...and a side order of fries, please...

Heads or Tails

2010-03-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

THINK of these two restaurants as two sides of the same coin. One is found in Cebu’s trendiest venue for dining. The other has several branches all over the city. Hukad sa Golden Cowrie and Cheaverz, both under the management of the Kokseng family, serve what Cebuanos love best: down-home cooking.

An offshoot of the much-loved Golden Cowrie restaurant along Salinas Drive, Hukad sa Golden Cowrie serves the same food as the old one, but in more up-to-date interiors.

Of course, when you’re in The Terraces, inviting interiors are a must, but more than that, the food you serve should be at par with the best.

This is what Hukad excels at. The food they serve is among the best traditional Pinoy food you’ll ever get in Cebu, and to top it off, rice is all you can eat.

Start your meal with an order of their “Baked Scallops” and you’ll see what I mean. They’re bigger than average, very fleshy, and are smothered with cheese. The cheese sets off the flavor of the scallops and leaves you wanting for more. The “Adobong Talong” should also be in your to-taste list, as it seems to be a favorite among the diners, especially among the Tagalog crowd. A visit to Golden Cowrie wouldn’t be complete without an order of their famed Crispy Pata. A deep-fried leg of pork, it is cooked until it comes out a succulent golden-brown, with the pork skin really crispy. However, the meat
underneath remains tender and juicy, each bite a luscious treat.

On the other hand, Cheaverz, popular among the take-out crowd for their barbecued pork and ngohiong, has a couple of new items on their menu. A Tagalog favorite, “Liempo,” is already available, and I bet a lot of Tagalogs will be flocking to the Cheaverz branches once word gets out. It’s a great big chunk of pork, skin and all, seasoned and slow roasted to perfection and then chopped up into bite-size pieces. It’s actually a great alternative to the usual kilo or two of lechon one takes home for dinner.

The other new item at Cheaverz is the “Lechon Manok.” Simply put, it’s a roast chicken, stuffed with leeks, onions, some cloves of garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper. Simple and satisfying, you can’t go wrong bringing home one or two of these. Of course, the Cheaverz mainstays, pork belly, ngohiong and pork barbecue have always tasted great, and I must admit, we have, more often than not, run to Cheaverz for these items whenever an impromptu party came up.

While the former can be considered classy and the latter, pang-masa, one thing remains the same with these two restaurants: they’re ever-reliable when it comes to satisfying your appetite.

With that in mind, and especially with a hungry stomach, a visit to Hukad, or Cheaverz, or both, shouldn’t be too far off in your plans.

Great Tasting Brrrr...

2010-03-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

INVENTED by the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, beer is the third most popular drink in the world, after water and tea, according to the Wikipedia.

Beer has been mentioned in some of humanity’s earliest writings, like the Code of Hammurabi, which mentions laws regulating beer and beer parlors. The Mesopotamians even have a goddess of beer, Ninkasi, who is also known as the goddess of alcohol.

She was said to have been borne of “sparkling fresh water” and made to “satisfy the desire” and “sate the heart.” With a description like that, it’s no wonder Ninkasi is the goddess of beer and alcohol.

The Philippines has a great tradition of brewing beer, with our very own San Miguel Beer popular not only in our own country but also all over the world. While a lot of people enjoy a bottle of beer or two (or three, or four, or more), practically nobody likes drinking warm beer. Enter Beer Below Zero. Ever wished of drinking beer that’s so cold, it’s almost fozen? This is for you then.

Beer Below Zero, or “BBZ” as it is called by its fans, is not a brand of beer or beer variant. Rather, it’s a trademarked frosting process that enhances the “crispness” of a beer’s flavor. Unlike putting ice in beer (a no-no, almost a blasphemy, among true beer drinkers), which dilutes it and kills the taste, the BBZ process makes the flavors more pronounced.

To describe it simply, a beer is cooled down to just above freezing point, and served with a frost covering the bottle.

This gives beer drinkers an even more enjoyable experience drinking their favorite beverage, ice-cold but not frozen.

Be careful though. Handle the bottles roughly, clink them violently in a toast or slam them down hard on the tabletop and you’ll end up with a bottle of slushy beer, similar to the slush drinks you’ve enjoyed in your younger days.

Keeping it cold isn’t a problem, too. A beer that has undergone the process stays cold for at least 10 minutes, which is actually more time than you need to finish it.

Launched in Cebu in February of this year at four of Cebu’s most popular haunts (Formo, Moon Café, Handuraw and Yayoy’s), Beer Below Zero has generated a big following among Cebu’s beer-loving crowd. It’s even gained the attention of hotels, with the Marco Polo Plaza being the first hotel to carry it. TGI Fridays at The Terraces, part of the internationally-known restaurant chain, also carries BBZ.

BBZ has become so popular in Cebu that a lot of beer drinkers won’t hang out in an establishment that doesn’t have it.

With October right upon us, there’s going to be a lot of beer drinking going on. With Beer Below Zero available in many different outlets all over Cebu, beer drinkers won’t have any trouble getting their beers the way it should be served.

Fudging Around

2010-03-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

WE'VE heard it all before: a new pastry shop here, another new one there; yeah, they’re practically everywhere. Step inside Fudge, though, along A.S. Fortuna St. near the intersection going to Maria Luisa, and you’ll see that it’s not just another pastry shop.

Yeah, they serve a lot of different pastries, cookies and desserts, but they also serve some pretty good versions of everyday dishes, and some, not-so-everyday. Take for example their “Tuyo Spaghetti.” Think of it as a simplified Cebuano version of spaghetti alla puttanesca (without the tomatoes) and you won’t be too far off the mark.

The dish is actually quite good, the olive oil and noodles pretty much bringing down the saltiness of the tuyo to a more tolerable level.

A more exotic dish at Fudge again uses spaghetti, but with a sauce made mostly of crab fat with some prawns thrown in for good measure. Whether people order them because they like it or just solely out of curiosity is still a mystery, but I have heard that these two dishes sell very well. Still, of the two, I’d recommend the “Tuyo Spaghetti,” hands down.

Pair these with Fudge’s version of garlic bread and you won’t go wrong. They have a different take on this favorite pasta add-on, though. It’s a small baguette, served with a garlic bulb with the top sliced off. You’re supposed to take a clove from the bulb and squeeze the insides onto the bread and spread it all over. It’s a little messy, but the experience is pretty fun.

If you go for soups, Fudge has a fantastic chunky minestrone, loaded with veggies like carrots, tomato chunks, corn, red beans and peas, with bits of bacon and bow-tie pasta (farfalle, I think they’re called). It also has shavings of Parmesan, to give it a little “bite.”

Other great options from the menu are the beef salpicao, with just the right garlicky taste, served with rice, and a very nice parmesan-crusted snapper piccata, with spaghetti pomodoro on the side.

And the desserts? You’ll go crazy at the restaurant. You should try their “Rum Balls.” I’ve tasted them once, and I got pretty much hooked. When I went back, they were sold out, which I think is the usual case, considering how delicious they are.

Aside from the rum balls, the place has one of the best sans rivals you’ll ever find in Cebu. Seriously.

I’m sure everyone has heard of chocolate chip cookies, but Fudge has quite the opposite: cookie-chipped chocolate. It’s a flat piece of chocolate with cookie chips, I kid you not.

With all these things to eat, you’ll definitely end up being thirsty. While I usually order a glass of cola with my food, I couldn’t help but give the “Fudge Iced Tea” a taste. It has an interesting flavor to it, not quite lemony, not quite orangey, not like tea at all, but a combination of all three, and very refreshing to drink. Which brings us to the restaurant’s milkshake.

It’s a real milkshake, made with real milk and ice cream, and will freeze your brains because you’d want another serving after you’ve finished a glass. Yes, it’s that good.

The place might be out of the way for some people, but for the serious foodies and sweets addicts, a trip down to Banilad shouldn’t be a chore. In which case, don’t fudge around then, so you can “fudge” around.

A Bite of Heaven

2010-03-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

WE'VE all tried Chinese food at one time or another, and probably the most familiar Chinese food for Filipinos is the shaomai, or siomai, as called by most of us. Falling under the generic name of dim sum, which means “small bites of heaven” or “touching the heart” (according to some sources), siomai is but one of the many kinds of dim sum available at Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa’s Chinese restaurant, Cheon San, where I was invited to have lunch one day.

Prepared by chef Kenny, one of the best Chinese chefs to ever hit Cebu, the siomai at Cheon San may be some of the best you’ll ever taste without ever having to go to Hong Kong. Each bite-size piece is full of flavor and needs nary a drop of soy sauce to enhance your eating pleasure. While Chef Kenny served practically a banquet of
dim sum, several dishes stood out.

The shrimp dumplings, commonly called har gao, was a hit with me and my dining companions. Delicate looking, with a translucent wheat flour wrapper, it contained whole shrimps and was a delight to eat. Be careful while eating har gao when hot, because a little steam is trapped inside the dumpling. You wouldn’t want a scorched tongue to spoil the rest of your meal.

Another highlight of the meal was the fried tofu roll, very similar to the lumpia most of us know. However, tofu sheets are used to wrap the ingredients, instead of the more common lumpia wrapper. The tofu sheets give the spring roll a somewhat more “refined” taste, doing away with the usual smoky flavor we typically associate with lesser versions of the dish.

The best item among the dim sum dishes chef Kenny served was perhaps the prawn balls wrapped in almond chips. Surprisingly, the flavor of the prawns was not overcome by the taste of the almonds. On the contrary, the saltiness of the almonds actually served to enhance the subtle flavor of the prawns, emphasizing the richness of the meat. The outer layer of nuts also gave the dish a little “crunch,” making the experience of eating prawn balls a bit noisy.

Dishes such as taro puffs, chili-garlic shrimp, cod with mayonnaise sauce and Peking duck were also served. However, the dim sum feast we had partaken of as “appetizers” made a lasting impression on everyone, and we ended up asking for second helpings of the dim sum.

As far as Chinese restaurants go, you can bet on it that Imperial Palace’s Cheon San is one of the best in Cebu, especially with chef Kenny at the helm. And their dim sum? We can put it this way: They are definitely small bites of heaven that touch the heart.

Red Blooded Favorite

2010-03-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ask any red-blooded male what his favorite beef dish is, and the answer you’d most often hear would probably be “steak”. It’s possibly the most macho of the beef dishes, and it’s one of the simplest to prepare: grab a filet, season with several dashes of salt and pepper, throw it on the grill, and voila, you got yourself a steak.

Whether you cook it on a grill or in a skillet or frying pan doesn’t matter that much; the end result usually comes out the same. One hunk of beef seared to perfection on the outside and slightly pink on the inside. Some guys prefer it cooked thoroughly, which is really a no-no, but it’s all a matter of taste. A steak is a steak is a steak. And it’s what most macho guys love to eat.

And in Cebu, where can you find a decent steak that’s easy on the budget? Black Angus Steakhouse, at the Rivergate Mall along Gen. Maxilom Ave., that’s where. The name itself evokes extreme machismo: Scottish warriors thumping their chests, raring to go into battle, their leader on the torture rack, crying “Freedom!” while staring death in the face, now if that ain’t macho, then I don’t know what is.

Step into the restaurant, however, and you won’t find any Scots in war-paint. Instead, you’d find a cozy interior, but more importantly, a menu that features steak as the main attraction. There are several different kinds, but if you gotta write about steak, then go for the good stuff: Black Angus and Wagyu. These are breeds of cattle, and they’re among the most popular. But expensive? Maybe in some places, but not in Black Angus Steakhouse. The prices are quite reasonable, and portions, macho-sized.

I zeroed in on one of my favorites: the filet mignon. It’s a slightly round piece of meat cut from the tenderest part of the cow, the tenderloin. It may have a slightly effeminate name (“mignon”), but believe me, this steak is all macho. The bacon wrapped around it adds even more manliness to the dish. What man red-blooded man doesn’t enjoy a few strips of bacon every now and then? One thing about Black Angus, even the not-so-choice cuts are already tender, so you can imagine how tender an Angus filet mignon can be. Taste-wise, it’s full of flavor. You won’t really need any gravy or Tabasco, but the restaurant still provides you with both. An order comes complete with mashed potatoes and mixed corn, carrots and stringbeans.

Black Angus also has their version of the Salisbury steak, which is actually just a fancy name for what we Pinoys know as burger steak. Except theirs is made from Wagyu beef. Now, as a rule, expensive beef like Wagyu shouldn’t be used for hamburger, because a lot of the flavors are lost during mincing. Still, the meat probably comes from the leftover meat during butchering, so instead of letting them go to waste, the butchers probably thought of using them for beef patties.

The steak comes on a sizzling plate, and the thing to do when your order arrives is to dig in right away. You wouldn’t want your burger steak to lose all its juices and go dry on you, especially if it’s Wagyu. Being Wagyu, it tastes so much better than a regular burger steak, and even if you’re an uncultured oaf, you’d still probably be able to taste the difference.

While a steak may be considered a luxury in this day and age, it wouldn’t hurt to treat yourself to one on a special occasion at Black Angus Steakhouse, especially with their very reasonable prices. And while you’re at it, grab a Wagyu burger too. I know I would.

Of water and Japanese cuisine

2009-08-12T02:21:00.001-07:00

I’VE always been fond of Japanese food, and even as I consider myself a mere dabbler in the culinary arts, a dilettante if you will, I feel that Japanese cuisine is among the most fascinating in the world. So, sucker for Japanese food that I am, I accepted an invitation to dine at Mizu Restaurant, at the main level of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Chef Ken Imamura prepared a special sampler menu for our party, showcasing the delicious Japanese dishes available at Mizu.

We started with a spicy tuna roll, which people might recognize as tekka maki. It’s different from the regular tekka maki though, being a bit spicier. It also tastes great: there’s no fishy smell and the nori (pressed algae sheets) has no rubbery taste. Obviously, Mizu uses the best ingredients. This particular dish would probably be a great introduction to Japanese food for people who’ve always been afraid to try it.

It was followed by cha soba juri salada, a dish made from green tea noodles topped with fresh tiger prawns and red bell pepper dressing. Don’t be surprised when you take your first mouthful: this dish is served cold, but it actually tastes great.

The strips of red bell pepper and ginger enhance the taste of the dressing. An explosion of sweet, tart and slightly spicy flavors fill the mouth with a unique taste seldom found in ordinary noodle dishes.

Nankin manju fukaheri-an was served next. The pureed pumpkin and the puffed rice coating gave contrasting textures, with the asparagus adding a bit of crunch to the dish. The scallops and shark’s fin sauce provided extra life to the already enjoyable concoction.

Three dishes came all at the same time, making it difficult to determine which was the main course. Individually though, each dish presented a different aspect of Japanese cuisine: grilled food, deep-fried dishes and soup.

The grilled ika, or squid, came wrapped in foil and was served with aromatic mushrooms. Unlike the usual grilled squid most Pinoys are used to, Mizu’s ika yaki is saucy. The squid’s flavor is retained, and overall, the dish is subtly reminiscent of adobong nokus.

Ebi tempura lovers will definitely enjoy Mizu’s ebi yuba age. Instead of being coated in batter, tiger prawns are wrapped in tofu sheets and then deep-fried. Different, but just as satisfying.

Besides being a lover of Japanese food, I also enjoy beef dishes; put the two together and you can be sure that sukiyaki is among my top ten favorite dishes.

Mizu’s sukiyaki, made from high-grade sirloin in sukiyaki sauce combined with enoki mushrooms and fresh vegetables then simmered in an iron pot, is an absolute must-try. The sirloin was very tender, the mushrooms, vegetables and noodles cooked perfectly. I almost didn’t want to stop eating.

