Renowned for its old world charm, Vigan (a designated UNESCO world heritage site), in the new millennium, has multiplied its efforts to preserve the historic town. It also recently made the New7Wonder Cities.

One of Vigan’s sons, tycoon Jose “Bonito” Singson, is so passionate about heritage preservation. He welcomed his longtime friend and FoodPrints host, Sandy Daza, and the team into his nest. A Vigan house so splendidly restored — a mix of Spanish Colonial, Chinese and Ilocano influences, the details very quiet, making personal memoirs and portraits and his daughter’s artworks stand out.

The first time we were at his house,  named Casa Caridad after his late mother, he treated us to cocktails – the finest Ilocano nosh of “bogi ti Semana Santa”, ipon with capers, fresh oysters in the shell, fine wine and pias with salt to keep us up.

The next day, at the actual shoot of Sandy and Bonito’s trusted cook, manang Tita Mendoza, a historical spread unfolded. As a blogger, I’ve always aimed to experience Ilocano food from a different perspective. Hoping to blog about the food of Vigan separately and completely soon. Meanwhile you should watch the FoodPrints Vigan and Ilocos Sur episodes to see what I mean.

With so much thanks to Bonito Singson.

Sampling Vigan’s Spanish influenced canatillo, turones de mani and balicucha.Piedra ChinaIf you will notice, we were actually seating on vintage moviehouse chairs.

Stained glass photo by Nikki Alfonso, hammock and door photos by Christine Rae de Leon and movie, Vigan sweets and second photo by Melanie de Leon.
Photographed by Blauearth© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

Visiting the newly opened restaurant overlooking the Paoay Lake brought mixed feelings. I grew up partially around the area in Nagbacalan. I miss the days when life was so basic, my yaya Cion would ask her brother to paddle me around the lake, in complete serenity, something still so vivid to my memory. I was a very curious child and she absolutely tolerated my whims, like trekking or sledding in the forests til sundown. I still smell the aroma of freshly cooked tilapia from the dalikan.

Vista del Lago is a breath of spring away from the flatness of life in the city. Owner Chef Eric Asuncion was not around, but manager Al Suguitan was helpful with what to order from the temporary, sweet and short Semana Santa menu. I wanted something light, so the homemade tortillas with salsa and tomato banana salad were perfect for sharing with Brandon. The tea made with tarragon from their own garden was a nice complement. Though Vista del Lago’s cuisine is eclectic and fusion, Ilocano details persist, like the tortillas were very Ilocano in taste, really so familiar at first bite, evocative of the crunchy Ilocos Norte cascaron minus the sugar coating. Brandon and I liked ’em. The beautiful salad’s Ilocano twist is the boiled saba that had a nice bite to it. It came with carabao milk cheese. The flavors on this one are very subtle, I thought some tiny bits of salty cheese like feta would add contrast.

The only dessert as of the moment, tres leches, a not too sweet concoction of cream, ripe mangoes and sponge cake, was excellent.

The place is relaxing not only because of the expected gorgeous view. The design is a little restrained, making it very homey, you’d get the feeling that you are just at a friend’s house. I envy the bar. And the garden, with all the herbs they grow.

Vista del Lago is coming up with a wider menu soon. I hope you can visit the place also

Chanced upon the group of Laoag City Hall employees.

Vista del Lago Restaurant National Highway, Paoay Lake, Paoay, Ilocos Norte Contact Al Suguitan (manager)  0917 729 3074 / 0998 989 9274 Open from 11 Am to 9 PM.

Garden Photo by Brandon Tan
Photographed by Blauearth© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

The capital city of Ilocos Sur, Vigan, acclaimed for its well-preserved architecture and cobblestone streets, is well-defined in many aspects. Relative to its multi-colored history, other than traditional bagnet and longaniza, Mexican-influenced pipian and delicacies of Hispanic origins like masa pudrida, turones de mani, canatillo and torta, is a subsisting Chinese eatery named Sanitary Restaurant that serves mainstays, such as canton Luzon (pancit), kwekeng (also known as ngoyong), maki, hongkue (stuffed boneless chicken), carne agre dulce (sweet and sour meat), kimlo, lomi and the more popular siopao, mami and siomai. Passed down through generations, Sanitary is said to be the oldest restaurant in Vigan. Married into the family of the original owners, its current keeper, manong Vicente “Vic” Chua, does not know exactly the year it was established. All he remembers is that is Sanitary was already in existence when he was little.

