India on my mind

WHILE DARTING to and fro one meeting to another last November 27, 2008, Thursday, I got this text message on my office mobile, at 1:47:50 P.M., that read (edited and printed here on conventional written English): “Heard about the terrorist attacks in Mumbai? Oberoi was one of the places targeted.  Imagine if we were on a trip to India and had stopped over for dinner at Oberoi Mumbai liked we used to? Yikes!”

 

For a moment, I felt too numb with fear to move.  Though I’ve been to India only once, I have really come to love that country!  So the text message came as really sad news.  I’ve been thinking about it (India) lately, and my friend’s text message came at an inopportune time – just right around days when I was relishing happy thoughts of my Indian gastronomic adventures.

 

Quite obviously, I’ve been meaning to write down my thoughts about Indian cuisine.  Earlier in that week, I thought I could finally get ‘current’ material to write about, especially since Batman has been telling me that we could try the new Indian resto that just opened at The Podium.  We agreed to meet up there the weekend before, but unfortunately, he came down with the flu.  I need current material because my most recent opportunity to delight in Indian culinary arts was last year when Partner and I had dinner at The New Bombay Canteen at the ground floor of The Columns on Ayala Avenue.  So once Batman’s schedule frees up again, we’ll pay a visit to that place at The Podium.

 

For now, the memories of my affair with curry will have to do.

 

In 2005, I went on an 11-day business-and-very-little-pressure trip to India that saw me experiencing the best cuisine this republic in the Asian subcontinent in Southern Asia has to offer – from the I.T. hub that is Bangalore; to the resort destination of Goa; and ultimately, to the financial capital of Mumbai.  In Bangalore, I stayed at The Park Hotel.  In Goa, at The InterContinental The Grand Resort.  And in Mumbai, at The Leela Kempinski.  These three hotels made a lasting impression on me.  No two were alike.  Each had its own appeal that left me breathless.  The Park Hotel was so modern-day cutting edge.  The InterContinental The Grand Resort was very old world, I felt like I was in that hotel in ‘Casablanca’ (I did, though I’m not quite sure if my comparison of the two really links up).  And The Leela Kempinski?  It was something else – the façade alone was very majestic and imposing.  And the lobby was really something.

The InterContinental The Grand Resort Goa in Goa, India. This is a shot of the garden facing the Arabian Sea!

As in my other previous travels, I kept a travel journal, which this time I called as “eNTeNG’s Rickshaw Diaries.”  Of the ones I took down electronically, I only have the ‘Day 1 / In-Transit To India’ entry in my archives to this day.  The other days, when I was already awashed with work facilitating a management development program, I scribbled my thoughts on a notebook that sadly, I had already lost.  They were vivid accounts of every breakfast I had at the hotels; of every buffet lunch; and, of every fabulous dinner.  I’m allowing myself to use ‘fabulous’ to describe the dinners, as I had a different lobster dish (almost) every night.  Not missed out were all the in-flight food I had because as you can see or surmise from my itinerary, my trip involved a lot of domestic air travel.  And also, just like in Penang, Malaysia, which I had visited three times, I loved Indian hawker food!

I was told that this sunset (by the Arabian Sea in Goa) is one of the best in the world. It was breathtaking...

That's my grilled lobster dinner, by the shore of the Arabian Sea. This has got to be one of the most unforgettable, indulgent lobster dinners I had in Goa.

From my very long day 1 entry, I’m sharing with you a couple of passages.  The first one was while on board my Thai Airways flight from Manila to Bangkok.  And the second one, while on board the flight from Bangkok to Bangalore.  These are all about in-flight food, which unfortunately, a lot of people kinda hate.  But I’ve loved most of those that I have had!

My lobster thermidor dinner! They stuffed rice in the shell... totally not getting my request. Haha! But it was delicious just the same.

 “Speaking of real eating pleasure, I had just that…  Between a choice of pork or fish, I asked for the fish.  And it was not disappointing at all!  This I actually knew for a fact since I’ve loved Thai cuisine all my life.  But I give more credit to airlines that can turn their in-flight food into something that’s really sumptuous.  The fish was actually eel and it was grilled to perfection, brushed richly and amply with a savory sweet barbecue sauce.  It was served with plump steamed rice and a generous side dish of three steamed vegetables, namely carrots, bamboo shoots and green chilies.  The green chilies, while looking like our regular Philippine sour soup chilies, were actually and specially hotter and pungent.  But I chowed them down just the same.  The other side dish was a part-raw, part-cooked salad of eggplants (boiled) and fresh green bell pepper strips and red-leaf lettuce (I think) in a sugar cane vinegar reduction with chopped shallots.  There was no menu to describe the dishes but that’s how I got it from how they tasted.  …  Even at 30,000+ feet up in the sky, I washed down my food with coffee.  …  To top everything off, I asked for a full glass of tomato juice.  Yum yum!!!”

 

“One thing we agreed on was how good the in-flight food was.  They were serving Indian cuisine and it was heaven for me!  I didn’t expect it as I haven’t really tried any of the Indian restaurants in the Philippines.  The chicken curry sent me to gourmet heaven (at 30,000+ feet up there I think I was close!).  The chicken was deboned and so tender.  It was moist and oozing with flavor from the very savory and really really hot and spicy masala concoction.  I think it was a festive medley of freshly ground cumin, turmeric, fennel, ginger, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, among others.  I really enjoyed it because the cabin crew ended up giving in to my request for a SECOND SERVING of the dinner entrée!  She hushed “I’ll check at the back …” and did come back with that beautiful smile and the piping hot food on her hand.  It was served with steamed Basmati rice.  Even while in California before, I’ve loved Basmati rice.  For me, it was just more flavorful than most others (save for my other favorite, Japanese rice, which was more so because of its texture and being just-right sticky).  You see, Basmati rice is mostly grown in the nice climate of the Himalayan region.  And they are aged for about 5 to 10 years and this only brings out the almost nutty and fragrant qualities of the rice.  More than providing sustenance, Basmati rice has long been regarded as that one thing that helps tie together the many and diverse cultures, traditions, religions, festivities and cuisines of India!  I’m a rice person so a second helping  -  not just of this rice but the whole dinner entrée  -  filled and comforted my soul many times over.  On the side, I enjoyed the salad which was a mixture of fruits and vegetables in a really biting garlic vinegar dressing.  It had seedless red grapes, green apples, carrots and lettuce.  The dessert was a gooey slice of a corn-and-coconut native cake.  Of course, I washed everything down with Cognac on the rocks and then two cups of coffee.  And again, a full glass of well-chilled tomato juice.  I especially wanted the tomato juice to sort of ease the ‘hangover’ that was already creeping into my system after being up for 39 hours straight!!!”

In one of the places we went to, the restaurant manager allowed me in the kitchen!... That's me watching the chefs at work on my lobster!

