The Christmas table and the best of 2007

We’re still in the joyous season. Hopefully, the real sense and meaning of it is not lost in all the bright and colorful packages under the tree, or the luscious spread on our festive Christmas table. Though we should not lose the right track which is the commemoration of the Nativity, we all know we can’t dissociate the subliminal essence of the season. Gift giving is a tradition held closest to the heart of the Pinoy family, and this extends not only to family and close friends but to neighbors, office mates, and to your friendly delivery boy as well. And last but not least, the Pinoy brand of merry-making centers on the dining table. Some foreigner friends have commented on this — us Pinoys can’t seem to go about anything, business or otherwise, without discussing matters over platefuls of luscious food. And why not? Breaking bread with friends and new acquaintances breaks the ice like nothing else can, warms the belly and sates the longing.

Our traditional Christmas dinner, really a family reunion held yearly in our home, featured the ever-present roast beef — a whole slab of Angus rib eye done medium rare, then grilled lightly on the electric grill that sat the whole night beside the carving station. It never fails to whet the appetite, even of stomachs groaning from the Noche Buena of the night before. This year too we served my mother-in-law’s Mechado which she made from short ribs that had a lot of yellow fat and tons of fresh ripe tomatoes (her secret!), Menudo which is a traditional Filipino dish in big gatherings, giant prawns doused in batter and fried, two kinds of salad, a leg of Chinese ham and queso de bola. Modest as it may seem by some standards, it was a feast shared by family, one that seems to grow in leaps and bounds every year.

The year’s great finds

Here too, as a fitting year ender, we’re sharing the restaurants we checked out this year.

Closer to home, in the scenic hills of Tagaytay are the two branches of Antonio’s — All Day Breakfast and fine dining.  The former is a weekend traveler’s delight where you can enjoy the heart-warming goodness of a good breakfast all day long. Here is where you can find pancakes piled three-story high, lathered with cream and maple syrup and served with bananas and walnuts. Or gorge on good sausages served with good old sinangag! At their well-appointed fine dining place, where the senses feast first on the visual delights of superbly landscaped gardens, and great European vintage pieces indoors, the diners are pampered with good service and haute couture dining. Try their steaks and oven-roasted pig’s knuckles served with sauerkraut.

Also in the area is Sonya’s Garden, Tagaytay’s best known secret which the owner Sonya Garcia planted to a whole gamut of organic vegetables, fruits and flowers. It is paradise revisited, and Sonya serves her fresh produce as eat-all-you-can salad, serves her own panaderia’s fresh bread baked daily, a healthy pasta, and sweetened camote and fried bananas to a growing clientele.

Still in the south, in the Alabang area, are two other great finds. Ilustrado Westgate, the newest baby of the famous restaurateur couple Rose and Bonnie Pimentel, is in Westgate, now a flourishing food strip. Opened just a couple of  months ago, it is now a favorite haunt for young people who appreciate al fresco dining and wining because yes, Ilustrado Westgate is a wine bar as well. The charming patio is where you see groups of friends casually enjoying their wines over plates of tapas. For more gustatory treats, Bonnie suggests the bone-in roast beef, succulent as Angus comes, their lobsters, and their signature Jamon Serrano. Who knows, you may even chance upon some sultry flamenco dancers whom they invite over once in a while.

Bravo Restaurant we have written about in the past. Located at the ground floor of the Promenade in Filinvest, Alabang, Bravo seems to be a favorite of the discriminating expat crowd. We would always chance upon several tables of foreigners enjoying their wine and good old Italian favorites like pizza (authentic!) and assorted pasta, lamb, steaks, and salads. This season, they have small and big gift packages of their bottled pesto, salmon or sardine pate, etc., but these bottled goodies are available all year. Try their version of the quatro formaggio thin-crusted pizza — it melts in the mouth. Or their Mafia pasta — noodles tossed in olive oil with lots of olives, fresh tomatoes, capers and anchovies. Its simple, no-fuss goodness.

Moving towards the bay area, we share with you the delights of Azul Restaurant. Located at the Mall of Asia, Azul takes pride in the breathtaking view of Manila Bay, gorgeous at sunset, from their restaurant. The catchy name is a take-off from the calming waters of the bay which the mall overlooks.

They have the standard Spanish favorites like paella, callos and lengua, but they have customized these traditional recipes to come out with their very own. Try their sausages as well which come with dipping sauces. Their Cebuano Pochero is said to be a favorite of Mr. Henry Sy, mall owner.

Moving out of the South, we get to the Pasig area. This is home to Oyster Boy, at least one of their numerous branches. Their branch at Metrowalk is one of the busiest in this big food camp. The owners of Oyster Boy had the brilliant idea of bringing the taste of Roxas City to Manila denizens. The oysters are flown in daily, so they don’t come any fresher, and they are served in a multitude of ways-fresh out of the shell, naturally salty and tasting of the sea, and dunked in sinamak, the signature vinegar of Roxas. Heavenly. Or try the baked ones like the Rockefeller where the oyster sits on a bed of creamy spinach and bacon bits and topped with mozzarella baked a golden brown. Or try their other native dishes like adobong pusit na baboy in piña, their crispy pata, aligue rice, ginamosang baboy, etc.

Also in the Pasig area is Café Juanita, also another wonderful find not only for its cuisine but for its visual treats as well. The owner, Dr. Boy Vasquez, a retired Ob-Gyn, found his other calling late in life — that of a restaurateur and chef. While dining at Café Juanita which is in Barrio Kapitolyo, you can gape in awe and wonder at the various items on display, some for sale but mostly for appreciation. There are vintage apothecaries and other old cabinets, colorful lamps and wonderful chandeliers from Europe that hang casually overhead, and more colorful shawls, scarves and beads that adorn window panes and chairs. Every nook and cranny has interesting pieces and you can’t find an empty space measuring more than a foot. It’s that full of valuable, interesting finds, actually his lifetime collection which he shares with his guests. Try Café Juanita’s samplers where one can enjoy about 3 dishes in small servings. They have Japanese, Filipino and Spanish samplers.

Finally, there’s Mom and Tina’s Bakery Café in E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Here is a bakeshop cum café. This mother-and-daughter-run outlet takes pride in their baked goodies, because this is where they carved their name initially-as excellent bakers. They have since expanded from their hole-in-the-wall take out counter, to a small coffee shop and now to their full restaurant. Try their cup cakes, carrot and prune cakes, and other baked goodies that are sugar-free. Their home-cooked meals like pasta, grilled chicken, prime rib, paella, etc. are also good.

We’ve run out of space, so that’s all I can share with you for now.

Mabuhay!  Be proud to be a Filipino.

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