Comfort food

Because I come from a family of big eaters, comfort food has never been about dainty desserts or pretty sandwiches. Always, it boils down to a duo of rice and ulam. Sometimes, it’s crispy pata (dipped in native vinegar) and chicken pork adobo cooked twice over, Bisaya-style. More often than not, it is barbecue – pork barbecue, to be exact – preferably with java rice and achara. Mmm… I’m getting hungry already just by telling you about it.

I remember spending many summers in Lola Carmen’s house in Cebu where the highlight of the day after playing with our cousins was the lunch prepared by Manoy Pael, her longtime cook. It was often pork barbecue, and we would eat it on a hapag lined with banana leaves. With that, there would always be chicken salad, lovingly prepared by Tita Liclic. Because there were many of us – cousins, uncles and aunts, and the steady stream of guests that lola always had – it was like having a party every day. There would be other fare, too, but the barbecue stands out in my memory, maybe because of its no-fuss goodness. There was nothing complicated or sophisticated about its taste, but it was very simply the perfect mixture of very basic ingredients.

That’s the thing with barbecue. Because it is so simple and the taste is too remarkable vis-à-vis the simple preparation it involves, some folks have a tendency to experiment with it too much. It is often tweaked a little bit here and there – barbecue with a twist, they love to call it. They want to make something that’s already special even more so. Secret ingredients, exotic marinades, blah, blah, blah. Sometimes it works, in a funny-tasting sort of way, but more often than not, it doesn’t, and a perfectly good thing is messed up.

All that said, along with some bad barbecue experiences are a lot of really good ones. The best ones I’ve tried come from the homes of family and friends and those little makeshift grills on the streets of many provinces.

One thing I am thankful for is that good food always finds its way to me (or maybe it is the other way around), and two weeks ago, I heard about this little new place in Cubao that has people lining up, especially at lunch and dinnertime. They must be on to something good, I thought to myself. So, yesterday, I braved the tantrums of a sleepy child and waited patiently for the driver (he was stuck in afternoon traffic) to find my way to Floring’s in Cubao.

Its clean, cheery interiors may have been a portent of things to come, because I am happy to say it did not disappoint, not one bit.

I polished off everything that was set before me, and I stopped only because I was too stuffed to continue… so much for ladylike appetite. I had two sticks of pork barbecue (apparently it’s what they are starting to be famous for; the place is only a couple of months old): the meat is lean but very tender with a savory marinade that is distinctly Pinoy. It was so, so good. I purposely left one stick untouched while I moved on to the next dish because I wanted to find out if it would taste just as good cold as it did hot off the grill. Yes, it was just as tender, just as good.

Aside from the barbecue, I also had their fried chicken, which is a real winner, too. There is no batter, just golden chicken quarters with the skin fried to a crisp. Cut through it and there is more to enjoy for the meat is tender and succulent. I also tried their chicken barbecue and the pancit bam-i guisado. The latter is a must-try – it is your usual wonderful Pinoy pancit made extra-special because it is topped with chunks of crispy chicharon bulaklak and lechon kawali. I squeezed fresh calamansi over it as is the norm, and it was nothing short of love at every bite. This is something I think I can eat every day.

I wanted to try all the other items on the menu but I did not want to look like a pig, or act like one, so I comforted myself with the thought that I can come back another day. Like tomorrow or tonight perhaps. After all, they have more items on the menu worth trying, like crispy pata, pork sisig, dinuguan with puto, inihaw na talong with bagoong, sinigang na tadyang ng baka, and the sizzling Angus beefsteak.

Then there are the desserts. What better way to seal a home-style meal than with desserts that most of us grew up with? Saba sago con yelo and mais con yelo. How wonderful is that?

I interviewed the waiter, Edgar, and he said it is a madhouse at certain times of the day. I was also lucky to chance upon the owner, Florabel, who intimated that the response has far exceeded her expectations. What she had initially thought would be mainly a takeout haven has become all that and more. They now have a solid dine-in base that grows stronger each day. Although the place is comfortable because it is very clean and air-conditioned, it is not the type of place where one lingers. Florabel says her customers really just go in, eat heartily, then leave to come back another day. Turnover is very fast, business is brisk, cravings are satiated.

As my Dad always says, comfort food has to be dali, lami, barato (quick, delicious, cheap). Floring’s has definitely hit the mark. They have the long queues to show for it. This is comfort food at its best.

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Floring’s is at Unit 25, Shopwise Arcade, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City. Call 440-4292. They deliver within the Cubao area.