Merry Christmas!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

From,

Driver, Yaya, Mayordoma and Senyorito Lakwatsero 

(Post) Holiday Gift Ideas Close to Home - The Edible Kind!

Si Christina Brazo De Mercedes

Christmas is just a sleep away (for those who will be sleeping, anyway)!  In case you are still thinking of what to give away during the holiday season, here are some suggestions.  We know it's kind of late for Christmas and orders should have been placed days before but just keep these ideas handy, say, for New Year.

The list below are the best we've tasted. Most of all, they are from San Pablo.

1.  Chocolate Cake - Kalahi Bakery at T. Azucena near the San Pablo Cathedral.  Their no-fuss chocolate cake is still as fluffy and chocolatey as when we used to have it as children.  Brings back childhood memories especially if you are a true blue San Pableno.

2.  Brazo De Mercedes - Si Christina at Rizal Avenue near the old Manila Bank Bldg.  This Brazo de Mercedes is chewy compared to the typical ones which are nothing but air.  Sugar-conscious people would favor this since it's not that sweet.  

3.  Sans Rival - Home-based at San Francisco Terrace in Calihan.  There's no need to elaborate because as far as we can remember, when a San Pableno is asked where to get a Sans Rival, this is the place to be.  

4.  Taisan - Cake Plus by Abba at Paseo De Escudero (Bonifacio St.) near Jollibee Plaza.  The term "labor of love" would aptly describe their Taisan because it is not the usual loaf.  Theirs is a 12x16(?) rectangular Taisan that is meticulously cut to at least 60 bite size pieces and served in individual wrappers after being spread with butter and topped with grated cheese.  Their Black Forest, White Forest and Mango Cake are also worth trying.

5.  Yema Cake - Folcon Bakeshop at San Francisco Calihan. Their cake is buttery while their yema icing is tasty but not that sweet. And they win hands down when it comes to packaging.

Now if somebody could just tell us if there's a bakeshop in the City that could prepare a Rainbow Cake as delicious as that of Mrs. Poonin's (Erlinda's), we would be very happy.  If you are familiar with this cake, you would definitely agree with us that many tried to copy the cake but never really got where it should be.

Have a Happy Holiday everybody!

Mayordoma Chronicles: Naan and More!

                               

I, Mayordoma, admit that I am the least adventurous in the group when it comes to the savory type of food. The more spices and flavor a particular dish has, the more I won't try it. I would rather eat sashimi without condiments than have a taste of cooked food laden with different kinds of spices. Let me be clear, I am a bit ok with spicy food but not the ones where different kinds of flavors will burst in your mouth when you take a single bite.  Also, it kind of upsets my sensitive tummy. So, one could just imagine the predicament I was in when I was sent to an official mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh where the food has Persian and Indian influences.

I am actually familiar with South Asian dishes since our office cafeteria has an international cuisine section where these type of food is served on a daily basis. To date, having Chicken Kebab  is the most adventurous I've gotten when it comes to the cafeteria food.

With this perspective and accounts given by colleagues who had been to the country, I decided to bring loads of canned goods (sausage, tuna, corned beef).  Unfortunately, my baggage filled with these goods got lost in who knows where! Therefore, I needed to start opening my mind for a food adventure.

http://www.ffcbd.com/

First Trip - Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!

Being a predominantly Muslim and Hindu country, chicken is the choice meat. You can see all types of chicken restaurants - Original Fried Chicken (OFC), Best Fried Chicken (BFC), Good Fried Chicken (GFC), Alphabet + FC.  Our group, however, favored the tried and tested Kentucky Fried Chicken  (KFC) and our new discovery, Fortuna Fried Chicken (FFC)! When asked where we wanted to eat, we always answered either of the two.   But we always had to order "original" and never "hot and spicy".  Why?  Because the original is already somehow spicy to our taste.

http://www.sajnarestaurant.com/information.htm

But then, our gracious hosts began incorporating local dishes in our meals. Admittedly, I had hesitations.  However, I did enjoy my very first taste of local buffet though taking little servings only. Interior and set up wise, Sajna is quite a classy restaurant though a bit pricey.  But the selection they provide is worth it.  Forgive me but I can't seem to remember the exact names of the menu but I did like their Hot and Sour Soup and, yes, Chicken Tikka Kabab. There was also this Mutton dish that could be best described as a "burn in your mouth" relative of our very own Kaldereta.  But I discovered the perfect drink to wash down the burning taste, Lime Soda!

                     

The Mirinda beverage I've known all my life is the orange variety and seeing its colorless version was a surprise.  I also enjoyed the way I had to drink it - pour in a glass followed by a sweet syrup.  I loved how it bubbled and fizzzled.  It was like having a science experiment on my table, ha! ha!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naan

Our best discovery, however, is the Naan. While the locals eat it the way we eat our rice paired with viands, I can have it on its own. I could describe it as a flat bread similar to a thick crust pizza but much tastier.  It's somehow crispy on the outside but soft in the inside.

source:  http://www.austinbushphotography.com/2009/03/bangladeshi-sweets.html

Of course, a meal won't be complete without desserts and Bangladeshis are serious when it comes to their sweets. I could best sum up their desserts (Golab Jam?) as similar to our Pastillas though softer and creamier.  Think of pastillas made from carabao milk!

Second Trip - Time to be more adventurous!

For our second trip, we already had an idea of what we would like to have - FFC and KFC!  Well, that was our plan.  But I guess there was really a saturation point.  Thus, we opened our minds and our stomachs with other options.

I am Feel-Chinese, remember?

We were originally planning to have lunch either at FFC or KFC when we saw this restaurant's billboard along the way.  Without any idea if they really serve Chinese dishes, we still decided to give it a shot and was rewarded for it. We ordered Beef with Oyster Sauce, Mixed Veggies, "Something" with Tofu and Peking Chicken. The food was more than passable.  It was the closest we could get in terms of having a taste of Chinese cuisine.  But its taste still has the Bangladeshi twist.  Actually, the Beef with Oyster Sauce was full of onions that it tasted more like our Bistek Tagalog.  In case you are curious, no, we did not try the Shisha Lounge.  Though it was interesting to see that there was a lounge within the restaurant.

http://www.allindiarecipes.com/indian-recipes/butter-chicken-23.html

During our last night in Dhaka, we decided to treat to dinner the rest of the team who will be left behind.  Our choice of restaurant?  Our hotel's restaurant!  We planned on making the Naan the main dish so we asked the wait staff what will go well with it and he recommended the Butter Chicken Masala. So we ordered it together with Chicken Tandoori, Mixed Vegetables, Rice, and of course, Butter Naan.  Good thing we ordered only 3 servings of Naan because each serving provided to us was the size of a pizza!  Let me come clean, I still had the hesitation.  Therefore, I opened a can of Spam and had it with my rice!  When  the Chicken Butter Masala came, I took a spoonful and dipped my Naan in it. It was spicy but the yogurt in it did magic. I actually enjoyed eating it to the point of encouraging my colleagues to try it.

At the end of these two trips, I learned that those courageous enough to take risks are rewarded  in the end.  But I think, it will still take some practice before I become more adventurous when it comes to food. My taste buds are already adventurous but my sensitive tummy is a different story!

'Till our next adventure. This time it will be closer to home - Our New Year Party.  As of this writing, we are planning a buffet of various cuisines (American, Japanese, Italian, French, whatever suits the budget of course!). Some we will prepare ourselves, the rest we will just order locally.  In short, we won't only feature restaurants but also suppliers of cooked meals!

Have a happy holiday!