And from the ‘Work-Life Effectiveness’ portion of my December 2005 monthly status report at work:

“I love India!!!  I never thought I could, at least for now, finally tick it off from my list of must-go-to places before I really get old.  Like Japan which I had first visited as a teenager, India is one place where the old is harmoniously juxtapositioned with the new – in Bangalore, in Goa, and especially in Mumbai.  And the food???  My gosh, I loved everything – from the Naan, Paratha, Papadam, Roti … to all the vegetable and curry dishes!  I told the friends (that) I made there that I didn’t meet any food I didn’t come to really love.  Even the in-flight food on all the domestic flights were quite heavenly for me that the crew were so generous to give me second helpings.  I’ve actually started falling in love with Indian cuisine when I saw the FoodNetwork TV show “From Martha’s Kitchen” feature Maya Kaimal, the author of the book ‘Savoring The Spice Coast Of India … Fresh Flavors From Kerala.’  The sight of the masala-stuffed bluefish and the spinach thoren were just so salivating.  Bangalore, which is quite evident as a former military garrison city during the midnight ride from the airport to the hotel, is India’s I.T. capital … probably one of the world’s I.T. capitals.  The hotel car driver even brought me to one of Intel’s three offices there … at way past midnight!!!  One imposing structure I saw was the palatial Leela Palace Hotel, the façade of which is an exact replica od the fabled palace of the majarajahs of Mysore.  And of course, I was at awe at how peacefully man shares the streets with the cows.  Goa, on the other hand, is quite famous for being India’s Roman Catholic state.  …being there was like being in the Philippines’ Ilocos region.  With over a hundred churches and basilicas around, I was often reminded that this was indeed a former Portugese colony.  Of all these old churches, it was the visit to the Basilica De Bom Jesus (Portugese for ‘Basilica Of Good Jesus’), the best example of Baroque architecture in India, that was so amazing.  There we saw the relics of the body of St. Francis Xavier, best friend of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society Of Jesus.  Later on, I would learn that this church is actually a UNESCO world heritage site.  The last leg of our visit to India was in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), the center of India’s bustling film industry, Bollywood.  Memorable places to visit in Mumbai were the Portugese churches, government offices (that looked like cathedrals), and train stations (that also looked like cathedrals!!!).  The main street actually brought back to mind my trips to San Francisco – it felt like being in the Bay Area!  There was also the grand ‘Gateway To India,’ structure where colonizers docked.  It’s a 25-meter high stone archway, designed by George Wittet in the 16^th century Gujarat style and was built to commemorate the visit in 1911 of King George V and Queen Mary to India.  I could actually go on and on … but I have ‘eNTeNG’s Rickshaw Diaries’ to dump all these raves into.”

Gotta go back to ‘Myron’s Place’!

Myron’s Place

Greenbelt 5, Legaspi Street,

Legaspi Village,

Makati City, Metro Manila

Tel. No. (632) 757-8898

Bianca's Cut - A slice of heaven, only at Myron's Place in Greenbelt 5

One line in the Oscar-award-nominated movie Catch Me If You Can stressed upon me the value some people attach to going on ‘steak dinners.’  Cashing a check, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Frank Abagnale, Jr. charmed the pants off the bank teller, and invited her to a steak dinner.  I guess they made it to dinner because the next sequence was somewhere else more intimate.  Hehe.  But I digress.

So why does having steak conjure up notions of (perceived) grandeur?  I guess it’s because the more tender the cut is, the more premium we pay on the price.  Though I don’t have the budget for it, I can appreciate a good steak.  Besides, I’m more of an herbivore than a carnivore.

But for some reason, the rather unassuming signage ‘Myron’s Place‘ on one of the ’stores’ on the ground level of Greenbelt 5 has had a beckoning appeal to me.  I mean, everytime I walk in to Greenbelt 5 – by way of Greenbelt 4 – to go to ‘Adora‘ (just window-shop! hahaha!), or go to ‘John and Yoko‘, ‘Banana Republic‘, ‘Classic Confections‘ or ‘Kenneth Cole‘, I can’t help but notice in my peripheral view, the glistening letters that spell M-Y-R-O-N-’s P-L-A-C-E.  So when the time came to finally swing its doors open and peruse its menu, I was so glad I finally did.  Before I move forward, it needs no mentioning that yes, I braved this place, much to the prodding of Friendship, Cecille.

As I write this down to share with you, I’ve been to Myron’s Place a couple of times already.  And before I get ahead of myself..  Oh well, what the heck!  I’ll get ahead of myself and tell you that you too need to check it out!  And that is coming from an herbivore!

I usually start off with the ‘Mushroom Cappuccino (Php 135.00)‘.  To this day, it is for me the best ever mushroom soup I’ve tasted!  It has the color and frothy finish of an actual coffee cappuccino.  Only the perfectly toasted garlic-butter baguette that rests on the rim of the bowl gives away the fact that it could very well be the best concoction of wild mushrooms, onions(?) and cream that you will ever put in your mouth!  It was so damn good.  Any skepticism I had about the promise of this well-appointed restaurant (sometimes some restaurants hope to get away with good looks!), vanished with the first spoonful I had!  This mushroom cappuccino boasts of the robust flavor of the freshest wild mushrooms – I’m thinking creminis, white and brown button mushrooms, portobella – crowned perfectly with the comforting richness and goodness of real cream.  Sinful but worth every calorie!

Mushroom Cappuccino - It doesn't get any better than this!

Before I even finish my mushroom cappuccino, I always make sure that they serve their ‘Baked Oysters Rockefeller (Php 330.00)‘ well within my first few spoonfuls of the soup.  Their version of this New Orleans original dish is six big, fresh, succulent, oysters drenched in garlic butter, lined with spinach, and generously topped with cheese and bacon bits, then baked to perfection.  The six oysters on the half-shell sit prettily on a bed of coarse sea salt, on a pristine white platter.  They were too pretty to devour, and too intimidating that I thought I could only manage to eat one.  But I later ended up apologizing profusely to my friends as nothing less than three could satiate me.  I’m no expert on Baked Oysters Rockefeller, especially since all I know about oysters is shucking them, drizzling them with fresh “calamansi” and slurping them right out of the shell.  But what Myron’s Place does to them.. wow.

Six pretty oysters, all in a circle!

These three were all mine! Simply irrisistible.

After getting warmed up by the soup and the bivalves, I would be ready for the star of any sumptuous Myron’s Place dinner –  the steak!  I always ask for the entry level steak – the ‘Bianca (Php 800.00)‘ – which I think is about 5 ounces(?).  I love the sauteed vegetables that come with them, along with the rice I prefer over mashed potatoes or french fries.  I love it that Myron’s Place respects the rice lovers in us.  Though my friends would try their very best to hold their judgment (and frowns!) over my poor choice for a side dish, I have kept asking for rice to come with my steak.

Lots of freshly ground black pepper on my steak please!

The steak comes with a choice of three sauces.  I don’t know if they just give you what you ask for but the couple of times I’ve been there, they have served me all the three wonderfully amazing sauce selections – ‘Shiraz Cabernet-Shallot Jus (the red wine reduction)‘, ’Brandy Pepper (the pepper sauce)‘ or ‘Mushroom Sauce‘.  I personally adore the red wine reduction sauce!  And before I forget, I always ask for the kind waiter to please ‘crust’ my steak with a good dusting of freshly, coarsely cracked black pepper.  It is almost like asking them to make my medium-rare (the way I love it!) piece of meat, ‘au poivre‘.

The three perfect sauces - red wine reduction, pepper, or mushroom.

The steak truly is one of the best I’ve ever had.  It’s got a nice grilled crust, while remaining pink in the center.  Juicy and tender.  With the flavor of the beef, really pronounced, and not disguised by any other heavy marination or basting.

For dessert, we decided on their ‘Panna Cotta (Php 145.00)‘ (literally translated as ‘cooked cream’ in Italian).  It was delicate, with a subtle sweetness.  I savored it, slowly, bit by bit.. as it proved to be the perfect dessert to cap such an extremely pleasing dinner.

Myron’s Place has a really wide menu.  But these four for me are my must-haves every visit.  As for my friends, they’ve had the ‘Foie Gras Burger‘, the ‘Franco (the next cut after the Bianca)‘ and all the other offerings like the ‘Cream of Pumpkin Soup‘, and the ‘Barley Soup‘.  I realize, I’ve never tried any of the salads too.  And what about an attempt to pair each course with wine, and give the tired lemonade a rest?  How does a nice ’chianti‘ by the glass sound?

