Banchan binge at Manna Korean Restaurant

Korean restaurants provide such good value.  Aside from being relatively affordable, all authentic Korean restaurants provide a wide array of free banchan or small side dishes, at the start of every meal.

Manna Korean Restaurant along Don Pedro, a small side street off Kalayaan Avenue in Makati is as authentic as they come.  The banchan is on your table even before you've ordered anything!

A minimum of 6 side dishes are enough to make up a good quality banchan spread.  A typical banchan usually consists of different types of kimchi, pickled or boiled vegetables, cold tofu and sometimes even fish or mini seafood pancakes or even creamy salads.  Manna's banchan may not be as extensive or exhaustive as other Korean restaurants I've been to (Korean Garden along Jupiter has more than 10 dishes in their banchan, all free) but everything is balanced and the flavors play off well against each other.

My favorite Korean "sawsawan" is gochujang -- that spicy, addictive paste made of chili and fermented soybeans.  It's like a really hot korean catsup  -- I like mixing it with rice and wrapping it up in a romaine leaf.  So refreshing, like a mini rice lumpia!

If you watch  korean t.v you know that meat, most specially beef is a major ingredient in most korean dishes -- think bulgogi, kalbichim, kalbikui, etc.  But for vegetarians like me, a simple pajeon or pancake cum omelet  with scallions, leeks and carrots is a hearty and filling dish. It comes with a soy sauce and sesame seed sauce but I like eating it with --  what else ... gochujang!  

Pajeon usually comes with seafood bits like squid or shrimp but the kitchen is always ready to do a vegetarian version. If I feel like having a spicy dish, I go for kimjeon, where hot kimchi takes the place of all other vegs.

Bibimbap is korean topped rice!  Served in thick earthenware bowls, it's a bright palette of colors, tastes and textures.  Orange carrots, bright green spinach, the sunny yellow of a raw egg yolk, dark brown mushrooms, golden sprouts and the fiery red of gochujang.  Bibimbap comes with slivers of barbecued beef which I ask to be served on the side.
You mix everything together and it's all good!

My Japanese gourmet friend, Abe san visits Manila once a year and he likes going to Manna too. The last time we had dinner there, he introduced me to Makgeolli or korean rice wine.  It comes in dark green  pet bottles and is best taken chilled.  It may look deceptively like a soda but beware, it packs a punch!

Makgeolli is poured and drunk from small ceramic bowls.  It's milky opaque, slightly sweetish, easy to drink but quite potent.  It reminds me of an unrefined sake or a more refined lambanog.
It certainly is the perfect drink to go with korean food!

Hungry for Hungarian food at Magyar

My eating buddy first discovered Magyar more than a year ago.  Located in the Paseo de Magallanes area right beside Dayrit's where we most often had dinner, Magyar was interesting -- Hungarian food?  

I was only familiar with goulash but maybe it would be worth one meal.

Thankfully, we took that first step.  Magyar must be the only restaurant devoted to Hungarian cuisine in the metropolis.  I applaud its tenacity and staying power -- a lot of restaurants have come and gone in the area but Magyar continues to thrive.  One reason is definitely its menu -- composed of well chosen samples of Hungarian dishes, it takes one unfamiliar with the cuisine on a pleasant and flavorful culinary discovery trip.

Spaetzle is a typical side dish of small dumpling-like noodles.  It takes the place of rice or bread and comes buttered with a dash of pepper and paprika.  By the way, paprika seems to be the spice of choice for Hungary.  It came sprinkled on top of most of the dishes.

At Magyar, I discovered this really scrumptious appetizer -- langos.  Made of mashed potatoes, flour and milk  -- it's fried till golden brown then liberally doused with a creamy cheese sauce and further sprinkled with grated cheese, pepper and more of that paprika.  It's like eating a gooey fried piece of bread -- chewy crisp and quite rich.  One order comes with two pieces but because it's quite heavy, it's more than enough for 3 people.  

Of course you have to try the goulash -- the single dish that comes to most people's minds when you say Hungarian food.  Magyar offers beef, lamb, pork, seafood and for vegetarians like me, the mushroom goulash is heaven sent.  The mushrooms come with potatoes, carrots in a thick and flavorful tomato based sauce -- which I like to spoon liberally over my spaetzle.  

In addition to goulash, there are sausages that come with a forgettable sauerkraut, chicken, lamb or fish paprika and a paper-thin and quite authentic pork schnitzel.

After that heavy and rich meal, dessert is in order.  There is an interesting thin layered cake called dobos but I think this light cream puff is so much better!

A few other things I like about Magyar -- the quiet atmosphere is conducive to dinnertime conversation and the service is attentive and unfailingly polite.
Long may it continue to exist!

Food for the Soul : Good Friday "Prusisyon" in Orani, Bataan

It's Good Friday once again and time for my annual trek to Orani, Bataan, my father's hometown.

Lent and most specially Good Friday is a day of rituals, traditions and ceremony in many towns all around the Philippines.

