Angeles City hometown blues

Every once in while, we would have a craving for some dish that, no matter what, we must have. Parang naglilihi, or infanticipating. We are all creatures of habit, and for that reason alone, much of what we eat is dictated not by our physiological needs, but rather by the food we grew up with, what we were fed as kids, the comfort foods from our childhood that are deeply ingrained in our memory banks. Each morsel of food we take triggers a chip in our memories evoking a past gustatory experience (good or bad), how and why we had it (happy or sad, our first date, birthdays, etc.), explaining why we like or dislike certain kinds of food. Eating is such a serious business, at least for those who live to eat (not unlike me.) There are certain dishes served in a joint like no other, and although it is available in other places, one has to have it just in that particular place. A steak is a steak, a pizza a pizza, a halo-halo a halo-halo, you say? Try again.

Here are some of our favorite haunts that time and time again we keep visiting. I’m pretty sure everyone has a favorite place where they can satisfy any craving any time of day or night.

• Aling Lucing’s Sisig, located by the railroad crossing. To call this joint basic is an understatement. It sits right by the railroad tracks together with a dozen or so food stalls serving basically the same thing – a variety of charcoal-grilled meats and beer. It’s grubby, with the smoke causing a haze in the air, and has zero ambience. Tables and benches spill over onto the street. But the house specialty, sisig, is what made Aling Lucing practically an institution for many years running. Ordinary and upscale folks alike from Manila travel all the way to Angeles just to have a grab of this yummy cholesterol-laden concoction. It is made of pork cheeks, grilled to a crunchy perfection, chopped and mixed with chicken liver, onions, calamansi and spiked with fresh chili. Other specialties are grilled-chicken butts, pig’s ears and lechon manok. Not for the squeamish and faint-hearted but highly recommended for the sturdy and adventurous. Open daily from 4 p.m. until the wee hours.

• Armando’s Pizzeria, 292 Sto. Rosario St., Angeles City, with tel. no. (045)322-5641. This pizzeria is housed in an authentic century-old kamalig (rice granary) built by descendants of the town’s founders. Family heirloom pieces and sepia photographs serenely surround the diner providing a bit of local history. Various flavors of more or less Filipinized pizzas have been favorites of a whole generation of Armando’s addicts (the restaurant is now in its 26th year). Highly popular is the distinctly local innovation, Pampango Special, which features bits of longganisa (local pork sausage,) salted duck egg, pickle relish and onions on a crispy crust. Live piano music or a band entertains on weekend nights. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Cely’s Karinderia, Nepo Mart I, Angeles City. Cely’s place may look plain, but it probably serves some of the most authentic Pampango food in this part of town. The place doesn’t worry about ambience but puts all its effort into the food it serves. It’s as home-cooked as home-cooked can be. The place started out as a turo-turo on a corner aisle of Nepo Mart I (shopping complex). It has since branched out to a much bigger place right across the street when it could no longer accommodate the spill over customers. Signature Pampango dishes like batute (stuffed frogs), kamaru (rice mole crickets), balo-balo (fermented rice) and fresh mustard leaves as an accompaniment for grilled hito (catfish) or tilapia, pako salad (fiddlehead fern), lagat puso (young banana heart), kare-kare and dinuguan are served daily. This may not be the place for the finicky, but it’s definitely worth the gastronomic experience. It is frequented by locals and out-of-towners alike. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Fortune Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant, 305 Diamond Service Road, parallel to MacArthur Highway, Balibago, across Angeles Casino, with tel. no. (045)323-5127. There was a time when we had to travel all the way to Binondo to have really good chow till good fortune changed all that. This Hong Kong-based restaurant is at par, if not better, with a lot of similar restos in the metropolis. It has become our perennial habit to eat there for Sunday lunches, when one is simply too lazy to do any home-cooking, especially since it is the maids’ day off. Our faves are the hot and sour soup, two-ways eel (steamed meat and deep fried bones), fried chili/pepper pork ribs, steamed crabs with garlic, sweet and sour pork, to name a few. It just opened a teahouse at Savers Mall right across the street, with dim sum and noodles meeting our expectations of an authentic Hong Kong yam cha joint.

• Hal-La Korean Restaurant, Friendship Highway corner Volga St., with tel. no. (045)893-2571. With a growing Korean community within the city (largely due to the Korean manufacturers setting up at Clark), it is inevitable to have the attendant Korean groceries, restaurants, tae kwon do centers, a school, and its own religious ministry sprouting near the base. Hal-La, with a grocery attached to it and a hotel just above, serves authentic Korean barbecues, stews and noodles. A tell-tale sign of its authenticity is that eight out of 10 diners are Korean nationals. A generous serving of different kinds of kimchi is offered the diner, whetting the appetite if one is still undecided on what to order. Our fave is the cold noodle Naengmyon. Very clean surrounding and prompt service.

