Filipino food: More than just adobo

Japan is known for its sushi, America for its hamburgers, Italy for its pizza, France for its foie gras (fatty liver) and China for its noodles.

But what about the Philippines?

Through the years, several people have tried to describe what Filipino cuisine is all about, and most of them say the dish that best defines our country is adobo, or meat (from pork and chicken to seafood and offal) braised in garlic, vinegar and soy. Each household, town, province and region has a different way of preparing this otherwise simple viand.

Recipe: Celebrity chef Sam Leong's wasabi prawns

Here's a dish that is so powerful it gave a Singapore chef a career, a wife and an opportunity to travel the world.

Well, at least that's what Sam Leong, the city-state's very own celebrity chef, claimed when he held a cooking demo at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel earlier this month.

"I bring this dish wherever I go," he said.

Leong was referring to his wasabi prawns, a dish that required few ingredients and only took him 10 minutes to prepare. It was so easy to do, one would wonder how it promoted someone to master chef status.

The answer was revealed shortly after. True enough, the dish was simple but amazing -- the prawns were delicately coated in a batter that is both crunchy and hard, reminiscent of peanuts. The sauce, made from mayonnaise, condensed milk, wasabi paste and lemon juice, gave just the right amount of sweetness and spice.

It was effortlessly beautiful, like magic -- or perhaps kung fu, as others would say. No wonder it is very close to Leong's heart even if he has created tens of thousands of modern Chinese dishes.

Puerto Galera's well kept culinary secret

Expatriates and foreign travelers seem to be drawn to a secluded resort in Puerto Galera, the northernmost municipality in Oriental Mindoro province.

Australian-owned Out of the Blue is tucked away from the pack on White Beach, known as the go-to place for local tourists. Its cluster of Mediterranean-style luxury villas sits on a small lot overlooking Small La Laguna.

"Our resort became popular mainly through word of mouth. We had mostly foreigners, expats, those who work in embassies and Asian banks," said John Booth, one of the resort's owners. The other is his good friend and former colleague, Chris Shannon.

"We never expected it to be as successful as we've actually become."

Sampling Coke-laced diner food at The Real Thing

"The Real Thing" used to be the advertising slogan for Coca-Cola, the ubiquitous soft drink brand with the classic white lettering against a red background.

It's also the name of a themed diner at Tomas Morato in Quezon City which opened late last year. 

And it was named such for a reason. The place screams "I love Coca-Cola so much that I'm giving it free advertising!" at the top of its lungs, from the familiar signage font to the huge coke bottle-shaped shelf filled with Coca-Cola memorabilia. 

Let's talk fast food: Yummy Roast

Imagine eating Asian-style fare, just like what is served in Singapore's food courts, in a typical fast food environment.

That's the feeling I got upon my first visit at Yummy Roast, the newest addition to the Philippines' growing list of Singapore influenced food chains. It's a result of a partnership between Richie Yang of Yum Roast International Inc. (the Filipino company that runs Super Bowl of China, Big Buddha and Chili's) and Cary Gee of The Asian Kitchen restaurants in Singapore.

Yummy Roast looks and feels like the usual fast food chain, complete with yellow plastic chairs and a counter where all the menu items are displayed. It also has "value meals" and unlimited rice offerings, as seen in most quick service restaurants here in the country.

The difference, however, lies in the food.

Strawberry taho in Baguio

Here in the Philippines, it's common to see a man carrying 2 large aluminum buckets, screaming "taaaahhoooo" while walking along the sidewalk or in the middle of the road.

Using a shallow ladle, he scoops out the contents of his 2 buckets -- soft or silken tofu, arnibal (brown sugar and vanilla syrup) and sago (pearl tapioca) -- and places these in thin plastic cups.

The end product, warm and sweet taho, has long been a favorite among locals and tourists in several parts of the country.

But in Baguio City, a 6-hour trip from Manila, people do things a bit differently.

A meal fit for a King

The best time to be creative in the kitchen is when you're hungry, at least according to renowned chef Billy King, the man who brought the famed Le Souffle restaurant here.

True enough, King hasn't eaten anything when he showed his latest creations at The Manor's Le Chef restaurant in Baguio City late last month.