Sanitary Restaurant is not foreign to me. I’ve heard about it from, of all people, Manila-based Chinoy friends. I remember Vigan resident Mr. Bonito Singson also recently mentioned about his occasional breakfasts at the old Chinese restaurant. A visiting friend gave us kwekeng, fried pork rolls similar to kikiam, from her Vigan trip, but I really never had the time to go there myself until yesterday. We went to Vigan only to eat kwekeng, and then we ate more.

A photo with manong Vic.

Canton Luzon (they also have a bihon Luzon) is very similat to Laoag’s La Moda pancit, but instead of lechon de carajay bits, it is topped with meatballs and pork; the flat noodles are also narrower. I liked the bun of the siopao — dense and very old-fashioned. The carne agre dulce (there’s also chicken and  liver) is presented differently, wherein snow peas and Chinese cabbage take the place of the more common carrots, pineapples or cucumber. Compared to most makis in Binondo, theirs was runny. Likewise in the menu, hongkue, a kind of rice-stuffed chicken steamed for a long amount of time, should be ordered one day in advance. That was what my husband really wanted to try because his dad, who passed away last year, made the best hongkue. My top picks from all that we ordered were siomai and kwekeng with the accompanying sauce.

Locals go there to eat pancit and siopao, but kwekeng, according to manong Vic, is bought in bulk as pasalubong or sent to Bigueños living in Manila.

Ilocanos who grew up wishing pancit instead of spaghetti, will always feel the nostalgia of good old Chinese food.

Sanitary’s  well loved kwekeng.

Sanitary Restaurant 18 Gen. Luna St., Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Sanitary Restaurant exterior photos by Reny and Brandon Tan
Photographed by Blauearth© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

While talking to restaurateur Sam Blas the other day, it dawned on me that I haven’t really given Amare la Cucina a fitting tribute it so deserves. I was with the FoodPrints team in Baguio when they shot Chef Sandy and Ali with the owner and staff of Amare tossing pizza dough. A great pizza starts with its crust; I had a pizza overload, I forgot the names of all the pizzas that came fresh from their custom brick oven. Because of its novelty, perhaps, it was the pâtê pizza drizzled with truffle oil that crowned my Amare experience. It could have been too rich and cloying (in the mind), but it was a pizza that you’d want to have again and again. And it’s not that expensive like the name implies (it is around 600 for the pizza size in the pics). It came by accident, friends insisted that they include it in the menu, according to the young owner. We also had ribs and frutti di mare.

Jennie Celdran and son Powee and FoodPrints director Cris Sevilla-Bilbao.The pâtê with truffle oil pizza.

You can have craft beer specially bottled by the Baguio Craft Brewery, another interesting place to hit when in Baguio.

Located inside Albergo Hotel, between the touristy Mansion House and Mines View Park, Amare is quite spacious. I definitely recommend the restaurant to the hearty eaters.

Nutella pizza that I failed to try.

Amare la cucina Albergo Hotel #1 Villamor Drive, Brgy Lualhati, Baguio city, Philippines 0916 332 1522

Third photo by Powee Celdran
Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

Have you tried the new milky white halo-halo of Chowking? It’s fashionably filled with sweetened saba (banana), chewy macapuno strips, creamy leche flan, crunchy pinipig, shaved ice, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and dribbled with caramel syrup. I like it more ‘coz it’s pared down with just my favorite halo-halo fixings.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

Location: Don S. Hernando Ave. (near K’s Bakeshop or the buko roll store), Laoag

Specialties: Salpicao, imbaliktad, beef curry, pares

Ambiance: Streetside, nondescript.

Prices: 50-60 PHP for beef viands, 10 PHP for fried rice. Bone marrow is free (if you ask).

