It's sad especially when they try so hard to do something different, or fancy. In my observations you quite obviously can't go wrong with simple homey dishes that are satisfying, of good value, and that cater to a bigger market. Simple ingredients cooked very well. Always a winner - and something done excellently by the chef and people of Kanin Club. 

Ukokkei Ramen Ron - Makati City

One of the things that I love the most is the hunt for new restaurants to eat in. My need to pique my curiosity at home and most especially during my travels has sent me to many hole in the wall joints that serve really delicious (and often inexpensive) food and have no pretense whatsoever - my kind of places! These are the kind of places that you treat as "your little secret". :)

I don't know if you've noticed, but around Manila there are many little Japanese restaurants in little quiet corners. There are izakayas (common after work food and drink pit stops in Japan for salary men), sushi bars, robatayaki (meat on sticks! yum...) bars, yakiniku joints (grill your own meat on a hibachi) and of course ramen houses (rest in peace, Ramen Tei.)  

Ramen houses I've always enjoyed, but my love affair with them blossomed during my trips to New York - a city with a very sizable Japanese community, assuring you of authenticity. There are dozens of top quality places run by true blue Japanese nationals that serve up the most incredible noodle dishes. This is where I've set my standards, since I have never been to Japan. 

Acting on a hot tip from my famous food authority aunt Gaita, I took my "research team" to Pasay Road where Ukokkei Ramen Ron  (tel no. +6328564588) is located. Situated beside another new fave of mine, La Regalade, Ukokkei is a tiny space within a small building with other businesses. Inside there are several tables where you can sit Japanese style,  a bar that sits around 8, and some Western style tables. Not much here in terms of decorative frills, except for a cool "art installation" (I don't know what else to call it) of a pair of floating chopsticks holding noodles over a ramen bowl. Quite amusing, actually. That and the manga style cartoon drawing of this old Chinese gentleman in a red shirt (I'm assuming he's the "Ron" in Ukokkei Ramen Ron....haha!)

Here's the rub on the food: it is both delicious and quite reasonable. For noodle heads, ramen is mostly about the broth. At this establishment they have several kinds: the usual shoyu, miso, and tonkotsu (more on these later). Doing a little research, I found out from my waitresses that the broths all come from Japan. Yes, they are imported. As is the ukokkei, which apparently are black chickens used to flavor broths. My friend Dr. Cri ordered the shoyu ramen, Cres ordered the tonkotsu ramen, and I had the daily set plus an order of gyoza for us to share. The set is amazing value, as I discovered: I got a bowl of shoyu ramen (I have to admit -- one of the best and most interesting shoyu broths I've had EVER), some salad, some fluffy tamago (eggs, which are folded into each other - quite tricky to make) and a small bowl of rice topped with this killer fried chicken with a spicy Japanese mayo based sauce on top (which apparently is not available outside of the special set. Too bad, because I'd drive here just for that!) All for a little over P360!

The tonkotsu ramen is something I tried for the first time in New York just recently. The broth is made of pork bones that are slowly boiled over high heat. The collagen and fat makes it nice and rich, and with an unusual milky color. It is not as boldly flavored and seasoned as the shoyu ramen, but it deeply tasty nonetheless. With a dash of chili oil and some togarashi, it is an eye opener. 

The menu is not the most extensive I've seen, which is a good thing - obviously they have decided to concentrate on what they do best, and it shows. If only we had more restaurants with the same mind set. In my humble opinion, our fair city is filled with too many restaurants trying to do too many things, often falling short. Come to Ukokkei Ramen Don.. it's super Ukokkei. (rimshot)

Matt Bites - www.mattbites.com

There are food blogs galore. Everywhere you look on the web. They are about as common as zits on a 15 year old's face... as sesame seeds on a Big Mac's bun (well, okay, that's a bit debatable.. the seeds have been scarce as of late).. as fleas on a mangy mutt.. you get the picture.

But there are those who rise above the rest. Filled with excellent prose, great stories and images, they make your imagination run wild and your hunger pangs increase by the second. 

I have to hand it to these bloggers. Now that I'm authoring one, I've come to realize just how challenging a task it is to keep it fresh and interesting enough for it to be read by other people. It takes time, commitment, and creativity... lots of creativity.

One of my idols -- and please forgive me for sounding like a fanboy, but I won't deny that I am one -- is this dude Matt Armendariz, who authors Matt Bites. He has almost achieved the same status in my eyes as my beloved Julius Erving aka Dr. J. ALMOST. Hehe!

What I love about his site is incredible design sense - simple and effective. His writing is honest, witty, and full of life. That, coupled with eye popping pictures equals food blogging at its best. Of course, it helps that he is an established graphic designer, art director and food photographer. (Bastard.) I aspire to make my blog just as great as his is (note that if you visit his site, he will be on Martha Stewart with bloody Perez Hilton. PEREZ HILTON. Blog superstar. I'm not worthy!) We have the same interests too. I want to be him. I love him, and I HATE him for being so damn talented. And yes, I've told him all this via email and he responded with such friendly advice. (Bastard! How can I hate him now??)

I told you I'm a fan boy. Don't I sound it? *sigh*  Cheers, Matt. You now know once again how much I want to have your skillzzzzz..

So do yourself a favor. Click the link to Matt Bites. Read it. Enjoy it. But don't forget to enjoy my blog World Wide Hedonists too. Bastard. 

Out The Door - San Francisco, CA.

Once upon a time there was a great little Vietnamese restaurant that created a name for itself. It was so successful that people were being turned away by the dozens. So the owners decided to move to a bigger location, and STILL there wasn't enough space. They really had something going. Finally, they moved to their present space at the temple of food known as the Ferry Building, where they still pack it in like they did in their previous locations. The restaurant I'm talking about is the famous Slanted Door. 

To this day, this is one of the hottest tables in the city of San Francisco -- impressive considering the ever changing restaurant landscape. The chef and owner, Charles Phan, runs the place with verve - using his expertise of Vietnamese cuisine and sourcing his ingredients from the finest local purveyors.

But this post isn't about Slanted Door. It's about their stroke of genius - Out The Door. As in any city, the most popular restaurants are the ones that are the hardest to get into. Slanted Door is no exception. It's impossible to walk in, especially during the lunch hour.. well, fine.. even dinner. So they decided to open a take out stand right around the corner of their entrance, along the main corridor of the Ferry Building. They sell some of their more popular items -- spring rolls, noodle salads, "shaking beef" -- as well as kits where you can put together their recipes at home. 

I finally lined up one lunch time,and man, was it full. Cres and I were jonesing for some Vietnamese sandwiches called bahn mi, a hard habit to break that I picked up from New York but is apparently all over the Bay Area (I'll post about my fave Manhattan bahn mi soon.) Anyway, in it's most basic form it's a crusty baguette, some pickled veg like carrots, cucumber, some cilantro, and various fillings like pork, chicken, pate, meatballs. Top that with some condiments like Viet hot sauce, and you have a KILLER and cheap sandwich. 

Cres ordered a great pork banh mi - which apparently is made of a brined and slow cooked pork butt from San Francisco's pride Niman Ranch. I, on the other hand, won the lunch lottery for that day by ordering the day's special -- a ginger braised short rib sandwich. I'm almost sure it was some leftovers from the kitchen, but it was DAMN GOOD! I can still taste it! And sadly, when I returned a few weeks later, there was no trace of it. Well, it was a daily special... anyway, behold it in all its glory below. 

The lovely...erm.. packaging:

Tadah! Isn't this a lovely sight? It's a MONSTER sandwich.. :