MANILA, A TASTE OF MY CHILDHOOD ...AND NEW DISCOVERIES..

THIS WILL NOT BE A "RECO" FOR EVERYONE BUT RATHER JUST ME SHARING A VERY PERSONAL GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE THAT TOOK ME BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD, WHEN MY PALLETTE WAS FRESH AND VIRGINAL AND EVERY MORSEL OF FOOD TASTED LIKE IT WAS CONCOCTED IN CULINARY HEAVEN.. LUCKILY, I HAD A GRANDMOTHER,  JOVITA CENIZAL,  WHO WAS, AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THE ORIGINAL MARTHA STEWART AND ORGANIC COOK, AS MOST OF OUR FOOD WERE PLUCKED OR PICKED FROM HER VAST FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN ( 25 FRUIT TREES TO BE EXACT). THE MEAT AND FISH WERE EITHER BUTCHERED  OR  HARVESTED THAT DAY FROM THE THEN "CLEAN" WATERS OF A QUIET SMALL TOWN OF TANZA, 2 - 3  MILES AWAY. IN ADDITION ,MY MOTHER WHO HELD OFFICE AT THE TUASON BUILDING IN ESCOLTA MADE SURE  THAT WHEN IT CAME TO FOOD ,WE HAD THE BEST OF WHAT THE CHINA TOWN AND THE THRIVING DOWNTOWN MANILA HAD TO OFFER.

I HAD A CHANCE TO TRULY RECAPTURE PART OF THIS BLISSFUL CULINARY EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS INVITED TO BE A PART OF A COFFEE TABLE BOOK BY LIZ REYES AND BOBBY CABALLERO ENTITLED "DECORATING WITH FLOWERS" BY PERIPLUS PUBLISHING, SINGAPORE AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MASTER LUCA TETTONI.


CAIMITO SIGHTING. ON THE WAY TO ALABANG FROM THE AIRPORT

 I SPOTTED A SIDE STREET FRUIT VENDOR  WITH RIPE CAIMITOS , THIS WOULD TRIGGER A  SERIES OF CRAVINGS I  JUST HAD TO HAVE. AND THIS CAIMITO I DEFINTINELY DID, OF COURSE IT BROUGHT BACK  THE DAYS WHEN WE .WOULD TUG ON A BUNCH OF RIPE CAIMITOS  THROUGH MY GRANDMOTHER'S 2ND FLOOR WINDOW FROM ONE OF THE 3 TREES,  SHE HAD PLANTED AS A YOUNG MOTHER,

,
MAX'S CHICKEN

THE SECOND CRAVING HIT WHEN I WAS WITH LONG TIME FRIENDS, HEIRESS NELIA SILVERIO AND RICKY PUNZALAN.  MAX CHICKEN IS FAMOUS FOR THEIR  WELL......  FRIED CHICKEN,  BUT PERSONALLY , IT'S THE FRIED UBOD THAT KEEPS ME COMING BACK.... BUT SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTING AS THE MAX'S VERSION IN SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO SEEMS TO TASTE BETTER, DON'T KNOW, IF IT WAS THE OIL USED BUT THE UBOD HERE , BAY AREA, IS NOT AS OILY  AND SURPRISINGLY MORE FRESH TASTING THAN THE ONES I HAD BACK IN MAKATI ON JUPITER STREET ...AND THE PANCIT MALABON...WELL . I GUESS WHEN YOU'VE TASTED A HOME MADE BEST, ALL OTHERS WILL SINK IN COMPARISON.. I STILL VOTE FOR MY SISTER NORMA'S VERSION... SO ITS A BIG ....HHHMMMMM?????

SAVORY CHICKEN
ESCOLTA, MANILA

SAVORY HAS SUCCUMBED TO THE EVER GROWING POPULATION OF GREATER METRO MANILA AND HAS GONE FRANCHISE. SEEMS TO BE A BIG TREND WITH MANILA RESTAURATEUR PIONEERS .BUT I IF I HAD TO EXPERIENCE THIS AGAIN IT WILL HAVE TO BE IN THE ORIGINAL ONE , ON THE CORNER OF ESCOLTA  AND JONES BRIDGE. WHERE IT HAS STOOD AS AN ICON FOR DECADES.