So, as the title of this post suggests: I gotta go back there!

eNTeNG c”,)™©’s Angel Hair Pomodoro Redux

My post last November 21, where I shared my own recipe for eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  Angel Hair Pomodoro, gave me hunger.. no, let me correct that..  craving pangs!  My friends and family know, that quite ironically, for someone who loves food so much, I have imposed a personal injunction for me to go on a no-carbs diet.  It all started with that first long weekend in August.  It was the perfect time to get something started (with much encouragement from ‘Superman‘).  So I did start my own version of South Beach Diet – no rice, no pasta, no oriental noodles, no bread.  Huwwwwaaattt?!?!!

And I have actually remained faithful to this diet, shedding off ~15 lbs.  from when I started!  Now, I’m training my sights to reviving my 4KM – 5KM fun runs.  The last time I joined one, I was the “most improved”, clocking in an improvement of about 30% from my previous best time.  I need to do this again as my diet-only weight loss has plateaud at 15 lbs.!  And since a month back, I had reluctantly consented to giving myself “cheat” meals, having a little rice.. and a little pasta.  But only stress at work had broken my resolve to stick to my diet.

And recently, as I was trying to point out, my eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  Angel Hair Pomodoro post won over me – a classic case of ‘the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’

I checked our pantry (‘pantry’.. I think that’s too much of a word!) and found a couple of 14.5-ounce cans of a product that I now swear by – Hunt’s Stewed Tomatoes!  They were so good.  I used everything in the can, tomatoes, juice and all.  I chopped them coarsely, and used them in place of the ‘usual’ tomatoes in my recipe.  The stewed tomatoes were so good that I ended up munching on them while I worked in the kitchen.  Trust me, they were that good.  But then again, I am a tomato lover so you have all the right to doubt me as well.  Hehehe.

The resulting angel hair pomodoro?  It was so good.  So yummy!  It was verging on the ’sweet’ side, which I think, was a big plus because it was as Italian as you could get, but it was something that was kid-friendly too.  It actually reminded me of one of my own favorites from Café Bola, their ‘Tomato Basil‘ pasta.

Channeling Mark Straussman, chef and owner of The Campagna Restaurant in New York, and author of the book The Campagna Table, I exerted effort in making my plate pretty.  I twisted the angel hair (from a certain height over the pan), twisting as I went to putting it on the plate.  Then I topped the nice bunch of pasta with more of the chunky tomato sauce.  And of course, lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

For added points, I served my angel hair pomodoro on one of my ‘Manhattan‘ plates from the ‘Bar Lingo‘ series of ‘The Pottery Barn‘.  I have a collection of those, which I got from the States.

Here are a couple of pictures I took with my Nokia 5310 Xpress Music cellphone.

eNTeNG c”,)™©’s Angel Hair Pomodoro, made with Hunt's Stewed Tomatoes. Yum!.. Served on the 'Manhattan' plate from the 'Bar Lingo' series of 'The Pottery Barn'.

I was making a presentation for our upcoming CEO visit so I had to bring my angel hair pomodoro with me to the study table..

Happy Birthday, Superman!

TODAY IS the birthday of one of my really good friends, Ronoel (a.k.a. ‘Superman‘).  He’s out of the country so a birthday dinner with Batman and Partner.. Spider-man.. and Friendship is out of the question.

Limited Edition Complete Superman DVD Collection in Steel Case (bought from an online seller), on top of that nice 'bright' table at Classic Confections in Greenbelt 5.

But if I were to think about a good birthday dinner for Superman, then it would be at Cyma Estiatorio at Greenbelt 2.  I’ve been there quite a number of times, and the one time we brought Superman there, he liked the place too.  For starters, we’d have the ‘Roka Salata‘, a salad of fresh arugula and delicate romaine lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, candied walnuts, topped with shaved parmesan cheese in a special, original Greek vinaigrette.  Then, we’d have the ‘Kakavia‘, or Greek Fisherman’s Stew.  It is chockful with the freshest seafood, in a saffron broth infused with fresh herbs – I get the dill right away (I’m thinking it is dill).  The thread-like foliage of the dill, together with the saffron, gives the soup its aromatic quality.  For our entrees, it will be the ‘Steak (Beef Tenderloin) Souvlaki‘ and the ‘Solomos Angel Hair.’  The souvlaki is the traditional kabob, skewered with fresh vegetables, and grilled to perfection!  They come with warm pita bread and yougurt garlic sauce.  The Solomos Angel Hair is pasta with a tomato-cream sauce and lots of feta and romano cheese.  It better be an original by Cyma because I’ve never had it anywhere else.  It is so good that it may very well be my second favorite pasta, after my classic Angel Hair Pomodoro.  The last time we were there, I coulnd’t help but rave about it to one of the Staff.  We were already on our way out the door but I just had to tell her (the Staff) how much I loved the pasta dish, especially since I’m not crazy about cream-based sauces!  For Superman’s birthday dinner dessert, we’d have the ‘Glyka Sampler.’  Or, we could go to ‘Classic Confections‘ in Greenbelt 5 for a ‘Sugar-Free Lemon Torte‘ and lots of my favorite ‘Russian Tea Cookies.’ 

 

So much for thinking up a birthday feast.  For all I know, Superman will just want his favorite ‘Oxtail Kare-Kare‘ (traditional Filipino stew of cooked-to-fall-off-the-bone-tenderness oxtail in a peanut sauce, with lots of fresh vegetables, served with a fermented shrimp paste sauce on the side).

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUPERMAN!

One of Superman's birthday cakes – a chocolate cake with a mousse / ganache filling, from 'Secret Recipes'.. Again, Happy Birthday!

eNTeNG c”,)™©’s Angel Hair Pomodoro

A NUMBER of people kind of know that I am harboring thoughts of becoming a chef.  I do.  Will I go get myself the education to be one?  It depends on a lot of things.  Though this I know for sure – I don’t see it happening in the immediate, sensible horizon.  If I’d look back to everything that has passed so far in this year, I see moments when I found myself standing on the precipice of change.  You’re guessing it right.  I didn’t jump on the chance to take my life to a totally different course.  Don’t get me wrong..  I’m so loving my engineering job.  But sometimes I find myself thinking I could be a chef.  Oh well..  at least I think.  I think therefore I exist!

 

eNTeNG c”,)™©’s Angel Hair Pomodoro... Can't help but take this shot!

 

So while that is not yet true, I just make sure I have as much time in the kitchen, whipping up my ‘signature’ dishes as much as I can.  One that I truly love is what I have started to call as eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  Angel Hair Pomodoro.  Sometimes, when all else just feels so wrong, I make this dish.  Eat.  And just feel all my cares wash away.  Sometimes, my brother would really request for this – on a whim – in the middle of the night.  Check out the time stamp on the picture above.  I loved how this one ended up looking like that I couldn’t resist to take a shot!

 

 

How did my love affair with angel hair pomodoro start?  It was all because of Italianni’s, way back in the day, at their first branch in Greenbelt, along Legaspi Street in Makati, near Nandau.  Whew!  I had to catch my breath with that desciption!  Hehe.  I can still vividly recall how pretty the dish looked like, served in the pan it (most probably) was cooked in.  The diced red tomatoes – sometimes, both red and a little yellow tomatoes – glistening with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil would always be impossible to resist.  That has been how I have loved pasta made – tossed well together with the sauce, and not just topped with it.  Even after a big bowl of my favorite Rosemary & Potato Soup, I could still clean up a huge serving portion of this pasta.  Hey, even a whole one!  As the years went on, I had made a number of attempts to perfect my angel hair pomodoro, especially before I left for my year-and-a-half-long assignment in the States.  The recipe I’m sharing here is the closest I got to perfection.

