Catholicism and other Christian religions may be dominant in the Philippines, but many Filipinos see no inconsistency in adopting feng shui elements in their homes and commercial establishments. This jade fu dog, which is more properly called a Chinese guardian lion, was on one side of a bakery's display case. I assume there was another at the other side, since they're always supposed to come in pairs.
June 17, 2012
Protector
Catholicism and other Christian religions may be dominant in the Philippines, but many Filipinos see no inconsistency in adopting feng shui elements in their homes and commercial establishments. This jade fu dog, which is more properly called a Chinese guardian lion, was on one side of a bakery's display case. I assume there was another at the other side, since they're always supposed to come in pairs.
June 16, 2012
June 15, 2012
Red bananas
Banana "ketchup" is a uniquely Filipino product. No, it doesn't have tomatoes; it really is made from bananas, with vinegar, sugar and spices. Think of it as a sweet and spicy banana sauce, similar in taste to Thai sweet chili sauce. Banana ketchup was invented during World War II when there was a shortage of tomatoes (and many other things besides), and its formulation is credited to Maria Ylagan Orosa (1892–1945), a food technologist, nationalist and war heroine. If you've ever mashed bananas, you know that it is light brown in color; banana ketchup is red because of food coloring—to make it more acceptable as a ketchup replacement to Filipinos and Americans in the country during the WWII era. But almost three-quarters of a century after the war, I wish Jufran and other makers of banana ketchup would drop the red food coloring and stop calling it ketchup. It's a flavorful and appetizing condiment which can—and should—be elevated to something more than "fake ketchup."
June 14, 2012
I Sacred Heart You
The flaming heart circled with thorns is the traditional symbol for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I hope this particular graffiti has the consent of the owner of the house. If it doesn't, I wonder how the artist reconciles his vandalism with his faith.
June 13, 2012
Say "Cheese!"
I'm afraid that I have to continue my Luzon Road Trip Series some other day, when I have more time to choose among the gazillion photos that I took and organize them into a narrative that makes sense. So until then, welcome back to my busy, messy, noisy and vibrant Metro Manila.
Moving beyond cakes and pies, the owners of Banapple recently opened a new shop, one that specializes in sandwiches whose fillings have at least one kind of cheese. They named the sandwich and salad shop Sandwicheese. Get it? I didn't for several weeks. Slow.
Moving beyond cakes and pies, the owners of Banapple recently opened a new shop, one that specializes in sandwiches whose fillings have at least one kind of cheese. They named the sandwich and salad shop Sandwicheese. Get it? I didn't for several weeks. Slow.
June 6, 2012
Brick beauty
From May 12 to 24, my husband and I went on a road trip through the Central Luzon and Ilocos Regions, stopping at cities and towns that we've never visited before. My Manila goes outside Metro Manila for the next few days. I hope you enjoy the trip.
My husband and I had no plans of stopping in the town of San Juan while we were in the province of La Union, but a small cluster of brick buildings along the highway caught my eye on our way to Bacnotan and I requested that we stop for a few minutes. The cluster turned out to be the town center of San Juan, which, like many Spanish-era towns in the Philippines, are laid out with the town hall and church around a central plaza and park. "Presidencia" seems to be used quite commonly to refer to the town hall, though I have to admit that this is the first time this city-bred girl learned that tidbit. I find San Juan's wood and brick presidencia lovely.
No one knows the exact date of the founding of San Juan; the only sure fact is that it was already a town when the province of La Union was created in 1850. History has not been gentle to San Juan, which was razed to the ground by a fire during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, and devastated during World War II. Again, I cannot find much information about the church. After the 1896 fire, the church was rebuilt in 1902, and my guess is that the current church still has parts from that 1902 structure.
The church and the town are named after San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist), and the scene of John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River is painted on the church's ceiling.
A small Marian grotto between the church and the rectory is also a memorial to a 19th century Ilokano poet named Mariano A. Gaerlan.
