Food for thought (and for Christmas)

I can feel it in my fingers. I can feel it in my toes. Christmas is around me, or at least the Christmas cold is.

December is here, and finally, the chilly winds and cool air of the season have decided to pay the Philippines a visit. Even in the car-filled, people-filled metro, the temperature has dropped to a Baguio-like level.

It is so cold, especially in the evenings and early mornings that winter wear is practically necessary to stay comfortably warm.

Maybe this is why people eat so much during the holiday season; we’re all trying to add more insulating blubber to our bodies to keep the chill out. (Excuses, excuses!)

Yes, this time of the year is the time to feast — or rather, gorge — on hams, hot chocolate, bibingka, puto bumbong, hotdogs with marshmallows on sticks, Food for the Gods, quezo de bola, and pretty much anything served during Noche Buena (and its dry runs held during office and school parties).

The days ahead are sure to be full of gastronomic delights, but until then, I will have to make do with the memories of good times with good people, eating good food at some great eateries. These are five of my top tummy pleasers of 2009 (in no particular order). 

First on my list is a place close to my heart. It is an institution at the University of the Philippines’ shopping center, one that my father introduced me to on my first day of college, and one that I have not stopped visiting since. What else could I be talking about but Rodic’s?

The old-school diner’s affordable tapsilog keeps customers coming back over the years. With assembly line precision, the crew at Rodic’s serves hundreds of –silog meals to hungry budget-conscious students and visitors of the university every day.

I go to Rodic’s for their tapa and the tocino are my favorites, but I’ve been told that the longganisa and bangus are good, too. Did I mention their prices are really cheap?

Next on my list is another landmark eatery, this time in Pasig. Panciteria San Jacinto has earned many fans and loyal diners because of the pleasant ambiance of the restaurant and of course, the great dishes.

I remember having difficulty choosing just what to order because there were so many viands I wanted to try. From chicken and duck, to pork, beef and fish, there was some deliciously described Chinese-style food on the menu.

The Crab Foo Yung and fried rice are excellent.

There is another Chinese restaurant on my list, this time in Chinatown itself. For those fond of going to the Divisioria area, specifically 168 Shopping Mall, a visit to this place should be on your to-do list.

I’m talking about Mitzi’s, which serves awesome Shrimp Foo Yung and to-die-for Lechon Macau. Their oyster cakes are yummy, too! A wide selection of dishes will surely restore any serious shopper’s stamina.

 The gastronomic delights this food stall serves are just as pleasing to the palate and the purse strings — just like the wholesale fare of 168!

Mitzi’s is one of the hidden gems of Chinatown. The fourth restaurant on my little countdown is a hidden gem that is slowly being unearthed. It’s a bit far from the others, just around 250 kilometers.

All the way in Baguio City is Forest House, a family favorite. No trip to the summer capital of the Philippines would be complete without a meal at this very cozy little cottage resto.

From start to end, the fare at Forest House is truly a feast.

A meal is enough to make the long and winding road trip seem worthwhile — even with just the starters, consisting of a complimentary basket of flat bread/biscuits (plebeian right here, all I know is that the crunchy things were delicious), and an appetizer of chicken quesadilla.

But hey, after eating such a good starter, it would be such a shame to skip out on the main course, right? Try the bagnet — it might kill anyone with a heart condition, but at least it’ll be a very, very happy death.

Speaking of happy endings, the end this list is also near.

The fifth and final dining place I will share is back in Manila. At the Burgos Circle at the Fort lies what I want to dub as an Asian fusion restaurant. Henry’s Place serves up some traditional, and also some unusual cuisine.

For the more conservative food lovers looking for some old-fashioned Hainanese Chicken or Yang Chow fried rice, Henry’s offers some of the best I have tasted yet.

But, for more adventurous foodies, there are Duckquitos or mini duck tacos or Lily on the Pond, an appetizer with shrimp and eggplant. I usually avoid crunchy tacos and eggplant, but these were just too appetizing to resist.

And perhaps the most unusual item on the menu is a tie between coconut crab and sea mantis. Despite the very scary-sounding exotic names, these dishes taste surprisingly good. Once you get past the fact that the mantis looks so much like a prawn from District 9, you’ll surely savor its unique taste.

New tastes and old, the traditional and the revolutionary, this year has been a vibrant (and definitely tasteful) year for food. Choosing only five for this article was a tough experience.

With the promise of more great cuisine coming the next few weeks, the holiday season will close the year with a nice bang, and hopefully usher in another fabulous foodie year.

After coconut crab and sea mantis, can 2010 bring anything more different? I’ll just have to wait and see.