 

How much do I love this?  You have to know that this dish was my any-night dinner in Folsom.  It’s simple and quick and needs just a few ingredients.  Quite a number of my friends have liked this as well and would even request me to prepare them some (Millet and Agnes … even Boojie liked it a lot!).  If I wasn’t expecting company, I would eat this dish straight out of the pan, while standing by the kitchen counter.  Sarrrap !!!  The secret to its quickness is having all the sauce ingredients and cooking utensils ready.  Dry angel hair pasta cooks in just two (2) minutes so I start sauteing the sauce while bringing my pasta water to a boil.  That way, the sauce and the pasta get ready at about the same time.  I’ve found out that De Cecco makes the finest dry pasta.  But here at home, you may use San Remo because I think they’re the only ones who make angel hair.  This recipe is good for two persons for a generous dinner or for four persons for a light snack or lunch.  But I almost always end up eating everything!  So this is just good for one eNTeNG  c”,)™©.

 

700g to 1000g of ripe ‘San Marzano’ Roma tomatoes or baby pear tomatoes

   (I actually use more!)

   or  a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (‘La Valle’ is a good brand)

4 to 6 Tablespoons of the finest extra virgin olive oil (I use ‘Bertolli’)

8 ounces or 225g angel hair pasta (‘De Cecco’ or ‘San Remo’)

5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly (about 1/8-inch)

pinch of cayenne pepper (or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)

12 or more fresh basil leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano)

   or freshly shaved Parmesan cheese (“shaved” looks more artistic!)

coarse salt

 

Blanch tomatoes in briskly boling water for about 5 to 10 seconds.  Plunge the tomatoes into an ice-water bath and then remove the skins and the seeds.  For a really ‘wet’ sauce, you may not remove the seeds.  That would be okay.  But DEFINITELY remove the skins!  Chop the tomatoes coarsely (or in small cubes) and set aside.  Fill your pasta pot with enough water according to the pasta package instructions.  Cover and bring to a rolling boil.  Then, in a 12-inch saute pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to very low (as low as you can go), then add the garlic and the cayenne pepper.  Cook this together slowly, with occasional stirring, to infuse the olive oil with the aroma of the garlic and the bite of the cayenne pepper.  The garlic will slowly take its distinctive, faint golden color (without actual browning!!!) while its flavor marries beautifully with that of the oil and the cayenne pepper.  Add the chopped tomatoes and let it simmer.  At this point, the pasta water should have come to a rolling boil.  Add the angel hair pasta and cook it al dente, which, based on my experience, is always at least one minute less than the manufacturer’s recommended cooking time.  When the pasta is about to get ready, tear the basil leaves into the tomato sauce.  Drain the pasta and quickly toss it together with the sauce.  Give the pasta another quick stir and voila !!!  You have a sumptuous Angel Hair Pomodoro dinner.  Serve it while it’s hot, with a generous topping of freshly grated Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Have some more of the cheese to pass around.  Enjoy

Mangan Tamu Quing EBUN (‘Let’s eat at EBUN’)

[This was originally written on October 15, 2004 for my department’s monthly newletter]

 

ebun  …  Kusinang pinoy

Greenbelt 3

Level 1, Greenbelt 3,

Ayala Center, Makati City,

Tel. No. (632) 757-4792

 

NOTHING BEATS getting tips from your friends on where to wine and dine.  For sure these are the people who will let you in on the latest and very happening watering holes, the most authentic cuisine offerings, and hopefully, the biggest bang for the buck, especially if you’re on a budget.  Eversince I started this column, I’ve gotten quite a number of suggestions on places to check out.  But among my small circle of friends (and all the nice people on my NPI Team for Crystal Falls), it’s Cecille (Carnay, PACT-CDC) who always seems to be a step ahead in discovering the ‘it’ places.  She has always had impeccable taste so the moment I realized that it was already the second time that she had asked if I had paid ebun a visit, I knew I had to feature it this month.

 

I’m nowhere near being associated with Pampanga or being “Kapampangan.”  But Pampanga and things “Kapampangan” have always had a special place in my heart.  I’ve made really great friends with “Kapampangans“, among other reasons.  And this visit to Ebun just made things even more special.  Having just gone out of the two-hour commute from CV2 to Makati, and thankfully coming out of it alive, though probably with blackened lungs much thanks to the soiled aircon vents of the shuttle bus, I darted through the Greenbelt 3 security with nary an acknowledgment of the security guard’s greeting.  Bordering on frantic, I searched for Ebun and was so pleasantly surprised and greeted by the calming white exteriors of the restaurant.  Still trying to mask my pent up hunger, I pushed the doors hurriedly.  But they wouldn’t budge either way and it was at this point that Arnie told me that they slide to the sides.  It must’ve been the hunger, I opined.

 

Once inside, and comfortablty settled on what could be their booth section, my hunger was appeased by the cool interiors that are nothing short of a massage to the eyes.  The walls and the ceilings were done in white.  And in such limited space, I marveled at how the monochromatic approach made the place bigger than it really is.  I guess that it must have been the dramatic high ceilings, and the huge mirror that covers one wall.  And I think they had to stick with just white, or egg shell white, knowing for a fact that “ebun,” in “Kapampangan,” means egg (and you’ll see plenty of indication inside the resto about this).  While the interiors were a feast to the eyes, the food they served us was a whole new level in pleasure altogether.  Talk about a party in your mouth!!!  The menu was a study in simplicity, done in just black ‘(really old) typewriter’ fonts on white paper.  The sections had headings in “Kapampangan” such as “Mga Lutong Ebun,” “Mapaling Sabo” and “Bayu Ning Bale” that I felt so lost in translation.  It was a good thing that Arnie was around to guide us through the list.

 

Millet ordered ‘Sizzling Tuna Sisig’ (Php 175.00) and ‘Jasmine Rice’ (Php 20.00).  The tuna sisig was flavorful and surprisingly not dry at all.  Pleased by this order, Millet went through the menu again and asked for the “Sinigang na Ulo ng Salmon sa Miso” (‘Salmon Head in Tamarind and Fermented Soy Bean Broth with Native Vegetables,’ Php 155.00).  The salmon head was meaty, with the meat very tender and not overcooked at all.  The vegetables were still brightly colored and bursting with crispiness on every bite and it was so tempting to slurp the hot and full-flavored broth.  To wash everything down, Millet ordered a tall glass of made-from-scratch “Gulama’t Sago” (‘Sweet Gelatin and Tapioca Drink with Crushed Ice,’ Php 35.00).

 

Edu, the most adventurous among my friends, ordered Cecille’s must-try recommendation “Tapang Damulag” (‘Dried Carabao Meat, served with Jasmine Rice, Salted Egg and Tomatoes,’ Php 150.00).  He found it to be a little bit bland in flavor and quite a task for the jaw.  Though on the plus side, it didn’t have any strange taste or smell that we would expect from exotic meats.  Somehow, Edu managed to enjoy it just the same, especially with a hot bowl of the “Sinigang na Ulo ng Salmon sa Miso,” and a side of “Inihaw na Liempo” (‘Grilled Pork Belly,’ Php 65.00), in between sips of cold “Gulama’t Sago.”

