The Frugal Foodie: Chinese on the Cheap

Pork on Pork: Pork Rice and Pork and Kutchay Dumplings

Just P150 in my wallet.

It felt a lot like my college days—except that back then, I didn't really have a choice. I had to rely on a weekly allowance, and it wasn't unheard of to survive on this much for three days. (Cafeteria food rocks!)

I figured Manang's in Ateneo was closed for the summer, so I had to think of other non-fast-food places to spend this little budget on. And then I thought of Mien San.

My Gilmore-resident friend, M, counts this as one of his favorite restos, not because of proximity, but because of what he proclaimed "the best dimsum ever." A perfect day for him would be watching a rockin' NBA game on TV, having a great lunch at Mien San, then heading to Feet For Us next door for a P300 one-hour foot massage.

We were 1-for-3 on Saturday. After watching that boring blowout of a game (I'm an Orlando fan, but come on, it wasn't even close), M and I met up at Mien San. We were joined by E, a non-basketball fan who had to sit through our post-game analysis. She was probably thankful she had all that food to keep her occupied, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Pork Sauce Rice with Eggs

M highly recommended the shrimp/raddish dumpling which, at P90 for six pieces, was within my price range. But I wanted enough left over for something other than steamed rice, so I instead ordered the pork/kutchay dumplings (P68 for eight pieces). I know you could get dumplings for half that price elsewhere, but I doubt that they would be as well made. The wrapper was soft and moist (not dry and papery, the way it is with some budget dumplings), and it was bursting with the flavors of pork and finely chopped chives. And paired with a hefty serving of the pork sauce rice (P78)—rice topped with chopped-up pork, mushrooms, and a humba-like sauce—I had a very filling meal that was right within my price range.

Chicken on the Stew

You could also get some rice toppings for less than P150. E got the chicken stew rice for P148, and it was truly a value-for-money meal: several small pieces of chicken, rice, egg, and sides of eggplants and veggies. I was full enough with my order, but generous M shared his delicious shrimp dumplings (they looked like gyoza—steamed, but the bottoms were fried to a crisp) and seafood chami (P168).

So yeah, I got a great meal for P146. But that foot massage? Sigh. It had to wait.

Mien San Noodle House
36 Villa Ortigas II, Granada St., Quezon City
(From Ortigas, going west, cross Santolan.
It's right after the stoplight—look for the Feet For Us sign.)
Tel. (02) 721-7594

Table Conversation: Good Food Travels

Humba with Ensaladang Mangga

I’ve never been a guest before.

Heaven knows we have had dozens of people write as our guests on Table for Three, Please–which we are very grateful for. But I’ve always wondered how it would be to write on someone else's site, to be their guest, instead of the other way around.

So when Bee Yin, the creative force behind Rasa Malaysia asked me to one of her guests, I jumped at the chance. While Bee’s blog has mostly focused on food of her native Malaysia, she has slowly expanded her recipe list to include culinary delights from other Asian countries. This is where I come in. In my post for Rasa Malaysia, I share my take on that sinfully delicious dish, Humba.

To check out my guest post on Rasa Malaysia, click here.

Much thanks to Bee Yin for inviting me to be her guest.

The Frugal Foodie: Saturday Mornings at Salcedo

The Chicken ala King

Growing up, I was taught that the early bird catches the worm. Well, as a weekend market lover, I'd say, the early visitor gets to try the yummiest dishes in the market!

It was a sunny Saturday morning and the Salcedo Market was already brimming with shoppers filling up their carts with fresh vegetables, hot-off-the-grill meats and ready-to-eat international dishes. Everything looks oh-so-good that it's really hard not to give in to the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth look of the Baklava or the meaty aroma of the Shawarma, and what about the infamous crepes and galletes that have all the toppings available to satisfy your craving?

Well, my latest visit to the market was different. This time, I went with a mission and I am determined to succeed. With only P150 in my pocket (and my ATM card intentionally left at home), I will shop around the market and see what type of meal I'll end up with.

True, that when going around the Salcedo Market, it feels as if you're on a gastronomical trip around the world. From India to Turkey to China and of course to the different regions in the Philippines, no passport is required to experience world-class cuisine. What I love also about the market is that most of the dishes are reasonably priced. No need to break the bank just to shop here.

Today, I wanted something light and healthy. Since it was way too early in the morning, I decided to have breakfast.

