CJWDT: Philippines

Happy new year!!  Let me hope 2014 would be killer for u readers and this unemployed little gypsy boy......  Back to the past of my culinary journey...  Philippines!









10/2/13-10/8/13: Manila, Philippines

CJWDT'13 Euphoriania grand tour, 20th stop:  Manila, Philippines!!  This was my first visit to Philippines, as Vietnamese cuisine have French influence, Philippines have Spanish influence and also Chinese, Malaysian & Indonesian.  During my time in Manila, I was staying with my old roommate and have several opportunities to eat homemade Philippine cuisine as much as dining out. 

During my visit I went to see 2 weekend markets, Salcedo market and Legazpi market in Manila, checking out local fruits, vegetables & food booths.  Tasting some local fruits, variety of banana, litches, mangosteen, kala, dalandan....  Mentioning one notable discovery would be banana heart(picture below) which I never had before, looks like sort of artichoke.  I have boiled one as side dish of adobo.  It wasn't something so tasty or strong flavor or aroma.  It would be more suitable use it in salad for texture, I would say.

Munch N' Inspiration:
Sisig fried rice:  I feel like these days it's getting popular publishing staff meal cooking book in culinary world.   For me Staff meal is chicken, grand meat, pizza, fish trim, pizza....  and fried rice!!  It's something delicious, easy, quick and perfect for made up from the scratch.   I always try to eat local fried rice in Asia and great way to see flavor profiling differences.  On this picture above seasoned the way of Sisig, which have good kick of sourness.  According to my research, usually using coconuts vinegar & calamansi jus to season.  Quite interesting flavor.

Kare-kare:  Philippines oxtail stew, the key flavor would be peanuts butter.  Rich, nutty, hearty great flavor usually accompany with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste).  Bagoong I tasted was little too intense for me (like all spicy Thai food in Bangkok) and didn't get why it's serving with Kare-kare, but MAYBE it's just individual preference.   Anyway I thought Kare-kare could work for starter bite / amuse bouche to play around. 

Aligue:  Another discovery, aligue is crab fat sauce.  Having strong crabby flavor usually using for rice, pasta and seafood is finger licking good!  For me pork, foie gras, hamachi, toro, bone mallow... more butter, more fat, more flavor, more DELICIOUS is simple theory.  Basically forget less fat, eating is sin, let's get more fatty!  Well, I just like more flavor in food, not grease though...  Anyway this is simple as hell, why fat rock the world.  That aligue show.  I can't wait to make my own aligue sauce one day.

Manila culinary web links:

http://www.salarestaurant.com/the_restaurant/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/VaskManila

http://www.wheninmanila.com/when-in-manila-zenses-restaurant-cooking-with-nitrogen/

http://lagirollefort.com