 

Arnie, the “Kapampangan” among us, settled for the “Im-Bento,” the house combo meal option which allowed him to order two dishes from a long list of “Karne (Meat, Php 50 to Php 95),” “Mula Dagat (Seafood, Php 50 to Php 95),” “Inihaw-Ihaw (Grilled, Php 65 to Php 105),” and “Mga Gulay (Vegetable, Php 40)” choices.  These will then be served with a side-dish and condiments combo (Php 40.00) of Jasmine Rice, Soup of the Day (it was native Corn Soup that night), Atcharang Papaya (Pickled Green Papaya), Burong Camias (Pickled Camias), and Burong Mustasa (Pickled Mustard Greens).  He decided to have “Tidtad” (‘Pork Innards Cooked in Pork’s Blood,’ Php 50.00) and “Sugpo sa Aligue” (‘Prawns in a Sauce of Baby Crab Fat,’ Php 80.00).  The “Tidtad” was extremely delectable and with just one bite, it transported me back to the time when my mother would treat me to lunch at the La Perla restaurant in the Ongpin area in Manila.  I was in elementary then and I would always look forward to those Friday lunches at La Perla.  Up to this point, I say that that restaurant still made the best “Tidtad” and “Beef Mami” ever.  (Fastforward back to ebun …)  The “Sugpo sa Aligue“, on the other hand, wasn’t disappointing at all.  The prawn was actually the black tiger variety, and was cooked only up to the point it turned pink.  The sauce of baby crab fat was rich and quite flavorful.  I could’ve put a tablespoon of it on my Jasmine Rice, stained it (the rice) just enough and had it for my dinner already!  Yum yum!  As for his drink, Arnie had “Guyamango Shake” (‘Soursop and Mango Fruit Shake, ‘ Php 60.00).

 

I was the last to order and I also decided on having the Im-Bento.  For my two dishes, I opted for the vegetables.  The “Gatang Sigarillas with Bagoong” (‘Sigarillas, a Filipino vegetable, in a sauce of creamy Coconut Milk and Shrimp Paste,’ Php 40.00) was a delicious layer upon layer of flavor and texture.  The sigarillas was fork tender while maintaining its bright green shine and its salad-quality crunch.  The coconut milk sauce was creamy and specked beautifully by the shrimp paste that wasn’t at all overpowering the total flavor of the dish.  The “Grilled Eggplant with Burong Hipon” (‘Grilled Eggplant with Fermented Shrimp,’ Php 40.00) has always been a personal favorite no matter where I get it from.  The eggplant had the smoky savory quality I’ve always loved and it went perfectly with the fermented shrimp dip.  Much as I wanted to resist the temptation, I couldn’t help but have the Jasmine Rice that night.  After all, they steamed their rice to a plump and fluffy perfection I just had to have.  And as if throwing all caution to the wind, not to mention four weeks of being on a Filipinized version of the South Beach Diet, I had their “Mais Con Hielo” (‘Sweet Corn Kernels with Milk and Crushed Ice,’ Php 45.00) to perfectly cap my dinner.  Almost, that is, because dessert was still coming.

 

We ordered two each of the “Tibok-Tibok” (‘Maja of Fresh Cow’s Milk,’ Php 50.00) and ‘Cassava Cake’ (Php 40.00), and one “Leche Flan” (‘Flan of Milk and Eggs,’ Php 25.00).  All these three were sumptuous and scrumptious at the same time, not to mention quite cheap for desserts you’d buy in a Makati resto.  The “Tibok-Tibok” was really fresh and tasted almost like a cake of “Pastillas De Leche” (‘Fresh Milk Candy’) and the “Leche Flan” was very smooth in consistency and wasn’t overly sweet.  But I particularly found the Cassava Cake to be to-die-for that I made sure I had one whole slice to myself.  It was actually the one that I feel I should keep coming back for.  I’ve never tasted any other quite like it.  It was warm to the core, smooth all throughout, with a creamy goodness and just the right, I should say, coy sweetness.  How I wish my three other best friends who love cassava cake  -  Cecille, Erwin Chua and Erwin Sabio  -  were available to join us that night because they sure would have flipped over this one.  I did!  And I wasn’t a cassava cake person to begin with!

 

We had so much great time over dinner that night that we totally cancelled our plans to see the movie ‘The Bourne Supremacy‘ (which we eventually saw on a later date).  Besides dinners with family, nothing beats getting together with your closest friends once in a while.  It afforded us the chance to discover great and authentic cuisine, while catching up on stuff that we miss during very busy days in the office.  Not even the ‘warning‘ on the place mat, which I surmise they put there to keep the mood light and sort of poke fun at the Pinoy diners, kept us from staying long enough at the place.  It read: “babala:  bawal magtsismisan, bawal mang-intriga, bawal manigarilyo at mangalumbaba …“  Hmmm  …  I guess they would have been kinder to Edu, Arnie and Millet because they would’ve just violated two at most.  Whereas for me, with a third violation, they would have kicked me out!  Hey, I have a long chin.  It gets heavy from time to time so cut me some slack!  Ciao for now

‘The Café Mediterranean – Flavors of the Sun’ on a night out in Alabang

TUESDAY PROVED to be the usual toxic day at work.  ‘Swamped’ wouldn’t even come close to describe how I and my fellow engineers have been feeling since we started executing the plan to expand our operations here in the Philippines.  Tell-tale signs abound – text messages left unread; voice mail and e-Mail response time averaging at at least a couple of days.  Though busy as I am, I still made sure I checked on the people who really matter.  But for all else – living and non-living –  I just didn’t have the time of day.  Hehehe..

 

Which was why it was such a pleasant surprise to get a “may walk ka?” e-Mail from my friend in-the-know, Cecille.  Quite obviously, she is on the short list of the people who matter (Hahaha!).  Among us friends, for very sentimental reasons, we use “do you have a walk tonight?” or “may walk ka?” to ask each other if we have plans.  I will digress if I shall clue you in on the etymology of that question.  But suffice it to say, her e-Mail was so welcome at that moment of my helplessness with the huge excel worksheet staring me flat to my face.  So in a heartbeat, my mind had grabbed the opportunity for a night out long before my hands could even type a response.  As it turned out, Cecille had quite a schedule in Alabang that night.  She was to meet another friend for an important chat.  Then, she was to hear mass, right before swinging by Rustan’s to get gifts for a friend’s wedding and another friend’s daughter’s birthday – both in the coming weekend.  And I thought I had a full plate!  At the end of the list was the possibility of a “bashing” session with me over.. you guess it right, great food!

 

 

So I made it to Alabang.  But not without having to first subject myself to the mercy of the rush-hour traffic on the currently-being-renovated-rehabilitated-widened SLEX.  After bumping into a friend from way back (the Jansen Enriquez!), I got a text from Cecille saying that she was already in the vicinity.  So I met her in Rustan’s (ladies’ shoes and bags section) and upon seeing each other, she politely excused herself from the sales associate that had been eagerly showing her the latest arrival.  The sales associate was right to be eager, because Cecille is one of those who go to stores to shop and really buy, and not just waste somebody’s time.  Definitely not like someone I knew who made me wait after a couple of hours only to end up saying that she didn’t get anything because they were “mahal” (expensive).  It took a couple of hours to figure that out!

