A lesson in tastes

I wish I could say that we were at Café Ysabel (see the posts of the past two days) for a romantic Valentine dinner for two, but I took those photos back in January. Dr. Fernando Zialcita, a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University's Sociology and Anthropology Department, teaches a course titled "Culture and the Senses," which is an exploration and study of the history of Filipino culture as evidenced not only by what we can see (art, architecture, and the like) but also by what we can experience through the other senses (smell, taste, hearing). For the lesson about taste, Dr. Zialcita partnered with Chef Gene Gonzalez who came up with a seven-course comparative degustation menu titled "Exploring Filipino Taste in Seven Courses" which they made available to others not enrolled in the class. The three-hour dinner and lecture traces the history and influences of dishes from different regions of the Philippines, and compares and contrasts them with similar dishes from Spain, China, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, India and the U.S. I found the lecture and tasting absolutely fascinating! And even with tiny servings, we were full to bursting by the end of the night—it was still 14 dishes, after all, and that's not counting the Queso de Bola–Edam Cheese comparison that he added. Now I'm curious about the other lessons in Dr. Zialcita's Culture and the Senses course…

Dirty?

Ever since I was a little kid, I've always just known the ice cream in these colorful carts as "dirty" ice cream. My guess is that it was to distinguish this cottage industry ice cream from those made in big, commercial factories. And because these industries aren't strictly regulated, their sanitation and hygiene standards probably leave a lot to be desired. Thankfully, I haven't heard of anyone getting sick from eating "dirty" ice cream, which began with flavors which are distinctly Filipino: cheese (my favorite), ube (purple yam), buko (coconut) and mango, though more standard flavors like strawberry and chocolate are also available. You can choose between a wafer cone or a sugar cone or, if you find the serving size in cones too small (like my friend), you can bring your own glass and the sorbetero will fill it to the brim.

Not for the faint of heart

Another Castillan gastronomic legacy beloved of Manileños: cochinillo asado. Also known as lechon de leche or, in English, roast suckling pig, it is so succulent and tender, it can be cut with a plate. Casa Armas Tapas Bar y Restaurante, which has four restaurants in the metro, has a specially-made box for it so people can bring it home.

Old world elegance

As I mentioned at the start of this series about the ancestral home of the Legarda family, the house is now also a fine dining restaurant called La Cocina de Tita Moning. Appetizers are served in the sala (living room) while you wait for your table in the dining room to be prepared. All the china, glassware and silverware on each table were actually used by the family and their guests across three generations, and the beautiful table settings are complemented by elegant Italian glass birds of different shapes and sizes. The menu of the restaurant are from recipes which date back to the time of Alejandro and Ramona—European and Filipino family favorites and special occasion dishes served to their distinguished guests. La Cocina de Tita Moning is operated by the long-time servants of the Legarda family, and the small scroll on the table introduces each of them and tells their stories. • LEGARDA ANCESTRAL HOUSE #8

Chinese pastry

Probably the best Chinese bakery in the metro is Ho-land in Binondo, Manila's Chinatown. Their specialty is hopia, flaky puff pastry filled with a sweet mung bean paste—delicious, especially when freshly-baked. They also have mooncakes, tikoy (a glutinous rice cake), peanut cakes, and other Chinese delicacies. They've also expanded the hopia line by introducing new fillings. I think their original hopia is still the best, however.

Deliciously creepy

Even though we do not celebrate Halloween in the Philippines, it gives a perfect excuse for getting a yummy ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. This particular design is great for creeping out other people too—it turns your teeth and tongue black. 

Happy Halloween!

Moo!

