wow, can't think of a title for this.

do you remember the days before the internezz when most information was word-of-mouth and you never bothered to check the facts? wait. sounds like the internet age anyway!

**

a cousin told me about gelatissimo; said something about this new gelato shop in greenbelt 5 in makati that was really, really good, and had all sorts of amazing flavours. and! the kicker was that it originated in cebu, which is like, a sort of beachy, sleepy town in the visayas, and how it was like, the best thing to ever come out of there since like, kenneth cobonpue ("who?", you say? well, g'wan, click on the link!) . i was all, "right on!" i could get behind a new filipino company especially if it was good. we decided to check it out after dinner.

when we got to the shop, i admit i was expecting something nice, but it was more posh than i had imagined. schmantzy sign, lots of product attractively displayed in refrigerated cases, intimate but adequate seating area. wow, sooo not beachy, baby.

and then i went to peruse the flavour selection and was really surprised--not only were there the standard flavours but semi-wacky ones like honey, toffee and malt, black sesame, cinnamon donut, teddy graham cracker biscuits, profiterole. which, you know, sound super sexy and less fattening in italian: miele, caramello e malto, sesamo nero, ciambellina di cannella...uh, teddy cracker di farina di frumento and erm, profiterole. i went with the cinnamon donut gelato which kinda blew me away--it actually tasted like a cinnamon donut, not just cinnamon, but also baked and cakey, too. but all in a spoonful of creamy, cool, smooth milky confection. bella scoperta! who whudda thunkit? not i said the fly.

i was really impressed with the product--not only was it some of the best gelato i'd had in the city, but anywhere outside of italy. i was told that it was so good that they had they opened up a shop in florence, italy. pardon my sopranos' italian but oogatz, they got some stugats to breeng this stuff to eeataly, youknowwhaimsayin'? but from what i sampled, i thought "yeah, okay! awesome. meravigliosa."

in the next few days i tried a few more flavours--the green apple sorbet, dark chocolate sorbet (pictured at the top of the post), pineapple, and rum raisin--all of them very, very good. the chocolate sorbet was actually quite welcome on a hot, humid and oppressive day--it was rich and dark like black coffee without the acidic bite, a little bit fruity and very, very light in texture, despite the strong flavour. the "weirdest" flavour i tried was a buttered caramel popcorn, which i don't know if i could recommend. it tasted exactly like lightly buttered, lightly caramelized popcorn, like something you'd get in a movie theatre. it also tasted sort of stale. like something you'd get in a movie theatre. at least it was authentic.

**

so. i was excited by this new discovery of mine, i was all blah blah blah love it! gotta try it! gotta tell everyone about it! so i thought i'd email a friend. while i was writing the email, i thought i'd check online if they had a website. and duh--i mean sí, certamente of course there is a website. which of course tells the REAL story, which is that it's a big ole australian chain and it's everywhere, and of course it's awesome, fool. i smacked my head, thought of some nasty things in italian to call my cousin the next time i saw him. then i thought "hm, i wonder what new flavour is out today?"


gelatissimo,
worldwide. but also
greenbelt 5, space 2-045, second floor
ayala center, makati.

breakfast at noon.

which of course, is nothing more than brunch, but i'm going for a continuity thing here. indulge me, people!

kinda like what we did here: challah french toast, slathered with nutella and drizzled with raspberry preserves, topped with caramelized bananas, crispy bacon, and powdered sugar. served with maple syrup, whipped cream and whipped butter. AS IF. surprisingly not as sweet as you'd think, plenty savoury without the bacon, which in fact was just another example of how bacon does NOT make everything better.

and then we tried to be a little healthy with the salmon mousse plate: marinated salmon, salmon mousse, poppy seed onion bagel crisps, caper berries, sweet fig marmalade and fresh dill.

guess which one got demolished.

gratuitous shot of good-looking waitstaff. why not.

mr. jones
greenbelt 5, garden level
legaspi st, legaspi village
makati, philippines
501.3682/83

breakfast at midnight.

it seemed like a good idea at the time. the pancakes themselves were heaven--lemon ricotta blueberry pancakes that were light and fluffy, tender, and only a little bit sweet, studded with fat, fragrant blueberries, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with candied lemon zest. phew! AND there was whipped cream, whipped butter, and a maple-y syrup on the side. not that they needed any of that.

but i did need a wheelbarrow to be rolled outta there afterwards.

brought to me by this guy, at mr. jones. (more on this place later)


mr. jones
greenbelt 5, garden level
legaspi st, legaspi village
makati, philippines
501.3682/83

breakfast at bizu.

you know i heart bizu, but we were both getting a little old, tired, and frayed around the edges. so i stepped away for awhile, and we got our acts together. or at least, bizu greenbelt did, moved into a new house, with a new attitude. gone are the garish, wonka-ish walls, dusty and fusty florals, replaced with a new coat of white paint, light and glass, for a more refined, calm and mature space.

it's a good mix of old and new, european and native, modern and classic. much like the menu. clever boots, those bizu folk.

even the servers no-longer-so-fresh funky bunch uniforms have changed to a sort of casual continental concierge look.