 

So we stepped outside Rustan’s and started to discuss where to have dinner.  We made a quick scan of the mall.  ‘Cibo’ – been there!  ‘Recipes’ – been there!  ‘The Good Earth Tea Room’ – been there!  ‘Brazil! Brazil!’ – been there!  ‘Crustasia’ – been there!  ‘Italianni’s’ – ALWAYS there!  ‘T.G.I.Friday’s’ – been there!  ‘California Pizza Kitchen’ – been there!  ‘Delifrance’ – been there!  We almost considered going to Westgate and settling for ‘Kanin (Rice) Club’ (also a Miele Guide entrant!) when one final quick scan of the second level made Cecille ask if I’d been to ‘The Café Mediterranean’ (Café Med)  I actually had – at The Podium.  But that first time, with the lovely Data after our project meeting on a weekend, I was a bit full going to the place, because I had been snacking non-stop in ‘Figaro’ on mini-sandwiches and a bread pudding with warm vanilla sauce (a fave of mine!), which I downed with a couple big gulps of their iced tea.  So you could imagine just how full I was already feeling when I came in on that first time at the The Podium branch of The Café Mediterranean.  No matter how extensive and appealing the menu was, all I had the space for was the big bowl of their roasted vegetable soup and a glass of fresh lemonade.  They didn’t disappoint.  But they didn’t make me go crazy over them given the almost-full state of my stomach that left very little interest to dissect my gastronomic finds bite-by-bite.  So Cecille bringing up a ‘Café Med’ dinner option, sounded perfect!  The stars aligned!

 

 

Open up the world of Mediterranean cuisine.. The Cafe Mediterranean menu.

As I had hinted, their menu at The Café Mediterranean was huge!  Which was always perfect for me as I start my meals at restaurants visualizing the descriptions of the dishes.  If I remember it right, Café Med’s descriptions were short but sweet.  Descriptive enough, nonetheless.  We started off with the appetizer ‘Sampler Plate of 3 (Php 200.00)’, which was a combination of 3 individual plate options, served with our choice of either regular or wholewheat pita bread.  Cecille and I opted for the hummus, tapenade, and kofta, and the regular pita bread.  They served the sampler on a pristine white plate, looking like a work of art with a play of textures and colors.  Hummus is the classic thick spread made of chickpeas and tahini (thick paste made from ground sesame seeds).  Usually made with lemon juice and garlic, I found Café Med’s version to be very subtle.  The flavor was very delicate and I couldn’t actually pick out the flavors of the acid and the garlic, plus I think Café Med makes theirs with sesame oil.  I loved the consistency though.  Tapenade, on the other hand, is the classic thick spread ‘from Provence’, made of black olives, capers and achovies, pureed with extra virgin olive oil.  I found Café Med’s tapenade a bit coarse (I prefer it fine).  And I don’t think they made theirs with achovies; either they don’t or that they just use a little and really puree it to a pulp so that it ends up giving a ‘nutty’ hint in the background of the spread.  If that was their intention, it worked for me!  And I think it will taste perfect for others too.  Other than the coarseness, it was really good.  So was it a tapenade that made me faint?  Hmmm..  almost but not quite.  I guess that’s fair enough.  Then, there was the kofta, the classic beef and lamb meatball from Greece.  The three meatballs were so beautifully lined up on the plate, each sitting perfectly on top of an onion ring on top of a slice of bright red roma tomato.  I didn’t get a bite of it because I was going vegetarian that night.  Hehe.

Ain't it pretty? The Sampler Plate of 3 - Hummus, Tapenade and Kofta, served with our choice of regular pita bread.

 

Soupe au Pistou - a lock for one of the best soups ever! Lots of vegetables, topped with a dollop of basil pesto and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

For my second course, I asked for the ‘Soupe au Pistou (Php 175.00)’ (this sounded Greek to me!), which was a vegetable soup topped with basil pesto and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.  THIS IS A LOCK FOR ONE OF THE BEST SOUPS EVER!  It was just so delicious and comforting.  We always keep saying and hearing the term ‘comfort food’ but this Soupe au Pistou breathed meaning to it – it was so comforting it felt like snuggling under warm sheets that you pull all to way to your chin when it is freezing outside.  This soup was that good!  The tomato-based broth was the right sourness and sweetness, fragrant with the hint of rosemary.  The chunks of fresh and canned vegetables – zucchini, roma tomatoes, vahdalia onions, leeks, eggplant, and carrots – were a play on contrasting textures that really burst in the mouth.  The topping of basil pesto and the parmesan cheese was the perfect complement to round off the flavors.  YUM-O!  This was so good that after I had finished my supposed-to-be last course of pasta, I asked for another bowl, taking up our waiter on his offer to split the big bowl into two – one I’d have in the restaurant, and one I would take home with me.

For my third course, I broke my no-carbs diet by ordering the ‘Spaghettini with Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables with Tomato Sauce and Achovies (Php 190.00).’  Café Med actually uses penne (pasta in tubes, with diagonally cut ends) for this dish, which is actually the conventional type of pasta to use for a chunky sauce like roasted vegetables.  But I’m really partial to angel hair (or spaghettini, if that’s all they have), that I always brazenly ask waiters to check with the chefs if they (the chefs) will be okay with changing the pasta.  Fortunately, I’ve never been turned down.  So how did I find the pasta?  It too will be a lock for one of the best pastas ever!  Without the motley crew of the roasted vegetables, the sauce was basically a puttanesca.  But putting the roasted vegetables in there was genius!  With my first forkful, I instantly got the fragrant whiff from the vegetables, that I think I closed my eyes for a split second to savor it, letting out a muffled: “Mmmm..”  Haha!  With the first bite, I got the al dente spaghettini with a heap of mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, olives, capers, and eggplant.  It was wonderful to say the least.  I shamelessly wiped out the dish!

Spaghettini with Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables with Tomato Sauce and Anchovies.

I capped my fulfilling dinner with two tall glasses of their fresh lemonade (what’s with me and the lemonade lately?!).  I would’ve wanted dessert but my size 30 jeans were already complaining, threatening to burst in the seams.  Of course, I have to make mention that I was devouring all of these while still being able to keep conversation with Cecille.  Surprisingly, my two cellphones were both quiet last night, and the only interruptions were from the few minutes I took to jot down on my ‘Starbucks Coffee Singapore Date Book & Journal’ key notes on the sensory experience the Café Med dinner afforded me.  For her part, Cecille had the Grilled Beef Gyro in regular pita bread, a 3”x3” slice of Baklava (rich Greek dessert cake made of thin layers of flaky pastry dough called filo, filled with nuts and honey), and Hot Moroccan Mint Tea.

 

After dinner, off we went to Powerbooks, before finally calling it a night.

That's my to-go bag of Soupe au Pistou. I liked it that much!

 

 

My own ‘Miele Guide’ ‘Retrospective’: Sentro 1771

While flipping through last Sunday’s ‘Sunday Inquirer Magazine’, I saw that 30 Filipino restaurants made it to the ‘Miele Guide’, intended “to become established as the most credible, independent and respected system through which restaurants are evaluated in Asia.”  It was launched last October 31, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt in Singapore.  I was very pleasantly surprised to realize that some of my favorites have made it to the list.  So I gues it is but fitting to post in my blog reviews I had written about them in the past years.  Previously, I just shared my reviews through e-Mail to friends.  For my ‘Miele Guide’ retrospective, I begin with Sentro 1771.

 

[This was originally written in Filipino, on August 09, 2004.]

 

SENTRO 1771

Second Level,

Greenbelt 3,

Ayala Center, Makati City

Monday – Sunday 11AM-1AM

Tel. 757-3940

 

ALONG THE expanse of the ‘very now’ and ‘very happening’Greenbelt 2 and Greenbelt 3, you shall find modern and high quality restaurants offering cuisine from practically every corner of the world (at least those known to me).  If you shall check out each and every establishment, you might end up having a hard time deciding where to dine as each one has its own tempting appeal.  But if what you’re looking for is a taste of home that is truly a ‘feast for the senses’, then ‘SENTRO 1771’ in Greenbelt 3 might just be the one for you.