AFTER A HECTIC TRIP TO DANGWA (MANILA'S FLOWER MARKET )AND RUE DE LA DIV ( DIVISORIA)  RICKY AND I WERE RAVENOUS,  SEEMED ONLY NATURAL TO LUNCH AT THIS CHICKEN PLACE SINCE IT WAS ON OUR WAY HOME. THE FIRST DISAPPOINTMENT WAS THAT EVEN AS THE RESTAURANT'S  FACADE LOOKED ORIGINAL AND UNTOUCHED ALL THESE YEARS, THE INSIDE WAS  A BIT TOO IMPROVED AND MODERNIZED IN THE VERY WRONG WAY. ALMOST AS BAD AS WHEN  THEN MAYOR VILLEGAS  COVERED OR REPLACED THE COBBLE STONE (PIEDRA CHINA) STREETS  OF ESCOLTA  WITH CEMENT AND BATHROOM TILED THE SIDEWALK.,  WHAT WAS HE THINKING ????!!!! SECONDLY OUR WAITRESS WAS DRESSED AND MADE UP LIKE SHE HAD A SECOND JOB  THAT STARTS AFTER THE SUN HAS SET. IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. BUT THE REDEEMING VALUE AND A PLEASANT  SURPRISE WAS  THE CHICKEN I HAD SO WANTED SO BADLY  WAS AS GOOD AS I REMEMBER IT AS A CHILD, IF NOT BETTER.  BIG YUMMMM... HOW DO THEY DO THAT 40 YEARS OR SO AND STILL THE SAME., AMAZING..

MITZI'S
618 DIVISORIA

EVERY TIME I SAID I WANTED TO GO TO DIVISORIA PEOPLE WOULD SAY
 YOU HAVE TO GO TO "MITZI'S" AND TRY THEIR LECHON. MACAO SO
ON MY SECOND TRIP TO DIVISORIA, WITH HIGH SCHOOL BUDDY, RICKY PUNZALAN WE MADE SURE WE DEVOUR THIS PARTICULAR PORK DISH. THE VERDICT WAS THERE IS  GOOD REASON FOR IT'S GROWING DELICIOUS REPUTATION. THE SKIN WAS CRUNCHY AND THE MEAT WAS COOKED PERFECTLY. MOIST AND TASTY. ANOTHER BIG YUMMMMM.

ALSO WELL MADE AND TASTED AS GOOD...STEAMED CHICKEN , QUEKIAM YUMMMMM.

M CAFE
AYALA MUSEUM, MAKATI AVENUE

AN "EX PAT" WATERING HOLE, MY NEPHEW, JOSE WOULD SAY AND I GO "WHAT EXACTLY IS  AN  EX PAT? ". AND ACCORDING TO HIM THEY A THER FORIEGNERS OR FILIPINOS WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE ABROAD. TRUE ENOUGH THERE WERE MORE FOREIGNERS OR FORMER MANILA RESIDENTS  PATRONS THAN LOCALS ( AT LEAST THE TIME I WAS THERE)

DURING MY SHORT  18 DAY STAY  IN MANILA, M CAFE HAS BECOME MY FAVE, CHILLL, HANG OUT SPOT AND YOU'LL KNOW WHY LATER ON ,,. IT HAS AN INDOOR AND MEZZANINE DINING AREA AND AN OUTSIDE LOUNGE./BAR.  A DJ/ MUSICIANS PERFORM ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHTS. THAT'S WHEN THE  OUTDOOR DOOR LOUNGE COMES ALIVE.. THE FOOD SELECTION IS VARIED  WITH A MODERN TWIST OF FILIPINO AND ASIAN FAVORITES, ASIAN FUSION, "IKA NGA"  (SO THEY SAY) MAYHAPS BUT WHATEVER IT IS . "IT" WASN'T GOOD.  SORRY TO SAY  BUT AFTER SAMPLING A FEW OF THEIR OFFERINGS, (APPETIZERS) I SOON REALIZE IT WASN'T GOING TO GET ANY BETTER , AS THE KITHCEN WAS TURNING OUT ONE MEDIOCRE, DISH AFTER ANOTHER......I MEAN, A RATHER POOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WHAT SOUNDED SO GOOD ON PAPER BUT ONCE  PLACED ON OUR TABLE , WERE NOTHING SPECIAL (EITHER TOO SALTY WITH STRONG RELIANCE ON BOTTLED  OYSTER , PLUM SAUCE AND OTHERS  LIKE THE FISH CAKE WAS DRY AND BLAND -.AND THAT'S BEING KIND. THAT WAS A DEFINITE  "HHMMM???"

BUT,  A BIG BUT,  AND COULD  POTENTIALLY BE A  CROWD DRAWER IS  THEIR BAR MENU TO INCLUDE THE VERY ENTICING "CHOC-NUT MARTINI" . VODKA WITH (WILD GUESS) COFFEE LIQUEUR,  KAHLUA  AND WITH A PIECE OF ONE MY CHILDHOOD FAVE "CHOC NUT" BAR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GLASS.. BIG YUMMMMM...

CHOC NUT MARTINI

WITH HEIRESS NELIA SISON SILVERIO

LONG TIME FRIEND RICKY PUNZALAN

M CAFE IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF MAKATI , ALONG MAKATI AVENUE, RIGHT BESIDE THE AYALA MUSEUM

I WOULD SAY A  BIT CHICHI,  MODERN, YOUNG,  A DEFINITE "J-S" (JUST TO BE SEEN)VENUE TO SOME  AND MOST ESPECIALLY  A "CHOC - NUT MARTINI" HEAVEN..

A MUST HANG  A YUMMMM BUT I WOULD THINK TWICE FOR DINING... HHHMMM???....