We had tempura ice cream for dessert. The concept of fried ice cream may seem weird to some, but it’s really very simple.

The ice cream is wrapped in pastry then deep-fried for a few seconds, giving it a very crisp outer covering. Bite through the crisp crust and you’ll be rewarded with a soft and cold mouthful of bliss. Think of it as Mizu’s version of cake ala mode.

“Mizu” means “water” in Japanese. Mizu the restaurant in its own way seems to evoke the finer qualities of this particular element. The restaurant’s interiors instill a sense of calm in the diner, much like a placid pond deep in the middle of a forest.

The food at Mizu, on the other hand, can be likened to water’s many forms. The cha soba juri salada may be a thunderstorm, bursting with flavor yet ending up with a sense of serenity very few dishes can give. The grilled ika and ebi yuba age are as fantastic as the seas and oceans they came from, the tempura ice cream as refreshing as a mountain stream, and the sukiyaki, as impressive as a beautiful waterfall.

This is what makes Japanese food very fascinating, the subtleties and complexities of each dish teasing and pleasing one’s taste buds. And with Mizu’s insistence on making everything as perfect as it can be, the experience of feasting on Japanese cuisine is made even more fascinating.

The House of Chicken

2009-08-12T02:20:00.001-07:00

EVER so often, one comes across a gem of a place that serves as a great hangout.

Iamik’s Chicken and Beer House, about 40 meters down the corner of F. Cabahug and Tres Borces Sts., is one such place. It’s an old house, converted into a dining place that serves cheap beer and mouth-watering chicken dishes. Additionally, an acoustic group plays on weekends, although on occasion, musicians do play during weekdays.

Guests can also sing with the band, so long as the band is familiar with the song, or is good enough to improvise.

Interiors are pretty simple: the décor is native inspired, and booths are found at either side, with a couple of tables and chairs down the center. The booths at Iamik’s are not what you’d find at most restaurants, though.

Guests sit on native, woven mats integrated into the floor while a low platform serves as a table. Think of it as a blend of native Filipino and the Japanese or Korean style of dining. Not surprisingly, Iamik’s is a big hit among Japanese and Korean students residing in the neighborhood.

No hard liquor is served at the restaurant, only local beer, but the prices are among the lowest you’d find in Cebu. The place also offers an all-you-can-drink promo on weekends. Of course, soft drinks and fruit juices are available for the non-drinkers.

Food is pretty great, as long as you’re fond of poultry, fowl, or chicken. Among the favorites at Iamik’s is what they call “Chicken Fight,” with three levels of spiciness. Round 1 is spicy, Round 2 is spicier, with Round 3 the spiciest, although those fond of spicy foods (like me!) might find even Chicken Fight Round 3 a bit tame for their taste.

Other dishes worth a taste are the “Chicken Boholano” (resembling the popular halang-halang), the fantastic chicken sisig, “Adidas” or chicken feet, and the breaded chicken fillet. The best seller at the resto-bar is, without a doubt, the chicken skin chicharon. It is a great complement to beer, although those who have high cholesterol levels should be careful, as chicken skin is said to be high in this.

As a specialty house, Iamik’s does pretty well, with a ton of satisfying chicken-based dishes on their menu. As a drinking place, it also does the job with inexpensive beer. As a music hall, it does okay, too, as the bands they have (while only amateurs) give a hundred percent in performing.

While Iamik’s Chicken and Beer House may not be a place to see and be seen, it’s definitely the place to go to if you want to grab a satisfying chicken meal, and at the same time knock off a few brown bottles with some good friends.

Truly Pinoy

2009-08-12T02:09:00.001-07:00

For most people, Pinoy food isn’t really a big deal. I mean, that’s what you eat at home, right? But when it’s culinary icon Chef Gene Gonzalez (you know, the guy in the ice cream commercial) cooking the food, you just gotta stop what you’re doing and grab a bite of his food. Ongoing until the twenty-first of June, Marco Polo Plaza’s Pinoy! Pinoy! Food festival showcases several of Chef Gene’s recipes, some of which I was able to sample last Monday.

Chef Gene’s sisig terrine is his take on the favorite Capampangan dish so loved by drinkers and drunkards. In this case though, the sisig takes on the form of a terrine, which is sosyal-speak for meatloaf. It’s served cold, though, which probably won’t make it a good pulutan, but does really well as an appetizer. If you’re a sucker for manggang hilaw, then Chef Gene’s mangga sa cerveza is a must-try. The half-ripe mangoes give a sharp bite, but the beer sort of deactivates the tartness of the fruit, cooling the mouth. Think “achara” and you have the general idea of how it tastes like.

The tinolang manok, or nilat-an in Cebuano, is comforting in its simplicity. Chicken soup, native-style, is what it is, with sili leaves and the addition of bilo-bilo or flour balls, much like the flour balls you find in binignit. Chef Gene’s chicken soup seems to prove true the saying “chicken soup is good for what ails you,” as I was feeling a bit queasy that day; a few sips of the tinolang manok rejuvenated me greatly.

Cebu not being a rice-producing province, frogs’ legs are something I have not had for a long time. I was delighted to find it on the menu, and was the first to dig into the serving platter. The turmeric gives it a yellowish tint, and adds a light, spicy taste to the frogs’ legs. While my preference for frogs’ legs run to the more garlicky version, with sliced chili peppers, Chef Gene’s frogs’ legs adobo satisfied my craving for this dish otherwise unobtainable in Cebu. Those with Fear Factor tendencies should definitely have a taste.

The adobo del diablo is more or less what the Tagalogs call “adobong matanda.” It’s dry and a bit chewy, because it’s supposed to keep for at least a few weeks. During the olden times, it was stored in a clay pot and buried underground to keep cool. It’s different from the saucy adobo most of us know, but no less tasty.

Another simple yet delicious dish that day was Chef Gene’s crispy pata con bihon. Simply put, it’s rice noodles topped with deep-fried pork leg. Imagine two tasty Pinoy dishes put together and you’ve got it.

For dessert, there was a dessert plate with halo-halo, shaved ice with preserved fruits and milk, Capampangan leche flan, which is the Pinoy version of crème brulee, and my favorite, the mantecado ice cream.

While Cebu has a couple of really good Pinoy restaurants, that shouldn’t stop anyone from going up Nivel and sampling Chef Gene’s food. Once you’ve gotten a taste of Chef Gene’s cooking, you’ll never take Pinoy food for granted ever again.

Maya: A re-education

2009-08-12T02:07:00.002-07:00

This isn’t your average Mexican restaurant. Enter Maya Taqueria and Tequila Lounge, at the Crossroads Arcade in Banilad, with an open mind, because dining at Maya becomes a re-learning of sorts. There are no Mexican dishes that we Pinoys have gotten used to. Missing are the items which some “foodies” say are the real thing, like tacos with grated cheese and ground meat of unknown origin (Is it beef or pork? Can you tell?), and enchiladas and burritos that taste the same as everyone else’s “authentic Mexican food.” You won’t even find a single sombrero in the place; Maya isn’t about ambience dictating authenticity.

Maya is about food, and the fun that goes along with discovering new flavors; when was the last time you had a guacamole that actually tasted like avocado, tinged with citrus? With little chunks you can chew? Or a refreshing salsa that’s sweet, sour and hot, filling your mouth with a coolness that slowly gives way to a zingy heat that lingers? It’s all about the flavor in Maya.

Even the tacos are different. You get a choice of roast pork that tastes like your lola’s adobo, shredded chicken with a smoky tomato-chipotle sauce, fillets of grilled fish, or Angus flank steak, with coriander and salsa in a soft corn tortilla. It doesn’t have any grated cheese, cheese does not a taco make, anyway. Don’t forget to squeeze a few drops of kalamansi on your taco, too. The taste will engulf your mouth with an explosion of flavors that will change the way you look at a taco.

You will also learn: Pinoy and Mexican cuisine are a lot alike. In fact, some dishes are identical. For one, empanadas, a stuffed pastry Pinoys love, are also a Mexican dish. Albondigas (read: meatballs) are mainstays of both Mexican and Pinoy cuisine, and yes, you can get them both at Maya.

Rice, which Pinoys love, is also a staple in Mexico, evidenced by the dishes that make use it, such as frijoles y arroz (beans and rice) and burritos. While Pinoys don’t really eat burritos often, other dishes at Maya such as the Chechac and Pescado Veracruz may convince you of the similiarity of Pinoy and Mexican food.

The Chechac is a rice dish with braised fish, coconut, bananas, tomatoes, lime and achiote, or achuete in our language. In looks, it resembles rice submerged in afritada; in taste, it will remind you of arroz a la cubana, which is very familiar to the Pinoy palate. Similarly, the Pescado Veracruz, a fish dish, undergoes a very Pinoy way of cooking, wrapped in banana leaves. It’s the same way most Pinoys would cook a fish on the beach. And what about the very Pinoy leche flan for dessert?

More importantly, prices are Maya are very reasonable. You can dine there without having to tighten your belt till the next payday. Factor in the quality of the food, the beautiful interiors, and the excellent service and you’ll find that you’re getting mucho bang for your peso.

As far as authenticity goes, everyone has their ideas about authentic Mexican food. In my opinion, Maya sets the benchmark for Mexican food in Cebu, and probably even in Manila. As for the ninety or so kinds of tequila available at Maya, well, that’s best saved for another article.

Fuzhou feast

2009-08-12T02:07:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time, a scholar was traveling, with his food contained in a clay jar used for storing wine. One day, he warmed his food beside a monastery with high walls. A monk living in the monastery smelled the food warming and jumped over the wall to look for the source of the smell. It was originally called “A Buddhist monk jumps over the wall” but over the years came to be known as “Buddha jumps over the wall”.

Cebuanos don’t need to jump over the wall to have a taste of this soup; all they have to do is head over to Tea of Spring at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa and feast on the dishes specially prepared by Chefs Tacky Zheng and Yang Jianxi, who flew over from Fujian province in China to share their culinary prowess with us, in Tea of Spring’s Fuzhou Food Festival, ongoing from August 8 to 16.

With ingredients such as quail’s eggs, noodles, abalone, scallops, shark’s fin and sea cucumber, one would expect the taste of “Buddha jumps over the wall” to be quite exotic. Not so, as the flavor of the soup is actually quite subtle. It’s neither sour, nor spicy, nor sweet, but a combination of flavors and textures that there is only one way to describe it: very delicious.

Aside from “Buddha jumps over the wall”, some recognizable Chinese dishes are also available, but with special touches from Chef Tacky and Chef Yang. The double-boiled minced meat dumpling and fishball soup might be mistaken in looks for the common pancit molo, but that’s where the similarity ends. The soup has pork dumplings as well as fishballs, but the fishball is bigger than a golf ball, and when you bite or cut into it, you’ll discover that it’s stuffed with minced pork.

The wok-fried egg noodles looks like, yes, pancit, but again, the two Fujian chefs make this somewhat common dish taste heavenly. Dessert can be pretty surprising, as most Pinoys usually have birds’ nest soup before the meal. In this case, the birds’ nest soup was served as a dessert, and warm at that. The most surprising thing is that this particular kind of birds’ nest soup had grated, toasted coconut, making it taste like binignit!

Most of us have pretty much taken Chinese food for granted, but for those seeking new horizons in dining, a visit to Tea of Spring this coming week should be in order. James Hilton, in his book “Lost Horizon” described Shangri-La as mystical yet harmonious. With the dishes at Tea of Spring, the author’s vision of paradise on earth is reflected, and like the inhabitants of the mythical Shangri-La, diners at Tea of Spring may want to stay for good.

Eating well

2009-08-12T02:02:00.000-07:00

Some people eat to live. Others live to eat. For me, it’s a no-brainer. Eating is, without a doubt, one of life’s true joys. It doesn’t really matter where I’m eating: at home, at a fancy restaurant, or a hole-in-the-wall. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it: I enjoy eating a stick of local tempura the same way I enjoy a serving of Japanese tempura at any of the city’s better Japanese restaurants. Which is to say, with much gusto. If the food is good, then I will enjoy it. Period.

We should also never confuse the phrase “eating well” with “eating expensive food” because these are two entirely different things. You can eat expensive food, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll actually enjoy it. Expensive food isn’t always delicious, mind you. It’s all relative: a gourmet will definitely appreciate the subtle nuances of foie gras, but a construction worker may not find it to his liking. To him, it may taste too fatty, too lardy or just plain weird.

Then there’s this myth that hotels and expensive restaurants always serve excellent food. In my opinion, that’s all it is: a myth. I’ve been to some expensive hotels and restaurants where the food won’t pass muster, simple dishes like afritadang manok, tinolang manok, calderetang kambing and pancit lomi, dishes that have been perfected by the cooks at lowly carinderias all over the country. On the other hand, there are those hotels and restaurants that offer fantastic versions of simple dishes like barbecued pork (Shangri-La’s Tides restaurant), lamb chops (Waterfront’s La Gondola) and cheeseburgers (Marriott’s Garden Café).

Of course, you don’t need a lot of money to enjoy eating. There are always the less expensive but equally noteworthy food outlets. For Chinese food, I’d go for Ding Qua Qua with their reasonably-priced buffet. The tapsilog at Pandora’s Box deserves special mention, as well as Fidel’s fried chicken.

Never let anyone tell you that enjoying food comes with a price. Simply put, eating well is all about enjoying a meal to the fullest, whatever it is. And if you spend peanuts on a meal that’s fit for a king, then good for you, and don’t forget to tell me where the restaurant is.

Noodle-icious

2009-03-12T03:19:00.000-07:00

WHETHER they’re long, white noodles with rich meat sauce or short, orange noodles with slices of hotdogs the size of 25-centavo coins, most people consider spaghetti as comfort food. With the opening of The Old Spaghetti House, spaghetti lovers can discover the many different variations of this all-time favorite.

Located at the upper ground level of SM Cebu, in between a popular bakeshop and a chicken restaurant, The Old Spaghetti House, or Tosh for short, offers a wide selection of spaghetti-based dishes. While they do serve other kinds of pasta, rice dishes (like the delicious salpicao with garlic rice), kiddie meals, combo meals and desserts (like their mud pie and colossal chocolate chip cookie a la mode), it’s the spaghetti that will make you come back for more.

The classic spaghetti Bolognese at Tosh should please most spaghetti lovers, with its flavorful meat sauce seasoned with herbs and spices, while the restaurant’s kiddie spaghetti is the way a lot of kids (and even adults!) like it: slightly sweet and distinctively Pinoy-style. And it’s not all red-sauced spaghetti that’s available at Tosh.

The restaurant’s chicken and mushroom spaghetti is a good introduction to the more sophisticated versions of the dish. The basic sauce is creamy and garlicky at the same time, and its flavor is complemented by the slivers of chicken and mushroom that make up the body of the sauce.

Those who are looking for more than just spaghetti should definitely try the pepper-crusted fish with spaghettini. The white dory fillets are covered with a light, peppery crust and are a delight to eat. The spaghettini, which are slightly smaller than the regular spaghetti noodles, are tossed with a tasty, garlicky basil, tomato and oil-based sauce. Customers won’t go wrong in ordering this particular dish.

Another pasta and chicken dish that’s worthy of mention is the golden-crusted chicken crepe served with angel hair pasta. The chicken crepe greatly resembles a chicken cordon bleu, although instead of just breading, the chicken, ham and cheese are wrapped in a crepe then deep-fried. The angel hair pasta, looking much like sotanghon noodles except they’re a bit bigger in diameter, is slathered with a pretty good pomodoro sauce. Made from tomatoes, olive oil and basil, the pasta pomodoro is a good choice for the health-conscious.