The town of San Juan lies on the western coast of Luzon and is best known for its earthenware pottery and its waves—waves strong enough for surfing (though not big wave surfing) especially from July to March. So it is not surprising that the coastline is depicted on the mural of the open-air stage in the town plaza. Also in the mural is the ruins of the town's baluarte or watchtower, which can still be seen at the seaside though we weren't able to visit it. The park seems to double as pasture for goats too. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #4
My husband and I had no plans of stopping in the town of San Juan while we were in the province of La Union, but a small cluster of brick buildings along the highway caught my eye on our way to Bacnotan and I requested that we stop for a few minutes. The cluster turned out to be the town center of San Juan, which, like many Spanish-era towns in the Philippines, are laid out with the town hall and church around a central plaza and park. "Presidencia" seems to be used quite commonly to refer to the town hall, though I have to admit that this is the first time this city-bred girl learned that tidbit. I find San Juan's wood and brick presidencia lovely. No one knows the exact date of the founding of San Juan; the only sure fact is that it was already a town when the province of La Union was created in 1850. History has not been gentle to San Juan, which was razed to the ground by a fire during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, and devastated during World War II. Again, I cannot find much information about the church. After the 1896 fire, the church was rebuilt in 1902, and my guess is that the current church still has parts from that 1902 structure. The church and the town are named after San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist), and the scene of John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River is painted on the church's ceiling. A small Marian grotto between the church and the rectory is also a memorial to a 19th century Ilokano poet named Mariano A. Gaerlan. The town of San Juan lies on the western coast of Luzon and is best known for its earthenware pottery and its waves—waves strong enough for surfing (though not big wave surfing) especially from July to March. So it is not surprising that the coastline is depicted on the mural of the open-air stage in the town plaza. Also in the mural is the ruins of the town's baluarte or watchtower, which can still be seen at the seaside though we weren't able to visit it. The park seems to double as pasture for goats too. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #4
June 4, 2012
Family history
From May 12 to 24, my husband and I went on a road trip through the Central Luzon and Ilocos Regions, stopping at cities and towns that we've never visited before. My Manila goes outside Metro Manila for the next few days. I hope you enjoy the trip.
My husband and I spent two days in the province of La Union. One of the reasons for that was personal—he wanted to visit the town of Bacnotan, where his mother's family originally was from. He remembers visiting Bacnotan, 243 kilometers northwest of Metro Manila, a few times when he and his siblings were little children and just walking to the beach from the house. We found the house thanks to a map that his mother had drawn for him. Sadly, it is in a very bad state.
All but one of my mother-in-law's family moved to Metro Manila or the U.S. a long time ago and the brother who stayed behind passed away several years ago. Since then, no one has taken care of the property. In the spacious yard, we saw the well where, my husband recalls, their bath water was drawn from.
After visiting the house, we decided to walk around the vicinity and discovered that the town hall was just a few blocks away. A very young-looking town hall, considering the fact that Bacnotan was formally founded in 1599.
The Catholic parish of Bacnotan has existed since 1787, but the original church constructed by the Spanish was completely destroyed in a fire in 1877. The church was rebuilt in 1888–91 and, according to the plaque at the church entrance, was repaired in 1937. For that information to be included in the plaque, I assume that the damage was quite heavy; the plaque, however, does not state why the church needed major repairs. But Bacnotan was a setting for one of the many battles of the Spanish-American War at the turn of the 20th century, so it may be correct to guess that the church was damaged then.
The complete name of the church is Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, and there is a poorly rendered statue of the archangel in front of the church. Whoever painted it couldn't even distinguish the snake from the rock it was on and painted them the same red color.
The big bronze church bell, green with age, lies under an ivied trellis in the churchyard.