After going around the market twice, I finally settled for this:

The Galette Complete

I have always been a fan of Gigi La Crepe and more so of his Galette Complete (P100). Galettes are the savory version of its more popular counterpart known as crepes. Unlike crepes that make use of regular flour, galettes are made using buckwheat flour. Also, it is only cooked on one side and is normally served with vegetables, cheese, egg or meat inside.

Watching the stall owner, Gigi, prepare my galette is also an additional treat. He would engage you in stories about the market and would talk animatedly about his crepes and galette which at all times would make you want to try them all.

Galettes are best eaten warm. I took a comfortable spot at the dining area of the market and carefully opened my styro box to enjoy my yummy looking French breakfast. I love the combination of ham, cheese and egg in my chosen galette. The egg was kept soft and fluffy inside exactly just the way I like it.

After enjoying my galette, I walked around the market and bumped into a friend who told me to try the Chicken ala King in patty shells from Pamangan. I told her that I might have to pass if it's too heavy since I just enjoyed one order of galette. She told me not to worry and even offered to share it with me.

We reached the stall and what I saw are mini patty shells with a generous serving of Chicken ala King inside. Oh-so-cute! It's worth Php. 30 each which is still within my budget for the day. We agreed to get one order each and happily carried our mini tray back to the dining area.

Don't be deceived with its tiny size as the filling consists of tender chicken chunks, crunchy vegetables and a really flavorful sauce which I instantly love. Being the OC that I am, I ate the filling first and munched on the patty shell after. My friend, on the other hand, happily devoured her Chicken ala King in just four giant bites.

By the time we finished eating, the crowd has tripled in number and there's hardly any empty table at the dining area. I realized it's also time to go and so I bid my friend goodbye while thanking her for the wonderful recommendation.

Once again, another wonderful Saturday morning at the Salcedo Market. Total expense? P130. Mission? Complete.

Much thanks to Fran of Flipflopping My Way Around Town

Salcedo Community Market
Jaime Velasquez Park
Salcedo Village

The Frugal Foodie: Spartan Goats

Goat Two Ways with Rice

Franco comes up with the oddest requests.

Given my penchant for going out and trying holes in the wall (literally), I was asked if I were willing to write about a P 150.00 meal, with the added twist being that I could not pop over to the nearest McKFbee and get a budget whatever with fries and some fizzy drink. While interesting, it also left out possible places which would have been slam dunks without being fast food cop-outs. (Lola Idang's, for example, is one vastly underrated place for cheap eats, perhaps because you always feels like you're in Lola Idang's living room waiting for your pancit, no matter which branch you go to.) But then again, what can a guy have for P 150.00, chain stores excluded?

Well, one can have goat, it turns out.

With that in mind, and only P 150.00 in my wallet, I went off and dragged Franco to a Kambingan. I needed someone to cover the excess, if there was any. And Franco wanted goat anyway, so a good deal was had.

We ended up along the main road of Camp (not Fort) Bonifacio, in an unpaved area right off the white fences where, nearby, they sold authentic military supplies such as ponchos, uniforms, and the like. The place itself was called Xerjen Cafe and an observant driver can actually see it as one drives along the main road of the Camp. It was a warm afternoon and we both trudged over to the nearby restaurant, which had a little sign in front declared "cooked goat here!" Perfect.

The place was completely empty when we stepped in, Eat Bulaga blaring on the TV of the Karaoke machine. The place was clean, though the lady at the counter seemed surprised to see us step into the place. I immediately asked about the goat, to which they pointed me to five chafing dishes with the typical preparations of goat: kaldereta, kilawing balat, pinapaitan, sinampalukang ulo, and adobong kambing. P 60.00 per viand. Cool!

I got the Kaldereta, the Adobo, and the Pinapaitan. Since it was me and Franco eating, that meant that the bill was divided by 2. We sat down on one of the monoblock sets and waited for our dishes to be brought out as Eat Bulaga filled the air around us with canned laughter and well preserved jokes. The dishes came and, quite expectedly, the servings weren't TGI Fridays proportions. One viand and rice would probably be a bit short, but two and some extra rice would be just fine. In this case, we were in pretty good shape.

Kalderetang Kambing

First off, the kaldereta. Admittedly, I was not expecting much. Goat in the Philippines is often overcooked and chopped so that there are more bones than meat on the plate, and the same was pretty true here except that I was surprised by how sweet the dish was. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but, as meals go, it does the job of beating hunger quite well, with the potatoes adding needed weight to the dish.