• Maranao Grill at Oasis Hotel Compound, along Clark Perimeter Road, Clarkview, parallel to Clark Main Highway, with tel. nos. (045)322-3301 to 03. Daily specials and a different selection of salads, soups, sandwiches, seafood and steaks comprise the a la carte menu. Diners from around Central Luzon and Manila travel all the way here for its roast prime rib, which is served every Saturday night. The place is easy and casual and the food generally very good. Service is excellent. It’s nice to find a place that really cares about its guests. Relaxing and unobtrusive live piano music is played nightly. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Rosing’s Candy Store, 38 Hilda St., Nepo Mart I, with tel. no. (045)323-5128. Not your usual branded candies but could indulge any sweet tooth craving nonetheless. These hand-made delicacies are still made from scratch the old-fashioned way, slow-cooked with all-natural ingredients. Sold per piece or by the box, one could get a sampling of the pastillas de leche, caramel, polvoron, yemas, casuy tartlets, empanaditas and many more.

• Perfect Loaf Bakery and Café, Angeles Business Center, Nepo Mart, Angeles City, with tel. no. (045)323-4282. This self-service bright and delightful bakery/coffee shop offers freshly baked breads and cakes, the most popular of which is the signature pandan-macapuno cake. Try its tidtad babi, Mary Ann’s fave (the Pampango version of dinuguan), pancit luglog (rice noodles in a thick savory shrimp and pork sauce) topped with chicharon and kamias bits, fresh lumpia, baked lasagna and pizza (our son Nico’s fave) and my own fave pancit sotanghon. Wholesome lunch and all-day merienda are served daily. Freshly brewed coffee, espresso or cappuccino are available to cap your meal. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Susie’s Cuisine, two stalls away from Rosing’s Candy Store, with tel. no. (045)322-4775. Its oft-imitated but so far never equaled tibuk-tibok (maja blanca to Manileños) is the bestseller. According to the late writer/painter/gourmet (and my mentor) Abe Aguilar Cruz, the name tibuk-tibok is derived from the heartbeat-like (tibok ng puso) movement of the dessert if one is to shake it. Made of fresh carabao’s milk with a subtle hint of dayap zest, Susie’s version has a smooth and silken consistency, unlike others which are starchy and lumpy. Its closest foreign counterpart is the Italian pannacotta, but not quite. Other house specialties are pancit luglog, leche flan, haleang ube, mochi and many other pasalubong.

• Zapata Cantina Mexicana, along Clark Perimeter Road, Clarkview, with tel. no. (045)892-0859. Popular with the expats and Angeleños alike for its authentic margaritas, nachos, quesadillas and tacos. It also serves hearty-grilled meats accompanied by burritos, refried beans and rice.

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When the Starbucks fever hit Metro Manila, the coffee-shop craze spread like a forest fire to the grassroots level. Not only did it raise the standard of sipping coffee and having dessert to fine dining level, it created an alternative lifestyle and wholesome meeting place for young and old alike. Here are some that have sprouted in our part of town.

• A la Créme, MacArthur Highway, near Angeles University, with tel. no. (045)-322-2745. Serves a variety of pasta, sandwiches, chicken and steak dishes. Our fave is the Steak a la Créme. Cap the meal with a slice of ube cake and an espresso.

• Baracas, a few steps away to the right of Fortune Restaurant, with tel. no. (045)892-5961. Serves very good coffee and smoothies. Most popular are its signature caramel macchiatto and mocha smootheccino. To-die-for desserts are Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, Rhum Cake and Triple Chocolate Brownies,

• The Coffee Outlet, a few doors away to the left of Fortune Restaurant, with tel. no. (045)625-7646. Serves good coffee and unforgettable desserts, like German Chocolate Cake, Decadent Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie and Blueberry Cheesecake in a bright and homey surrounding. Also serves pasta and sandwiches. Try its fried mozzarella cheese. Just above the coffee shop is a billiard and bar place called Balk Line for the younger set.

• Northern Brew, by the main gate of Villa Angela Subdivision, Angeles City, with tel. no. (045)888-1579. Practically just a stone’s throw away from our house, it’s not difficult to form a habit of sipping freshly brewed coffee while reading the morning papers in a cozy surrounding. Well, make that with a choco waffle or a Peaches and Cream crepe on the side, please. With very reasonable prices, it’s no wonder it has become a favorite hangout for residents nearby. Light meals like pasta and sandwiches are also available.