Without a guide—then and right now on the web—it is is difficult for me to say anything with precision about the church other than the dates that are written on the plaque; I can only make guesses based on observation. And it seems to me that the 19th century church was made of red bricks, and the 1937 repair and reconstruction used marble and other stone blocks. Note the stained glass window here which depicts Mary carrying the infant Jesus with a dove representing the Holy Spirit—we will get back to it at the end of this post.
In many parts of the church, the bricks have been reinforced by concrete.
The exterior of the church may be a mix of 1891 and 1937 construction, but the interior of the church looks much, much newer than 1937. Like the Agoo Basilica, the ceiling is made of wood, but the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is simpler. No arched aisles, no transept even, which I find unusual for a 19th century church. I have to admit, I find the simplicity of the ceiling and walls soothing. The retablo (reredos) behind the altar and the two similarly-designed iconostasis flanking the sanctuary are the most ornate items inside the church.
But even the retablo is simple compared to those of other churches in the country, having only three niches aside from the tabernacle. In the topmost niche is an icon of Saint Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the parish.
The stained glass window over the church's main doors depicts the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the remaining eleven of Jesus' apostles, described in the Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14 and 2:1-8.
Now we get back to the stained glass window on the church's facade. My husband and I discovered that there is a second one behind it, which can only be seen from the loft inside the church. It depicts Saint Michael the Archangel slaying the devil, not just a snake which symbolizes him—a much more powerful image befitting the history of the church than that awful statue. Unfortunately, the parish has not gotten around to repairing the loft yet, which means that very few people get to see this gem. The floorboards of the loft are very old and weak, and I had to walk right beside the wall where the wood was strongest—hence the skewing. I don't think we were even meant to be there; the gate of the stairs to the loft was unlocked but a chair was blocking it. My husband and I didn't know better, and there was no one to stop us, so we just moved the chair. I think the image was worth the risk. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #3
My husband and I spent two days in the province of La Union. One of the reasons for that was personal—he wanted to visit the town of Bacnotan, where his mother's family originally was from. He remembers visiting Bacnotan, 243 kilometers northwest of Metro Manila, a few times when he and his siblings were little children and just walking to the beach from the house. We found the house thanks to a map that his mother had drawn for him. Sadly, it is in a very bad state. All but one of my mother-in-law's family moved to Metro Manila or the U.S. a long time ago and the brother who stayed behind passed away several years ago. Since then, no one has taken care of the property. In the spacious yard, we saw the well where, my husband recalls, their bath water was drawn from. After visiting the house, we decided to walk around the vicinity and discovered that the town hall was just a few blocks away. A very young-looking town hall, considering the fact that Bacnotan was formally founded in 1599. The Catholic parish of Bacnotan has existed since 1787, but the original church constructed by the Spanish was completely destroyed in a fire in 1877. The church was rebuilt in 1888–91 and, according to the plaque at the church entrance, was repaired in 1937. For that information to be included in the plaque, I assume that the damage was quite heavy; the plaque, however, does not state why the church needed major repairs. But Bacnotan was a setting for one of the many battles of the Spanish-American War at the turn of the 20th century, so it may be correct to guess that the church was damaged then. The complete name of the church is Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, and there is a poorly rendered statue of the archangel in front of the church. Whoever painted it couldn't even distinguish the snake from the rock it was on and painted them the same red color. The big bronze church bell, green with age, lies under an ivied trellis in the churchyard.