He's not the type who holds a pen and sits down to think, either -- the chef initially said he'll serve 6 new items, but he ended up with 13.

"It's best to be hungry. It's the best time to be creative. Let the gastric juices and imagination flow," he said.

King is a proud chef, one who's not willing to jump on the celebrity chef bandwagon. He said, referring to chef contests on television, "Some of it is nonsense. Why create something in an hour when you need 3 hours to do it? It's not right. It just cannot be good."

"It seems nobody can do anything without a blender nowadays," he quipped.

His seeming air of arrogance, however, fades away the moment we got to taste his dishes. From the savory dishes to the desserts and drinks, each item tasted divine, causing us food writers to close our eyes and call to God after every bite.

What the chef served us, indeed, was a meal fit for a king.

Degustation at The Goose Station

Try saying "The Goose Station" ten times and you'll probably end up saying "degustation."

The name of the restaurant at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is a play on the said word, a culinary term which literally means taking a small amount of food into the mouth to test its quality.

Owned by celebrity chef couple Robert Pengson and Sunshine Puey, The Goose Station is known for its excellent degustation menus, which most people call an experience of "high culinary art."

And excellent, it is. Each dish is well thought-out and painstakingly prepared, from the 24-hour steak to the sous-vide sea bass.

Manila Hotel ice cream flavors: Salted egg and Ferrero

Who would have thought that an old architectural gem would serve ice cream in uniquely superb flavors?

The 99-year-old Manila Hotel, which has hosted numerous historical persons and celebrities, is also home to 2 must-try ice cream variants -- Ferrero and salted egg.

Romance on a plate

Oysters, chocolates, strawberries and saffron are only some of the world's known aphrodisiacs, or food items that increase sexual desire.

Eat all of these at the same time with your partner, and you may end up having a second date, or getting hitched.

Chef David Pardo de Ayala made this gentle warning as he gave us a culinary preview of his Valentine's Day menu, aptly called Passions*, at the picturesque Restaurant Verbena in Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay.

Xiao long bao and other tasty Chinese bites at Crystal Jade

If Wee Nam Kee has chicken rice, Crystal Jade has xiao long bao.

These soupy pork dumplings steamed in small bamboo baskets (and best eaten on ceramic spoons) are more than enough reason for people to wait in line for a table on weekdays. Others even travel by plane just to savor this yummy treat.

Lucky for foodies here in Manila, Asia's famed xiao long bao has found its way to Greenhills, San Juan.

Recipe: Pan-seared lamb chops with mixed herbs and balsamic reduction

Here's a simple yet elegant lamb dish that's sure to impress your family, friends and guests alike.

The rosemary, thyme, tarragon and balsamic reduction are a perfect match for lamb chops, which sometimes tend to taste too gamey.

A taste of Singapore in Makati

Tucked inside the new Ayala Triangle Gardens (ATG) in Makati City is a restaurant that serves one of the (if not the) best Hainanese chicken rice dishes in Singapore.

Called Wee Nam Kee, the place is familiar to those who have traveled to the city-state's Novena town. It took me quite some time, however, to remember my last visit there in 2008, back when I didn't take my food too seriously.

The restaurant has won the hearts of both Singapore locals and foreign tourists, particularly Filipinos.

Among its Filipino patrons are no less than former presidents Joseph "Erap" Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as well as actors and real-life couple John Lloyd Cruz and Shaina Magdayao, according to Linfred Yap, one of the 2 young entrepreneurs behind the first Wee Nam Kee franchise in the country.

Unlike its main branch in Novena which looks more like a hole-in-the-wall joint, Makati's Wee Nam Kee, just like the city, had an urban, upscale feel to it.

But the good news is, the food is exactly the same -- all dishes served in the restaurant are prepared by chefs who flew all the way from Singapore.

Asia Pacific's first Radisson Blu hotel is in Cebu

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III always enjoys visiting Cebu, one of the country’s most developed provinces.

He called it “a place that brings together essential elements that make Philippine tourism so special” – from its natural attractions to world-class accommodations.

Last month, the country’s chief executive found his way in Cebu once again as he led the formal launch of the province’s newest gem – the first Radisson Blu Hotel in the Asia Pacific region.