Verdict: If you’re tired of budget food like tapsilog, this is the place to go. If you are budgeting for two, like you have less than 100 pesos to spend, go for salpicao but get one more rice. It’s cooked in margarine, but that’s good ‘coz it’s healthier. On the spicy side, it is tasty with lots of garlic. Pares is supposed to be the star, but is getting eclipsed by salpicao and imbaliktad, says Eki, the young owner. 17-year-old Genesis says bone marrow is anti aging (laughs), so he asked for bone marrow (straight from the fridge) and added it to his hot pares and waited a bit for the bone marrow to thaw. Pares tastes like a cross between corned beef and beef stew. Even better with bone marrow. I ditched rice when I started my Javita diet, but cheated to enjoy the food. Definitely going back again.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

Southerner Chef Kevin Mize brought the regional American Southern cooking he grew up with to Baguio as he chose to live in the Philippines yet. Ozark is a city in Arkansas. What is notable about Southern food? It is labelled comfort food, also known as soul food. Southern cuisine comes from a mix of old world cooking (such as African American, English, Scottish, Irish, German, French, and Native American, Cajun, Creole, Caribbean). At Ozark, Chef Kevin puts his own twist to the classics.

The Ozark menu consists of pulled chicken or pork, meat loaf, pork chop, grilled rib eye steak, fried chicken with biscuits, and sidings that you can choose from among coleslaw, New Orleans dirty rice with liver, house made fries, mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes, etc.. Desserts are so interesting. I tried at least the durian cheesecake (something with a local twist), dark beer cheesecake and what I liked best, the New Orleans bread pudding – very dense with good bread and the right sweetness.

Ozark Diner is located at a residential area at the back of the St. Louis University in Pacdal. Ambiance is modern and quite low key for a diner.

Brining is one technique Chef Kevin uses for his chicken. Caught him preparing black eyed peas (the exact utong we have) and I was curious how it would taste like as the Ozark signature siding. He adds ham hock to his black eyed peas, which makes no resemblance at all to the local utong with bagnet because we put an exclamation point to the dish with a dash of fish paste..

I had pork chop. It was a little drier than I expected. I regret not trying the meatloaf coz I read rave reviews about it. I have a definite restaurant list whenever I travel to Baguio. Ozark now makes that list.

Bye for now, I have a trip to catch, I’m leaving for yet another FoodPrints shoot. Enjoy your weekend, dearies!

FoodPrints Ozark Diner BTS.

Ozark Diner 2 Bear’s Trail corner, Bareng Drive, Baguio, 2600 Benguet, Philippines

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

If Brandon and I are eating out, we both have to agree on the choice. Location comes second. And because I also invited Chin, her say counts as well.

Todd English Food Hall has been around for a year in Manila. Rock star chef Todd English and son Oliver, and seasoned Filipino restaurateur Ricky Dee and son Eric set up the Todd English Food Hall Manila at the SM Aura Premier. Well, I haven’t been to New York, but the Manila Todd English Food Hall traces its roots to The Plaza hotel. Both the New York and Manila spots were framed by well-known architects, Jeffrey Beers and Ivy Almario respectively. The ambiance is upscale, but not in an intimidating way. The vibe is youngish if you were to ask me. It is perfect for families, dates and intimate functions. The menu is very diverse likewise. Themed food stations add to the decidedly current makeup.

My first pick, a duck confit dish, was not available, so we agreed to eat light, like just appetizers, and go on with our food adventure at other restaurants in SM Aura. From the Raw Bar, 40 PHP per oyster in a half shell is steep if you’re imagining an oyster fiesta. Notably, however, prices are generally modest (about 600-1200 PHP per person for a good sized meal). Going back to the oysters, they were spiced with a hint of Tabasco, perfectly succulent and sweet with just a squeeze of lemon (forget the vinegar dip!).

We’ve heard enough about deconstructed creations. There’s also compressed, like the salad, which was wrapped in a slender slice of watermelon. So much roughage in this, you’ll discover arugula, besides the orange wedges. I like the combination, actually, even if Brandon says it’s on the bitter side. I got a tiny piece of seared foie gras (from the list of add-ons) just to tease the palate (we divided it into 3, btw). Between the two pastas we had — smoked salmon and caviar spaghetti, and goat cheese ravioli —  it’s the ravioli saturated in beet that gets high points. It’s an unexpected weave of different subtle farmy flavors. True to form, the Todd English cuisine is in a good position between rustic and gourmet, and simple and mosaic.

Service was pleasurable. Though the place was full, I asked if we could be seated at a well-lighted table, and they moved us to the next available spot. Staff were also helpful with queries.

The chocolate lava cake was inviting , but we had other plans for dessert.