Without a guide—then and right now on the web—it is is difficult for me to say anything with precision about the church other than the dates that are written on the plaque; I can only make guesses based on observation. And it seems to me that the 19th century church was made of red bricks, and the 1937 repair and reconstruction used marble and other stone blocks. Note the stained glass window here which depicts Mary carrying the infant Jesus with a dove representing the Holy Spirit—we will get back to it at the end of this post. In many parts of the church, the bricks have been reinforced by concrete. The exterior of the church may be a mix of 1891 and 1937 construction, but the interior of the church looks much, much newer than 1937. Like the Agoo Basilica, the ceiling is made of wood, but the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is simpler. No arched aisles, no transept even, which I find unusual for a 19th century church. I have to admit, I find the simplicity of the ceiling and walls soothing. The retablo (reredos) behind the altar and the two similarly-designed iconostasis flanking the sanctuary are the most ornate items inside the church. But even the retablo is simple compared to those of other churches in the country, having only three niches aside from the tabernacle. In the topmost niche is an icon of Saint Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the parish. The stained glass window over the church's main doors depicts the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the remaining eleven of Jesus' apostles, described in the Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14 and 2:1-8. Now we get back to the stained glass window on the church's facade. My husband and I discovered that there is a second one behind it, which can only be seen from the loft inside the church. It depicts Saint Michael the Archangel slaying the devil, not just a snake which symbolizes him—a much more powerful image befitting the history of the church than that awful statue. Unfortunately, the parish has not gotten around to repairing the loft yet, which means that very few people get to see this gem. The floorboards of the loft are very old and weak, and I had to walk right beside the wall where the wood was strongest—hence the skewing. I don't think we were even meant to be there; the gate of the stairs to the loft was unlocked but a chair was blocking it. My husband and I didn't know better, and there was no one to stop us, so we just moved the chair. I think the image was worth the risk. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #3
June 3, 2012
Agog in Agoo
From May 12 to 24, my husband and I went on a road trip through the Central Luzon and Ilocos Regions, stopping at cities and towns that we've never visited before. My Manila goes outside Metro Manila for the next few days. I hope you enjoy the trip.
After leaving Tarlac City on day two of our road trip, we spent a couple of hours in the town of Agoo (pronounced with three syllables), 200 kilometers northwest of Metro Manila on the western coast of Luzon, and one of the oldest towns in the province of La Union. It was already an important port and trade center populated by local Pangasinense and Japanese settlers before the Spanish, led by Juan de Salcedo, "founded" it in 1578. Salcedo was accompanied by two Franciscan missionaries, Fray Juan Bautista Lucarelli of Italy and Fray Sebastian de Baeza of Spain.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Charity, better known as the Agoo Basilica, was constructed only in 1976–78. The original church built by the Spanish was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1892.
The church was designed by Architect Ignacio Palma Bautista. The architecture is unusual because of its two bell towers. The left bell tower is hexagonal and has four layers, though the actual belfry seems to be only the top two layers, and I'm not really sure about the top layer. The second layer from the bottom seems to hold only horn loudspeakers.
The right bell tower is designed after an espadaña or bell-gable, which is less expensive than full towers and is more often used for smaller churches and parishes.
The main doors are etched with what look to me to be Hebrew characters. I cannot read what they say, but the two doors remind me so much of the two tablets on which God inscribed the Ten Commandments which he gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. I will have to ask the help of Dina for these doors.
For worshipers who may have forgotten their things at home, candles, rosaries, scapulars and medallions are sold just inside the doors. It may be just me, but I wish the parish would build a special kiosk outside the church for this; I keep thinking of the story of Jesus going ballistic against the money changers and animal sellers in the Temple.
Inside, what I found most striking was the church's wooden ceiling. Isn't it gorgeous?
The ceiling over the aisles—which always have pews in our churches because of the number of church-goers—are just as beautiful and made even warmer because of the stained glass windows beside them.
The confessionals are designed to match the ceiling. One stands in front of the stained glass window showing the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves. It is near the entrance, hence the holy water font on its right. The framed marble relief on the left shows Jesus falling while carrying the cross to Golgotha, one of three times he does so in the Way of the Cross.
A small plaza in the grounds is dedicated to the Blessed Pope John Paul II, who elevated the church to a basilica minore in 1982.
