Buko...

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

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

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

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

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.