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Going on a Food Trip
Going on a Food Trip
Celina Le Neindre of Farfalla Pasta Bar in Davao
SU-LYN Tan, one of the creators of the Miele Guide, visited the Philippines last year with her husband Aun Koh aka chubbyhubby (chubbyhubby.net). They stayed an equivalent of two days in Manila, arriving in time for dinner and leaving just right after lunch two days later.
Let me share with you the hectic schedule they managed: Day 1: Upon arrival, check in and tea with the manager of The Peninsula. Dinner at Elbert’s Steak Room. Day 2: Breakfast at Salcedo Market. Lunch at Antonio’s Fine Dining in Tagaytay. Dinner at Bistro Filipino. Day 3: Filipino breakfast of champorado (chocolate porridge) at a mall. Lunch at Aubergine. In between, they managed to visit Budji Layug’s showroom and shop at Greenbelt and Rockwell. Whew!
But THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how to plan a trip. I swear they are living proof that Singaporeans are the most efficient people on the planet. They left full (stuffed might be more like it), happy, and with a good introductory grasp of the Philippine restaurant scene.
How do we copy such an itinerary and manage to experience a town’s food and culture in one go?
First, do your research. As much as possible, read about a place before going there. That’s what Lonely Planet, Zagat, the Michelin and Miele Guides are for. Aside from these guides, there are so many blogs, magazine and newspaper features nowadays on food.
Research has great benefits, too. I would never have met Aun and Su even if I had been sent on a food junket to Singapore by the Inquirer and the Singapore Tourism Board had I not googled “best Singaporean chefs and restaurants.” I took a detour from the junket because chubbyhubby.net had just featured on that day Justin Quek and announced that he was launching his first ever bio-cookbook that same day. Not only did I meet Justin Quek and come home with a unique story, I also came home with a copy of his book (signed!) and best of all, great new friends.
Second, listen to what the locals say. In Davao recently, I was urged by everyone – from the hotel concierge to the car rental’s driver to political leaders – to try the Chinese restaurant Ah Fat Seafood. I had my doubts because it seemed silly to have Chinese food in Davao.
Nevertheless, I made my way to this Chinese restaurant. Lo and behold, I saw for myself how popular the restaurant is: I was practically turned away by the waitress because there were no more seats at 8 p.m. on a Monday night had I not told her I was dining alone. It seemed like half of Davao were eating here.
Although it wasn’t superb Chinese food, contrary to the press release of the locals, it was nevertheless cool to see where Davaoeños go when they need a hearty meal. The steamed lapu-lapu, highly recommended by the waitress, was nothing extraordinary. The yang chow fried rice was a little soggy. The spare ribs, however, was very delicious. I also later learned that I should have ordered the crabs. Which made me make a mental note that next time, I should not only ask which restaurants to go to but also ask what to order!
Third, feel free to explore. Feeling very ah, fat (!) after eating at Ah Fat, I wandered around the Victoria Plaza carpark. Just a few steps away from Ah Fat, I found the most adorable restaurant with outside tables aglow with romantic candles. It was a small restaurant which could seat maybe 30 heads at most. But it had a little gelato/ ice cream stand that grabbed my attention (there’s always room for dessert!). Before I could grab the attention of the waitress, a lovely lady in chef’s attire welcomed me.
I explained that all I wanted was dessert because I had just eaten at Ah Fat. She recommended the Pecan Pie, which she claimed was their bestseller. “Would you like it plain or a la mode?” she asked. Which is better, I asked. Ala mode it had to be.
As I waited for dessert, I studied her menu. “I specialize in French and Italian cooking because I lived in France but in the part near Italy,” owner Celina Le Neindre explained. I learned that they make their own pasta and decided that there must be room somewhere in my belly for another dinner. “Blow me away with your favorite tagliatelle,” I told her.
I got an impressively refreshing sun dried tomato tagliatelle which perked me up even as I was already stuffed with spare ribs. If it were a girl, she’s the kind who’d make your head turn. And when the pecan pie arrived, all I could think of was how lucky I was to be eating this pie at that moment.
Feeling sorry for me as I dined by my lonesome, Chef Celina chatted with me for a bit. Which is how I learned that cooking is in her blood: her father is the chef at the 15-year-old Claude’s Cafe, apparently a chi chi restaurant in Davao City. She trained at the Center for Culinary Arts before moving to France and studying baking, which is her first love.
Again, I gained another foodie friend who promised to introduce me to some great Davao peeps so the next time I visit I won’t have to dine alone. And I had a great second dinner, too!
However, my fourth tip is that you should avoid raw food (unless in Japan, I guess), always bring medicine, and have a doctor’s number in your phone speed dial. One time, excited to try a local Yakun Kaya, which is my favorite breakfast hole in Singapore, I devoured the eggs even if they tasted weird. Half an hour later, I felt like my stomach had a hole in it and searched for some Nexium. An hour later, the Nexium hadn’t kicked in and so I downed two Maalox. Two hours later, all hell broke loose in my stomach and I found myself at the barangay hospital in some remote area in Aklan (where we had flown to distribute relief goods). The Good Doctor, who thankfully was just a phone call away, told me I must have eaten something bad, and I vowed never to eat eggs again (a promise that lasted all of two days, of course).
Lastly, don’t be afraid to try funky food. Otherwise you will never experience camaru (fried mole crickets), betuteng tugak (fried stuffed frog) or pindang kalabaw (carabao beef), which are some of the best dishes Pampanga has to offer. Or balut – fools who fear miss out!
Remember, too, that the best food is not necessarily at a restaurant. Most times they are in homes. In Asia, a lot of the time, it’s street food.
So enjoy your food trip! Living is in the eating! •
Ah Fat.
Victoria Plaza Compound, JP Laurel Avenue, Davao City.
(082) 2262688 / 2255787 /224000.
Farfalla Pasta Bar.
La Core Spa Building, Victoria Plaza Compound,
JP Laurel Avenue, Davao City.
(082) 2716271 / 2220630, (082) 2262688 / 2255787 /2240002
There is no sincerer love than the love of food. - George Bernard Shaw
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