The Ateneo John Gokongwei School of Management has a one-year program specifically focused on students with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. It is called the School of Management Business Accelerator Program, or SOMBA for short. At the end of the program, students must have developed a product, created a business plan which has been approved by a panel made up of recognized Filipino businessmen, established their company legally, and generated their projected revenue within a specified selling period. The SOMBA students held a two-day fair in the campus last week and I have to say that I was truly impressed with some of them. I'll be featuring some of their companies and products this week, beginning with one food product which I thought makes best use of a Filipino produce. Tropical Cow Mix & Dip tastes exactly like sweetened condensed milk but is made not of dairy milk but of coconut milk. Called gata in Tagalog, coconut milk comes from the meat of mature coconuts which is grated and squeezed through cheesecloth, and is a common cooking ingredient in the Philippines and in other Southeast Asian countries. For lactose-intolerant people like me, Tropical Cow's Mix & Dip is the perfect condensed milk substitute, and I hope that they can develop other milk substitute products out of coconut milk. I think Tropical Cow's logo (on the screen and on top of the refrigerator)—a typical image of a tropical drink served in a half coconut shell but with an udder—is hilarious, and isn't their mascot (on their t-shirts) just so cute?



Tropical Cow Manufacturing, Inc. can be reached by emailing tropicalcow@gmail.com. The Vice President for Operations is Joey Nocom and his email address is joeynocom@gmail.com. They have a website and can also be found in Facebook.

One of the best smells in the world

Sofitel Manila's Galette Patisserie & Chocolaterie does not only have delectable pastries, it also has a wide variety of freshly-baked breads.

Red ball cake

Edam cheese is known here as queso de bola (cheese ball) because of its shape. By tradition, it is usually widely available only during Christmas time, but please don't ask me why. The generations of my parents and grandparents love this hard cheese but many of my age and younger, not so much. However, some local bakers have started playing around with it and a few of their confections have become favorites of Manileños across all generations. A new discovery is Queso de Bola Cheesecake, which we first tasted at Kiss the Cook Gourmet café. It is absolutely delicious! Kiss the Cook doesn't make it though; they source it from a supplier and, lucky me, I've discovered where the home baker sells them during weekends. Hello, additional five pounds!

Omnomnom

Of course, I cannot write about Buddy's restaurant without showing you the food that Lucban is best known for: pancit habhab and Lucban longganisa (which, in the unique and highly recognizable Tagalog dialect of Lucban, is pronounced langgonisa). Two things distinguish Lucban's sausage from those of other provinces: its heavy use of garlic and the fact that the pork is not ground as finely. In fact, it is almost a disappointment if a piece does not have chunks of fat. The best way to cook it is to fry it in its own fat until it is tostado (toasted). Crunchy Lucban longganisa is one of my comfort foods and always brings me back to childhood summers spent in Lucban. I'm half Lucbanin, though I've lost my accent—and the use of peculiarly Lucbanin words—ages ago. And just a special note to Francisca: I had my first sip of lambanog on my 8th birthday!

Crispy goodness

We-ell, if you have to control your cholesterol levels, then this isn't quite good for you. Crispy Pata is another favorite Filipino dish. Pata is the Tagalog word for thigh, but the dish consists of a whole pork leg (bone, skin and knuckles included)—boiled or pressure-cooked, dried well and deep fried. Crunchy outside, tender inside, served with a dipping sauce made of vinegar and soy sauce. The only thing better than Crispy Pata? Boneless Crispy Pata, like this one. Parsley, spring onion and red onion garnish optional.

Child magnet

Kentucky-based Dippin' Dots has been available in Manila for several years now. I have yet to meet a child who doesn't like their ice cream.




But really, how can one resist such fun ice cream dots?

Basketball-crazy

The 73rd season of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) games began last month. Since the Philippines is a basketball-crazy country, many of the basketball games are held in the Araneta Coliseum, to accommodate the large number of fans who watch. One of several restaurants on the periphery of the stadium is Café Bola, with its circular logo and light fixtures.




Talk about thematic: even Café Bola's food is spherical! This is their Seafood Bola with Parmesan Cream & Ham sauce.

Magandang umaga!

Good morning! Pinoy breakfast favorites: tapa (dried or cured beef), tocino (cured pork) and longganisa (sausage, chicken in this case). With garlic rice and eggs (I like mine scrambled). Everything fried. Not the healthiest breakfast, I know, but oh so yummy! Don't forget the vinegar, garlic and siling labuyo (bird's eye chili) dipping sauce.