Adobo na Kambing

The next dish fared much better. The adobo was very flavorful, though still bony and tough. It's a little too bad that we don't butcher the meat better in most kambingan places as this dish would have been a real treat with a nice, meaty piece. But then, I doubt I could have fit that into the challenge budget. Also, I guess the whole thrill of teasing meat off the various nooks and corners of the pieces is part of the fun. The adobo liquid leaned more on the soy than the vinegar, but that actually helped the meat out, making for a dish that would be eaten with heaps of rice, perfect for those on a budget.

Pinapaitan na Kambing

The one we both truly enjoyed, however, was the pinapaitan. Who would've thought we'd handle bile so well? Pinapaitan is a dish of goat innards served in a broth of bile and stock and it was wonderfully complex, especially with the inclusion of some siling labuyo to give it a kick. Both Franco and I were sipping the soup even after the meat was gone. It was not as bitter as its name suggests, but the bitter note was definitely there. Instead, it was a play of salty broth, possibly made from the bones, and bitter bile, combined with the kick of the sili which was just irresistable as we both kept taking on spoon after spoon.

They even let us try the kilawing balat, which was the goat skin grilled and then marinated in vinegar, ginger, and sili. It was rather chewy, probably owing to how long its been sitting in the marinade, and was seriously hot. We were both sweating as we, rather gingerly, spooned some into our mouths. We could imagine really cold beers going wonderfully with it, however.

We never really got to the head. It was already off budget and seemed a little off the beaten path, especially for lunch. What fascinated us, however, was that those five dishes pretty much used the whole goat, inside and out, head to tail. It's a nice thing to see the philosophy of "use everything" in evidence in places as small as the one we ate in.

Oh yeah, how much was the bill? P 125.00 per person. So, P 150.00 meal? Done. Anything else?

Xerjen Cafe
ATU
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
across from the Special Services Unit Headquarters

Table Conversation: One Fine Day

A quick breakfast

Once in a while, you should indulge yourself.

On this special day, I decide to start my morning with a torn piece of a warm, crusty whole-wheat baguette from Lartizan. On my bread, I spread a generous amount of a very berry strawberry jam courtesy of good sisters of Good Shepherd. I wash it down a steaming glass of milky-sweet Vietnamese coffee–a great jumpstart to a delicious day.

Uni for me

Today, I’m having lunch with a friend who shares my love for all things Japanese, edible and raw. After savoring slices of sashimi in interesting combinations and a delightful serving of Battera Hako Sushi, I decide to end the meal with a ‘healthy’ serving of sea urchin. I had my first taste of uni not in fancy Japanese restaurant but on the beaches of Bohol. I have been in love ever since. I'm aware that what I'm eating is essentially the innards of a fresh sea urchin. It's not for everybody. But love it or hate it, the buttery tongues of sweet flesh is a food experience I strongly encourage everyone to try–at least once.

A sublime bite

Evening comes. For dinner at the Shang Place, we invite some friends over to dine with a duck. I will find any reason to eat Peking Duck. So why not today? A dark caramel duck skin wrapped in a thin pancake with a dollop of hoisin and slivers of peppery spring onion. Crisp, fatty, salty, savory and sweet, it is simply a celebration in every bite.

It was a fine, fine day.

Thank you to my lovely wife, A for making this day (and everyday) special.

Lartizan
144 Jupiter Street cor. Orbits Street
Bel-Air 2 Village
Makati City
Telephone: (02) 899 6923

Hatsu Hana-Tei
2nd Floor
Herald Suites
2168 Don Chino Roces Avenue
Makati City 1231
Telephone: (02) 759 6388/ 759 3814

Shang Palace
2nd Level
Makati Shangri-La Hotel
Ayala Avenue at Makati Avenue
Makati City 1200
Philippines
For Reservations: (02) 840 0884

A Change of Address

Just a short announcement.

Table for Three, Please has changed address. We are now located at:

http://www.tableforthreeplease.com

We are not sure what that means for you, the reader. But for the Three of us, I guess that means we're now legitimate.

Many thanks to T and E. A gift that is very much appreciated.

Table Suggestions: See Spot Run...Again

Same Name. Different Spot.

We had our issues with Version 1.0. From time to time, I will admit that original Spot's editors' blog was an interesting read. But the attempt at a community-based, restaurant review site was 'spotty' to say the least.

