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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