The present economic crisis notwithstanding, most of us still would want to eat out, whether it’s to celebrate a special occasion or just to cheer ourselves up with some comfort food. Still, most of us would want to eat at a place where we can get a lot of bang for our buck. This is the norm at The Old Spaghetti House: good food at reasonable prices.

What a comfort!

Christmas, Cooking and Crispy Pata

2009-03-12T03:14:00.000-07:00

“CHRISTMAS in Poland is not much different from Christmas in the Philippines,” explains Cebu City Marriott Hotel’s executive chef Witold Sczcechura, or Witek (pronounced “Vitek”) for short. He adds, “It is also full of family gatherings.”

That said, food and family became a perfect combination for chef Witek. When he was 12, he helped run his family’s restaurant in his native country of Poland. While he acquired most of his basic cooking skills working for his mother, he still attended culinary college in Poland and interned in Switzerland.

His professional culinary duties have led him to spend the last 10 years in Asia, the last two here in Cebu. Ever the culinaryexplorer, he confesses to a liking for crispy pata, which he says reminds him of roasted pork knuckles, a traditional Polish dish. Besides this, he also likes bulalo and is intent on getting a taste of dugo-dugo and chicharong bulaklak.

“The best way to discover the local taste is to try the street food,” chef Witek says. And according to him, “Working in the kitchen gives a person opportunities to learn more about other cultures.” Expressing a love for the culinary arts, he advises aspiring chefs to “love what you do, otherwise you won’t be successful in this profession.”

Discotheque

2009-03-12T03:13:00.000-07:00

THE word conjures up images of the 70s when the discotheque, or disco for short, became popular. Roughly meaning “disc library,” the discotheque boasted a wide collection of vinyl records, or discs, hence the name. As technology gave rise to CDs and digital audio files, DJs turned their backs on vinyl, preferring to use the more compact forms of recorded audio.
Still, some like it old school. One new establishment that prefers to do it the old way is AK&7, at The Gallery along Juan Luna Ave. While they do have the standard professional DJ-type CD players, they also maintain a pair of disco-duty turntables, lorded over by a couple of DJs who’ve done their share of spinning both vinyl and digital audio. According to Joshua, Ak&7’s marketing guy, the establishment hopes to be known as one of the places in the city to cater to the house music crowd, referring to the emerging “club” scene in Cebu.

And it’s pretty obvious they’re serious about giving club kids a nice place to hang out in. Interiors are well thought-out: an evidently well-stocked bar greets you as you enter, while plush, comfortable stools and booths beckon you to take a seat.

Big shots need not be concerned too, as AK&7 does have VIP accommodations at the second level. If stuffy, smoke-filled bars and clubs aren’t exactly your style, you don’t have to miss out on the AK&7 experience as they have an al fresco area right out front.

The place serves a wide variety of drinks, from mocktails to margaritas to Moet & Chandon. Bar chow isn’t an issue as well; the menu lists such items as mini-pizzas, gambas, grilled squid and fish nuggets.

People have been saying that the nightlife in Cebu is becoming more and more mature; AK&7’s entry into the scene provesthat yes, Cebuanos do take their partying seriously. While AK&7 has yet to prove that it can party with the best of them, one thing is certain enough: AK&7 is definitely a welcome addition to Cebu’s nightlife.

+++Last time I heard, this establishment was being sold...Does anyone know if this is true?

Asian Coffee Break

2009-03-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

SWOOSH, the server raises the shiny metal pot and a stream of boiling hot coffee gushes out and falls into another container. Swish, the server pours the coffee back into the metal pot; he repeats this process several times until the coffee is mixed exactly as he wants it. He then serves, mixed with sugar and milk, to the customer. No, you’re not in the hawker center along Amoy Street in Singapore.

You can see this at Kopitiam Korner, at Paseo’s Phase 2 down in Panagdait, Mabolo. Owner Raul Baron thought of bringing this traditional Asian coffee drink to the Philippines, after seeing this common sight in the streets of our Asian neighbor.

If you’re tired of the noisy Seattle-style coffee shops with the servers shouting out names of the customers, then Kopitiam Korner might be a good choice for you. “I wanted a more “Asian” version of the coffee shop. The stalls that serve traditional pulled coffee in Singapore seemed the best bet.” He explains, “It’s still coffee, but with a distinct Asian feel to it. And besides, Filipinos are more fond of sweetened coffee.”

Besides pulled coffee, Kopitiam Korner also serves the traditional pulled tea found in both Malaysia and Singapore, called tea tahrik or teh tarik. A variety of Singapore-style snacks are also served like kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs. No expensive deli-style sandwiches here, just simple fare for simple people.

Kaya toast is simply a sandwich spread with a Malay-style coconut jam made from coconut milk, eggs and sugar, which is spread on one piece of bread, with butter on the other piece. The taste is very similar to the Filipino coco jam, but the eggs and butter definitely add a lot more flavor to the spread, coming out with an interesting, somewhat creamy taste. The soft-boiled eggs, on the other hand, is served very differently from the way we’re used to. Where most people just break open the egg, sprinkle it with some salt and eat it straight from the shell, Raul suggests opening the egg, dumping the contents into a bowl, then giving it a dash of soy sauce along with some salt and pepper. Using a fork, mash the egg, stir it a few times to mix all the ingredients, and scoop the mixture onto a slice of French toast. Voila! Egg-sandwich, Singapore-style.

French toast is also available with a lot of different spreads to choose from. Filipinos being a snack-eating people, the food is a welcome addition to one’s afternoon coffee break.
While an afternoon at Kopitiam Korner is not a substitute for a visit to Singapore, it is a welcome change from the usual coffee shop: no noisy servers, more food choices and more importantly, a place where you can actually enjoy your coffee.

Out of Africa

2009-03-12T03:09:00.000-07:00

IMAGINE it a safari, but instead of the spectacle of wild animals, it’s the culinary essences of South Africa you savor.

At the invitation of the Ambassador of South Africa Pieter Vermeulen and his wife Chrisma, with the cooperation of TheCebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu and Darras + Bowler, members of society, industry and media were treated to a fine South African meal. It is something most of us have not had the opportunity to experience before.

It’s not roots and grubs and exotic ingredients; rather, the meal we had was as gourmet as can be, with the ingredients imported from South Africa. The extraordinary dishes were prepared by chef Beate and chef Susina, also flown in especially for the occasion.

A cream-based soup started the meal, and it signaled the beginning of our foray into the cuisine of South Africa. The creamy soup base was poured over pieces of blue cheese and air-dried beef jerky known as biltong. I’d read about this a long time ago, being mentioned in Wilbur Smith novels, and I’d always wanted to taste it. I would have to say that my expectations were surpassed; it was better than I ever expected it to be. The soup course was followed by braised snoek, which is a kind of elongated fish found in the Atlantic Ocean.

The carpaccio that night was made from an antelope called a kudu, and it had sort of the same texture as deer meat.It was as tasty as any carpaccio made from beef that I’ve ever eaten. The bobotie was also pretty interesting, made from minced meat and had a very faint citrus taste.
Overall, it tastes like a top-of-the-line sisig, something Pinoy beer drinkers would definitely enjoy. Barbecued lamb was served with the bobotie, and was excellent as well, although my favorite that night would have to be the sausage South Africans call boerewors, probably derived from boer or farmer, and wurst for sausage. Sidings were couscous, pickled mangoes and chackalaka, similar to the local atchara.

South Africa has always conjured up images of adventure, exploration and discovery, and it was indeed a night of adventure, and discovery that night at the South African food and wine festival at the Marco Polo.

Maria Clara Cafe

2009-03-12T02:55:00.000-07:00

COFFEE shops are places where you can hang out, ergo, it’s not unusual to find people who stay in coffee shops for hours at a time. Of course, man does not live on coffee alone, so occasionally, the need to partake of a good sandwich comes along.

At Maria Clara Café, along Minoza St. in Talamban, just across the corner from the sports complex, coffee and sandwiches mix, and they mix particularly well. Maria Clara Café has brewed coffee, cappuccino, frappucino, and what they call “choco loco” which is coffee with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Besides the coffees, they also offer sikwate, or native hot chocolate. They actually played around with the sikwate, and they have four different kinds. It may sound pretty bizarre, but the sikwate with mango syrup and the sikwate with siling espada taste good. Different, but good.

A visit to the café is not going be complete if you don’t have at least one of their sandwiches. They have a nice variety of sandwiches, served with different kinds of bread. Bagel lovers should try out the pastrami and cream cheese bagel, a favorite among foreigners, while those looking for a more Filipino taste should give the humba pan de sal a taste. Meat eaters have two great-tasting items to choose from, the panini corned beef and roast beef on rye. The café’s salami submarine sandwich is also a great choice, and big enough to share with someone.

Aside from the coffees, native hot chocolate and sandwiches, they also have milkshakes, wines and imported beers like Tsingtao, Oettinger and Guinness Stout. Incidentally, the place also offers different kinds of breads, bagels, donuts and cakes, and an all-day breakfast.

With all the goodies they offer, from the beverages, to the sandwiches and pastries, the café isn’t just another coffee shop. It’s a nice blend of coffee shop, snack bar, diner and watering hole, but without the loud noises and other distractions commonly found in other establishments. There’s also a nice blend of sophistication and quaint, down-home goodness found in the cafe. As cafés go, Maria Clara Café seems to have everything in place, and most importantly, there’s that welcoming quality that you sense the moment you enter the premises.

+++I'm not sure if the original branch is still open, but I think there's a branch in front of USC in Talamban

Cantina in Cebu

2009-03-12T02:53:00.001-07:00

When I was in highschool, My friends and I used to hang out in a popular Mexican restaurant in Makati. We hung out there not to eat, but to meet girls and have more than a few drinks, or have a few drinks then meet girls. I'm much older now, but Mexican restaurants still hold that attraction for me, if only to reminisce about my high school days. Which is why I was more than happy to write about Jose Maria's Bistro, at The Gallery along Juan Luna Avenue.

Not only does it serve almost the same kind of food, it even has a name very similar to my old high school haunt. And whenever my old school chums get together, we usually end up hanging out at Jose Maria's. Maybe it's the food, maybe it's the booze, maybe it's the memories, maybe it's all three that bring us there.

Foodies and business partners Jomai Azanza and Rachel Israel have put together a pretty good cantina, serving good food and drinks at perfectly reasonable prices. The place has two levels, with the second floor able to hold around 40 people at a time. Several tables can be found right in front of the restaurant, perfect for the smoking customers. The friendly staff is always alert, so whether you're on the second floor, outside, or in the cozy first level, ordering is not a problem.

Diners will be very pleased to see that Jose Maria's menu is not composed of purely Mexican dishes. Of course, there are the usual tacos, quesadillas and fajitas, but mixed in are items such as baby back ribs, pizza and herbed pork chops. Diners should definitely try the Chili Relleno. Green chilies stuffed with ground beef, it's a great complement to a bottle of cerveza. Be careful though as the spiciness kind of creeps up on you; the first taste is okay, but then you feel the heat building up then suddenly kicks in. And then you order another bottle of beer. It's pretty addictive, but then so is Jose Maria's fish fillet topped with mango salsa. The fish is very tender, and its subtle flavor is enhanced by the mango bits. Among the items in the menu, I'd say these two are the highlights.

Truth be told, Jose Maria's isn't really for the party nor the chill-out crowd. It's actually more suited to groups who just want to have a nice time hanging out with each other. Trendiness isn't even a requisite trait at this restaurant; call me old, but all you need to hang out at Jose Maria's is an appreciation of satisfying food, cold refreshing beer, and good company.

Buko...

2008-06-03T00:50:00.001-07:00

Filipinos call it the “Tree of Life”, and while the coconut tree and the coconut have a lot of non-culinary uses, its basic property is as a food item. People have been eating coconuts for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years, and that said, it has been discovered that the coconut can be prepared and eaten in as many different ways.

Chop off one end of a fresh green coconut and drink the coconut water inside. It should be slightly sweet; the water of an older yellow coconut is somewhat bitter. Be careful though, as coconut water can have a laxative effect.

Break open the coconut and you will discover that it contains a white, fleshy substance. This coconut meat can be eaten as is, or grated finely, then used as a topping for any of the various native delicacies like puto and kutsinta. The grated coconut meat, when mixed with warm water, gives you coconut milk, which is used a lot in Asian cuisine. Dishes like the Malaysian rendang, and the Pinoy version of chicken curry make use of coconut milk to give the dishes an exotic taste. Palm wine, toddy or arrack, commonly called tuba or lambanog in the Philippines, are made from the sap of the coconut palm. When the coconut sap is fermented for a long time, coconut vinegar is produced.

The buds of adult coconut plants are also very edible, and are very popular not only in the Philippines but all over the world. The lumpiang ubod, or native spring roll, makes use of this particular ingredient. The bud, usually called “heart-of-palm”, are also used in salads. One major drawback, however, is that harvesting the bud usually kills the plant.

The meat of the coconut is also made into macapuno, composed of strips of coconut meat in sweet syrup. There are also other sweets made from coconut, among them the nata de coco, a sweet, jelly-like concoction, and bucayo, made from sweetend coconut meat. Macaroons, a popular snack in the Philippines, is also made from shredded coconut meat. Another popular FIlipino snack, the maja blanca, is made from coconut cream. The Chinese and Thais also have the coconut pudding, which is very similar to the maja blanca.

According to food enthusiast Myra Magsaysay-Sun, Filipinos in olden times used not only coconut meat in cooking chicken binakol, they also used the coconut shell itself as a container in which to cook the ingredients. Some enterprising individuals and establishments serve coconut water in the shell itself, while others use the shell to serve ice cream as well as cocktails such as the famous pina colada, made using rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice.

Filipinos, for the most part, probably take the coconut tree form granted. Some people, though, consider the coconut an exotic treat, giving them a taste of the tropics. As for the coconut itself, whether the tree or the fruit, it stands out as one of the most useful things that God has put on this earth.

Hectic Schedule, Hard Times

2008-06-03T00:36:00.000-07:00

I'm now editing Sun.Star Weekend, Sun.Star Cebu's weekly supplement, and while it's not exactly a grueling job, it does take up a lot of my time. I haven't updated anything for several months, but it doesn't mean I've stopped eating.

Everything's becoming more expensive nowadays, rice included. Even with rice prices going up day by day, I don't think Pinoys are ready to give up this all-important part of the meal. Still, it's a sorry sight seeing puso getting smaller and smaller.

Tapsilog's 'Royal' Family

2008-01-31T02:08:00.001-08:00

It’s been said countless times, the simplest meals are usually the best. For the most part, this is true. Take the case of the tapsilog. It takes its name from the items that make up this particular dish: “tap” from “tapa”, “si” from “sinangag” and “log” from “itlog”. Tapa is simply jerky (either beef or pork, it doesn’t really matter), itlog is an egg (usually fried sunny side up but some people argue that it can be cooked any way), and sinangag is fried rice, Filipino-style, with lots of garlic. The sinangag is an important ingredient here. It definitely has to be sinangag, otherwise the dish would be called tapkalog if plain rice was used, the “ka” coming from “kanin” or “kan-on”. But that’s beside the point, best left for another article.

Three simple things making up a great and filling meal: tapa, sinangag, itlog. Who wouldn’t enjoy these three all at once? And the question arises. Where do we get this? Where else but Tapa King, at the Banilad Town Centre. A pioneer in the industry, with over twenty years experience in serving great tapsilog, Tapa King can probably be considered tapsilog royalty.