you can still find the lovely rainbow of macarons

and the french-inspired confections with local flair. or local confections with french-inspired flair. whaaa

even though they are known for their free-range egg specialties--their wild mushroom omelet is a particular favourite of mine--and you gotta try the pancakes with fresh mangoes and chantilly cream!, i opted for something lighter and healthier after all the too-typical culinary indulgences in all that manila has to offer.

bizu is one of the few places that regularly offers freshly mown grass clippings fresh wheatgrass shots.

and they transform cut up fruit and fermented milk products to new heights. instead of boring old yogurt they take boring old kefir and freeze it into little balls of tasty lacto-bacterial and fermented goodness.

which is what i have for breakfast there most days. don't ask me how i can pass up their savoury crepes, boneless bangus and garlic rice, or eggs florentine. really. because i will make you drink wheatgrass shots with me, i really will.

bizu patisserie and bistro,

greenbelt 2

makati.

757.BIZU (2498)

bakery bench

did you know that the house that fried chicken built has a bakery? it's a pretty good one, too. it's called max's corner bakery and you can find it...in the corner of max's restaurants. HA. some of them anyway.

i was walking by the one near my flat early one morning, and came across this lovely tableau of assorted pastries, waiting to be arranged on their tidy shelves. i rather like where they are.

saturday market finds at salcedo.

the saturday market at salcedo is one of the nicest markets i've attended; it's not just that there is a nice array of produce and handicrafts available, nor is it just that there is a staggering assortment of prepared foods, but it's also in really lovely park with shady trees filled with fairy lights and plexi-shapes that dance in the wind. it doesn't matter how warm it is or if it's raining, the trees and canopies shelter the shoppers and the lively and easygoing atmosphere keep you from caring anyway.

giant jackfruit

mounds of mangosteens


lovely lychees


beautiful birds of paradise


piles of peanuts


squash blossoms, okra, and cilantro for home


bounty of fruit for immediate and ecstatic consumption


these little piggies went to market

manila: sale! at cardinal ceramics.

portia left a comment on a previous post about a sale at one of my favourite places to shop, the cardinal ceramics outlet:

Hi! We're happy to announce that there will be another Cardinal Ceramics outlet sale at the Market! Market! activity center from June 30 to July 6. We hope to see you there.

for those of you who may not know, cardinal ceramics has been producing porcelain and ceramic wares in the philippines for over 30 years. it began as a vocational project for a "leprosarium", and grew into an international venture in the ensuing years, producing not only the dinnerware for local hotels and restaurants but for brands like dansk and anthropologie. in fact the last time i was in town, i bought pieces from both brands at the outlet shop, at a significant discount (and with no seeming loss of quality).

for the record, i am not paid for any endorsements, i just really like this place :) if you're in town, and in the mood to shop, this might be a great time for a bargain.

market macaron merienda.

one of my favourite stalls in salcedo market is la cuisine francaise, which sells a very nice assortment of homemade french specialties like patés, quiches, apple tartine, pissaladiere, some lovely stews, ratatouille, and some kicking lasagne (not french, but darned good). i generally skip the majority of their baked goods because there are so many other bakeries around, but this time i picked up these absolutely ginormous macarons, one of the almond, and a chocolate one. i used to have a steady date with the macarons at bizu, but lately they haven't been up to par--always a little stale, a little sad, and the taste of some of the flavours seems to have changed. i had my doubts about the market macarons--at a little more than six inches in diameter, they are about 5 times the size of an average macaron, and maybe ten times the weight. whatwhatwhat?! robyn had a photo of maison du chocolat's version of a large macaron, which she called "the monster that eats babies" one; if that's the case, then these are the universe in which the monsters roam.

the flavour of both were excellent--not too sweet, real almond flavour coming through the almond one with a marzipan overtone, the chocolate one was a little malty, with not-overpowering ganache within. the outside had a much thicker crust than your average macaron, and the innard of the cookie was soft, almost bready. i've made macarons before, but i can't imagine that the batter i used for the small ones would turn out like these in larger scale. it seems like perhaps there is more flour or something stabilizing the meringue. if you look at the photo below, maybe you can see what i mean...?

does that look like an average macaron to you? it almost seems like a cross between a macaron and the savoiardi/ladyfingers i made for the strawberry charlotte. lighter, slightly spongy, but with that nice meringue crust and a bit of chew. if anyone has any pointers/suggestions on how to make the monster macarons, please let me know!

impromptu visit.

when will this monsoon season ever end? i was about to go mad with the sound of horrid rain, day in, day out...so i hopped on a plane, bound for manila, just for the weekend. even though it was overcast there really wasn't any rain to speak of (stupid or otherwise), but there was a nice cooling breeze. perfect for a stroll through saturday's salcedo market, again. just some scenes from the village:

katuray and bagbagkong, edible flowers


caimito (star apple), lanzones, chico, sampalok (tamarind), and bananas


cotton candy floss vendor


"dirty" ice cream


barbecued pusit (squid), hito (catfish) and bangus (milkfish), pork


roasting chestnuts


guess we know what fidel's up to these days.

