From golden kare-kare to Platinum whisky

On the strength of an FB’d recom by fellow foodie Teddy Montelibano, a dear friend and I dined sometime ago at the newly opened Aracama resto at The Fort Strip. We were gratified to learn that upon climbing up a flight of stairs to the second floor, past an outdoor strip of a mezzanine that serves as a narrow patio, one could also choose to stay within a partially roofed lounge area for drinks or dinner, instead of proceeding to the air-conned main hall. Gratified because we could still give the finger to WHO and its minions by smoking away while waiting for our dinner, and of course soon after.

We had salpicao and kare-kare, which I’m always a sucker for when I see it on any menu. The servings were hefty, so that we wound up brown-bagging the kare-kare leftover. Now, in Aracama, this comfort food is quite different from what we’re used to, with that thick sauce that reeks of peanut and annatto. This one could even be accused of being rather bland, but I won’t go along with that. I liked it. The sauce was creamy, obviously affected by much butter, maybe even cream of mushroom, so that its hue is far from orange-y, rather a cross between khaki and gold, if you can imagine that while grinning and saying “Colors, man, colors.” 

It had good soft oxtail and not much of the tripe that most kare-kares in cafeterias and carinderias usually have for economizing purposes. The attendant bagoong, a bellwether for appreciating and rating kare-kare, also met with discriminating favor on my part, heh heh. 

The salpicao also tasted different, a bit too salty for me, but tender, and again with a unique taste, the way the legendary chef Fernando Aracama is known to craft his dishes, with traditional Pinoy food getting more than just a tweak of creativity as to be rendered sui generis. After all, this is the guy known to have appropriated everybody’s fave, the otherwise lowly Chocnut, to create a unique, oh-so-Pinoy ice cream.

My dinner date and I congratulate Aracama, and are happy that he’s established his own place, which appears well funded, given its location and total space, variety of settings including a second lounge area and a private room, and elegant accouterments.

That night I proceeded to Quantum Café on Kamagong corner Bagtikan Street in Makati, which is run by the Ferraren family. I had heard of it from my rapper-son who’s used the place for his Fliptop rap battle events. Bongo Ferraren is an old friend from “Colors, man, colors” days, although we haven’t seen one another for some time. A son of his is also a rapper, while a daughter, named Happy, I recall having joined a bevy of DLSU girls on a literary jaunt in Hong Kong with their prof, premier poet Marjorie Evasco, with whom I was attending a writers’ fest, and who then tasked me with escort service.

I finally made it to Quantum Café on an invite from yet another lifetime amiga, the brilliant former columnist (the paper that let her go didn’t know what it was doing) Celina Cristobal. Her daughter Aryn was spearheading a gig of SPIT (Silly People’s Improv Theater) to promote their upcoming hosting of the First Philippine International Improv Festival from June 28 to July 1.

That night, the troupe founded and organized by Gabe Mercado, which used to have a regular night at Rock Drilon’s Mag:net Gallery-Bar on Katipunan Avenue (before it regrettably ceased to be a bar) included Happy Ferraren, Jay Ignacio and Aryn Cristobal, among others. We had a sampling of the spontaneous and often brilliant comedy chops they had in bountiful store for any audience. We can only be sorry that an out-of-town trip prevented us from catching any of the nightly shows during the four-day festival, which featured, other than SPIT, such groups as of Kinengkoy Comedy Express, Performing Art Kolektib, Xiamen Improv, Beijing Improv, Taichung Improv, People’s Liberation Improv and Fernan and Landry.

To hear it from Josh Myers of Taichung Improv when his group got back to Taiwan, it was a blast they had in Manila, and how they now hoped it would become an annual get-together of improvisational groups from Asia  “so more people can see, and participate in, an interactive sharing of love and laughter.

In a message he sent to Aryn, Josh lauded the “four days of intensive workshops and crazy performances at the Manila International Improv Fest. Exhausted but oh so happy and fulfilled… We laughed. We cried. We lived. We died (just pretending!). We played. We sang. We danced. We celebrated! We improvised like nobody’s business. We slept very little. We ate amazing food. The slogan says: It’s more fun in the Philippines! I wholeheartedly agree. Gabe Mercado and the funky members of SPIT (the hosting group) just smothered us with love and kindness and efficiency. Then they showed us how Improv is REALLY done! I’m still star-struck and in awe. I’ll be basking in the afterglow for weeks to come.”

Congrats and kudos to SPIT, which deserves more sponsorships for subsequent editions of this joyous affair besides the major one they gained from Philippine Airlines.

On June 23, I found myself back in Aracama for another special occasion. And boy, was it special for this whisky aficionado: the official Manila launch of Johnnie Walker Platinum Label, an 18-year-old blend poised to take its place between the JW Gold and the high-end JW Blue.

Marc Nelson and Joey Mead hosted the “unmasking” ceremony, with guests donning silver masks before beholding the spectacle. Aracama’s posh interiors were all decked out for the glitzy affair that combined glam and sophistication, helped along by a score or so of gorgeous, leggy models in dazzling outfits.

Johnnie Walker Reserve brand ambassador Jeremy Lee came from Singapore to conduct mentoring sessions to small groups in the private room, explaining the different blends from the House of Johnnie Walker.

“The Platinum Label is an intense, smooth and contemporary blend,” Mr. Lee said, “crafted from some of our most treasured whiskies. It is rich and refined, delivering the distinctive depth and complexity that is synonymous with Johnnie Walker.”

Before the grand, dramatic unmasking of the first bottle, Naissa Carmona of the Eon team kept me happy with a neat double of JW Gold, apparently the remaining favored grade between JW Black or Double Black and the top-of-the-line Blue, since the stop of production of JW Green that used to pass itself off as a single malt (to challenge Glenfiddich which does the same, though I still believe both are more of what are called pure malts).

But when the distinguished host Heidi Caroline Ng rewarded my patience with two glasses of Platinum doubles, I was immediately won over by the new blend  finding it as smoky and flavorful as the island single malt whiskies I favor, and yet also fruity and highly aromatic.

Jeremy acknowledged as much: that indeed the Platinum’s delicate blend “reflected a strong, sweet and elegant Speyside style and subtle Islay smokiness.” In fact its flavor profile is billed as “intense, yet offers a multifaceted twist  featuring as well stewed fruit, malty cereal, smooth creamy vanilla and tangerine sweetness.”

Yup, I’ll go along with that breakdown of what makes the JW Platinum a truly satisfying whisky, especially for a blend. Its art deco bottle also boasts of stylish packaging, as befits the premium taste and feel of the hearty spirit within.  

And was I surprised to learn that the JW Platinum, which I understand is already available at Landmark in Makati, costs less than three thousand pesos, or not much more than the JW Gold. Why, I think I’ll take it even over the Blue, which has a velvety smoothness going for it, but not much of the robust character that distinguishes the Platinum.

For someone who’s been more partial to the range of tastes offered by the varied single malts, I must say that I will now add Johnnie Walker Platinum to my weekly bucket list. Oh, sorry, make that a glass, not a bucket. But also change that to nearly nightly.