Eat It Up: Hermanos' Fish Tacos

Fish be with you: Irresistible fish tacos at Hermanos are simple yet satisfying.

Just because you can't eat meat, it doesn't mean you can't have a little fun. Every week of Lent I'll be sharing a different meat-free find from the different restaurants in Manila starting with last time's adorable watermelon steak by Pipino. Mexican food seems to have gotten a second wind in the local dining scene. Recent entries like Órale!, Chihuaha, and Achiote are leaving a new generation of foodies smitten.

Then there's Hermanos Taco Shop on the very edge where Quezon City and San Juan meet. Run by San Franciscan chef Rene Rodriguez and the Mora clan, the quaint tacqueria plies sumptuous burritos, sirloin carne assada smothered with fries, and more chimichangas than...well...a chimichanga party.

Or a cooking show with Deadpool.

But it's Hermanos' fish tacos (P150) - wicked golden-fried dory crescents - that haunt me to this day. Drizzled with lime sauce, stuffed with cabbage, and tucked in soft tortilla blankets, they're the house best-sellers and with good reason. It's crisp and tender with wild Mexican flavors that'll make you sit back and say Holy cow.

Well, holy fish to be specific.

Have it with chips and salsa. Have it with horchata, that weird, wonderful rice, milk, and cinnamon drink that's a staple during Mexican holidays. It doesn't matter. This fish taco could very well make a believer out of you.

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Lent It Be

In an attempt to make a major sacrifice last year, I gave up meat, sweets, and alcohol. It was at times unsuccessful---I was handling food reviews for the magazine I used to work for, and during a trip to Beijing, a visit to Da Dong for its famous Peking duck left me weak in the knees. I succumbed to the gluttony of the evening and ate the best duck I've ever encountered so far.

It still haunts my dreams, waddling along my taste buds with a trail of bamboo steam in its wake.

No, not that duck.

Crisp and airy, the skin of the duck was conspicuously absent of the white layer of fat seen in most Peking duck preparations, but every bite was pure fat. You could feel the warm grease coating your tongue, brightened by the sauce and scallions.

There were other things, too: orange soup served inside a hollowed-out fruit, tender greens, fish. But the things I remember most were the items I took photos of. That should say something about having a camera at hand all the time, which I ironically stopped doing when I went to grad school and had to shoot with DSLRs constantly. Hey, camera fatigue happens sometimes. I regret that now, but I'm making up for lost time.

The things we ate at Da Dong (aside from double portions of Peking duck):

1. A beautifully arranged century egg appetizer

2. Grilled unagi (probably the fattiest I'd eaten, but I prefer mine done Japanese-style).

3. Braised mushrooms with foie gras (this was excellent).

So here I am, reminiscing about sumptuous dinners from the past, while snacking on veggie chips and garlic hummus from Trader Joe's. I might have slipped up a couple of times last Lent, but I'm determined to stick it out this year and not have meat, sweets, alcohol.. and sleeping in on weekdays. It's going to be a tough couple of months ahead, but for me, Lent this year is about giving thanks for a whole lot of things. And living in New York (and being lucky enough to be doing a lot of things, hence the lack of Forkplay updates on my part) is right on top of that list.

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Eat It Up: Watermelon Steak

Pipino's irresistible watermelon with asparagus, taro miso mash, and pickled mushrooms
will have you smitten for summer and beyond

As a rule, I don't grill my fruits. It's just one of those things - like walking with wet socks or eating a whole jar of mayonnaise with a spoon. I'd rather not, thank you very much. Fruits by all accounts are meant to be served chilled, preferably in bite-sized juicy chunks, or, in the case of watermelon, sliced into big wedges you dive your whole face in. That's what makes watermelon, well, a watermelon.

Last week however, vegan snack shack Pipino in sleepy Teachers Village came out with a 5-course Valentine's meal that included, among other things, watermelon steak. This was unheard of in my dining vocabulary, though New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman would have you think otherwise.

Says Bittman:

"Watermelon is not a vegetable, obviously, but it’s so wonderful when grilled [...] Grill a watermelon slice, and it dries out and sobers up, losing its sloppy sweetness, and it takes surprisingly well to savory accompaniments. Add a slice of good melting cheese, a hard roll, a few pickles and a lettuce leaf, and look out: watermelon burgers."

Pipino's new watermelon steak is just that: A thick, red wedge that's actually pretty to look at. On biting, it does't give too quickly, and releases nearly that same smoky flavor you'd associate with your favorite T-bone. Here it's served with asparagus and pickled mushrooms that adds welcome zing. A clump of taro miso mash satisfied my need for carbs.