Apparently, you can teach an old dog new tricks.With a new editorial team, a new direction and a new look, the reincarnation of Spot.ph might be worth a second look. While still in beta, it might be too early to pass judgement on this 'new' site. We suggest you take an exploratory visit. Poke around and tell the folks at Spot what you think.

Will Spot fetch and deliver this time around? Only time (and your page views) will tell.

PS. On an admittedly self-serving note, check out these interviews on Spot with Top Chef's Ilan Hall and Dale Talde and the venerable New York Times food writer, Mark Bittman.

Table Conversation: Undercover Ruth

The things editors do for their magazines.

I've read Garlic and Sapphires at least eight times--cover to cover. So, I imagine that qualifies me to be considered a fan boy of Gourmet magazine's Ruth Reichl (besides, there is also a small mountain of Gourmet magazines by my bedside). After viewing this video on gourmet.com, I just couldn't resist posting it on this blog.

Just a little backgrounder for you non-fanatics. Prior to her current gig as editor of Gourmet, Ms. Reichl was the highly influential restaurant critic of The New York Times. In order to experience restaurants as a normal guest, she would don an array of disguises to throw off ever-vigilant restaurant owners looking to score some stars (and some positive publicity).

I hope you have a good laugh. Enjoy.

Table Suggestions: From Eggs to the Plate

It starts with the eggs...

I love a roasted chicken.

As a person who more than occasionally cooks at home, a roasted chicken is always my go-to dish. Making a chicken with a crisp-to-the-bite skin and flesh that is fall-off-the-bone tender is both simple and quick. It also fills a home with a roasting-garlic-and-lemon aroma that just makes mouths drool with anticipation. For me, it is the perfect, crowd-pleasing dish.

While writing a story for a Cebu Pacific's Smile on restaurants using organic produce, I discovered that besides being a one of best restaurants in the Philippines, Antonio’s also grows its own produce and herbs. What was even more fascinating was the fact that Antonio's has progressed beyond the greens and now raises even their own livestock--specifically a lively flock of French Grimaud Freres Chickens. Organically-raised and given free range of the farm, these chickens live healthier, happier lives compared to their mass-produced cousins' gulag-like existence.

Then a healthy, happy chicken...

The following interview is with Mrs. Agnes Escalante, wife of famed chef, Tonyboy Escalante and the manager of Antonio's organic farms:

What made you decide to raise your own flock of organic chickens?

We have a special son who is on a Gluten Free, Casein Free diet (GFCF)--meaning no wheat and dairy products for him. We make sure we feed him only organic produce. Since we had the space, we decided to have the whole family to embrace this diet as well.

What kind of chickens do you raise and what made you decide on this breed?

Grimaud Freres Breed from France. The breed is highly adaptable to our climate and easy to take care of.

Can you take us through the process of cultivating your own flock of organic chickens?

We allow them to range around the farm and make sure they have enough supply of food to forage. In our case, we give them the surplus of our lettuce and herbs from our vegetable farm. This makes our chickens tasty and very fragrant.

What are upsides and downsides of raising your own chickens?

As with any farmer, the downside is how to adapt our chickens to the climate conditions in our area. The upsides are seeing how our chickens are raised, having a ready source of chickens and harvesting table eggs everyday.

How do you serve the chickens at Antonio?

My husband [Chef Tonyboy Escalante] has very strict requirements for the chickens. They have to be by a certain weight and age. All our eggs are sourced from our farm. We serve an Organic Free Range Chicken Leg with Pomery Mustard Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potato, using the chickens grown by us.

And eventually lunch.

I'd never claim to be a chicken breeds expert.

But I do know what I like. Some of my snobbier foodie friends may scoff that the idea of ordering chicken at such a fine establishment like Antonio’s. But because of the care that has gone into raising these chickens, coupled with the expert cooking techniques of Antonio’s chefs, this humble dish of roasted chicken has been elevated to something better, something greater. In fact, after savoring every morsel of this mouth-watering dish, I was briefly considering never making roast chicken at home again. It was just that good.

At the end of the day, the proof is on the plate. Chickens that are fed more organically and provided a more natural way of life make for a more delectable meal.

Much thanks to Mrs. Agnes Escalante and Johna Goma. Special thanks to Erik Lacson for the lovely photos and Maya Calica for sending me on this eye-opening trip.

Antonio's
Barangay Neogan
Tagaytay City, Cavite
Telephone: (046) 413 0975 or (046) 413 1054
Celphone: (0917) 899 2866
Email: antoniosfarm@yahoo.com