In Orani, where my father was born and where he grew up -- evening of Good Friday marks the time for the procession or the prusisyon which is participated in by carrozas showing different scenes of Christ's passion and death.

Every year when I was growing up, we would go back to Orani for the Holy Week and my father would take his place behind one of the carrozas and march in the procession.

He has since passed away and many years ago, I decided to follow the same tradition and take up where he left off.

Most of the carrozas are familiar from my childhood but the number has dwindled from more than 25 to about 18. The procession starts at dusk and winds its way around the town,

passing through the many different barangays. It takes about 2 hours from start to finish.

The walk is slow and illuminated by the bright lights that adorn the carrozas and the flickering candles that people carry.

I remember that when I was young and walking in the prusisyon with my father, it was a solemn and quiet affair. No one talked beyond a whisper.

You could only hear faint sounds of murmured prayers and the mournful tones of the accompanying violins and instruments from the high school marching band.

Unfortunately, times have changed and not for the better. People now join the prusisyon and it has become the town's social event.

Gone is the solemnity, replaced by chit chat, laughter, crying babies -- why would anyone bring babies or small children is beyond me -- and the ubiquitous sound of mobile phones ringing.

Still, when Holy Week comes around, I look forward to going home to Orani and walking behind the very last carroza of the prusisyon. This is the very same carroza that my father used to follow, every Good Friday in Orani.

Called the Mater Dolorosa, it is an image of the Blessed Mother, in black mourning robes, standing in front of an empty cross which is draped by billowing linen cloths.

She follows the funeral cortege bearing the Señor del Santo Entierro or the statue of the dead Christ.

As I follow the Mater Dolorosa on Good Friday evening, I am able to tune the raucous noise out.

It is my time for reflection and meditation -- in preparation for the resurrection and the promise of new life that Easter Sunday brings.

Old fashioned Meatballs

These past weeks, I have been dusting off my father's recipes in my mind and cooking up what I learned from hovering around him in the kitchen, when I was still very young.

As a child, one of my favorites among my father's dishes was bola bola or meatballs.

I remember how I would pester him to make them at least once a week, until I grew old enough to learn to cook them myself.

You start with at least a kilo of good ground pork, not too lean since fat gives meatballs that nice juicy texture.

Just one egg, mixed thoroughly with the ground meat to help bind it together.

Daddy just used minced onions but I add some finely chopped kinchay and chives for that added flavor.
This part of the prep is actually what I enjoyed best, when I was young and making a pest of myself in the kitchen. Every time that my father cooked bola bola, I would insist that I get my hands in the ground meat to mash and squeeze the meatballs myself.

Get your own hands in the mix and form the meatballs by squeezing them out in small balls through your fist. Don't bother about using a meatball shaper or any other cooking utensil -- meatballs are handmade!

Next fry your meatballs in hot oil, being careful to leave space between them so they don't stick together. Turn them once done. Set aside in a colander to let the oil drip off.

Now for the sauce! Daddy would saute pork cuts , usually taken from the pig tail -- in garlic and onions with some soy sauce. Once browned, pour in some water until the meat is slightly covered. Let simmer till meat is tender.

Once the meat is tender enough, pour the cooked bola bola back into the pan. If you have green peas, that would be a good addition, for a bit of color. Heat through then you're all done!

And here it is ... old fashioned bola bola from my childhood! My family loves this dish.

And if my memory serves me well -- these taste remarkably close to how daddy used to make them!

Vegetarian in Beijing

It's been over a year since I've eaten any meat at all -- I think you'd call me a pescetarian since I continue to eat fish and seafood in addition to the usual vegetables and fruits.

But this being the Lenten season, it's that time of the year when I morph into a lacto-ovo vegetarian, eschewing all except dairy products (cheeses and butter), eggs and plant derivatives.

This seasonal diet coincided with the company outing to Beijing.

But no worries, vegetarianism is an ancient tradition in China.

Proof of this was the wide variety of vegetable dishes that came with every meal.

I loved this very spicy string bean and chopped chili dish. Quick-fried, the string beans were still crunchy and every mouthful was hot, hot, hot!

Tofu is part and parcel of chinese cuisine. Again, quite spicy (it was winter and spicy food helps keep the body warm) and a bit more fermented and pungent than the usual -- but still very good!

The familiar mushrooms and broccoli with oyster sauce was a fixture on the lunch and dinner menus.

This soup was very flavorful, with large slices of fresh abalone and oyster mushrooms,

it was a filling and satisfying starter.

I also enjoyed this egg drop soup, with fresh tomatoes and slivers of green onion.

Comfort food for a cold day!

Each meal featured one or two egg dishes -- this scrambled egg dish was more like scrambled tomatoes but the simplicity belied its delicious taste.

Here's my favorite vegetable dish among all that I had that week-end in Beijing -- a simple stir fry of chives and bean sprouts. Served with triangles of thin pancakes, I made myself little pockets of healthy goodness.

Hen hao chi!