Todd English Food Hall Manila
5th level, Skypark SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel. No.: (02) 621 4002

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

Food can be inspirational as well as aspirational. One moment you are aroused by a particular scent of food hovering around, another moment you are chasing an accurate taste in your dream. It can be simple or it can be complex. It can be fusty or it can be fresh. There is no love sincerer than the love of food, like someone once said; and taste buds also do get tired. But as a rule, one tends to return to that pleasurable first bite. And so I set my heart on Shine Bakery & Cafe’s almond yema sansrival after the Todd English Food Hall lunch.

We picked three desserts. Matcha sansrival because it looked different, but yema sansrival is still my bet, easily one of the best sansrival cakes around. The traditional buttercream layer is replaced by yema (like the filling of brazo de Mercedes). And then Brandon says, he likes his sansrival chewy (imagine a 2 or 3-day old sansrival in the fridge). He elaborates, “Sansrival is a mood thing.” Eclairs are also prolific chef Sunshine Pengson’s specialty, and we picked salted caramel over the chocolate hazelnut on the display chiller. The sweetness of the filling of the particular eclair was intense for me.

Not dessert-centric, Shine Bakery & Cafe joins the ranks of bakery-cafe hybrids. The time for their savory dishes is yet to come.

Shine Bakery & Cafe 3/F SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway cor. 26th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel No.: 02 815 2872 CP No.: 0917 704 7118

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

A love for lamb is one thing I share with Brandon. Our SM Aura food tripping (in previous posts) was capped by a Greeka Kouzina dinner. I’ve already done an overview (here). It’s time to do a review on another Greek restaurant.

I went to Cyma Greek Taverna at Robinsons Magnolia while waiting for my bus to Laoag. Cyma was developed by awarded chef Chef Robby Goco. He is also the same chef behind the cuisine of Comedor in Vigan’s Hotel Luna.

The Cyma menu is a blend of classic Mediterranean flavors and contemporary Greek dishes, which include seafood, lots of lamb and other meats (like moussaka, baby back ribs, brizola, pastisado, burgers topped with herbed feta) flamed cheese, vegetables, some pastas and a wide choice of sides. Just a curious point, because I am Ilocano, distinctive Greek cooking is comparable to Ilocano cooking, which can be described in one word, and that’s frugal. But refined is the better word to me. I can’t help but compare the olive oil and herbs of Greece to the Ilocos region’s most basic fish sauce, vinegar, and garlic or red onions.

My dinner starts with a meze (appetizer) of ahino salata, raw sea urchin (uni in Japanese and maritangtang in Iloko), with cucumber and capers drenching in parsley mint vinaigrette. The lively flavorscape is enough to make me bounce back from a hectic 3-day work.

Now my main event — paidakia, or char-grilled lamb ribs — to my tasting, flawlessly herbed and spiced, and spanakorizo, which is spinach rice topped with feta, and better with lemon squeeze.

Behind the uncontrived, rather folksy ambiance and friendly staff, it’s the quality of food that stands out, and that is what counts when you are eating out. Pricing is not cheap. Maybe you will have to shell out a thousand pesos or more for a full dinner.

Planning to bring Brandon to Cyma next week.

Cyma Greek Taverna Ground Level, Robinsons Magnolia, Aurora Blvd. cor. Doña M. Hemady St., New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines Tel No.: 02 654 9970

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

I’ve been living out of a suitcase lately. I’m also getting used to commuting the fussy streets of Manila. I managed to bond briefly with my sisters-in-law. We had lunch at Jatujak which has softly opened in SM San Lazaro. The mall is a nice spot if eating out is your thing.

If I’m not mistaken, Jatujak, named after Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weeekend Market, opened first at the SM Mall of Asia. The staff are mostly Ilocanos, so it felt kinda like home. Even the owner, Alfonso Purugganan, says the manager, has roots in Ilocos.

We ordered mostly classic Thai food like tom yum soup with mixed seafood, pad Thai and bagoong rice with semi-ripe mangoes, the sampler appetizer, consisting of fresh vegetarian rolls, shrimp cakes and pork springrolls with different sweet and sour sauces, and Thai style grilled bacon belly. Thai is one cuisine that sends my salivary glands into an overdrive. To start with, Jatujak’s tom yum soup was very good. The blend had the zesty balance of sour, sweetish and aromatic flavors, really soothing, especially if it’s your first meal in the day. The soup was tasty, with a milky quality to it, but not excessively intense. Like I mentioned before, anything with lemon grass is happiness.