Several versions of tapsilog are served at Tapa King. The house special, called Tapa King, is actually the regular kind, with ordinary beef jerky. The Tapa Queen is served with a combination of sweet and spicy jerky, while the Tapa Prince comes with a slightly sweet version of beef jerky. A considerably bigger serving, christened the Tapa King Royale, comes with two fried eggs and tapa that’s a bit crispier than the regular kind. Whatever version you choose, you’ll certainly get the kind of tapsilog that’s been famous in Manila for the past two decades. Portions are very generous, and simple as the meal is, you’ll find it very enjoyable.

While tapsilog is the specialty at Tapa King, other silog items are also available. There’s the Longsilog (with longanisa), tocilog (with tocino), which some purists insist should be spelled “tosilog”, and dangsilog (with danggit, the local dried fish), something that is usually out of stock in the Manila branches. Fortunately for Cebuanos, running out of danggit here in Cebu is practically impossible. Again, all these are pretty good.

Those who don’t need a whole lot of meat to go with their rice can opt for a solo order of Mixed Rice, which is rice with shreds of scrambled egg and tapa and tocino (highly recommended!). Still with the unique Tapa King flavor, it kind of resembles Chinese-style fried rice and is a meal on its own. Not only that, it won’t make a dent on your pocket. Besides the silogs and the Mixed Rice, rice toppings, corned beef and burger steak meals are also offered, as well as salads, merienda and dessert items.

Choice merienda items are the palabok, which is really tasty and is big enough for two to share, and the champorado with tapa or danggit. For dessert, the sago’t gulaman, chocolate cake and leche flan will certainly please your sweet tooth. Highly recommended though, is Tapa King’s Flanna Banana, which is sweet banana with leche flan.

Of course, there is no way it can be considered a gourmet meal. Even with a name that denotes royalty, it is basic and uncomplicated. Still, the humble tapsilog does the job of satisfying one’s appetite. And when it’s as tasty and satisfying as Tapa King’s, then you can perhaps say it’s a job well done.

Sinulog Specials

2008-01-31T02:07:00.000-08:00

One of the celebrations Cebuanos look forward to is the annual Sinulog festival. Meant to honor the Santo Nino, the image of the Christ child, the Sinulog festival is a spectacle that draws thousands of people. Involving themselves in the festivities are not just the Cebuanos, but people from all over the world. With all that celebrating, people can, and will definitely get hungry, and while there is no shortage of eating-places in Cebu City, it’s always a good idea to dine at restaurants that offer not only great tasting food, but also great value for money.

The Port Seafood Restaurant

Located inside the Waterfront Hotel complex in Lahug, The Port Seafood Restaurant offers both a lunch and dinner buffet. Touted as “Cebu’s favorite buffet”, The Port gives customers a wide selection of native and international dishes. The buffet at The Port is not limited to seafood, though. It also features salads, meat dishes, pasta, soup and desserts. Noteworthy items in the buffet are the native salads like the mango salad and the puso ng saging salad. The baked mussels make for great appetizers, as well as the crispy Teriyaki dilis. On your “to taste” list should be the sizzling bangus. Milkfish in coconut milk, garnished with sliced peppers, topped with bagoong (a pungent shrimp paste), and served on a sizzling plate, this is one delicacy diners will surely enjoy. Evening patrons have the added bonus of the tasty lechon Cebu is famous for. A short presentation of the Sinulog dance ritual will also be held during lunch and dinner for the month of January.

Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant

Tourists looking for an authentic Filipino dining experience, complete with eating off a banana leaf, should head over to Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant along Salinas Drive in Lahug. Among the dishes that stand out is the adobong kangkong, a leafy vine sautéed with onions and garlic and seasoned with a little soy sauce and vinegar. Golden Cowrie’s version differs slightly from the usual with the addition of a little bagoong, considered by some to be an important part of Filipino cuisine. Another dish to try out is the adobong talong, an eggplant-based dish that’s slightly sweet, really tasty, and truly Pinoy. Of course, Golden Cowrie would not be as popular as it is today without their crispy pata. A deep-fried thigh of a young pig, the crispy pata, as the name implies, is crisp, golden, and very succulent.

Chika-an sa Cebu

Another iconic restaurant, Chika-an sa Cebu, also along Salinas Drive, offers a menu that features a variety of Cebuano dishes and desserts. A definite “must try” is their crab with garlic. A huge crab, steamed and sprinkled liberally with garlic and curry powder, it will give seafood lovers something to smile about. For a taste that’s truly Cebuano, be sure to try Chika-an’s ampalaya with dilis salad. The bitterness of the ampalaya, or bittermelon, is offset (or is it enhanced?) by the flavor of the dilis, a tiny fish deep-fried to a crisp, and gives diners a crunchy, crispy and flavorful experience. As meal enders, the bico, or sticky rice cakes drenched in a sweet brown sauce called latik are definitely tops, as well as the turron with latik, which can be likened to deep-fried banana and jackfruit crepes.

Café Marco at the Marco Polo Plaza

From Salinas Drive, take a short trip up to Nivel Hills to the Marco Polo Plaza, and indulge in Café Marco’s Cebuano Foodfest. Dubbed “Cebuano Cuisine at Café Marco”, it’s ongoing up to the 27^th of January. The buffet features a wide variety of traditional Cebuano delicacies, from salads to main courses, as well as a nice assortment of international dishes, plus a well-stocked dessert station complete with a chocolate fountain and ice cream. One of the highlights of the buffet is balbacua, or oxtail stew with vegetables and peanuts. Beefy and very filling, meat and stew lovers would probably give this one a thumbs-up. Adobo, a traditional Filipino dish, usually present in a Pinoy feast, appears in the buffet in the form of adobong nukos, sautéed squid in vinegar and garlic. Tangy and tasty, this dish shouldn’t be missed. The ubiquitous bagoong makes an appearance once again in the hinipunan nga baboy, or sautéed pork in salted shrimp paste. Café Marco’s take on this Pinoy favorite is excellent, with the bagoong (lacking the distinctive offensive smell) adding a vitality that’s not usually found in pork.

Cocina Ysabella

2008-01-31T02:03:00.000-08:00

With a name like Cocina Ysabella, you’d think this eating place came straight out of a telenovela, but no, you’re not gonna find Judy Ann Santos working the stoves and pots and pans. You’d find another Santos working Cocina Ysabella’s kitchen, though with no relation to Juday. Bong Santos, together with his better half Pia, give you the kind of food that makes you keep coming back for more. Serving mostly Filipino food, with a smattering of foreign dishes, Cocina Ysabella, located at the Paseo complex in Mabolo, gives diners a good selection of tasty and affordable treats.

Salad lovers looking for something out of the ordinary should definitely try the Kamayan salad. It’s actually the traditional Pinoy salad of mangoes, tomatoes and onions mixed with bagoong, a very pungent shrimp paste. At Cocina Ysabella though, grilled eggplant is added into the mix. The Kamayan salad is a cacophony of flavors and textures: crunchy, pulpy, soft, pungent, sharp, sweet and sour all at the same time. It provides the diner with a zesty and flavorful introduction to Filipino food.

Cocina Ysabella’s take on the Bicol Express will most likely leave diners gasping for breath after a few bites. Made from coconut milk-marinated pork and peppers sautéed in oil, the coconut milk gives the distinct flavor typical of dishes from Southeast Asia. Beware of the peppers however; at first taste, the hotness is not readily apparent, but it slowly creeps up on you and lets go with a kick a few mouthfuls later. It tastes great eaten with rice, as a viand, or as a beer match.

Another Pinoy favorite available at Cocina Ysabella is the chicharon bulaklak. Made from pork innards, specifically from the membranes holding pork intestines together, this deep-fried and crispy delicacy is popular all over the Philippines, especially among beer drinkers. Seasoned with salt and pepper, it tastes best when dipped in spicy vinegar and paired with a really cold bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsen. Those with high cholesterol levels should be careful, though, as this particular dish is pretty much habit-forming.

If you’re Tagalog and you’ve been hard-pressed to find a decent sinigang here in Cebu, you should definitely try Cocina Ysabella’s sinigang. It’s got just the right amount of sourness sinigang is famous for, and comes complete with radish, stringbeans, okra, kangkong and gabi, with the gabi boiled down almost into mush. Of course, it should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: sinigang shouldn’t have cabbage or pechay, and Cocina Ysabella’s sinigang certainly doesn’t have these. An order is usually good for two people, so it wouldn’t hurt to bring a friend to share it with, if only to show how real sinigang is supposed to taste like.

A variety of other dishes are also available, among them beef caldereta, which is a stew made with meat, carrots and potatoes; burger steaks, fried chicken and Thai spring rolls. Of course, soft drinks, iced tea, beer and some kinds of liquor are also offered, so quenching your thirst or getting a buzz isn’t much of a problem at all.

For those who love Pinoy food, especially dishes from the island of Luzon, or for those who simply want to have a change from the regular sinugba or tinowa or ngohiong that’s available practically everywhere, a visit to Cocina Ysabella would surely be a good idea. Who knows, Juday might think so too.

Bountiful Repast

2007-12-26T00:31:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year when the weather gets colder, the mood gets festive, and parties come one after the other. The Christmas season has always been a joyful occasion, and Christmas Day, probably the most important day in Christendom. Food has always been an essential part of Christmas celebrations, and it has been the tradition of Filipino families to celebrate the eve of Christmas with a meal called the noche buena, a Spanish phrase roughly meaning “bountiful night”.

The Christmas Eve get-together acts as a prelude to the Christmas Day festivities. Families usually gather at the ancestral home, bringing special dishes to share with their loved ones. As much as possible, the more affluent families try to prepare a lechon, or roast piglet seasoned with salt and several kinds of herbs, since in the Philippines, a feast is not considered complete without one. Crisp golden brown skin on the outside, with tender juicy pork on the inside, many consider the lechon as the highlight of the noche buena meal.

The humble Lechon manok, a chicken seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs, has also found its way to the Christmas table. For the less prosperous, it acts as a substitute for the lechon itself, while for others, the lechon manok is a complement to the roast piglet. Other families, especially those with more Western tastes, serve turkey on Christmas Eve. Usually stuffed with wild red rice, onions, potatoes, carrots and herbs, baked for several hours and served with gravy, cranberry sauce or applesauce, the Christmas turkey provides an American touch to the otherwise traditional Filipino noche buena.

The Philippines’ strong Chinese influences also play a major part in the selection of food for the Christmas Eve meal. Lumpia, a spring roll containing vegetables, heart of palm, or ground pork, is often served, either fresh or deep-fried. Sometimes, both kinds are served during noche buena. Pancit, usually served during birthdays to signify long life, are also a popular choice for most people. Whether it’s Canton, bihon, palabok, Malabon or any one of its many versions, you can more often than not find it on many a Christmas Eve table. Spaghetti, which some say is the Italian version of pancit, is also another popular dish served during this meal.

The noche buena, a Filipino tradition, might be considered as being actually international cuisine. Aside from Filipino, American, Chinese and Italian dishes, some of the food served during noche buena can trace their roots to other countries. The ever-present queso de bola, while having a Spanish-sounding name, is basically Dutch Edam cheese. The different kinds of Christmas hams, though most of them are produced locally, are more or less European in origin. Apples and chestnuts, also very popular during the Christmas season, are obviously brought in from somewhere else, with the bulk of the imports probably coming from China. There is really no hard-and-fast rule in what foods to serve during noche buena though; any kind of food can be served. What’s important is those who will partake will enjoy whatever is on the table.

But probably even more important than the food is the spirit of Christmas itself. Christmas has always been the season for giving, and what could be more in keeping with the Christmas spirit than sharing our blessings with others? Think of those who won’t have as much, or none at all, on their tables this Christmas Eve, and spend a little less this time around. Buy a smaller lechon, or just buy three instead of four lechon manoks, or buy lechon manok instead of turkey. A smaller ham would probably do just as well as a big one, or a smaller bilao of pancit Malabon in place of the large one that’s not going to be eaten completely anyway.

Use the extra money to prepare several gift packages. A couple of packs of noodles, a few kilos of rice, a can or two of sardines (or corned beef if you’re really feeling generous), some sugar, salt, milk, coffee or juice, a few sweets (such as candies or cupcakes) for the kids in each package. Share them with the less privileged, the less fortunate this Christmas, and let the good feelings season and flavor the Christmas Eve banquet you’re planning to have. Believe me, your noche buena will taste much, much better.

Seafood to Savor

2007-12-26T00:29:00.000-08:00

Anybody who’s ever seen “Ratatouille” will definitely do a double take when they see Maribago Bluewater’s new executive chef. Portly, with a knack for coming up with fantastic tasting dishes, Chef Jose Miguel Lontoc is a dead ringer for the movie’s fictional yet celebrated Chef Gusteau. Exuding a charm and grace typical of an old-world gentleman, Chef JoeMike exhibits a culinary skill the cartoon chef and his creators can only dream of.

Chef JoeMike moved to Cebu from Manila about half a year ago, to take charge of culinary as well as administrative duties in Maribago Bluewater. Educated in Australia and having done consultancy work for several hotels both abroad and in the Philippines, the move to Maribago was a perfect one, both professionally and on a personal aspect. He says the laid-back lifestyle in Cebu is a welcome change from the hectic pace and pressure he was accustomed to.

The Cove is a seafood restaurant, and Chef JoeMike’s rule of thumb when it comes to seafood: fresh is always best. At the Cove, the seafood isn’t just fresh, it’s live! Crabs, prawns, lobsters, fish and mollusks are kept in aquariums, taken out only when they are ready to be prepared and cooked.

Dinner at The Cove was a multiple celebration: my wife Chacha’s 33rd birthday, my third year of writing for Sun.Star, and a reunion between Chef JoeMike and me. We had been classmates in grade school in LSGH and it’s been 23 years since we last saw each other. Incidentally, it’s also Sun.Star Cebu’s 25th Anniversary on November 25, so please allow me this opportunity to greet the Sun.Star family a very happy Silver Anniversary.

So back to the food: my wife and I started out with a simple clam chowder. Unlike most cream-based soups that tend to be heavy on the stomach, The Cove’s clam chowder was very light, yet still creamy. With diced potatoes, small pieces of clam as well as a whole white clam in the center, for both aesthetic and gastronomic purposes, it was a great way to begin a meal.

Raw oysters came next, with three different kinds of toppings. Sushi lovers will like the oysters with uni and tobiko roe, with the orange fish eggs and a sweet and sour taste. Those with more European tastes might prefer the horseradish and caviar topping, with the horseradish giving the bite and the black caviar a bit of a crunch. The topping I found most to my liking was the cocktail sauce. Most Cebuanos would find the taste very familiar, spicy and vinegary, perfectly complementing the taste of the oyster.

Abalone with jellyfish followed, tasting somewhat like mushrooms in oyster sauce, with a light undertone of pepper. It’s a great-tasting dish that’s not really part of the menu, although I’m sure Chef JoeMike will gladly prepare it for you as long as you ask nicely.

Diners will probably find the gambas al ajillo at The Cove a bit different from what they’re used to, although they’ll definitely be satisfied with what arrives at the table. Using huge prawns instead of the usual small shrimps, prawn lovers will be able to savor the flavor of the prawn meat itself, not just the sauce. When ordering, be sure to specify whether you like it mild or spicy, and Chef JoeMike will adjust the taste accordingly.