Will it fly with diners? For vegans it's a no-brainer. But as a regular guy who can appreciate a fine slab of rib-eye, it's definitely still worth trying. Just don't expect to be filled up in a way only honest to goodness, proteiny meat can. Have it if you're coming to grips with your Lenten fast or curious to sample creative vegan cooking. It's definitely a notch higher than masquerading gluten and tofu as animal parts, and you get to love fruit in a whole different way. Now if someone could start cooking watermelon burgers...

Pipino
39 Malingap Street, teachers Village, Quezon City
Contact (63) 2 4411773
Visit www.pipinovegetarian.com 

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VILLA CAFÉ: Babi Rocks!

by Twinkle

When Chef Jam Melchor of Villa Café posed the question “What’s your favorite cuisine?”, I was ready with my usual repertoire of world delights: Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Korean. But before I could answer he said, “Di ba people usually say Mexican, Italian, para sosyal? Bakit hindi Filipino?” (Don't people usually say Mexican, Italian, to sound sophisticated? Why not Filipino?)

Hmmm… he did have a point.

Whether for a power lunch or liesurely dinner, expect classic Kapampangan recipes
 given a contemporary culinary makeover

Say hello to Filipino food that even your lola would approve of.  They say that Kapampangans are the ones to beat when it comes to Filipino cuisine.  Both hailing from the famous culinary capital of the Philippines, Chef Sau del Rosario and Chef Jam Melchor have dug up their treasured family recipes and used them as the foundation for their new venture – Villa Café.

“This is authentic Filipino cuisine sans the palayok,” says Chef Jam Melchor
who, together with fellow Kapampangan chef, Sau del Rosario, runs VILLA Cafe.

The first thing I saw as I walked through the doors was the pastry showcase right across the room.  Before I knew it, I was headed straight to the desserts! As I peered into the display of Filipino-inspired temptations – chocolate dulce de leche cake, dulce de tsokulate, tsokonut sansrival, etc. - I made a mental note of which items I wanted to try -- except I realized I wanted to try each one!  If they put this much thought into the desserts, I wondered, I had every right to be excited with the Villa's menu.

Our journey through the Kapampangan food wonderland began with their buro with mustasa (P195) -- a colorful array of fresh local ingredients served side by side with crispy hito (catfish) flakes, and Pampanga’s famous buro (fermented shrimp and rice).  Dig in by making your own wraps.  Slap some buro on the mustasa leaf, then put a bit of everything on it before rolling it up.  Get ready for one big bite!

The Kapampangan food experience wouldn't be complete without a taste of their famous buro.  

The slightly bitter leaves of the mustasa give way to the juicy baby tomatoes, bits of native onions, red egg, buro and crispy hito. The interplay of crunchy, salty, sweet, and bitter combined with the surprisingly creamy tang of the buro melded so well that the flavors seamlessly danced across my palate. The last mustasa leaf, (a.k.a. the diyahe piece), caused a stare down for ownership between Ryan and yours truly, which was only broken by the arrival of more appetizers.

Tasty bites of suso.  It actually crossed my mind to have this with rice. 

The tinapa (smoked fish) pate was so flavorful you can’t deny its ‘tinapa-ness’.  It was followed by spicy garlic suso (snails) with lemon grass which where were simply a labor of love (P250), each one shelled by hand and served ready to eat.  The dominant spicy tomato flavors that dress the earthy bites of suso are complimented by olives and capers. Picture a kaldereta dish sans the thick sauce. Although it is not an overwhelmingly big serving, these interesting bites are definitely meant for sharing.

With the open kitchen nearby, the irresistible scents took me back to my own lola’s kitchen.  I couldn’t help but ask Chef Jam how loyal their dishes were to the heirloom recipes they were based on.

“We improve on the presentation, and stay true to the flavors,” he proudly said.

I’ve always been weary of restaurants that describe their fare as ‘modernized’ or as ‘fusion’, then serve a pretty plate in front of me. I’m all for the pretty, but sometimes the dish drowns in all the froufrou that I forget it’s supposed to be comfort food.  At the end of the day I’d still go for comfort food - the type that you randomly crave for at odd hours; where thoughts of it linger in your mind until you finally have that first bite.

Chief of Stuffed: Villa Cafe's bangus relleno

My worries were put to rest as they served the kare-kare crispy pata and the villa relleno (P375). As promised, the dishes emerged in post-makeover fashion with no palayoks in sight.  Although it was prettier than the traditional serving style, the dishes were still recognizable and good to share.

The relleno had that homey feel to it that made me feel like I was having Sunday dinner with family.  The chunky big bites of fish (instead of the indiscernible flakes) carried with it a strong guisado flavor which made me abandon the traditional banana-ketchup-and-relleno pairing.

On the left:  Villa's crispy pata with kare-kare sauce.
On the right:  The sisig sausage with greens tossed in Japanese dressing.