The appetizers were average, but the shrimp cakes were crispy outside and nice and tasty inside, and the dips and sauces (like plum and tamarind) were obviously homemade, full-flavored, and make a wonderful match to fried food..My sister-in law’s favorite, grilled bacon belly with an excellent garlic-vinegar dip, was a find. It was tender and spicy in an appetizing way (one order is rather bitin for three). In the end, I also had pad Thai (with rice noodles, ground peanuts and lots of bean sprouts), which was worth another wait.I like noodles more than I like rice, but then the bagoong rice, mildly flavored with fish sauce, was also good. The lunch was enjoyable, nothing negative to say. The ambiance is sedately warm, prices are not that expensive and service was efficient.

Oh, how can I remember Thai coffee only now?

Jatujak Unit 116 Upper Ground Floor, SM City San Lazaro, Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. No.: 711 5271

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

In America, an average of 13 liters of ice cream is consumed per person per year, according to studies, which explains the countless brands out there, not to mention handcrafted and designer ice creams. I only have a vague memory of the first time I was introduced to Cold Stone Creamery in the desert of Palm Springs in previous trips to California, so I wasn’t hyped up when Cold Stone Creamery arrived in the Philippines. If I have to spend on ice cream, call me a loyal fan of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla. Fast forward to today, I’ve tasted the Cold Stone Creamery orange sorbet and their coffee ice cream. I’m not into complicated add-ons, but I’m sure my chocolate freak kids will love customizing their chocolate ice cream with more chocolate filled into chocolate-dipped bowl cones like I imagined when I was observing what was going on at the store counter.

There were not too many flavors to choose from at the particular store we went to. What’s special about Cold Stone Creamery is you can upgrade your basic ice cream flavor into something more you by asking to mix in additional  flavors and textures from the wide array of fixings, which include brownies, cookies, apple pie filling, toffee, peanut butter, gummy bears, fresh fruits, chocolate bars and the usual marshmallows, candy sprinkles and nuts.

Creating your own ice cream  can be a lot expensive. They also have ice cream cakes and are also customizable.

Going back to the coffee ice cream, I tried the one filled with pecans and I realized my sister-in-law had enough reason to frequent the store. It was creamy, kinda dense, and the sweetness level was average. My orange sorbet on the contrary was cloying after consuming about one-third of it. I’ll probably go back to try the vanilla or indulge on a big cup of coffee.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

To fans of Bread Talk, it is literally the best thing since sliced bread. A signature Bread Talk bread is a meal in itself. Too many forms, textures, fillings and colors to choose from. I love their floss breads and curry buns, but it’s claypot chicken that twirls in my mind almost everyday since my first and only claypot chicken. The black bun is filled with traditional Chinese three-cup chicken (cooked mainly in a cup each of  soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine, and livened up with basil, chili, scallions and spices). The earthy bun is chewy and the inside is more spicy than savory. Just when your taste buds open up, ubos na pala. One is not enough.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

If you will remember, Chef Sandy Daza began his FoodPrints journey in Ilocos Norte. On Season 3, he goes to neighboring Ilocos Sur to dig deeper into the humble Ilocano “banga”.

Ilocos Sur has a truly interesting history. Many say the province throws back the entire history of the country because it has done a splendid job in preserving heritage.

The province’s cuisine is a fusion of ancient native and adopted traditions. To narrow it down, the Vigan cuisine alone is alone in many ways. The Vigan empanada and pipian, for example, are all theirs.

From storied Vigan, Sandy goes further to search the best bagnet and discovers “chicharon” and so much more along the road.

Tune in to FoodPrints on the Lifestyle Network on May 17 and May 24 (Sundays), 8PM, for the Ilocos Sur episodes. Sabsabali!

You might spot me there:)

Who else can think of making abuos pizza?