Another round of oysters was served, this time baked, with different toppings: creamed arugula and cheese, blue cheese and garlic, and lemon-butter sauce. The creamed arugula with cheese was interesting: while cheese is usually a mainstay when baking oysters and mussels, the cream and arugula provided a counterpoint to the saltiness of the cheese, not to mention a dash of color. The blue cheese and garlic topping was also different, yet comforting: images of grilled tahong with cheddar cheese and garlic at our back yard came to mind. Of course, you can never go wrong with a good lemon-butter sauce on seafood, and Chef JoeMike proves this with his own version of the ever-popular sauce.

The main courses were lobster cooked two different ways, and an incredible steamed lapu-lapu. The Chinese-style lapu-lapu, which practically melts in your mouth, has actually been part of the menu at Maribago Bluewater even before Chef JoeMike arrived. According to him, it’s the only item whose recipe he didn’t touch, save for making a few adjustments for consistency. He explains, “I don’t fix things when they aren’t broken, so there was no reason for me to alter the recipe of the lapu-lapu.”

Both the Lobster Thermidor and the Asian-style Lobster were delicious, giving my wife and me a chance to compare which way of cooking suited lobster better, European or Asian. The cheese perfectly accented the flavor of the meat in the Thermidor, and the lobster being fresh, it was no surprise that the meat was tender as can be. Traditionalists will definitely enjoy the lobster cooked this way, while those with more adventurous palates should try the Asian-style lobster. Cooked with coconut milk, lemongrass and chili, it gives diners a whole new perspective when they look at lobster. The lobster meat still tender and succulent, the coconut milk and chili gave a Southeast Asian twist to the already delectable lobster. If made to choose between the two though, I would pick the lobster, Asian-style.

The Cove sets a pretty good table, with Chef JoeMike, Food and Beverage Manager Douglas Berido, Daisy, Bert, Christian and the very efficient staff, cooks and all, working together to give guests a great culinary experience. As a matter of fact, a lot of people, me included, can honestly say that the food at The Cove Seafood Restaurant rank among the best in Cebu.

Food writers really have a tough job, weeding out the good from the bad, the bland from the flavorful, and writing about it. Chef JoeMike and his staff has made my job in this instance very easy, serving me and my wife a fantastic meal, and making our visit to The Cove a memorable one. I may not be an Anton Ego, the critic in “Ratatouille”, but I find myself paraphrasing him: “I will be returning to The Cove soon, hungry for more!”

Pinoy Pleasers

2007-12-26T00:23:00.000-08:00

Walk into a restaurant that offers Filipino food and more often than not, you’ll find crispy pata on their menu. Having that, there’s also a big possibility that the crispy pata’s younger brother, the lechon kawali, will also be included in the menu.

The crispy pata has long been a popular food in the country. Simply put, it’s just the pata, or thigh, of a young pig, seasoned with salt, pepper and marinated in vinegar, or is it the other way around? It’s then dumped in a pot of boiling oil and deep-fried for as long as it takes to cook. The lechon kawali is practically the same thing: a portion of pork belly prepared the same way, and cooked the same way.

But just what is it about these two dishes that they always have to be served in a place that offer Filipino dishes? Perhaps it’s the contrasting textures one gets when biting into a slice: the crispy pork skin, the tender meat, and the fatty region in between. Or maybe it’s the taste of the tender meat and skin dipped in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, Philippine lemon, red peppers, garlic cloves and onion bits: meaty, yet sour, sweet and spicy all at the same time. Or is it because these two dishes are typical of the way Pinoys love food, simple yet satisfying? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s all of the above.

SerJos, at the ground floor of Mango Park Hotel along Mango Avenue, is not exactly a purely Filipino restaurant. As a matter of fact, about half of their menu feature international dishes, but among the Filipino dishes they do serve, the crispy pata and lechon kawali certainly stand out.

SerJos’ crispy pata is definitely a no-brainer for lovers of Pinoy food. Unlike the oily and not-so-crispy examples found at other establishments, the crispy pata at this restaurant is cooked and served the way it should be. It’s dry on the outside, with almost no trace of oil, and very juicy on the inside. The skin is crispy, yet not cooked too long that it becomes as crunchy and tough as chicharon. The meat itself has a slight crust from being deep-fried, but it serves to keep the juices in. Expect the same thing when you order the lechon kawali. Crisp, yet tender and juicy when you bite through the thin crust that is the result of deep-frying. On their own, these dishes already taste good, but a drop or two of the vinegar-soy sauce mixture can make things more interesting, especially when you throw in a lot of red chili peppers into the mix. As viands, both the crispy pata and lechon kawali are perfect with rice for a great meal. As bar food, however, these two can serve as fantastic pulutan for beer or hard liquor.

While these two dishes are definite palate-pleasers, the other items on the menu are also worth a taste. Baked mussels, grilled stuffed squid and other well-liked international dishes such as ebi tempura and steak are offered as well. Still, for most Pinoy food lovers, a wide variety of international dishes wouldn’t really matter at all, if there’s something as wonderfully satisfying as crispy pata and lechon kawali on the table. And at SerJos, you absolutely won’t go wrong ordering these two.

Magnifico!

2007-10-31T01:24:00.000-07:00

“Ask a thousand Italians to cook lasagna and you’ll end up with a thousand different versions,” says Rico Matta, a transplanted Italian and proprietor of Rico’s la Trattoria, an Italian restaurant located in the Century Plaza complex along Juana Osmena St. He goes on to clarify that though Italian food has its basic recipes, most Italians have their own ideas of how each dish or sauce should taste like. That being so, there is actually no right or wrong recipe when it comes to authentic Italian cooking.

Like most Italian men, he puts his mother on a pedestal; he relates that he learned a lot about cooking from his mother, and most of the food he serves at the trattoria are versions of the dishes his mother used to cook. And like most Italians, he prefers to make his own pizza dough and pasta. Of course, his sauces are also made from scratch; homemade is the key word in Rico’s kitchen.

Pizza is essentially a choose-your-own-topping affair: starting with a basic cheese pizza with real mozzarella cheese, customers can choose from different toppings like pepperoni, ham, bacon, mushrooms, onions and peppers, among others. Diners can also specify if they want their pizza crispy or not.

Homemade pasta is the norm at Rico’s, by way of a pasta machine, and is always cooked al dente. Raviolotti, a slightly larger version of ravioli, is also available at Rico’s. Stuffed with spinach and ground beef, and swimming in a rich meat sauce, this dish would be a great introduction to Italian food for people whose experience with pasta is limited only to spaghetti Bolognese and the occasional fettucini ala carbonara.

The pesto and Bolognese at this restaurant are both, to quote an old popular TV commercial, “magnifico!” The pesto is made fresh, from basil, olive oil and pine nuts. It tastes the way it should: just the right blend of sweet and salty, just a little nutty, and definitely not so oily as to be uneatable, even though pesto sauce is composed mostly of olive oil. The Bolognese is made from tomato paste, not tomato sauce, and given the nationality of the cook, the code of Omerta automatically kicks in. Rico’s secret way of cooking the sauce remains exactly that: a secret. Nevertheless, the richness of the tomatoes and the flavor of the meat blend together perfectly, and give diners an idea of how la dolce vita is supposed to taste like.

Rico’s marinated pork in brown sauce is a sure winner for diners looking for meat dishes, while the gnocchi in cream sauce is also worth a taste. Aside from the food, the restaurant also offers live music on most nights, and has an outdoor dining area for those who prefer it al fresco. Given the Cebuanos’ propensity for good food and leisure activities, Rico’s la Trattoria is undeniably a welcome addition to the city’s dining and entertainment scene.

Foodies

2007-10-25T23:59:00.001-07:00

Was it Mrs. Gump, or was it Forrest, who said, “Life is like a box of chocolates”? In my case, it’s not a box of chocolates but an endless series of restaurants, cafés, bars, hangouts, food tastings and anything and everything that has to do with food.

As one of the feature writers of Sun.Star Cebu, the leading community newspaper in the Philippines, I’ve gone to a lot of restaurants here in Cebu, both in the city and its outskirts. I’ve tasted a lot of food, from cheap street cuisine to the more expensive items you would only find at specialty restaurants.

Before writing for Sun.Star’s lifestyle section, Live!, I had already been exposed to good food and fine dining by my grandfather and namesake, Dr. Lino Arquiza, Sr. When he was alive, it was very often for me, breakfast at the Manila Mandarin in Makati, lunch at Manila Midtown Ramada along Herran, and dinner at the Century Park Sheraton on Vito Cruz. Living in Malate, we were in close proximity to the best hotels and restaurants in the city. Lolo was sort of a gourmand, fond of good food, so we were always eating out. If we weren’t eating at hotels, we would be at Kimpura or Miyako for Japanese food, Gloria Maris for Chinese, and Josephine’s for Filipino dishes.

My Dad Vicmar is also a bit of a foodie. A steak lover, he would often take me to SGS Steakhouse in Greenhills after picking me up from class at La Salle Greenhills. He was responsible for getting me addicted to rare, bloody steaks, although he prefers his on the medium-well side. If not steak, then Dad and I, together with my Ninong Jose, would be chowing down on chicken mami and siopao at Ling Nam Noodle House, still in Greenhills, or camaron rebosado, lomi and fried rice at Luyong Restaurant in Pasig. Midnights at home would be spent eating all kinds of sandwiches, omelets, noodles, chips and whatnot, and drinking lots and lots of Coca-Cola while watching TV.

My Mom Glenda, on the other hand, would initiate wiener roasts at night in the front yard, with marshmallows to match. A great cook, her special adobo and tapa is always a sure winner at family gatherings, while her pasta with pesto would sometimes be ignored by our guests, though I’m sure she only cooks it because her children like it.

My Lola Ising cooks great bistik and pommes frites.. What’s so great about her French fries is that they’re actually more like shoestring potatoes, cut so finely that they end up being really crispy. There’s also her pan de sal slathered with Star margarine, sprinkled with a little sugar then heated on her frying pan. I don’t know what to call it, fried bread maybe, but heck, it tastes good!

Lola Bebe, Dad’s mother, was also a bit of a cook, always whipping something up in the kitchen. Her sukiyaki would definitely give any Japanese restaurant a run for the money, while her banana cake would have given any commercial baker stiff competition.

I’m very fond of eating, and my wife, Chacha, fortunately, shares the same passion. She insists that I cook better than she does, but I beg to differ. Her sinigang is definitely out of this world, and her spaghetti with meat sauce and nilagang baboy can rival anybody’s best. Chacha also has this knack of putting together leftovers and coming up with something wonderful to eat.

As for myself, I can do a mean pasta with grilled chicken and white sauce, somewhat resembling pasta Alfredo, except with grilled chicken, seafood pasta, which has whatever seafood’s on hand, lasagna, deli sandwiches, and a bunch of different things like steak, chicken fried steak, stuffed chicken, salpicao, veal chops, home fries, baked potato wedges and popcorn.

I realize that these things don’t make me an expert on food, but hey, This ain’t rocket science, people. Who the heck needs a degree, or a membership in a gastronomic society for that matter, to appreciate good food?

New Brew

2007-10-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

As their marketing slogan goes, “Something’s brewing up north”. Good news then for coffee lovers in Mandaue and all points north looking for a place to hang out in.

Café Volere, at the ground floor of the North Road Plaza along the National Highway, offers customers not just the regular cup of java everyone’s used to, but a whole lot of other brews. Besides being just another coffee shop, Café Volere also caters to both food and dessert lovers. Kingsley Ko, the proprietor, explains, “My family is also into the baking and pastry business, so we thought it would be a practical move to combine it with a coffee shop. At Café Volere, we have pastries, cakes, and of course, coffee.”

Following the trend in most popular coffee shops, Café Volere serves a selection of hot coffees like ordinary brewed coffee, cappuccino and moccacino; however, they also have iced coffees for those who prefer their caffeine fix cold, although this is where the similarity ends. Café Volere’s iced mocha, while very flavorful, stops short of being too chocolaty that it becomes too much like a chocolate drink. On the other hand, their iced hazelnut coffee refrains from being too subtle that the drinker feels shortchanged, not being able to taste anything. Instead, it just bursts with the flavor of hazelnut, giving the customer exactly what he or she wants in a cold cup of flavored coffee. Those not into a caffeine buzz won’t feel left out, as blended drinks such as Café Volere’s strawberry or cookies and cream smoothies are available. For those who love to eat, pizza, lasagna and baked macaroni are available, as well as a variety of desserts like triamisu and chocolate mousse.

Unlike most popular coffee shops though, Café Volere isn’t a place to see and be seen in. It’s actually a little off the beaten path, away from the malls and commercial centers, but that is where it’s main attraction lies. Its calm and tranquil atmosphere is perfect for coffee lovers who just want to enjoy their coffee without any distractions. It’s also a great place for dessert lovers to just hang out in and pig out on a slice of choco-strawberry cake or two. Intellectuals may find the place conducive to a quiet discussion of art and music, sports, politics or the latest movies. For lovebirds, the place can be an ideal rendezvous for a few moments together.

So whether you’re a coffee lover, a certified foodie, an intellectual, a lovebird, or whatever, take a short trip up north, and find out what’s brewing.

Bulalo, and a cow's unmentionables...

2007-10-24T02:19:00.001-07:00

People usually think “Cebu City” when talking about restaurants. While it’s true that most of the better restaurants are found in the city, Cebu does not have a monopoly on great eating-places, especially those offering great value for money, and fresh country air to boot.

Those heading north may want to drop by for a bite to eat at Orosia Food Park. Located along the National Highway, Orosia Food Park in Consolacion is a popular venue for those who want to partake of traditional Filipino and Cebuano food. According to proprietor Elton Tio, the restaurant is also in much demand as a setting for wedding receptions, debuts and the like. Boasting of two levels, with each floor capable of seating around a hundred people, it’s not hard to understand why people hold their parties at Orosia. Not only that, the restaurant also has a substantial garden area that can also be used for festive celebrations. Those bringing kids will also appreciate the playground to the side of the main structure. Parking is definitely not a problem as the front can accommodate a very large number of vehicles.

Food at Orosia is basic Pinoy and Cebuano fare: grilled, cooked as the soup known as tinowa, or kilawin or kinilaw, made from raw ingredients such as fish soaked in vinegar and mixed with onions, garlic and other native flavorings and spices. Aside from the usual grilled food such as pork belly and barbecue, grilled tuna panga and boneless bangus are also available, with the bangus very well-flavored, not even needing to be dipped in soy sauce or vinegar, unlike the typical bland items found in other eating places. Orosia’s kangkong and grilled eggplant are also worth a try, and paired with the salted fish fried rice. For the more adventurous, lansiao, a stew made from a cow’s unmentionables, is available. Of course, one shouldn’t leave Orosia Food Park without tasting their pochero, or beef shank soup. Cholesterol overload aside, if there’s one dish Orosia is famous for, this is it.

Aside from the food, Orosia Food Park offers as an added attraction Elton’s pets. Though the animals are not actually on display, customers can request the staff to give them a look at Elton’s menagerie; the more daring can even handle them.

Though its location may seem a deterrent to those living in Cebu City, the good food, the fresh country air and the proprietor’s pets should be reason enough for those tired of the city’s dining scene. For the ones living up north, Orosia is a welcome treat for them, as it allows them to avail of good food without having to go all the way to Cebu City. All in all, whether you’re from the big city or from the towns and cities up north, Orosia Food Park is a win-win proposition.