Across the church is the Jose D. Aspiras Civic Center, from where I took the first photo. It is named after a former Philippine Tourism Minister and major benefactor of the church who was from Agoo. It made me smile to see that it echoes the design of the church. However, the O-C in me wishes that the pole-lined brick path was also centered on the civic center's entrance and not just the church's. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #2
After leaving Tarlac City on day two of our road trip, we spent a couple of hours in the town of Agoo (pronounced with three syllables), 200 kilometers northwest of Metro Manila on the western coast of Luzon, and one of the oldest towns in the province of La Union. It was already an important port and trade center populated by local Pangasinense and Japanese settlers before the Spanish, led by Juan de Salcedo, "founded" it in 1578. Salcedo was accompanied by two Franciscan missionaries, Fray Juan Bautista Lucarelli of Italy and Fray Sebastian de Baeza of Spain. The Basilica of Our Lady of Charity, better known as the Agoo Basilica, was constructed only in 1976–78. The original church built by the Spanish was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1892.
The church was designed by Architect Ignacio Palma Bautista. The architecture is unusual because of its two bell towers. The left bell tower is hexagonal and has four layers, though the actual belfry seems to be only the top two layers, and I'm not really sure about the top layer. The second layer from the bottom seems to hold only horn loudspeakers.
The right bell tower is designed after an espadaña or bell-gable, which is less expensive than full towers and is more often used for smaller churches and parishes. The main doors are etched with what look to me to be Hebrew characters. I cannot read what they say, but the two doors remind me so much of the two tablets on which God inscribed the Ten Commandments which he gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. I will have to ask the help of Dina for these doors. For worshipers who may have forgotten their things at home, candles, rosaries, scapulars and medallions are sold just inside the doors. It may be just me, but I wish the parish would build a special kiosk outside the church for this; I keep thinking of the story of Jesus going ballistic against the money changers and animal sellers in the Temple.
Inside, what I found most striking was the church's wooden ceiling. Isn't it gorgeous?
The ceiling over the aisles—which always have pews in our churches because of the number of church-goers—are just as beautiful and made even warmer because of the stained glass windows beside them. The confessionals are designed to match the ceiling. One stands in front of the stained glass window showing the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves. It is near the entrance, hence the holy water font on its right. The framed marble relief on the left shows Jesus falling while carrying the cross to Golgotha, one of three times he does so in the Way of the Cross. A small plaza in the grounds is dedicated to the Blessed Pope John Paul II, who elevated the church to a basilica minore in 1982.
Across the church is the Jose D. Aspiras Civic Center, from where I took the first photo. It is named after a former Philippine Tourism Minister and major benefactor of the church who was from Agoo. It made me smile to see that it echoes the design of the church. However, the O-C in me wishes that the pole-lined brick path was also centered on the civic center's entrance and not just the church's. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #2
June 2, 2012
One afternoon in Tarlac City
From May 12 to 24, my husband and I went on a road trip through the Central Luzon and Ilocos Regions, stopping at cities and towns that we've never visited before. My Manila goes outside Metro Manila for the next few days. I hope you enjoy the trip.
Tarlac City is about 105 kilometers northwest of Metro Manila. The province, which carries the same name, is best known as being the home province of the Aquino family, which includes Benigno Jr. "Ninoy", whose assassination at the airport when he arrived from exile in 1983 became the catalyst for popular discontent and opposition against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, and his wife Corazon "Cory", who became the country's first female president when People Power forced Marcos out. The Aquino Center houses their memorabilia, and chronicles their political careers and the events which led to the Philippines regaining its democracy, however flawed it still is today.
We stayed at the Microtel Inn & Suites at Hacienda Luisita, where we arrived during an overcast Sunday morning. Hacienda Luisita is a sugar plantation owned by the Cojuangco family, part of which they opened to public commercial enterprises. Microtel is an inexpensive, no-fuss but comfortable hotel with very helpful and friendly staff. Though it doesn't have a restaurant, the room still comes with free breakfast, which is served in the small lobby which has free wi-fi, free-flowing tea and coffee, and—most welcome and much-needed in our humidity—ice and cold water dispensers.