Photo 6 by Edmar Guquib
Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

This is what my dear Lynne cooked on Mother’s Day. It’s Taiwanese-style Three-Cup Chicken. The popular chicken dish was named such because of the equal parts of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. It is spicy, appetizing with steaming hot rice, and would also be so good with steamed Chinese buns (mantau) or even pan de sal, and would make an interesting filling for empanadas/pies. I ate it with pan de sal for dinner. Hope you enjoy the no-brainer recipe she prepared for us. Sorry for the so-so photo I took with Reny’s phone.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo chicken breast, cut into chunks
• 10 slices fresh ginger
• 2 pcs. Thai chili (or green chili), halved
• 20 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3  cup rice wine
• 3 tbsps.  sugar
• 2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves
• 1 cup leeks, sliced into 1 inch pieces

Preparation:

• Heat sesame oil in a pan. Stir in ginger, pepper and garlic until fragrant.
• Throw in chicken and cook all sides until they turn white.
• In a bowl, dissolve sugar in combined soy sauce and rice wine. Pour mixture unto the chicken. Partially cover and bring to boil.
• As soon as it boils, lower the fire and simmer. Stir in basil and leeks before liquid evaporates.
• Remove from heat and serve with hot rice.

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

Traveling all the way to Alabang from Binondo for a hot bowl of ramen is not normal. Eating a bowl of excellent ramen at the only Ramen Yushoken in Metro Manila makes it normal.

So, finally, thanks to my best friend Cathy, the foodie in me got excited to explore the flavors of Ramen Yushoken.  I ordered the most basic ramen, Shio, to better appreciate the broth like I always do. If ever I will have another chance to go back, I would definitely try either the Tantanmen with sesame paste, pork and chili oil or the rich Miso with 7 different kinds of miso. Salivating just thinking about it.

Our Shio ramen was rich but subtle, in fact, sweetish, a little velvety, with fantastic noodles, which they make fresh always. I ate my ramen with aji tamago and we had gyoza on the side. Dumplings don’t excite me much, but theirs are nice and cooked al dente.

Adjudged the best ramen by food bloggers and foodies, Ramen Yushoken lives up to the hype.

We had dessert at nearby Cravings. I wanted something else, but settled for a less heavy tiramisu. A good choice though.

Ramen Yushoken Molito Lifestyle Mall, Madrigal Avenue, Alabang, Muntinlupa Tel. No.: +63 2 808 7424

Photographed by BlauEarth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

Unlike the New York food hall brought to the Philippines, the pretty new Hole In The Wall at the Century City Mall in Makati is a showcase of a super eclectic variety of food vendors and local artisanal food and beverages. For those who like diversity and specificity put together, Hole In The Wall just might be for you. The concept of bringing together accomplished chefs within the same walls is global trendy and upscale, yet Hole In The Wall is an enjoyable food market with better-than-a-foodcourt communal dining spaces to linger in.

Together with my besties, Christina and Cathy, and Brandon, we almost didn’t make it to Makati because traffic was horrendous even on a weekday. A good thing it closes at 10PM.

One tip:  If you see anything you like, get it right away, like we planned on buying craft cookies from Scout’s Honor by Chef Miko Aspiras, but the shelves were almost empty before we left.

I went around and fixed an eccentric ox tail and tamarind sauce banh mi and spring rolls from Phobobo, salted egg chicken wings from Kwong’s Provisions and a pastrami-Emmental cheese sandwich from Mister Delicious to share with the group. Christina was on the other end ordering spicy fried chicken with waffles from Bad Bird.

The pastrami sandwich was dry to say the least. I’m an easy person to please. Good company will make any food delicious. But, I was happiest with my salted egg chicken. The banh mi came in second.

Hole In The Wall 4th Floor Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue cor. Salamanca Street, Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila Tel. Nos.: 02 801 1230 / 02 801 1231

Photographed by BlauEarth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

We were so unlucky to score some matcha and red velvet cookies from Scout’s Honor, but we had time to sample two desserts from Chefs Miko Aspiras and Kristine Lotilla’s Le Petit Soufflé Soft Opening Menu. We didn’t have much time, however, for a classic soufflé, which requires detailed precision and extra time to prepare. And I regret much not seeing the salted egg parfait before we decided on the French frozen pistachio soufflé with cherry griotine confiture, but on second thought, the frozen souffllé the girls shared was fabulous. I would have easily finished one whole serving. Doused with cherry preserve, the sweetness was still proper.

You’ll find lots of matcha and decadent Valrhona chocolate desserts in the menu. Ditto with parfaits and some pure custards.

Beyond classic and nouveau desserts, select savory comfort food, such as onion soup, a vegetarian soba pasta, fusion mac and foie, squid ink pasta or rice, croque madame or croque monsieur (croissant with ham and cheese, with or without egg), French toasts, of course, and some salads, comprise the short menu.

Brandon’s matcha parfait.