New Mooon in Guadalupe

2007-10-24T02:18:00.001-07:00

There’s an old Duran Duran song that goes “I light my torch and wave it for the new moon on Monday” that comes into mind. In this case though, it’s not a new moon that’s worth waving the torch for; It’s the “new”, revitalized Mooon Café, yep, spelled with three O’s. It’s still found in the same place, somewhere along the side streets of Guadalupe, the Mooon Café that everybody knows, only bigger and much better this time. Now under the management of Pages Holdings, Mooon Café has been given new life, a new beginning, and at the risk of sounding incongruous, a new dawn.

According to Charlie Pages, businessman, all-around good guy and proprietor of Mooon Café, though Mooon Café serves mostly Mexican specialties, he hesitates to label it a “Mexican restaurant”. Rather, “Mexican-inspired” is how he likes to describe this eating-place much loved by Cebuano foodies. “We don’t serve purely Mexican food here,” Charlie says, “Our menu is typically international cuisine, but with more focus on Mexican fare, and our interiors are reminiscent of a Mexican cantina.” If the interiors aren’t enough to let you know that you’re eating at a Mexican-themed restaurant, the names of the dining rooms should give you an idea where Charlie’s coming from: Tijuana, Vera Cruz, Acapulco, Guadalupe and Guadalajara. If that ain’t Mexican, homes, then what is?

With the restaurant’s two floors divided into several dining areas, diners have a choice on where to have their meals or drinks: the main dining room, the smoking area, the patio or one of the smaller dining rooms on the second floor. Incidentally, this is also where the bar is, so expect to see more serious drinking going on here.

Obviously, a restaurant isn’t about interiors, it’s about food, and Mooon Café has certainly earned a reputation for serving great food. Diners can start off with the Gambas a la Luna, Mooon Café’s version of the popular Spanish appetizer. Not so mild that you have to mix a few more drops of hot sauce and possibly ruin the flavor, not so spicy as to be uneatable, this dish has just the right amount of spiciness to whet your appetite and leave you looking forward to the next course.

How about lumpia or ngohiong, Mexican-style? Flautas, usually made with a cheese filling, is given a new twist at Mooon Café, with the addition of chicken slivers inside the flour wrapper. Lumpia and cheese sticks lovers will definitely have something to smile about with this dish.

Those looking for something to safe to order can never go wrong with a pizza. In Mooon Café’s case, however, customers should be extra-cautious when ordering the Pizza Diablo. Yes, it’s round like a pizza, it does look like a pizza, but it’s pizza, the Mooon Café way. Loaded with Jalapeno peppers, it’s a sure-fire way to experience heartburn if you’re not used to spicy food, though it’s definitely worth a taste.

For the main course, the ever-popular Mooon Steak is highly recommended. The favorite of countless Mooon Café patrons, the Mooon Steak remains as affordable, as tasty and as satisfying as ever. If there’s something that will keep you coming back to Mooon Café, this has got to be it.

Eating all that spicy food is bound to get anybody thirsty, and what better way than to wash it down with a glass or two, no, wait, make that a whole pitcher of Mooon Café’s fantastic Sun Cooler. A soothing blend of citrus fruits and watermelon, it provides a perfect cap to a Mooon Café meal.

With their good food and ambience, it’s no wonder Mooon Café has found itself being mentioned in an international guidebook. Even without that, the myriad customers who come back again and again for the food, the drinks, the friendly atmosphere is more than enough reason for Mooon Café to be considered an icon of Cebu’s dining scene.

Mandaue Sweets

2007-10-24T02:17:00.001-07:00

Mandaue has long been known as an industrial area, being the home of various manufacturing concerns. A major beverage company, a building materials company, a vehicle assembly company, a variety of furniture makers both large and small, all these have helped put Mandaue in the spotlight. Besides these, however, other smaller, less obtrusive things have made Mandaue famous.

Hope Ramos-Oporto, a sweets vendor along A. del Rosario St. relates “Mandaue has long been known for its delicacies. Tourists, both foreign and local, buy a lot of sweets and delicacies from me, to bring home as pasalubong. I have had tourists from Luzon and Mindanao, Japan, Korea, Germany and Canada buy my goods. Among the things I sell, the bestsellers are the majareal or masareal, the tagaktak and the bibingka.”

Made of ground peanuts and sugar, the grayish-white majareal look like thin, narrow wafers, although that is where the resemblance ends. While peanuts ground finely to the texture of baking soda are the main ingredient, there is only a faint aftertaste, if any, of peanuts from this delicacy. Rather, the majareal tastes somewhat like sweet potatoes or yams, although the comparisons may vary from person to person.

The tagaktak, on the other hand, is a totally different thing. Ganador rice is ground or pounded, a little water and sugar is added, then formed into thin, triangular cakes, and then fried to a crisp. For those people used to eating breakfast cereal, the taste of sweetened rice krispies won’t be too far off the mark.

While the bibingka has always been a traditional Filipino food, the Mandaue bibingka deserves special mention. Made from coconut, rice, yeast and some other secret ingredients and then baked in a special clay cooking pot, Mandaue’s bibingka needs nothing else, not a slice of salted egg as a topping, not even a dollop of Star margarine, to stand on its own as a delicacy, unlike the bibingka found in Luzon. Of course, as a complement, old-timers will suggest that a mug of native chocolate, or sikwate, be paired with the bibingka, for an entirely traditional snack.

The majareal, tagaktak and bibingka of Mandaue may not be as glamorous and expensive as Belgian chocolates or French pastries, but it is probably for this reason why many people, foreigners and locals alike, enjoy these delicacies. It is their subtle flavors, their simplicity and inexpensive nature that make them so endearing, and even better, it gives Filipinos something we can truly be proud of.

Pastry Pitstop

2007-10-24T02:16:00.000-07:00

Students from UP Cebu no longer need to look for an affordable place to hang out in near their school in the afternoons. With the opening of a pastry shop in the immediate vicinity of both UP’s high school and college campuses, lovers of cakes and pastries among the student population have only to take a few steps to get their fill of Beth Sanoria’s delicious creations.

Of course, Marc & Mattheau’s doesn’t cater to just the UP students. Passersby looking for a quick bite to eat, parents looking for something to take home to the kids, hosts and hostesses trying to find the perfect dessert for their parties; all these and more come to this shop at the corner of Gorordo and Molave Streets. Beth explains “I guess people do find our stuff delicious, because we have customers coming all the way from Mandaue and Guadalupe for our cakes and pastries. Besides, our items are very affordable; we have items like choco cheese bread, mocha twist and ensaimada, which cost only five pesos apiece. Our macaroons are only three pesos each, well within the budget of the students who come in here all the time.”

Beth explains how they got into the business, “It all started around eight years ago, when I started accepting special orders for my supermoist chocolate cake. One particular Christmas season, I received orders amounting to several hundred cakes. When that happened, my husband and I seriously considered opening a catering business and pastry shop.”

Open a pastry shop they did, and it is now fast becoming a favorite hangout for people in the neighborhood. With the addition of a couple of tables and chairs on the sidewalk beside the store, regulars can imagine themselves chilling out in a European-style café, sipping coffee or a cold drink, and taking a bite or two of a sweet roll as strollers and cars go by.

The shop’s bestseller is probably Beth’s supermoist chocolate cake, although her blueberry cheesecake comes at a close second. As chocolate cakes go, Beth’s supermoist, as the name goes, is a step up from most commercial cakes. It’s full of flavor and very sticky and moist, unlike the powdery or crumbly cakes one can find at the mall or supermarket. On the other hand, Beth’s fantastic cheesecake tastes just right, not too sweet, not too bland, and definitely not spongy. Other items are available, like the meringue-based Mango Tango, the Mango Five, with five layers of chiffon, mango and butter cream, and the Apple Walnut brownie containing real apple chunks and walnuts. A variety of hot and cold drinks are also available.

While you can find bakeries at practically every other corner here in Cebu, very few pastry shops seem to make their mark on the Cebuanos. Marc & Mattheau’s doesn’t claim to have the best pastries in Cebu; but what Beth Sanoria says sums it all up: “Cooking and baking is a passion for me, and when I do cook and bake, you can be sure that I’ve done my best!”

Ding Qua Qua, or, where to get great dimsum in Cebu...

2007-10-24T02:15:00.001-07:00

Teahouses, and tea, have always been an important part of Chinese culture. It was a place where everyone would gather, engage in conversation, exchange gossip, hang out, and of course, drink tea. After it was discovered that tea aided one’s digestion, teahouse owners started selling small, bite-size pieces of food served in steamer baskets.

Called “dim sum”, roughly translated as “light meal” or “delicate food”, these snacks or small food items soon became all the rage among customers of teahouses. Traditionally served from morning to mid-afternoon, the popularity of dim sum grew until it assimilated itself into Chinese culture.

In Cebu, where there is a large Chinese community, the tradition of teahouses has been preserved through the Kokseng and Uytengsu families with Ding Qua Qua Dimsum House. Meaning “the best of the best”, Ding Qua Qua has established itself in the hearts of Cebuanos as one of the, if not the most, popular restaurants in Cebu serving Hong Kong-style dim sum. In fact, in Cebu, the terms dim sum and Ding Qua Qua has become practically interchangeable.

And just how authentic is their dim sum, you may ask. According to the Kokseng brothers Christopher and Steven, the recipes for most of the food served at Ding Qua Qua have been handed down from generation to generation, and their family can trace their roots all the way to Hong Kong, where dim sum originated. That’s as authentic as you can probably get. Even with a lineage such as theirs, they still fly in consultants from Hong Kong regularly, to evaluate the taste of the food the restaurant serves, and to maintain its authenticity.

Most popular among the food at Ding Qua Qua is certainly their famed Steamed Fried Rice. While it is not exactly dim sum in the real sense, it has been a constant in the lives (and meals!) of a lot of Cebuanos, and representative of the quality of Ding Qua Qua’s food. Consisting of rice topped with a savory pork stew with small pieces of shrimp and green peas, it is served in a small ceramic bowl and is a meal on its own. It goes without saying that Ding Qua Qua’s Steam Fried Rice is absolutely delicious.

Of course, being patterned after a Hong Kong-style teahouse, dim sum should be the main feature of the menu, and at Ding Qua Qua, the siomai or shao mai is definitely at the top of the list. These are steamed pork dumplings in a flour wrapper, topped with shrimp, quail’s eggs or button mushrooms.

Perhaps the best way to enjoy a meal at Ding Qua Qua is to indulge in their dim sum buffet. It’s not purely dim sum though; aside from siomai, steamed fried rice, pata tim and cua pao, and the white fungi soup, which is a typical Chinese-style egg-drop soup, other dishes like fried mixed vegetables consisting of mushrooms, carrots and bamboo shoots in rich brown sauce, shrimp balls, lumpia, char siu or Chinese-style barbecued pork, vegetable balls resembling and tasting surprisingly like meatballs are also included in the buffet. Of course, the ubiquitous chicken feet, fried wanton dumplings and sweet and sour pork is available too. As an added plus every weekend, Oriental short ribs are offered as well. The dessert menu is also full of choices, but diners are encouraged to try Ding Qua Qua’s chocolate mousse and coconut crème, very similar to the maja blanca.

For several generations, Ding Qua Qua has existed in Cebu, serving the traditional dim sum so loved by many. Cebuanos have grown to love the food at this restaurant so much, that going to Ding Qua Qua has become a tradition in itself.

Ding Qua Qua is locared at JY Square Mall in Lahug, Cebu City.

The Flavors of Penang

2007-09-24T03:30:00.000-07:00

In his novel “Lost Horizon”, author James Hilton described Shangri-La as an exotic place, brimming with Asian mysticism and absolute tranquility. Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa is no different from the literary Shangri-La, and with their celebrated restaurant, Tides, overflowing with Asian delicacies, the mysticism so apparent in the novel is interpreted and transformed into reality by their experienced chefs. Even more so when the restaurant imports its chefs from another country as exotic and as beautiful as ours: Malaysia.

As part of Shangri-la’s thrust to help promote Malaysia, the resort is presenting its guests with a one-week-only offering appropriately called “The Flavors of Penang”, available at Tides Restaurant until Sept. 25. The food festival showcases the multi-cultural cuisine of our Asian neighbor.

As with most Asian countries, tea drinking is often an integral part of a meal. In this case, the preparation of the traditional teh tarik is as important as its consumption. Roughly translated as “pulled tea”, Malaysian tea master Sharizan Saaban mixed, or rather “pulled” the tea and milk together using graceful movements, first pouring the milk in one pot into the tea in the other, then slowly moving the pot up and away from the other. He repeats this process several times until it results in a highly frothed mixture of tea and milk, then he deems it fit for serving.

Several kinds of salads, such as the kerabu mangga, very similar to our green mango salad, were served as a preview of things to come, although the shrimp salad called Kerabu Udang, with its slightly tangy and somewhat lemony flavor, provided a very welcome change from the usual tossed greens.

Malaysian cuisine seems very similar to Filipino cuisine in that coconut milk is used in a lot of the recipes. Perhaps the main difference lies in the spiciness of the cuisine: Malaysian food is spicy, ours is not. A perfect example of this is the Beef Rendang Mamak, a very tasty concoction made by boiling the beef in coconut milk, mixed with curry powder, chili paste and other kinds of spices: this mixture is kept heated until the coconut milk is boiled down to a mushy paste, much like a reduction, leaving the beef well flavored. Another dish definitely guaranteed to take your breath away would be the Ayan Rendang. Basically, it is the same dish as Rendang Mamak, though made from chicken. People not used to spicy foods may complain that Malay food is too spicy for their taste. Perhaps it is best to remember that it is all relative: Malaysians may find Pinoy food to be too bland for that matter.

Acknowledged as the culinary capital of Malaysia, with its fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines, Penang will definitely give serious foodies a thrill. As for yours truly, the opportunity given by Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa to indulge in the Flavours of Penang was greatly appreciated. And as most Penangites would say, “Chiak Si Hock!”

This article appeared in the Sun.Star Lifestyle section

No Pretensions

2007-09-12T05:23:00.000-07:00

NO reservations? No problem. You don’t need to be on any list, guest list, A-list or whatever, to indulge in this kind of food. Membership in a gastronomic society isn’t mandatory either; no unpronounceable French names are used here. While experienced sauciers may recognize the typical street food sauce as a roux, it’s ingredients and preparation may leave them a bit boggled, shocked or both. No fancy vinegar worth almost a hundred grand a liter is involved, only ordinary local coconut or cane vinegar with garlic cloves, onion bits and crushed red peppers. 300-dollar bottles of wine are also noticeably absent, just beer, soda or water.

Anthony Bourdain, host of Travel & Living’s No Reservations, would definitely enjoy this kind of cooking, and Bourdain, being Bourdain, thrives on this kind of thing. This is adventure. This is cheap thrills. This is cheap food at its finest, street cuisine if you will.

Puso – This is a small serving of steamed rice packaged in coconut leaves, very popular in the Visayas and Mindanao regions of the Philippines.

Chicken intestines – Popularly called “IUD” for some bizarre reason, chicken intestines are among the more popular beer matches in the country. Skewered on slender bamboo sticks and grilled, it goes best dipped in spicy vinegar and paired with a very cold bottle of San Miguel beer. In some regions of the Philippines, grilled pork intestines are also popular beer matches.

Pospas – Eaten as it is, or with a slice of chicken or beef, or goto (pork innards), or sometimes with a boiled egg, the pospas can probably be considered the quintessential Pinoy food: simple, inexpensive, easy to prepare yet delightfully tasty and filling to boot. Foreigners can probably recognize it as rice porridge.