The hotel, targeted mainly at luxury tourists and businessmen, is a result of a tie-up between Radisson Blu’s Carlson group and the family of mall magnate Henry Sy.

Snacking on exotic vegetable chips

Here's my latest favorite healthy snack -- zesty tomato-flavored exotic vegetable chips by Terra.

Flavored with tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and celery, it's a nutritious and flavorful alternative to greasy potato chips. 

A hymn to love (and good food)

I can't stop raving about Utada Hikaru's jazz rendition of Edith Piaf's Hymne à l'amour (Hymn to Love).

The song, used in a commercial campaign for a Japan-exclusive Pepsi drink, is part of Hikki's second greatest hits album that's set to be released on Wednesday.

Hikki's version, Hymne à l'amour (Ai no Anthem), had a sweet, lounge-y feel to it, just like Cav, a posh wine shop and cafe at Bonifacio High Street. I find it a good spot to listen to this French-Japanese song.

Situated on the side of The Spa building, Cav exudes an elegant ambiance complemented by fine European cuisine, and is ideal for dates and intimate gatherings.

My last meal there was superb, although I've yet to try the other items on Cav's menu. I'm particularly eyeing the foie gras (yes, I have a soft spot for fatty goose/duck liver) and the duck leg confit for my next visit. 

Truffle lechon, anyone?

It was a hot afternoon in Cebu and I was excited to have a taste of the Zubuchon, the much talked about roast pig by Marketman of Market Manila.

I had high expectations for the lechon, said to be prepared using homegrown organic ingredients, especially after well-known boar buff Anthony Bourdain called it the "best pig ever."

"(Anthony Bourdain) is incredibly intelligent and fantastic to work with. He ate a huge piece of the skin," Marketman shared his experience with Bourdain as his crew hand-turned the lechon on bamboo poles over charcoal.

Three pigs were prepared that day, and seeing them getting cooked right before my very eyes was an experience in itself.

And just when I thought I was up for one of the best meals of my life, Marketman revealed a sweet surprise -- one lechon was infused with the deep, rich flavor of black truffles. 

Arriba chocolate pizza at Heavenly Chocolates

Am I expecting too much, or it just wasn’t good enough?

This came to mind after taking a bite of the Arriba chocolate pizza, the latest offering at Heavenly Chocolates, a simple nook along Roces Avenue in Quezon City.

The 6.5-inch diameter pizza, priced at P150, had all the good stuff – warm bittersweet chocolate, sliced almonds, shallot bits and fried anchovies.

With all these things on a crust that strongly reminded me of Pop Tarts (as in the breakfast treat), my taste buds should be jumping for joy.  But they weren’t. 

Asian Flavours: A culinary gem in Batangas

"Pinoy but upscale."

This is what Laguna-bred chef Paul Poblador, famous for his stint in San Pablo's Kusina Salud, said when asked to describe his latest creations at Asian Flavours.

The restaurant, tucked inside the Lima Park hotel in Malvar, Batangas, marked its first year last month with a 10-course all-Filipino lunch buffet.

Unlike his dishes at Kusina Salud, which Poblador described as "Lola's cooking," the dishes at the fairly new restaurant cater mainly to expatriate professionals, some of the locals, and hopefully soon, the Manila crowd.

It was a lot like refined comfort food -- from the kalderetang bakang Batangas generously topped with green and black olives and cheese to the extensive array of innovative ensaladas. 

Eating nothing but ice cream and raw seafood at HEAT

Prominent French cognac house Hennessy gathered some of the Philippines' bloggers and journalists to promote its drink mixing-cum-music festival on November 19 at The Fort's NBC Tent. (Read my article on abs-cbnNEWS.com here.)

The event, aptly called Hennessy Artistry, will feature 2 international DJs and bands (Pupil, Kjwan and True Faith) as well as 4 basic flavors (berry, citrus, ginger and apple) mixed with the velvety smooth cognac.

It's like an upscale version of the recently held Rockfest, where people were required to purchase a few bottles of Tanduay Rhum or Cossack Blue at selected 7-11 outlets to get tickets.

To be a part of Hennessy Artistry's guest list, you have to buy a bottle of the cognac at high-end spots such as Encore Super Club, Limbo, Amber Ultra Lounge or M Cafe.