My heart skipped a beat as we dug into Villa’s crispy pata (P495). The marinated pork knuckles were studded with whole peppercorns and served with kare-kare sauce (although I prefer the thick richer version, their kare-kare sauce is perfect for those that like it light) on the side.  A bite of it’s tender meat, and crisp skin would make any crispy pata fan (me) happy.

The last minute addition – the sisig sausage – was welcome with open arms.  The spicy pork sausage is served with a crisp salad tossed with a light Japanese dressing – all I needed was a bottle of ice-cold beer.  To sum it all up, I’ll have to agree with Anthony Bourdain’s love of Philippine pork - babi rocks!

The desire to serve hearty Kapampangan comfort food drives Villa Cafe's dedicated staff

 Against the protests of our already full bellies, we followed our heart, ordered dessert, then walked around a bit to make space for the grand finale.  How can you say no to a generous slice of rich chocolate dulce de leche cake anyway? This simple dessert was a pleasure to have with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.  To the rest of the desserts showcased at the counter here's what I'd say: “I shall return”.

Ms.Lori got it right - desserts do come first!
In photo above: a chocolate cake with dulce de leche.

Villa Café is a pleasant addition to my where-do-I-take-foreign-guests-for-Filipino-food list.  If I could only take them to just one Filipino restaurant, why not win them over with food from the culinary capital?  

Villa Cafe

7427 Glory Building, Yakal St., San Antonio Village, Makati

Contact (63) 917 4343143

Visit www.villacafe.biz

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Orient Express Part 1

I've always wondered how the Chinese name their restaurants. I suspect it's by spinning a roulette labeled with words like 'jade', 'dragon', and 'palace'. "Silky Flying Golden Buddha Garden it is," one might say, proud of stringing the words together. Mine would be Man Ho. Just because.

But until Quezon City grants my business permit, there will be Binondo. Yes, it's dingy and decrepit, its heaving mass stitched together by winding streets and eskinitas. But therein lies Binondo's charm, gritty  in its own way - like your gruff uncle who only always wears a white sando, a gold necklace, and denim shorts.

Bored with the usual food trip? Hit Chinatown.

If you want to experience three hundred or so years of Chinese culture in Manila, sign up with Ivan Man Dy's Old Manila Walks. If you want to experience three hundred or so years of Chinese culture in Manila with a generous selection of corny jokes thrown in, walk with Forkplay. At least that's what we'd eventually like to do. But after hitting Chinatown one Sunday afternoon, we felt bad for people who would have to endure us.

"Let's try Chowking first," said Jon. "You can't get more authentic than that." Without waiting for me to roll my eyes, he pointed to a convenience store. "How about that? Mee-Nee-Stop. I think we should include that." Punchline drum roll please.

I've learned that there are two kinds of Chinese restaurants in Manila: The sprawling, imperial palace big enough to host a tennis match; and the the hole-in-the-wall, an eatery you'd easily mistake for a refugee center, its huddled masses hunched over their bowls. Most of Binondo falls under the latter, and among those gems that stand out is Ongpin Mañosa.

1. MAKE MINE MAKI ME
Here is a place where Anne Frank would feel right at home: Walk-ins trudge up a narrow staircase leading up to what must have been at one point a bodega or a Filipino action film villain's hideout. You wouldn't know until you hauled yourself upstairs.

On our trip it was packed with hordes of families all vying for the same eerily deep-fried dishes. And while the staff's attention to neatness is open to debate (we were handed 'washed' plates with delightful oil stains), Ongpin Mañosa's signature Maki Me (P110) is not.

Left and center: Ongpin Mañosa's famous Maki Me. 
Right: Huge siomai with minced pork and shrimp 

This mysterious, goopy soup is amazing in a primal, messy way. It glows a deep amber, and the noodles and chunks of pork half submerged in it bring to mind a dinosaur caught and preserved in a tar pit. You can have siomai too - and they're huge. These pork and shrimp balls (P90) arrived palm-sized in frayed dumpling wrapper.

The Good: Hefty servings. A killer maki me.
The Bad: Customers hovering tables waiting to take your place.
The Ugly: Staff thinks it's a crime to smile.

2. ISANG DUMPLING LANG YAN
Twinkle finally rescued us from Mañosa, and she brought a friend too - Weizl - who's a vegan chef and part-time fashion model. (Weizl is also a full-time cutthroat haggler who lustily bartered with some fruit vendors until they felt ashamed of themselves and handed over their ripe oranges.)  

