rainy day.

today is ofelia's 70th birthday. they celebrated at the hyatt with typical island fare and a touch of flare. the requisite lechon was there (with a hibiscus behind his ear), pancit bihon, chicken adobo, kelaguen, mahi steamed with spring onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil, ginger beef, and a braised chicken in a light curry sauce. the highlight for me was a simple deconstructed crab salad: a giant mound of very fresh crab meat, dressed lightly with mayonnaise and lemon, surrounded by steamed broccoli florets. the birthday cake was standard hotel variety--yellow sheet cake with buttercream and strawberries, decorated with dark and white chocolate.

i skipped dessert, and on the way home, went to cabalen for ginataan, a warm coconut milk and sweet rice stew. it sort of varies from day to day, depending on what ingredients are on hand; today's offering has chunks of banana, large pearl tapioca sago, sweet rice mochi balls, and a surprisingly uncloyingly sweet langka (jackfruit). i'm not a big fan of langka, but this one lends a subtle jasmine scent to the coconut milk.

it's raining, and from the kitchen window, i can see the leaves from the banana tree dance in the rain. there's a lone bunch of unripe fruit sheltered underneath, green and black nestled against the papery golden bark.

cabalen
across from iglesia ni cristo
next to seaside mart
dededo
649-3663