At the city center, a monument to Cory Aquino stands in the middle of a small roundabout. I had no luck trying to get a closer photo of the statue, unfortunately; I just can't figure out what camera settings I need for upward-looking shots during cloudy days.
The small roundabout was between a park (which we didn't visit because it had just rained and the ground was muddy) and the San Sebastian Cathedral. Since it was a Sunday and there was a Mass going on, popcorn vendors and tricycles were out in droves. I almost got run over when I crossed the street and entered the cathedral premises on the stripes; I thought they were for pedestrians but it seems that they also mark where vehicles can enter and exit the gates.
Because of the Mass, we couldn't take photos inside the cathedral. So my husband and I walked around outside, where we saw a sculpture of a cross and the Virgin Mary gesturing and walking towards a fetus lying on clouds and surrounded by cherubs dedicated to "the innocent victims of abortion."
We had our dinner at Tessie's Grills and Roasters, which seems to be a very popular local restaurant because of its inexpensive buffet. What caught my eye, though, were the decorations of their events hall. Roman Gladiators and Anubis standing sentry outside the doors, and I saw a mask of Tutankhamun inside when I accidentally walked in, thinking it was the entrance to the restaurant; I almost gate-crashed someone's debut. Not quite something I expected to see in the farming province of Tarlac. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #1
Tarlac City is about 105 kilometers northwest of Metro Manila. The province, which carries the same name, is best known as being the home province of the Aquino family, which includes Benigno Jr. "Ninoy", whose assassination at the airport when he arrived from exile in 1983 became the catalyst for popular discontent and opposition against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, and his wife Corazon "Cory", who became the country's first female president when People Power forced Marcos out. The Aquino Center houses their memorabilia, and chronicles their political careers and the events which led to the Philippines regaining its democracy, however flawed it still is today.
We stayed at the Microtel Inn & Suites at Hacienda Luisita, where we arrived during an overcast Sunday morning. Hacienda Luisita is a sugar plantation owned by the Cojuangco family, part of which they opened to public commercial enterprises. Microtel is an inexpensive, no-fuss but comfortable hotel with very helpful and friendly staff. Though it doesn't have a restaurant, the room still comes with free breakfast, which is served in the small lobby which has free wi-fi, free-flowing tea and coffee, and—most welcome and much-needed in our humidity—ice and cold water dispensers.
At the city center, a monument to Cory Aquino stands in the middle of a small roundabout. I had no luck trying to get a closer photo of the statue, unfortunately; I just can't figure out what camera settings I need for upward-looking shots during cloudy days.
The small roundabout was between a park (which we didn't visit because it had just rained and the ground was muddy) and the San Sebastian Cathedral. Since it was a Sunday and there was a Mass going on, popcorn vendors and tricycles were out in droves. I almost got run over when I crossed the street and entered the cathedral premises on the stripes; I thought they were for pedestrians but it seems that they also mark where vehicles can enter and exit the gates.
Because of the Mass, we couldn't take photos inside the cathedral. So my husband and I walked around outside, where we saw a sculpture of a cross and the Virgin Mary gesturing and walking towards a fetus lying on clouds and surrounded by cherubs dedicated to "the innocent victims of abortion."
We had our dinner at Tessie's Grills and Roasters, which seems to be a very popular local restaurant because of its inexpensive buffet. What caught my eye, though, were the decorations of their events hall. Roman Gladiators and Anubis standing sentry outside the doors, and I saw a mask of Tutankhamun inside when I accidentally walked in, thinking it was the entrance to the restaurant; I almost gate-crashed someone's debut. Not quite something I expected to see in the farming province of Tarlac. LUZON ROAD TRIP SERIES #1
May 6, 2012
Sunday feast
After many years in Vancouver, Chef Sandy Daza is back in Manila and recently opened a new restaurant along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City. Named the Wooden Spoon, it basically serves Filipino food as interpreted by Sandy. And Chef Sandy seems to be influenced by anything and everything that he tastes and sees—which I heartily approve of. I do love chefs and cooks who like experimenting.