After-dinner Snacking at Beijing's Donghuamen Night Food Street

It's just an hour after dinner but I've convinced my baser foodie self that we're both hungry enough to head out to Beijing's famous Donghuamen Street - site of its colorful and popular night food market.

The last time I was in Beijing, I went to Donghuamen and had the ubiquitous candied strawberries on a stick.

This time, I wanted to find a snack that would be savory, more substantial and yes, vegetarian.

Donghuamen street is on the north end of Wangfujing, the famous pedestrian only shopping street right in the heart of Beijing. The night food market starts where the pedestrian only street ends so I cross a busy wide avenue and hope that I don't get run over by the speeding cars -- some of whom continue to cross through the red light.

It's a cold chilly night but lots of locals and foreign tourists alike are strolling through the food street -- the row of food booths stretches all the way to the end of the block.

This food street is famous for such exotic and bizarre foods such as silkworms, larva, snakes, scorpions, different kinds of insects. I guess these unusual foods are also what drive the tourists in. Although I notice that they look and they gawk but they don't really buy.

Bizarre foods may seem more sensational but a lot of the stalls have things everyone eats -- like skewers and skewers of tofu, chicken parts, beef, mutton, pork, prawns -- the un-exotic, everyday stuff.

The cooks and stall servers yell out, barker style (in chinese of course) to each and everyone, trying to catch our attention, trying to make a sale. Since most of the stalls sell the exact same things, everyone has to work a little harder to attract the customers.

I wonder what starfish taste like? Wouldn't they be spiny and hard and unpalatable? I guess I'll never know!

Yum! These steamed crabs look fat, fresh and delicious! However, my vegetarian conscience pulls me away from this scene.

I'm still looking for vegetarian options that go beyond the usual fruit skewers and boiled corn and shaved ice sweets. This stall sells mounds of sliced tripe but right beside it is a wok of plain fried noodles!

I order a small plate and through sign language, agree to make it spicy. The noodles are sauteed very quickly along with sliced cabbage and chili. Before the cook ladles it onto the styropor plate, he liberally douses it with black vinegar. By this time, I am salivating as the aroma of oil, noodles, chili and vinegar wafts through the night.

Here I am with my overflowing plate of plain fried noodles with chili and black vinegar.

I stand off to one side to eat. The first spoonful just slides down -- the noodles are oily but very tasty. By the second spoonful, my mouth is feeling warm -- it's spicy and sour and wonderful -- all at the same time. I can't believe I was able to eat the entire thing.

The cold night air registered 0 deg C but inside my mouth ... it was a blistering 40 deg C!

The High Place and Flatwhite Cafe at 798 Art Zone, Beijing

Walking through the exciting and visually stunning 798 Art Zone in Beijing is thirsty work.

It was late afternoon, the sun was going down and the air had turned from cold to

brrrr cold!

Time for a hot cuppa!

Tree houses have been my fascination since I was young and had one in our back yard. What luck to find this glass "tree house" right smack in the middle of 798! Called the High Place, it's a gallery cum coffee shop.

The small gallery downstairs greets you with a sign -- coffee on the roof!

Serendipity! My friend and I find cozy armchairs right by the glass windows overlooking the street. With ceiling to floor views, it's almost like floating on air!

We look out across the street to more galleries, artists' workshops, art installations ...

Some street selling action is happening below us as a vendor pulls up with his trolley laden with coffee table art books.

I look up on the glass ceiling and the leafless branches form a striking silhouette against the gray Beijing sky. On a less cold day, you can actually go up on the roof and climb the platform and have coffee al fresco. And why not, this is a modern tree house after all!

Our hot drinks arrive! I order hot longan honey tea and it is fragrant, sweet and delicious. The warmth soon spreads through my fingers and all the way down to my toes!

My friend orders a mochaccino -- the star art on the foam reminds me of our very own parol.

The High Place Coffee House is not very big -- it's got nooks and corners and it's very cozy (ooh, I hate that word but this is just what it is!) and the ambience is just perfect for a wintry afternoon.

After coffee and walking around for another hour, we find that it's almost dinner time. 798 Art Zone is 20 kilometers from Beijing center but with the horrendous traffic, it can take more than an hour to travel back to our hotel. So we decide to check out the Flatwhite Cafe for something to eat before we leave.

Just like the High Place, the interiors are contemporary and modern. You could transfer Flatwhite Cafe to any global mega- city and it would blend right in.

More paintings line the cool beige walls.

The menu is western and built around pastas and sandwiches. For starters, we order the bean nachos. Crisp tortilla chips come with a huge dollop of salsa, cream and melted cheese. Gooey and good!

My friend has this vegetarian pesto with lots of green vegs and slivers of emmenthal cheese on top.

The menu lists a vegetarian carbonara (!) which is actually penne with lots of chilies, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and more vegs! Who knew carbonara came in a vegetarian version?

Afternoon shadows had given way to dusk -- we lingered at Cafe Flatwhite -- relishing the good

food, the warm and comfortable atmosphere -- it was a heart (and tummy) warming way to end our visit to the 798 Art Zone!