Amid all the faux foliage, the ambiance is yet refreshing — proves that green can de-stress. Or it may provoke the senses if a person has an aversion to anything fake.

Le Petit Souffle 3rd Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue cor. Salamanca Street, Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila Tel. No.: (02) 886 3056

Photographed by BlauEarth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

I went with family to Seaside dampa on Macapagal Avenue to celebrate a niece’s birthday. Not exactly a new Filipino cultural phenomenon, dampa paluto is still attracting waves of customers. Dampa translates to shack or kubo, so the whole experience is straightforward, nothing fancy, and is more authentic when you eat with your hands, like most Filipinos do.

Though we’d do something like buy seafood and look for someone who could cook the purchase for us here in Ilocos, it was my first time to experience going to a big dampa in Manila. I envisioned more seafood like clams, bamboo shells and scallops, so it was a bit of dismay to find a sea of squid and prawns.

Spotted some rock lobsters and crabs, but those can be really expensive as compared to prices in the province. Dampa prices run cheaper, though, than most restaurants in the metro.

My sister-in-law had it all figured out. We proceeded to G Squared Palutuan (among the rows of restaurants) after buying the important ingredients. We were seated among big groups of locals and balikbayans. Plastic gloves (the kind you see in hair color treatment kits) accompany crab and prawn dishes. It’s amusing that people tend to be so quiet when crustaceans are right in front of them.

Among the food on our table: buttered crabs, tempura, buttered shrimps, baked mussels. Seaside dampa is close to MOA, so we stopped by Cold Stone Creamery.

Photographed by BlauEarth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

One description of Ilocano food that has stuck in my mind was made by Chef Sandy Daza. In the latest episode of FoodPrints, he said, “Ilocano food is simple, with much heart.” Having grown up with Ilocano food, I completely agree with him. Yet through all the simplicity (and almost visual flatness) of Ilocano food, Ilocano cooking varies from house to house, from town to town.

I hail from the northernmost province of the Ilocos Region. In the 80s to the 90s, road trips to and from Manila or Baguio would not be complete without breakfast or early lunch at Clarin’s Restaurant, right beside the National Highway in the poblacion of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. We’d make it a point to make a stopover at the all-you-can-eat restaurant which serves a set menu of native dishes that includes piping hot lomo-lomo.

Back then, lomo-lomo (browned pork soup pepped up with kuchay (Chinese chives), tinuno (grilled pork), pork adobo, Ilocano-style afritada, imbaliktad (half-cooked beef flavored with Ilocano vinegar, lasona and ginger), igado, balatong (mongo), and their signature salad (that is actually an atchara with katuday (katuray or duboisia flowers) and utong (green beans), depending on availability, were served all at once. Refills would be brought upon request.

Past noontime in Narvacan, as if revisiting an old flame, the hubby stopped and snuck in Clarin’s to take a look at the food counter. He didn’t leave the restaurant without refreshing old memories with his family, most especially with his dad. To this day, the hubby (and his siblings) crave for the resataurant’s difficult-to-copy, tempered bittersweet flavor of katuday-utong salad,  tinuno and lomo-lomo.

Something caught my attention while my husband was satisfying his yearning for Clarin’s cooking. According to a hanged enlarged print of a 1990 Philippine Daily Inquirer article, entitled “Eating out in Vigan”, penned by notable food columnist, food critic and book author, the late Doreen Fernandez — her co-author of a foodie guide book, Eddy Alegre, and well-known nutritionist Sanirose Singson-Orbeta, both Ilocaos, agree that “the best eating in Vigan is outside Vigan”.

We chanced upon Evangeline Clarin, the present owner/manager of Clarin’s and daughter of the founder of the pre-war eatery that primarily caters to travelers (largely loyal customers from Vigan and Laoag). “I’m trying to sustain the restaurant.”

The hubby was late for the tinuno, but basically the same familiar viands. An all-you can eat meal costs PhP150. I complained about the lomo-lomo’s not being the same like it was in the past. She said, she didn’t put kuchay. “I knew it,” I retorted, and she smiled. Nonetheless, the salad and the poque-poque (sauteed grilled eggplant with tomatoes) were perfect. The waitress said their old-cook and the owner still tend to the kitchen.

While fast food restaurants and carinderias have mushroomed along the northern highway through the decades, Clarin’s  yet keeps up with tradition.

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