mangan keni!: abé in serendra.

typically when we go to the province, there's really not much to do except eat; however, we do that exceptionally well. most of my relatives are very good cooks, and the region we're from, pampanga, is considered the "culinary center of the philippines" (at least according to wiki, ha!). you say chukchak, i say chenes! whether you consider this to be true or not, pampanga has a varied cuisine, mainly due to the fact that in the pre-spanish and early colonial times, pampanga bay used to be a major route for commercial vessels from other countries; as the center of trade, many nationalities would pass through and bring not only their various wares and foodstuff, but their culinary expertise as well. this, along with the abundance of native comestibles from the land and sea created a rich and varied cuisine.

having said all that, it is somewhat surprising to me that there weren't many restaurants that specialized in kapampangan cuisine until recently. even those that did exist were...well, not necessarily bad, but mostly if you wanted to eat kapampangan food, it was better to just get it at home. or a friend's house. so, it was quite nice to find abé (ah-beh) restaurant in the serendra complex at fort bonifacio. not only does it specialize in the provincial cuisine, but it also doesn't suck. huzzah! abé means "friend", so it's like going to your friend's house for a lovely dinner. your friend will a really, really nice house and an incredibly well-stocked pantry, that is. and a full-time staff.

the food is more refined and maybe a little modernized than what you would actually find in the province, but the taste generally remains the same. there is a nice mix of vegetables, seafood, and meat on the menu; there is also a good mix of filipino standards, dishes for people who are trying filipino cuisine for the first time, and those for diners with a more...adventurous palate.

some of my most favourite items on the menu are the vegetables. the pako rainforest fern salad with tomatoes and salted eggs are every-so-lightly dressed in a palm vinegar dressing and garnished with a just as lightly pickled red shallot. crunchy, salty, fresh. the bicol express is a mix of various vegetables--okra, long beans, sweet peppers and chili peppers sautéed with onion and garlic and simmered in coconut milk. the vegetables were just south of al dente, with the tiniest bit of give without being overcooked. bicol express is considered to be a spicy dish, but i have yet to find a restaurant version in the philippines that registers as such to me. adobong puso ng saging is shredded banana blossom stewed in palm vinegar; it tastes not too much unlike a freshly marinated artichoke or a palm heart. the lumpiang picapica is not a regional speciality but a family recipe from the author gilda cordero; it is a fried spring roll with a lightly spiced, cooked garbanzo bean/chickpea filling which, truthfully is a little bland, but not as heavy as one would think. i don't know exactly what flavours it, but i reckon it's a little onion, garlic and turmeric--combined with the vinegar dipping sauce that is sharp with raw garlic and fresh chilis, it makes an interesting appetizer.

most of the seafood dishes are very simply prepared: the tiniest of squid (squidlets!) are stewed in its own ink and a little onion and garlic, just enough for it to cook through without losing its tenderness, the hito are baby catfish, fried, and served with fresh mustard greens and balo balo, a condiment made with small shrimp and fermented rice. the pla-pla (a sort of large, flat tilapia) comes simply deep-fried and butterflied. probably the star of the seafood menu is tiger prawns cooked in a deep, earthy, rich sauce made with aligue/taba ng talangka, or the roe and fat from tiny mud crabs. i don't really know how to describe the taste of it, but it's like the perfect cross of caviar and foie gras. rich, fatty, fabulous. the prawns are merely a vehicle for the sauce, although they do provide a nice sweetness.

i like the adobo at abé's a lot; it is made with lamb, stewed in a rich vinegar, garlic and onion sauce, and covered in deep-fried and cracked cloves of garlic. this along with mounds of white rice could sustain me for months. i don't know about my blood pressure, but i'd die happy, i reckon. and thirsty.

the thing is, i could probably make that at home if i thought about it and took a little care. there are a couple of things on the menu that i know i couldn't make, and of these, i give big love to the camaru (káh-mah-roo), or mole crickets (Gryllotalpa orientalis Burmeister). the crickets live in rice paddies and feast on the young grasses and rice husks (okay, okay, and probably the occasional larvae). they are collected from the fields, cleaned, then sautéed with tomatoes, onion, and olive oil. abé's are great because they are still quite small and some unlucky sod in the kitchen has already removed the head, legs and wings--no woody exoskeletons and furry barbed forewings to deal with. heeee.

desserts are quite traditional, so happily, always exoskeleton free (no chance of it, really). i haven't actually tried many of them because there is rarely any room, but i have tried their halo-halo, which tops shaved ice with preserved fruit, ube, sweetened red beans, pandan gulaman gelatin, a creamy chunk of leche flan, and evaporated milk. it is generous in both quality and quantity, which distances it from the middling norm.

so, there's definitely room for the adventurous palate here, but should you be looking for a more traditional meal, certainly abé's can accommodate you. it may not quite be like home, but then again, you don't have to do the dishes!


abé
g/f serendra circle,
fort bonifacio, taguig
856.0526.

happy halloween!

i saw these pumpkins at salcedo market the other week. pumpkins aren't common in the philippines, especially the decorative variety. although, i'm pretty sure someone's going to try to eat these....