Something Tame Something Wild

That is the kind of cuisine my beloved readers would find in the latest restaurant that has opened in Cebu: Out of Africa BBQ Steakhouse (along Veterans Drive, Lahug, phone 580-7296). And when something new comes up, your favorite food columnist, most certainly, will join a group of journalists to sample the new dishes. And when the food is entirely exotic, that assignment is certainly most difficult since there is no point of reference to compare the nuances of each dish.

Though I have not traveled much to sample cuisine in its original form, I have joined a global gourmet club, the La Chaine des Rotisseurs and one of the events held in May 1998 was the Australian Food Adventure. Exotic dishes were served like Sizzled Emu and Port, Crocodile Tail buttered with Myrtyle Chutney and Kangaroo Steak with Bush Chutney.

And merely two months ago, I was invited to participate in the South African Food & Wine Festival Gala Dinner. In that Rainbow Cuisine, unusual dishes like the Kudu Carpaccio and the Amarula crème brulee were served. Amarula is a liqueur made with sugar, cream and fruit from the Marula tree, the origins of which are definitely African.

I joined food and management consultant Wilhelm (Bolly) Bolton at the dinning table and the main topic of such a lovely evening was food; South African, Filipino and Chinese cuisine while some of the specialties of the Cuisine of the African continent were on display:

a. Wild Boar African Stew

b. Impala Venison Stew

c. Zanzibar Chicken Kebabs

d. Cream Dory Fillets

e. Mozambique Trinchado

f. Grilled Fruit Kebabs

The forest cover of Cebu has disappeared since the Spanish times and with it the animals like wild pig and deer. However, I had several opportunities to taste wild boar, courtesy of a small carenderia (demolished about 4 years ago!) located inside the port area. Usual offerings were oysters from Iloilo but at times, dried meat of wild pig (from Iligan) was available. The meat is dark and subcutaneous fat was minimal; the meat was a bit tough and the absence of cholesterol reduced the flavors of the pork.

The Wild Boar African Stew has the appearance of our Pork Afritada (braised pork in tomato sauce) but with more enriched flavors derived from mushrooms, red wine and other secret herbs and spices.

The Impala Venison Stew looks like our goat caldereta but with a difference. Many Cebuano versions of this stew have pineapple with it; I like fresh pineapple, whole from Ormoc or sliced from Dole Philippines but not with my caldereta. The Out of Africa version is “slow cooked in a traditional Botswana style, beer base with a combination of herbs and spices” and this certainly adds a tantalizing twist to the stew.

The Mozambique Trinchado, described as “cuts of tenderloin in a creamy red wine garlic sauce with a hint of spice,” is a popular dish in South Africa because of the Portuguese immigrants from Angola and Mozambique. The dish is designed to have lots of chilies but eventually modified to suit the local population. 

In Mozambique, it offered as an accompaniment when you order your first drink in a local bar. It comes from the stock pot of the kitchen’s trimmings and spices were added, thickened and served with crusty bread. If it is a seafood restaurant, flavors of the fish, crabs and shrimps would dominate. If it is a steakhouse, then the wonderful taste of meat, like beef, would permeate the stock.

The South African version starts with the beef sautéed in olive oil and butter; onions, garlic, chilies are added then stock and red wine. It was the best dish your favorite columnist had that night.

Tame versions of African Cuisine were the Zanzibar Chicken Kebabs, Cream Dory Fillets and the Out of Africa’s Sea Food Platter, designed for the lesser adventurous souls. And the dessert, Grilled Fruit Kebabs will definitely entertain even the most daring food critic.