 

Sentro 1771, which has a the tagline ‘Modern Filipino Cuisine,’ was established in 2002.  It is the youngest member of the Chateau 1771 Group Of Restaurants that also includes Chateau 1771 French Bistro in Malate (since 1998), Chateau 1771 in Ortigas (1995), and Portico in Malate (1998).

 

When I entered Sentro 1771, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, because as I have said, they are specializing on Filipino cuisine.  And who among us hasn’t savored almost everything offered under the header of ‘Filipino Cuisine?’  That is why it was quite difficult to think about any dish they have that could make me single out Sentro 1771 over all the many other Filipino restaurants.

 

I didn’t know where to start with their extensive menu.  Since the menu and the writings on the wall kept harping about this ‘house specialty,’ aside from the fact that it was only then that I had heard about it, I ordered their “Corned Beef in Tamarind Broth with Vegetables (Sinigang na Corned Beef, Php 295.00).”  Per the menu, this is ‘corned beef short ribs and boneless shanks in tamarind broth with native vegetables.’  Before they even served the dish, I was quite surprised when one of their chefs approached me to ask me to taste test the broth.  Wow, that was something new!  Before that, I had never been asked if the sourness or saltiness of a broth was to my liking.  After the final dish made it to the table and I had dug in, I realized one thing – I never thought corned beef ‘sinigang’ could be this good!  It hit the sweet spot, meeting all the three criteria I had set for the perfect ‘sinigang’ (sour broth-based dish) – the meat has to really be of ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ tenderness, falling off the bone is possible; the broth should have the perfect balance of sourness and saltiness (which should be the case here as I had given the thumbs up before the dish was served); and, the vegetables should remain crisp, with a bright green color to them.  Sentro 1771’s ‘Corned Beef in Tamarind Broth with Vegetables’ has all the right to be called the house specialty!

 

Good food and great company! One Sentro 1771 trip with Millet, Edu, Arnie and Erwin!

 

While slurping on the ‘sinigang’ (OMG!  Did I just say ‘slurp’?!), I also grabbed bites of the “Crispy Boneless Trotter (Hinimay na Crispy Pata, Php 360.00)”, which, as the name suggests, had meat removed from the bone and cut up in bite-size pieces.  The meat was very flavorful and oozing with its juice, and not to be forgotten was the skin, fried to a delicious crisp!  For my pesco-vegetarian friends, we asked for the “Marinated Boneless Bonoan Milkfish (Php 260.00)”, topped by two types of sauces – one made with fresh tomatoes, and another made with soy sauce and probably, the marinade used for the fish.  But eventhough the fish was already topped with these sauce options, I still chose to have it alongside, and together with the “Grilled Eggplant Salad (Ensaladang Inihaw na Talong, Php 120.00).”  This salad was a great ‘showcase’ of most everything you can love with Filipino cooking.  With each spoonful, I got to savor the many layers of flavors and textures that was such a party in my mouth.  Off the bat, I got the taste of the ‘grill’, which was very fragrant.  Then I got the hint of saltiness from the vinaigrette that was spiked with fermented shrimp paste.  Not to be missed was the texture of the chopped indian mango, the perfect counterpoint to the sweetness and the smoothness of the chopped ripe mango.  Sometimes, you’d come along a dish that will make you go: “Mmm..  What is that?”  You won’t know right there and then what that was, but taken with the dish as a whole, it was good regardless of whether or not you figured out what it was.  In the eggplant salad, that factor was brought by the crushed ‘cornik’ topping that took me a second visit to figure out.  I challenged myself and didn’t want to ask!.  ‘Cornik’ is corn kernels fried to a crunch, a popular Filipino street snack.

 

As if the milkfish dish and the eggplant salad weren’t enough, I ordered the “Fish & Eggplant (Vegetable) Omelet (Tortang Talong at Bangus, Php 140.00).”  I doused it with tomato ketchup and it was such a treat!  Because of all these wonderful food, I had to satiate myself with two helpings of steamed rice (Php 35.00 each).  And to wash everything down, I opted for both their “Bottomless Sago’t Gulaman (Tapioca and Gelatin with Vanilla Extract, Sugar Syrup and Crushed Ice, Php 70.00) and Fresh Pomelo Juice (Php 70.00).

 

I don’t rate a restaurant with just one visit.  I’m very careful before I heap any restaurant with praises.  That’s why it is very important for me to be convinced that a place serves consistently high quality food.  And in the five times that I had dined at Sentro 1771 in the past month, I can say with utmost conviction that the taste, the cooking, and the presentation of their food are consistently excellent!

 

The ultimate indication of a sumptuous feast - clean plates! Nothing survived eNTeNG's attack!

The resturant’s interiors are beautiful.  I felt genuine Filipino hospitality through the warm, dark-hued wood used for the walls, the furniture, and the décor.  I liked the touch of the low-hanging ceiling lamps at each table.  The seating capacity was just right and even at full occupancy, I didn’t feel uncomfortably hemmed in.  They also offer “al fresco” dining experience right outside their door.

 

The rest rooms are brand new, and the interiors were very at-the-moment.  I particularly loved the stainless steel appointments and how they beautifully contrast with the native accents – defnitely no clashing there.  When it comes to parking, it wouldn’t be a problem as the restaurant is in the Greenbelt 3 mall.

 

Even after all the nice things I have said about this new dining haunt, some of you may still feel a bit hesitant to fork out that much money for food.  But I find the prices reasonable, taking into account the freshness of the ingredients, the taste, and the fact that everything is cooked to order.  I love to cook so I can tell good, even great cooking, when I experience one.  And Sentro 1771 definitely exceeded my expectations.  So, the next time you find yourselves in Greenbelt 3, check out Sentro 1771.  You’d be very glad you did!

Café Bola: Filipino-Italian Café Bar For The Discriminating Mass Audience.. Comfort Food At Its Best

[This was originally written on August 30, 2004.] 

GREENBELT 3                                                      ARANETA COLISEUM ARCADE

Second Level,                                                    Araneta Coliseum Arcade

Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center,                              Araneta Center, Cubao,

Makati City                                                          Quezon City

757-2652                                                               913-2928

Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner         Open from 10AM to 11PM, Sunday to Thursday,

                                                                              Open from 10AM to 12MN, Friday and Saturday

 

I’M ALL for and about cool comfort food.  So the attraction to try out Café Bola in Greenbelt 3 was but natural.  That and the fact that it has behind it the name Margarita Araneta Fores, a name synonymous with what a famous movie character would call confident and inventive cusine.  And those in the know are aware that Café Bola is just one of Ms. Fores’ three fantastic restaurants.  The other two being the Italian Family Ristorante-Bistro ‘Cibo‘ and the high-end, fine-dining place ‘Pepato‘ in the Greenbelt 2 Restaurant Strip.  If there ever was an unspoken hierarchy for Ms. Fores’ restaurants, I think Café Bola would be the one for her mass audience, and Pepato would be for the elite, with Cibo bridging the gap.