Tempura – Not to be mistaken for the Japanese tempura, though also deep-fried, this local favorite can only be described as a white, floury sausage. Made usually out of fishmeal, flour and spices, skewered onto bamboo sticks and dipped in vinegar or a sweet and spicy sauce, it’s a popular snack among people from all walks of life, from students, loafers, and office workers to scions of wealthy families. Almost always sold from pushcarts, together with fish balls and squid balls, they can be found on many a street corner in the city.

Balut – Perhaps the most famous Pinoy street food of them all, the balut is not for the faint of heart. A boiled 16- to 18-day old duck’s egg, it contains a tasty broth, yolk and a half-formed duck embryo (forget about the hard white stuff, you’re not supposed to eat it). There’s also a particular way of eating balut, much like a three-course meal, only messier, and definitely more barbaric, but hey, street food ain’t gonna be called street food if dainty, hoity-toity manners are needed to eat it.

To eat a balut, tap open a hole at the slightly wider end of the egg and sprinkle some sea salt into the opening. Slightly shake the egg to mix the salt with the broth, and then drink from the hole. Once you’ve drunk the “soup” inside, break off the eggshell little by little until the yellow yolk is exposed. Sprinkle either salt or vinegar on the yolk and bite it off. It usually breaks off cleanly from the rest of the contents of the balut. Now for the best part. Again, sprinkle salt or vinegar or both onto the half-formed duckling. Slurp the embryo into your mouth, then, depending on the age of the balut, swallow directly or chew a bit first. It sounds disgusting but it’s definitely worth a taste. Oh, you can try eating the hard white thing but I wouldn’t suggest it.

With the Pinoy’s fondness for eating, it’s no wonder that Pinoys have taken eating to the streets. Quail’s eggs, considered a luxury item in some countries, are actually sold on the streets of Cebu and Manila. Weirder items such as blood chunks, chicken feet and day-old, deep-fried battered ducklings can also be found, as well as the more ordinary lumpia, barbecued pork, chicken tail and sautéed or boiled peanuts. Of course, one should always be careful when eating anything new, not just street food, but then again, what’s life without adventure?

An American Dream

2007-08-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Most newly married couples have dreams. Like most other newlyweds, J. Willard and Alice almost certainly had dreams of their own. For J. Willard, it was perhaps nothing more than being able to provide a good life for his family while Alice most likely just wanted to be a good wife. Opening an A&W root beer stand in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1927, they probably did not dream of their venture becoming a major player in the hospitality industry.

But become a major player it did. From a little 9-seat restaurant called “Hot Shoppe”, to a chain of “Hot Shoppes” all over the United States, to the Twin Bridges Marriott Motor Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, the company’s first hotel, J. Willard and Alice Marriott’s dreams did not just come true, it grew into a company with over 2,800 hotels worldwide, with their name becoming a byword in the hotel business.

Paying tribute to its humble origins, Marriott Cebu City now offers Cebuano diners classic food and beverages from its colorful history. With Chef Witold Sczcechura executing the updated recipes, diners at Marriott Cebu City can now have a taste of the dishes that made “Hot Shoppes” a favorite among American families.

From Classic to Cool

What could be more American than a hamburger? As with most things American, this burger is B-I-G! Those with big appetites can order the Mighty Mo, a massive double deck cheeseburger seasoned with Hot Shoppe’s secret Mighty Mo sauce. The tangy American cheddar sets off the flavor of the beef patties, while the secret sauce gives the whole sandwich a somewhat smoky, spicy and sweet flavor. Customers can probably arrange to have their burger patties cooked a little on the rare side, to bring out the juices of the beef. Naturally, every serving of the Mighty Mo burger comes with a side order of french fried potatoes as well as a small saucer of slaw. A smaller version of the burger, christened the Mini Mo, is also available. With four small burgers, cole slaw and a tub of french fries comprising each order, the Mini Mo is perfect for a group of four kids, or four dainty eaters.

Snackers can opt for the Teen Twist Roll if burgers aren’t their thing. A fresh take on an old favorite, Marriott’s adaptation of the classic ham and cheese sandwich should please even the most discerning sandwich lover. It comes loaded with ham, cheese, and of course, fresh lettuce and tomatoes. Served with french fries and pickles, the Teen Twist Roll is big enough for two to share.

Basically a revision of Alice Marriott’s chili con carne, the recipe of which she learned from the cook at the Mexican Embassy a few blocks away from their first restaurant, the Buffalo Chicken Chili gives new meaning to the word “chili”. Using chicken instead of beef, chili lovers can feast on this without fear of cholesterol overload. Instead of the more common grated cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese is used as a topping, providing a nice, sophisticated kick to an already enjoyable dish. Be sure to scoop up the chili with the tortilla chips and top it off with crumbled cheese (Hint: use LOTS of blue cheese, just ask your server for more), it’s much more fun eating it that way.

With its origin an A&W root beer stand, of course, a Classic A&W Root Beer Float should definitely be on the menu, and in this Marriott comes full circle. Faithfully served in a mug, as it should be, the A&W Root Beer Float remains a refreshing favorite among young and old alike.

More than 80 years after J. Willard and Alice Marriott served their first customer, their legacy of hospitality continues to flourish. Not only that, they continue to give us food that’s wholesome and delicious, as well as being truly classic, and totally cool.

buffet diners

2007-07-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

Did anybody ever notice how diners eat at a buffet? I don't know about foreigners, but most Filipinos load their plates with so much food and end up eating only about half the food on their plates. Do these people think that the food is gonna run out? Maybe at the lesser establishments, but at places like hotels and high-end restaurants, the food is supposed to be replenished as long as there are diners present.

Or maybe us Filipinos are just too embarassed to go back again and again to the buffet table, lest other people think we're pigs.

sushi with no banshees

2007-07-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

It comes in different forms. Sometimes it’s just sticky rice and a slice of raw fish, either salmon or tuna, or cooked, shelled prawns, octopus or cuttlefish pressed together to form a finger-shaped treat. Other times, nori, or pressed algae sheets, is rolled around the rice, with a sliver of raw fish in the middle. Occasionally, it comes in the form of cones, with the filling spilling out from the open end. And it’s not just seafood that is used to make the fillings. Vegetables such as cucumbers, different kinds of meat, eggs, fried bean curd, even fruits like mangoes can be used as ingredients in this popular Japanese delicacy. Some people say that it actually originated from the Chinese, as a way of preserving fish, but it is widely accepted that it was a Japanese vendor who made it extremely popular.

Yohei Hanasa, a street-food stall owner in nineteenth-century Tokyo, then called Edo, started selling hand-formed fingers of vinegared rice and raw fish to workers on a short break, travelers looking for something to eat or just about anyone who happened to be hungry. His products, called nigiri-zushi, roughly translated as “hand-formed rice snack” became so well liked that other vendors followed his lead, and nigiri-zushi stalls started popping up everywhere. Nowadays more commonly called “sushi”, it has become popular not only in Japan but also all around the world.

Carlito's Way: The Steak Revolution

2007-07-03T04:57:00.000-07:00

For so long, steak lovers used to patronize a particular steak house named after the owner. It got to the point that steaks became synonymous with the name of the restaurant (or owner, take your pick). I don't know exactly what happened, but Cebuanos seemed to have stopped patronizing this particular steak house. Maybe because their steaks were too expensive, or maybe the steaks weren't as good anymore, I don't really know. Pass by the restaurant and more often than not, there'd be no cars parked in front of the place.

Anyways, with the entry of Carlito's Way, steak lovers now have a place to call home. With their inexpensive steaks, friendly staff and cozy interior, who wouldn't want to have a meal at Carlito's Way?

In less than a year's time, they seemed to have gained a following among Cebuanos. And because of this, not one but two branches are opening. I guess I was right when I said that soon, Cebu will know steaks by another name.

Talk about bang for the buck. How about P395.00 for a 300 gram steak with cole slaw and mashed potatoes? They also got other stuff like gambas (shrimp sauteed in butter with garlic and peppers) and lengua (ox tongue with mushrooms and a creamy sauce).

By the way, this was supposed to have been posted a couple of days ago, I don't know what went wrong, but it never went on the web until now. Oh well, the perils of technology.

a mobster's haven in cebu

2007-06-09T01:58:00.000-07:00

DIMLY lighted, wine bottles on the walls, soft music playing in the background, the interiors a cross between a Mediterranean villa and an Italian trattoria, this cozy restaurant located along A.S. Fortuna St. near the Adoration Convent of Divine Mercy exudes an old-world charm not found in most of the new establishments springing up in and around Cebu City. With the ambience reminiscent of a gangster’s favorite eating-place or watering hole, you’d half-expect to see Don Michael Corleone, Tony Montana and Lefty Ruggiero clinking glasses and counting the day’s take while being served by Charlie Brigante as Officer Frank Serpico glances at them furtively from another table.

Cinematic characters notwithstanding, underworld activities are not the norm at Carlito’s Way Steakhouse. Rather, the byword here is “beef.” The brainchild of Raul Baron and Leon Quimpo, two Ateneans with a taste for bovine-based meals, Carlito’s Way represents their love for the ultimate masculine fare, the steak. The duo being both self-confessed Al Pacino fans, the restaurant might very well be a tribute and a shrine to the legendary actor. Testimony to this are the various Al Pacino posters hanging on one wall of the establishment.

Diners at Carlito’s Way can choose to start their meals with Raul’s and Leon’s iteration of the traditional salpicao, a delicious plateful of tender beef cutlets sautéed in oil and served with a sprinkling of herbs. Christened “Salpacino” by the owners, this dish, usually eaten as an appetizer, can also be enjoyed as the main viand in a meal or as something to partake of with a beer or even a glass of wine.

Another wonderful complement to a bottle of beer would be their Bacon Mushrooms. Made from round bacon and mushrooms cooked in oil, it offers beer drinkers an alternative to the more commonplace pica-pica such as chicharon, sisig or pork belly.

First-time patrons should definitely try the Lengua Champignon, ox tongue and mushrooms drenched in a rich creamy sauce, topped with garlic flakes. With the ox tongue so tender it practically melts in one’s mouth, it comes as no surprise that the recipe is a well-kept secret.

Of course, steaks are king in a steakhouse, and the steaks at Carlito’s Way are definitely something to look forward to. Grilled on a rock grill using heated lava rock, the steaks come out cooked nicely, without the usual charred edges and smoky taste that come from charcoal grilling. The steaks are served with soup, buttered vegetables, a choice between rice and mashed potatoes and an excellent creamy gravy.

From their inch-thick flank steak to their rib-eye steak to their massive, 280-gram T-bone, the steaks at this restaurant not only taste really good, they also come at very affordable prices. Those who prefer chicken or fish need not despair, too, as Carlito’s Way also serves chicken and fish dishes as well as sandwiches.

With steak houses in Cebu so few and far between, Carlito’s Way comes as a welcome addition to the dining establishments found in the city. With the kind of reception they’ve received from Cebu’s hard-to-please diners, it’s quite obvious the meticulous Cebuanos have taken to steaks done Carlito’s Way.

And as Raul and Leon hope, soon Cebu will know steaks by another name.

This article was published in SunStar Cebu Lifestyle Section.

HOLY COW!

2007-06-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

While most people go to restaurants expecting to be served, dining at Sumibi Yakiniku Tajimaya, at the far end of Crossroads Arcade may hold a surprise for most people, and may serve as a challenge for the culinary skills-impaired. It’s a relatively do-it-yourself affair at this Japanese restaurant. Customers come in, get seated, order their food, and are provided the ingredients for their main course.

Provided? Yes, ingredients are provided, as in, the customer is expected to cook the main courses of grilled beef on their own. A charcoal grill set in the middle of the table is meant for this activity, and while the staff is always at hand to help out, diners are encouraged to perform this particular task to fully enjoy the experience.

Named after the old province of Tajima in Japan, in what is now known as Hyogo Prefecture, Sumibi Yakiniku Tajimaya serves the very excellent Wagyu beef. Defenders of Kobe beef need not cry out, as Wagyu and Kobe beef are actually the same kind, Wagyu being the breed of cattle and Kobe, the capital of present-day Hyogo. With its intense marbling, the extra-special Wagyu beef comes out subtly flavorful, tender and juicy without the graininess that comes with other types of beef. Beef lovers, especially those who love steak, will definitely have a field day at this restaurant.

Most noteworthy among the beef dishes available at Tajimaya are the Wagyu Karubi, or special boneless short ribs, the Jou Gyu Tan, beef tongue lightly seasoned with salt, and the very impressive Wagyu Tokujou Saroin, the Japanese version of an extra special sirloin steak. All these are served raw and ready for cooking, arriving at the customers’ table already thinly sliced and delicately seasoned. A word of advice for the eager cook-to-be: Wagyu beef, because of the fine balance of the fat and meat content, should be cooked as fast as possible to keep the flavor and juices in and to reduce shrinkage. Less than a minute’s worth of searing on each side should be enough to cook the cutlets yet retain its delicate flavoring. Any more than that and the result would be a charred strip of beef not worth eating. “Rare” is the operative word when cooking Wagyu beef. A plateful of Sancyu, or fresh lettuce leaves, is also served as a complement to the grilled beef. Meant to be wrapped around the thin slices of beef and dipped in a soybean-based sauce, it gives an interesting tang to the already savory Wagyu beef.

Even as the restaurant’s menu revolves around the many iterations of Wagyu beef, other dishes are also available such as the Tegutan Kuppa. A spicy miso soup with rice and egg, it demonstrates the expertise of the Japanese in creating great tasting food from otherwise simple ingredients. Customers who prefer to have rice with their meals and yet are still looking for something more exotic than the usual Japanese-style fried rice would do well to order the Ishiyaki Bibinba, sizzling rice with mixed vegetables and topped with egg. Aside from being a great supplement to the main course, it brings an artistic touch to the table. The stone pot the rice is served in adds an interesting, Zen-like aspect to an already interesting dish.

A lot of people see even the more common types of Japanese food as an acquired taste: raw fish, seafood and tofu. At Sumibi Yakiniku Tajimaya, diners get something both familiar and different all at once. Familiar in the sense that Cebuanos love grilled food, and different, not only because of the kind of beef used, but also because of the experience of cooking and eating at the same time. By introducing Wagyu beef and the yakiniku style of cooking into the market, Sumibi Yakiniku Tajimaya gives Cebuano diners a whole new look at Japanese cuisine.

This article was published in SunStar Cebu Lifestyle section

...definitely not chicken soup, but still good for the soul...

2007-06-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

When you think of it, the popular batchoy is kind of a puzzle. Is it just a snack or a meal on its own? The answer may be irrelevant, as food is not exactly meant to be questioned, only enjoyed.

Originally an Ilonggo specialty, the humble batchoy has reached practically every major populated area in the Philippines, and has even migrated to far-flung Filipino communities in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The simplicity of this dish belies its popularity; who would have thought that it would become a favorite not only in its native La Paz, but also in the major metropolitan centers of the Philippines? Restaurants serving Filipino dishes usually feature batchoy in their menus, unquestionable proof that it is an authentic Pinoy favorite.

Composed of a savory broth, noodles, leeks for additional tang and some color, beef, innards and liver strips with bits of crunchy chicharon on top, sometimes mixed with a raw egg, the batchoy can be eaten any time of day: breakfast, lunch, supper or merienda. It’s also perfect for those night owls who have had too much to drink and wish to sober up, or those just looking for something to eat during the wee hours of the morning.