The pechay (pak choi) stuffed with lean ground pork and tinapa (smoked fish) and cooked in a spicy coconut sauce is easily one of my favorites. According to Chef Sandy, this dish came straight out of his imagination.
The breaded fish fillet may look like any perfectly fried fish fillet anywhere in the world, but it is the dipping sauce that makes this one unusual.
Lechon kawali is a common dish in the Philippines since it is just pork belly that's boiled then fried. That doesn't mean that all lechon kawali is the same though; quite the opposite, in fact. If not done well, the meat can be chewy and the skin tough enough to break teeth. I think that the Wooden Spoon has achieved perfection with theirs. Everything—every bite, every morsel, every millimeter of the skin—is crunchy. Aside from the regular liver sauce for dipping, it is also served with sweet chili sauce, and ginger sauce.
The dipping sauce for the breaded fish fillet is based on wansoy (cilantro). It can easily overpower the delicate taste of the fish, as I discovered when I literally dipped the fish in the sauce; two or three drops placed on a bite-size piece is enough. Of the three sauces for the lechon kawali, I liked the ginger and green onion sauce best.
The pechay (pak choi) stuffed with lean ground pork and tinapa (smoked fish) and cooked in a spicy coconut sauce is easily one of my favorites. According to Chef Sandy, this dish came straight out of his imagination.
The breaded fish fillet may look like any perfectly fried fish fillet anywhere in the world, but it is the dipping sauce that makes this one unusual.
Lechon kawali is a common dish in the Philippines since it is just pork belly that's boiled then fried. That doesn't mean that all lechon kawali is the same though; quite the opposite, in fact. If not done well, the meat can be chewy and the skin tough enough to break teeth. I think that the Wooden Spoon has achieved perfection with theirs. Everything—every bite, every morsel, every millimeter of the skin—is crunchy. Aside from the regular liver sauce for dipping, it is also served with sweet chili sauce, and ginger sauce.
The dipping sauce for the breaded fish fillet is based on wansoy (cilantro). It can easily overpower the delicate taste of the fish, as I discovered when I literally dipped the fish in the sauce; two or three drops placed on a bite-size piece is enough. Of the three sauces for the lechon kawali, I liked the ginger and green onion sauce best.
May 5, 2012
Under the stairs
This collection of home accessories and art pieces caught my eye at Tatung's Garden Café. I'm not crazy about how they're all put together (there's no unifying theme that I can see), but I do like the inlaid chest and the framed matchbooks, individually. The stairs lead to the private area of the house, where Chef Myke Sarthou and his family live.
May 3, 2012
Tree ornaments
I do not know if the lanterns and string lights hanging from the trees of the Jaime C. Velasquez Park in Salcedo Village, Makati City are there all year round, but I imagine the residents of the many condominium buildings in the area would want them to be. Because its real name is quite long, the park is better known simply as the Salcedo Park.
May 2, 2012
Not real
It is summer in the Philippines and Eastwood Mall's central atrium is decorated with gigantic sunflowers. Red sunflowers may not be real, but their fiery color is most appropriate, with Manila's temperatures already hitting—and going beyond—36˚C (98˚F). Factor in the humidity and it's not surprising that "malling" (which isn't a real word, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) is a part of our Filipino-English vocabulary.
May 1, 2012
One
THEME DAY: BAKERIES • Banapple opened its first tiny kitchen and café five years ago along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City. In those five years, it opened four other branches in others parts of Metro Manila, and the one along Katipunan Avenue is so popular, they opened another, bigger branch across the street, where most of the baking is now done. This is the original store, fondly called Banapple One. The pie that made Banapple famous is their Banoffee Pie, a photo of which I posted back in 2009, and which I'm re-posting below.
It's going to be a mouth-watering day with City Daily Photo bloggers showing off their cities' bakeries. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
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