One each

I was very happy to find out that Café 1771 has the Chateau Group's famous Coffee Pie. It is the only pastry that my husband and I do not share—we have to get one slice each. Any description I come up with will never be able to do it justice, but think creamy butter mixed with mocha ice cream, and you have an approximation of its melt-in-your-mouth texture and taste. Topped with caramel and more cream, on a chocolate and nut crust. Sinfully delicious.




And the reason for the treat: we're arriving home this afternoon! Whee! I'm sure we had a grand time in Toronto (this is still a scheduled post so I can only guess), but the saying is very true: there's no place like home. I will be glad to sleep in our lumpy ol' bed again.

Heritage

I have mentioned the Philippines' Spanish colonial past, right? Whatever Filipinos may think of those three centuries, it can't be denied that Spain shaped much of our current culture. And that includes our food. Paella, anyone?

Bellarocca: That special touch

As I mentioned yesterday, meals are not always served in the main dining room of Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa. Once while we were there, breakfast was served in the seaside pavilion. On our second night, many of the guests were treated to dinner on the beach.




But for couples, ahhh! The resort management and staff take extra pains to make their visit one of the most romantic that they will ever experience, setting up candlelight dinners for two in one of the resort's many private and scenic spots. On our first night, our dinner was in the small cabana beside the infinity pool (photo three in my Water, earth & sky post). On our third night, we were served dinner on a small patio on the second floor of the main clubhouse. I don't have photos of ours, but we saw this set-up for another couple on the roof deck of the marina when we went there to watch the sunset.




You know those guest information cards that hotels ask you to fill up the first time you check in? After our dinner on the 'secret' patio, Jan Michel Gautier and some of his management team came out to greet me a happy birthday with this specially-baked chocolate cake. It was still the 17th, but Michel said that he didn't want to wake us up at midnight.




As if that wasn't enough, when we went back to our room we discovered another birthday greeting on our turned down bed, written in flowers rather than chocolate icing. And just to emphasize how the resort staff think of every little detail, they first placed a tablecloth on the comforter before laying down the flowers and petals—no plant debris on the pristine bedsheets. And that little package near the pillows? Every female guest went home with a natural canvas Bellarocca tote.




I hope you enjoyed my Bellarocca series. I still have tons of pictures of the resort and of Marinduque but I think I better go back to posting photos of Metro Manila before Eric throws me out of CDP. If you feel disappointed about that, just imagine how we felt when we had to come back home! BELLAROCCA SERIES #6

Sweet treats

Today, I decided to share with you a couple of the pastries that we brought home from Sofitel Manila's Galette Patisserie & Chocolaterie: an exotic fruit tart with berries, grapes, pineapple, mango and dragon fruit…




and a strawberry and chocolate mousse with white and dark chocolate leaves (which I think look like lopsided bunny ears)…




just because today's my birthday. :)

Hot off the griddle

Filipinos don't need much of a reason to gather around food. But balikbayan (returning countrymen) family and friends are always an excuse to eat at the best restaurants. So when a friend from college visited from Canada, a group of us got together at a teppan or hibachi room of Kimpura, one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila. You can see some of my friends reflected in the mirrored walls.

See what's reflecting what at James' Weekend Reflections.

I heart…

THEME DAY: RED • Red packages filled with cookies on the red mahogany-stained shelves of Sugarhouse, which opened its first cake shop in Makati City in 1983. I remember the big fuss that everyone made about it because of its French Apple Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Mousse, Peach Walnut Pie and Blueberry Cheesecake—extremely rare treats in Manila back then. Competition is much tougher nowadays, but Sugarhouse is still around and doing quite well. In fact, they currently have sixteen branches all over Metro Manila, from kiosks selling only cakes, pastries and cookies to full-service restaurants with a wide menu. Cinnamon Twists or Chocolate Chip cookies anyone?



See red! Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.