Enter Carlo’s Batchoy, located right smack along Sotero Cabahug St, possibly the busiest street in Mandaue City. Operating since 1983, Carlo’s Batchoy has become undoubtedly the most popular batchoy house in Mandaue. Its popularity led to the opening of several other outlets, not just in the outlying municipalities, but also in the hustling and bustling city of Cebu. Besides that, Carlo’s Batchoy prides itself on being the first all day-all night eatery in Mandaue, and one of the first in the province to offer 24-hour service.

Juliet R. Veloso, Carlo’s Batchoy’s operations manager explains the restaurant’s beginnings, “Caiser Casumpang, the owner, is Ilonggo, and he wanted to share this Ilonggo specialty with the Mandauehanons. Together with his wife, Zenia, they opened the first store and named it after their son.” She goes on to explain that the restaurant started out by serving just batchoy and pan de sal, “Although during the latter part of the nineties, Carlo’s Batchoy began to offer siopao and grilled food such as pork belly and pork and chicken barbecue. At present, we offer other Pinoy dishes such as sisig and dinuguan, as well as calamares, pansit molo and other favorites.”

The food at Carlo’s are all very good, possibly even better than the food at some of the pricier establishments in both Mandaue and Cebu Cities, and more importantly, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Their batchoy, however, remain the perennial favorite, the best seller. Pop into any Carlo’s Batchoy branch, especially at the main store in Mandaue, and you’ll most likely see a bowl of batchoy in front of every customer. Or if you want, ask a Mandauehanon, any true-blue Mandauehanon, where to get the best batchoy in town. Stock answer: “Basta batchoy, Carlo’s!”

This article was published in SunStar Cebu Lifestyle Section

...thanks for the memories...

2007-06-09T01:42:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was a seventh-grader at La Salle Greenhills. It was Schoolyear 1983-1984, Fridays were half-days then, and when school ended for the week, my classmates and I would usually troop to the Greenhills Commercial Center to hang out.

Our first stop would always be for lunch, at a quaint but cozy, little-known pizza restaurant. Its pizza and lasagna was quite popular among Greenhills habitués, but otherwise unknown to people who did not frequent the area. It was almost always full of La Sallistas, and if memory serves me correctly, was called Greenwich Pizza and Pasta.

Fast forward to the year 2007, I’m now a feature writer for Sun.Star Cebu, and I suddenly find myself somehow reliving the experiences from twenty-three years before. I’m at a Greenwich restaurant, albeit in Cebu City, and I’m with some members of the media, to take part in a shortened version of their popular “Pizza-Making Camp”.

I’m an amateur cook, and I have made my own pizzas in the past, but my process involves nothing more than just putting the ingredients on top of the pie then baking it, with no system whatsoever. It’s a totally different thing at Greenwich. To paraphrase Michelle Flaherty, the band geek in American Pie, “At pizza camp, we were taught to make pizza the Greenwich way.”

First off, it was stressed that cleanliness was very important, hence the presence of the “double hand-wash” dictum. Crewmembers were required to wash their hands twice, ever so often, as they would be preparing food for other people to eat. As “trainees”, we were also expected to follow this guideline, as Greenwich officials were observing our “training period”, and we were not supposed to be given any special treatment.

As soon as we were taught how to construct a pizza, from the basic single cheese pizza to the more complicated Greenwich Special, we were set loose in their kitchen. First to go on was the secret pizza sauce, then the special cheese. The meat bits went on next, followed by small pieces of pineapple. Pepperoni slices are then placed on top in a sort of ‘x’ pattern, with bacon and mushroom slices last.

Once constructed, we placed our pizzas in a conveyor belt, where it enters an oven. Around three minutes later, almost like magic, our cooked pizzas emerge on the other side, as professionally done as can be.

According to Boggs Racaza, Area Manager for Operations, the Greenwich Pizza-Making Camp is a year-round activity held by the company, not only for children but for anyone who’s never made a pizza on their own and is interested in making one. She relates, “We even have HRM students coming in to register, for some actual experience in a professional environment.”

Though the small and cozy Greenwich I knew no longer exists, replaced by spacious, brightly-lit, well-equipped restaurants with full crews in every part of the Philippines, the smells are still there, whatever branch you may be at; more importantly, the tastes that many La Sallistas grew to love are preserved, if not made even more delicious. And when I took that bite of Greenwich pizza that I made with my own hands, all the memories of playing hooky, and chasing after Assumptionistas, came rushing back. And that famous pizza in Greenhills? It was as if we never said goodbye.

eating in the streets

2007-05-25T23:24:00.001-07:00

I've been warned time and again against eating street food. I'm not talking about those Sabrett hotdogs being sold on the sidewalks, rather, I'm referring to the somehow exotic street food found in the streets of Philippine cities. People say they're dirty, or they're unhealthy for numerous reasons, or that nobody knows where the ingredients came from, whatever, bottom line, street food is allegedly not good for you. But yes, I do love eating street food.

My favorite is the famous (or is it infamous?) balut. It's a duck egg, with a half-formed embryo, ideally between 16 and 18 days old. You tap the wide end to make a crack, then slowly form a small hole. When the hole is wide enough, you can sprinke some sea salt or a few drops of spicy vinegar into the hole and sip the tasty liquid (can it be called broth?) found inside. When you've drunk the broth (?) inside, crack the egg open and start eating the contents. Again, sprinkle some salt, this time on the yellow yolk, and start eating. Do the same with the duck embryo. The squeamish can close their eyes if they wish, this being very forgivable especially for first timers. Personally, i don't like eating the white stuff, i don't know what it's called, but it's very hard and doesn't taste at all like anything, so not eating it isn't really that big a deal. I recently saw an episode of Fear Factor, they actually gave some firemen a thousand US dollars each for eating balut. Imagine that.

Besides balut, i also love barbecued chicken skin, chicken intestines, what Pinoys call isaw, and pork intestines, called tiripilya by people in my hometown of Teresa, Rizal.

There's also this thing called tempura that I like. No, it's not the Japanese kind, the tempura I'm talking about look like white sausages skewered on a bamboo stick. Actually, they're like elongated fishballs, I think they're made from the same stuff. Or maybe it's just the sauce I like? Each vendor has his or her own version of the sauce, maybe that's the thing. The sauces almost invariably taste good, whatever vendor I buy from. The funny thing is, these things are available at the supermarket, although they don't really taste as good when i cook it at home. Maybe it's the sauce, maybe the ambience, what do you think?

And kwek-kwek! These are quail eggs covered in orange batter and deep fried. They taste like, I don't know, quail eggs wrapped in batter? Again, maybe it's the sauce that makes it really good. Now that I'm living in Cebu, I don't really get to eat kwek-kwek anymore. I don't know why, but I can't seem to find anyone who sells these things.

...with everything on it...

2007-05-24T01:41:00.000-07:00

Most people say the sandwich was invented in the middle of a card game. The Earl of Sandwich, stomach already growling but not wanting to leave the card table, ordered someone, perhaps his valet, or maybe his chef, to “put a slice of roast beef in between two loaves of bread.” Thus the sandwich as we know it was born.

Other people believe that the Israelites came up with the first sandwich when they put slices of lamb in between two pieces of matzo bread. Whatever school of thought one belongs to, one can be certain about one thing: sandwiches can be considered one of the best foods in the world.

Some people argue that a sandwich is a sandwich is a sandwich, that there’s no difference between a ham sandwich made at home by your wife or your mom and a ham sandwich from the local deli. Other people, however, do not subscribe to this notion. With the countless kinds of sandwiches one can find, a food enthusiast can spend the rest of his life just feasting on sandwiches.

Another argument arises from the structure and components of a sandwich. Most purists believe that sandwiches should have at least two pieces of bread with some sort of filling in between. Other people feel that pastries with fillings are also sandwiches; this includes bread and dough products like siopao and meat rolls. Still others insist that open-face sandwiches are not sandwiches at all, but are just a simplified form of pizza. Following this line of reasoning, proponents argue that a pizza is actually a form of sandwich.

It’s gotten to the point that the definition of sandwich has actually reached the courts, with a United States judge ruling that “a sandwich must have two slices of bread and not one tortilla,” stemming from a lawsuit that a sandwich restaurant filed against a shopping mall for allowing a Mexican restaurant to operate inside it’s premises. The main issue? The sandwich restaurant claimed that the burrito is actually a sandwich; therefore, the Mexican restaurant should not be able to operate inside the mall, as it serves the same kind of food that they do.

Taking all these arguments aside, it is a fact that most people do enjoy sandwiches. From the simple pan de sal with a slice of homemade goat cheese in between, or the most complicated submarine, Clubhouse or Monte Cristo sandwich you can find, there’s probably not one person in the world that can say something bad about sandwiches. Even comicbook and literary characters have been found to love sandwiches. Wimpy, Popeye’s friend, has an unnatural affinity for the hamburger sandwich. Author Lawrence Sanders’ Captain Edward X. Delaney, the main character in the Deadly Sin series, is not only a food lover but an affirmed sandwich addict, going so far to classify sandwiches into two kinds: the wet sandwich, with greasy fillings, to be eaten leaning over the sink, and the dry sandwich, with a dry filling, eaten at the table, with a newspaper to catch the crumbs.

Open-faced, single-decked, double-decked or even triple-decked, many people love sandwiches for different reasons. Some people love it for its ease in preparation. Other people, especially those under time constraints, prefer eating sandwiches because it’s so easy to eat, and one can usually finish a sandwich in ten minutes or less. Others choose sandwiches because it’s practically a full meal on its own: meat or fish, veggies and bread. Its relative inexpensiveness also makes it attractive to most people. The popularity of hamburger restaurants also attests to the love people have for sandwiches, and you can probably find at least one restaurant that serves some sort of sandwich, wherever you go. Some cities even have restaurants with menus devoted mostly to sandwiches.

Whatever its origins, whatever its ingredients, whatever its structure and components, is all but academic. For as long as there is a slice of bread, or two, three even, for as long as there is a baguette, a hotdog bun, or, purists notwithstanding, a tortilla, and there is something you can use for a filling, be it cured meats, poultry, fish, butter, cheese or most anything with flavor, it is a foregone conclusion that sandwiches will remain a perennial favorite, that sandwiches are here to stay. And yes, both my wife and my mom make spectacular sandwiches.

of beef jerky, garlic fried rice and a sunny side up egg...

2007-05-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

The 1950’s was an era that saw the emergence of many things American: huge, fin-tailed automobiles, the soda fountain, drive-in movies, the jukebox, rock and roll, prairie skirts, bobbie socks and leather jackets. It was also a time when, in the Philippines, reconstruction was going on. Filipinos, hand-in-hand with their American cousins, worked towards the rebuilding of bombed-out Manila.

Unknown to many, the 1950’s also saw the introduction of one of the most popular meals in the country today. Bringing with them their taste for beef jerky, Americans began sharing this food with the Filipinos. Then it was somehow discovered that the salty, jerked beef went very well with the local version of garlic fried rice, called sinangag. Add to the mix both the Filipinos’ and Americans’ liking for the fried egg and an honest-to-goodness satisfying meal was invented. Whether it was the Americans who actually discovered this combination, or the enterprising Filipino carenderia owners who did, still remains to be determined, although some people agree that a small eatery in Paranaque was one of the first establishments to serve this dish.

What is definite, however, is that the tapsilog, as this meal came to be called, grew to be so popular that quite a number of eateries quickly came up with their own versions of it. In fact, it grew so much in popularity that a lot of people mistakenly believed that it was purely a Filipino creation, completely disregarding the Americans’ contribution of the beef jerky so important to the concept. Manila in the early 1980’s experienced a tapsilog explosion, with restaurants popping up here and there; variations of the meal were then discovered, such as the tosilog, with tocino replacing the tapa, and longsilog, with longganisa. Cebu soon followed in the early nineties, with a handful of tapsilog outlets mushrooming around the city.

What's also interesting to note is the use of the word tapa. Obviously this was taken from the Spanish "tapas", or appetizer, although common usage in the Philippines led it to mean a seasoned beef dish. Another thing, there are so many recipes for beef tapa that no one can can really claim that they use the original recipe in making it: at best, it's always made "the way lola made it."

calling a spade a spade

2007-05-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

It’s around 9:00 pm, Election Day, May 14, 2007 and my wife and I are at a “Cuban-inspired” restaurant near (or is it part of?) the Ayala Entertainment Center. Perusing the menu, I came across entries described as “Spanish this”, “Valenciana that”, and some other food that are not customarily associated with Cuba, such as hummus, chicharon and a “something-Orientale”, chicken, I think. I ask Charleen, my wife, “Hey, I thought this was a Cuban restaurant?” We look at each other in wonder, and start nitpicking, haha.

First off, the sisig: I didn’t know they had sisig in Cuba. And why exactly is a “something-Orientale” being served in a “Cuban” restaurant? Most glaring on their menu was PASTA and PIZZA. What the fuck? In a “Cuban” fucking restaurant? No matter that the restaurant is supposed to be owned by a group that runs some of the best restaurants in the Philippines, when I want pizza or pasta, I’d go to an Italian restaurant, definitely not a “Cuban” restaurant. At the very least, for pizza, I’d go to Shakey’s, Greenwich, Pizza Hut, Yellow Cab, Da Vinci’s, Domino’s or whatever pizza restaurant is nearest. Heck I’d eat those generic pizzas being sold on the streets if there’s no other alternative and I’m absolutely dying for a slice. For pasta, I’d probably just cook it at home, if I’m too lazy to go out, or if my budget is pretty tight. But pizza and pasta in a “Cuban” restaurant? Who gives a fuck that the ingredients supposedly come from Cuba, or the dish is “Cuban-inspired”? Pizza is pizza, pasta is pasta, and they’re both Italian in nature, as Italian as la dolce vita, as Italian as the red Ferrari 550 Maranello I always dream of but know I will never own.

Then I realized how much I dislike restaurants that label themselves as this or that, or follow a particular “theme”, such as this now-defunct restaurant near the Iglesia ni Cristo Church along Mango Avenue. It was named after someplace in Morocco, the same place where Pepe le Pew hangs out, anyways, they had, ta-da, porkchops! Yup. And sisig. No kidding. Sure, they had hash pipes, “shisha” they called it, but still, porkchops and sisig? Isn’t Morocco a Muslim country? That fact alone should have warned the owner to lay off on the pork dishes. Besides the pork dishes, they had tapsilog, gambas and a whole bunch of other food that ideally shouldn’t be served in a “Moroccan” restaurant. And I don’t think I ever saw couscous on the menu.

On the same note, a restaurant in Crossroads Arcade started out by serving “Spanish” food. A couple of weeks later, they began serving ‘diner’ food, maybe because they saw the diner a couple of doors down getting a lot of customers. And what about this coffee shop in Skyrise Building? For a short time, they started serving of all things, NACHOS. Nice combination, nachos and coffee. Wow. Obviously they were trying to steal some business from the Mexican place beside them, but come on, nachos and coffee? Gimme a break.

I mean, if you’re going to open a restaurant, do it right. If you’re going with a theme, stick to it. If you’re going with food that’s identified with one country, stick to it. Don’t freaking confuse the customer by including food from another country. If you’re going to serve a whole shitload of dishes from different countries, don’t bother labeling your restaurant as “Spanish” or “Moroccan” or “Cuban” or whatever. Like, what’s the point of calling your establishment a Japanese restaurant if you’re also going to serve pochero?

are these my thoughts on food, or are they food for thought?

2007-05-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a fairly new writer, I've only been writing for a couple of years. I'm a feature writer for Sun.Star Cebu, the leading community newspaper in the Philippines.

I write mostly features about food, and the restaurants in Cebu City and its suburbs.

I'm pretty new at this, so please bear with any mistakes you might encounter.