My Binondo Girls: Twinkle and Weizl

After swinging by Salazar Bakery for hopia and moon cake, we escaped to the aptly-named Tasty Dumplings. I didn't realize it then, but I had been fun a fun of Tasty Dumplings years ago when they still had their branch in Wilson. I can still swear by their Silver Roll bread (P35), a golden-brown, pillowy mass with a crusty shell that's best had with savory-sweet Hongma (P90/P110). It's glorified braised pork - think a saucier cousin to Panciteria Lido's pugon asado - that's meaty with a welcome trim of fat.

Better than partners than John Lloyd and Angel, Derek and Angelica, Piolo and Sam -
Tasty Dumpling's hongma (foreground) and silver roll (background)

Their classic pork dumplings (P63) are luscious, and contrast well with the rough, crispy slices of pork chop (P85) every other table seemed to be ordering. Whichever way you choose to sate yourself, our advice is down it with a cold glass of winter melon juice (P33).

Tasty Dumpling's dumplings are quite...tasty.

The Good: Silver roll + hongma = bliss

The Bad: For a restaurant called Tasty Dumplings, the dumplings are quite so-so

The Ugly: Went to the men's room, and walked in one of the staff squatting on top of the toilet rim, taking a crap. "Ay sorry," he said smiling. Horror.

3. AN EXECUTIVE LUNCH

For tea time merienda, we made our down Salazar Street, passing by herbal shops to reach President, one of the venerable dimsum parlors of Chinatown. President's ventured out of Binondo showing up in several shopping centers, but it's still here in its decades-old location that the food tastes a tad bit more authentic. At least that's what one of the owners told us. Above the clatter of plates and the clink of tea cups, we managed to order a batch of scallop dumplings (P75).

Here was a mouthful of surprise - juicy, flavorful and fresh but not briny. "They definitely know how to cook their seafood fresh," said Twinkle.

Clockwise from upper left: Mongo-filled Linyong Pao; a fresh batch of Bird's Eye dumplings; 
President's afternoon yum cha crowd 

This time it was a basket of orange-pink shrimp dumplings topped with cut bird's eye chili (P65). And then another: Linyong Pao buns filled not with meat, but creamy yellow mongo (P65). Imagine the classic buchi in a siopao bun. Although labeled a dessert, it's too hefty to be one. 

All it took was a stout bottle of Tsing Dao shared between the four of us to down everything, and it was all over sooner than you could say hakaw.

The Good: Varied selection of dimsum. Good excuse to drink Chinese beer at 2pm in the afternoon.

The Bad: Sat by leaky AC unit. Shoes continually sloshing in a puddle.

The Ugly: Me, tipsy, after said Chinese beer.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our trip. Seriously. Please, come and read the rest of it. Here's what you can expect:

• We run in the rain and get wet in a non-seductive way
• Why faux sisig is actually pretty good
• More kuchay dumplings than I care to write
• Jon is mistaken for the Buddha

Forkplay happy and full at President's

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Kablam! for your Buck: Lech-Get-It-On!

One of the most popular dishes in the Philippines is lechon baboy or roast pig. A traditional part of any fiesta, the reddish brown porker doubles as both meal and centerpiece for the occasion. You'll always wanna be near the start of the line so you can get a good serving of the meat, and that always-first-to-go crispy lechon skin.

Alas, lechon is not perfect. The traditional cooking process can sometimes leave the meat tough and chewy (though check out our coverage of Cebu's Zubuchon lechon too), and by now you've probably asked yourself, "This is Kablam! for your Buck where we occasionally learn about an awesome tasting, highly satisfying and non-wallet-emptying treat! A whole lechon usually costs thousands of pesos!" Why, yes it is, and... well, yeah, also yes, lechon is usually expensive, but if you're after something that's just as awesome, then you're in for a treat.

Pigging Out: Uncle Cheffy's Garlic Studded Pork Belly Lechon

 When one thinks of Uncle Cheffy, it elicits images of red brick oven baked pizzas and other cuisine of a similar global scale. Well those ovens are just as capable of making an awesome roast (part of a) pig, in this case, its tender, succulent liempo. While it may not have the same grandiose effect of displaying a whole animal, an order of the Garlic Studded Pork Belly Lechon is nonetheless impressive in its own right. 

The marble potatoes are a favorite companion to meat dishes, but one of the more pleasantly surprising aspects of the dish is the fresh salsa which goes just as well as the traditional sarsa which it also comes with. As for the meat: simply divine. It practically melts in your mouth, while the crunchy, flavorful skin does an incredibly accurate impression of its bigger cousin.

The cost of this lavish feast? Slightly over Php200 (Php95 per 100 grams + service charge). Pictured above is an order of 200 grams (the minimum), and that was more than enough to satisfy this restless food warrior's belly. Good food? Yes. Great value? Hell yes. You've just been Kablamforyourbucked.

Uncle Cheffy Brick Oven BBQ

2nd Level, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City

Contact 3837215

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