 

While perusing the extensive one-page menu, we started with a round of drinks, soup and an appetizer.  When Café Bola first opened at the Araneta Coliseum Arcade in Cubao, it created quite a curiosity stir with its ‘Kamias‘ Shake (Php 60.00), pale green, sweet and tart at the same time.  I personally hesitated to try this shake because the word ‘kamias‘ conjures up images of ‘sinigang (meat or fish cooked in a sour broth with native vegetables)‘ and not some cool drink that I would wash food down with.  But hey, what’s the point in trying out a new place if I wouldn’t order its house (drink) specialty?!  So I got one for starters, and for later, I got ice-cold ‘Lemongrass Tea’ (Php 60.00).  The ‘Kamias‘ Shake was nothing I feared it to be, and can only be considered as the crowning glory of Café Bola’s line of fresh fruit shakes.  The ice-cold Lemongrass Tea was calming and soothing, much like the local ‘Salabat (Ginger Ale)’, and the only thing closest to the ice-cold Chrysanthemum drink I fell in love with during a couple of trips to Malaysia.  The drinks alone were so comforting that with every sip, I fell more in love with place.  And the ‘Banana Heart and Cheese Dip With Pan De Sal Rounds’ (Php 120.00) wasn’t of any help from preventing me to plummet head over heels to food heaven on earth.  I think this is Margarita’s take on the classic Italian Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Dip.  Her use of the banana heart, instead of the artichoke, while being innovative and clever, actually works!  The dip blends perfectly together the mild, nutty flavor of the cheese and the chunky texture of the banana heart.  It was perfect for the toasted pan de sal rounds, which I later found out could be exchanged for the soft, untoasted ones (Php 15.00 for an extra serving).  The toasted pan de sal was also the perfect accompaniment to the home-brewed ‘Cream of Mushroom Soup’ (Php 65.00) that I ordered from the day’s roster of soups.  It was very yummy and fresh and didn’t taste anything like the popular canned soup.  If I could only make the same pot of soup, I would have the perfect bowl to snuggle with during the torrential rains when it is no good going outdoors and it would be best to stay home and watch a little TV, or better yet, a movie.

 

By the time the waiter was clearing away the soup bowl, I wouldn’t call myself famished anymore.  But I sure still had a lot of space to fill up.  What with the really tempting choices for the main course!!!  I started off with the ‘Fried Bangus (Milkfish) Belly With Crunchy Pork Skin And Baby Crab Fat Rice’ (Php 225.00) which I requested to be served with Fresh Tomato-Cilantro Salsa instead of the usual Garlicky Vinegar.  I chose this because of the baby crab fat rice, especially since I haven’t had my favorite ‘Aligui (Baby Crab Fat)’ Pasta for quite some time now.  The milkfish was tender and flavorful, rich in healthy fish belly fat.  It tasted much better with the fresh cilantro salsa, and a sprinkling of the crunchy pork skin (chicharon), with a lot of the rice in every bite!  If you’re like me, a big rice eater, one is never enough.  So I ended up ordering extra ‘Baby Crab Fat Rice’ (Php 85.00)  …  but don’t have too much!  The baby crab fat is high in cholesterol.  But the health-conscious need not fret.  There are quite a number of dishes on the menu that are marked “good for the heart.”  I was just not in the mood to try them out myself that night.  What I found were a couple more entrees that I just had to have.  ‘Botsky’s Tuna Laing Rice’ (Php 150.00) was not disappointing.  Their ‘laing‘, which is dried taro leaves cooked in a spicy coconut sauce, was a burst of flavors from the creamy coconut milk, the taro leaves and the pow-pow spiciness of the local chili, punctuated by the succulent and tender chunks of fresh tuna (which in itself is good for the heart!).  It was really a flavor of the Bicol region in every spoonful.  Lastly, I had one of their home breakfast specialties which is actually available at any time of the day: ‘Spicy Tuyo (Herring) Filets On Rice With Scrambled Eggs And Fresh Tomato-Cilantro Salsa’.  You can never get any closer to home than with this dish.  It was so visually appealing too  -  served in a deep pristine white bowl, with the colors of the tuyo filets and the scrambled eggs contrasting marvelously.  But admiring the presentation didn’t last long as I had to really dig my spoon and fork in and devour the dish that best reminded me of breakfasts at home that would kick off another busy day at school.  Or in more recent memory, a breakfast like this would set my friends and I off to long drives to destinations like Stanford University, Vacaville or San Francisco.

 

I almost mopped my plates clean with the pan de sal rounds.  And this was all because of the undeniably excellent food, which by the time I was taking my last sips of the ice-cold Lemongrass Tea, I had proven not only to be really confident and inventive, but trailblazing as well.  With the freshness of the ingredients they use, the brightly lit mostly-red interiors, the lightly pert and exuberant ambiance, not to mention the excellent attentive service, I would say their prices are very reasonable.  Undeniably excellent food and reasonable prices sure sound like a knockout one-two punch I’d keep coming back to and actually have.

That's the beautiful "Partner", in one of our more recent visits to Cafe Bola's Greenbelt 2 branch.

An Homage: Missin’ these baked goods..

 

I’M NOT the most discriminating gourmand.  But I guess I’ve developed my taste thru the years.  And believe me when I tell you that sometimes, the best food items – baked goods, for example – can actually come from the home kitchen, yours or someone you know.  I’ve been striving hard to get better on making my ‘edible art’ (as Michael James Fisher politely puts it).  And while I may be lightyears away from being the best chef that I can be (sans a CCA education?!), I have to say that I just feel so fortunate to know and be friends with people who can whip up magic in the kitchen.  Obviously, I’m at the receiving, chewing.. munching end of their generosity.

 

Which brings me to the topic of this post.  This is actually my homage to a couple of my friends who I feel are “goddesses” in the kitchen.  An homage to them and to their own edible works of art.

 

The first one is Mary Frances Therese B. Yuvienco-Kinney (Therese) and her ‘date & pecan bars.’  She is based in California and that means that I haven’t had these goodies for a wwwwhile now.  And I’ve been missin’ them a lot!  She saw how much I loved these goodies and how fast I could devour one batch.  I am a generous person but to a certain extent, whenever Therese would hand me a Ziploc-bagful of these scrumptious treats, I would lose my magnanimous heart and cling to the bag tightly as if they were my mother’s apron strings.  I’d turn so with good reason.  One bite of these bars, gooey in the center and bursting with the goodness of caramel and ‘caramelized’ dates and pecans, and you will understand why.  They’re on a par with the very famous ‘Becky’s Kitchen’s’ Food For The Gods.. but Therese’s has that ‘artisan-like’ quality that is so endearing.  She is not totally remiss as a friend because she made sure I had her recipe before I came back to the Philippines.  But there’s nothing like the magic Therese weaves into the bars she actually bakes.  I don’t think I will share this recipe here though – she should guard it.  Hehehe.

 

The second one – if you’re my friend, you may have guessed it right – is Cecille Carnay and her ‘apple cinammon cookies.’  I still remember the first time she handed me a pack of these luscious, delectable cookies, along with a generous pack of store-bought imported chocolate candies, all beautifully tied with a ribbon of colors that heralded the coming Christmas season.  I won’t forget that because all other subsequent ‘rations’ of these cookies came in the standard Ziploc bag.  Hahaha!  Not that I’m complaining because the cookies are always the ones I really crave for.  My first instinct was to always ask: “May I have the recipe please?”  But  Friendship Cecille was rightful to politely decline my request.  Because as I had said previously, things like this should be safely guarded!  How were the cookies?  They were with a very thin, chewy ‘crust (?)’, lightly dusted with cinnamon (I guess!  Remember, I don’t have the recipe!  Hahaha!)..  with cubes of fresh apples that you can pick out from the top and from within the cookies.  It was for me the perfect blend of slightly crunchy and really chewy – Cecille’s perfect apple cinnamon cookies!