As Far As The Gut Can 'See'

When eating becomes limitless...

Here's a photo-collection of some of my ultra-digestive buffet moments with Her Majesty. We always say that food is our ultimate passion... Well, let the photos do the talking.

Seoul Garden, Singapore. Mom celebrated her 77th birthday in the Lion City by having a shabu-shabu and barbecue/grill lunch. My friend Millie and her two loveable kids treated me and Mom in this Korean buffet restaurant somewhere along Orchard Road.

Spiral, Sofitel Manila. An alimentary evening in Manila's most famous buffet restaurant. It's dining a la rich and famous.

Escolta, The Peninsula Manila. A five-star dinner in a five-star hotel. The abundance of crabs, oysters and lobsters in this restaurant made Mom give a five-star rating.

Siam Niramit, Bangkok. An authentic Thai dinner right before the spectacular Siam Niramit Cultural Show. Tom Yam never tasted that good and hot.

The Revolving Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur Tower. Mom turned 78 in this unique buffet restaurant, 420 meters above sea level and with full circumferential view of Kuala Lumpur. The iconic Petronas Twin Towers glistened like a diamond in this lovely birthday evening.

Paseo Uno, The Mandarin Oriental Manila. For my 35th birthday, I brought Mom to the seafood night of one of Makati City's famous landmarks. It was our first time to taste curacha -- a native crab imported from the country's southern regions.

Seoul Garden, SM City Annex. Singapore's famous Korean restaurant, now in the Metro. My Uncle Ponce invited me and Mom to a dinner treat in this venue as he celebrated his 50 golden years.

 

Rockwell Rockin'

Yes, mainly because of its proximity, but also because of what it has to offer. The Rockwell Center, especially the Powerplant Mall, is a quick five-to-ten-minute cab-ride away from our place. It's a must-do, ie, to dine or just have a taste of what's in there -- from fast food to restaurant-type, when you visit Rockwell every weekend and make it an extension of your home. And so, here it is, a collection of our photo-documented Powertrippin' and Rock-and-rollin' gastro-delights at the Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Center.

 

Clockwise from upper left: Cucina Victoria, Kenny Rogers Roasters, KFC, Kulinarya.

 

Clockwise from upper left: C2 Classic Cuisine, Crustasia Asian Crabs & Seafood House, Cantinetta, Dulcinea.

 

Clockwise from upper left: Cibo, Cafe Via Mare, Kaya Korean Restaurant, Fruits in Ice Cream.

 

Clockwise from upper left: Mongkok Dimsum & Noodles, Lulubelle Frozen Desserts, Sugarhouse, Chilli's.

Endangered Lipid

It's on the verge of extinction. I'm not really sure why. It used to be ubiquitous -- in all northbound buses and bus stations. But recently, there has been a decline in its production, and it has become less visible.

I'm talking about this cheap chicharon. That which is made from carabao skin (but is claimed to be pork rind), deep-fried in naturally-hydrogenated cooking oil that has turned brown and a bit rancid from repeated use, and seasoned with lots and lots of salt and monosodium glutamate. It's yummy, really.

I call it "plastic-balloon chicharon". No, not because it has toxic chemicals (its cholesterol and salt content is too much for the arteries, though). It is filled up with air. The inner section is multiloculated, composed mainly of air-spaces. One bite then is actually equivalent to a mere 30-40% of the original size. That's a psychological reassurance that you are getting only 30-40% of the assumed nutrients (if ever there are any) and dangerous substances. Plus, you also ingest sublethal doses of clinically important microorganisms (Salmonella typhi, hepatitis A/E virus, Escherichia coli, etc.). That's good, because you're giving your immune system its natural vaccine and booster dose (Google-search this one: hygiene hypothesis / old friends theory).

 My favorite snack during my weekly trips to Tarlac and back: "plastic balloon chicharon". I'm glad this was available at the Dau Bus Terminal last week when Mom and I returned to Manila. Cheap, somewhat unhygienic, but definitely tasty and crunchy. All for 20 pesos. It is endangered. We may have to settle eventually to more commercially prepared and quality-controlled chicharon like RL Lapid's (which is also one of my favorites).

It's Our Secret

I thought Secret Recipe originated from Singapore. I saw one near our hotel in Kuala Lumpur, and I believed it was a branch since the chain was widespread in South-East Asia, and there were four stores in the Philippines. Just a few days ago, I learned that it was established and common in Malaysia.

 Secret Recipe serves fusion food (Thai, Singaporean, Malaysian) and offers a great selection of cakes and pastries. Although a 'common' restaurant in Malaysia (as described by a store manager), the appeal in the Philippine setting is more of a semi-high-end, lifestyle, cozy restaurant/cafe -- in the same manner that Starbucks is a social hang-out place in Metro Manila but is actually a 'common' coffee shop in the United States. (Photo: Secret Recipe menu)

Mom and I frequent Secret Recipe - Global City branch because of its proximity to St. Luke's Global City (where Mom usually has her ophthalmologic and head-and-neck check-ups) and NU-U Asia Center for Dermatology & Cosmetic Dentistry (Mom's vanity and beauty haven). The photo shows the two of us satiating ourselves with the delicious entree and/or dessert in Secret Recipe on four different occasions. All four photos were taken right after Mom's check-up from the two medical centers.

Clockwise from upper left. (1) Mom's favorite -- fish and chips, and moist chocolate cake. (2) Chocolate chip walnut, white chocolate macadamia, strawberry frosty yogurt shake and ice blended mocha espresso. (3) Fish and chips -- I told you it's Mom's favorite, and Japanese soba. (4) Chocolate fudge, lemon cheese cake, and their own blend of iced lemon tea.

Wendy's Tayo, Wendy's Hindi

It's Mom's first time to eat at Wendy's. And it's my first in three years -- after devouring the Baconator in just one sitting back in 2008.

Tuesday evening. We still had an hour before the last screening time of Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi at Greenbelt 1. I showed her our choices for dinner -- Tokyo Tokyo, Piadina, Cafe Mediterranean, Jamaican Patties, Auntie Anne's -- but she looked at Wendy's with inquiring eyes. That was her answer, and so we went to Wendy's.

I wanted to get the Baconator (after three long years) and share it with Mom, but the horror of sebo damaging her arteries made me drop the idea. I let her choose her own combo meal, instead. She had chicken breast fillet (with extra cheese), and I had the bacon mushroom melt. Coke Zero for our drink, of course.

Mom has this weird addiction for tomato ketchup and the habit of sucking it directly from the sachet. She doesn't want the ketchup in bottle. It should be in sachet. Thus, I always ask for lots and lots and lots of ketchup whenever we eat in fast food restaurants. The cashier at Wendy's was too generous to give Mom 12 sachets.

No Lament for La Mien

I have this insatiable craving for restaurants that offer something different. Hand-pulled noodles, for one. Well, hand-pulled noodles are widespread in the Metro. However, in Masangkay St. which is studded with Chinese restaurants, this one is unique, and very accessible to my weekly Sta. Cruz visit.

Lan Zhou La Mien noodle house intrigued me the day it opened its door three years back. What really caught my attention was this guy making hand-pulled noodles by the restaurant's front glass window. And so I went in, and that was my first taste of hand-pulled noodles ever. 

I visit this place once a month, and I order the same dish -- spare ribs la mien. I also order steamed dumplings to go with the noodles. The average price for their noodles is Php 120 (a big jump from the former price of Php 90). One serving can actually feed two persons. A single-serve big bowl is composed of 60% noodles, 10% meat, and 5% Taiwan pechay, leaving only 25% for the sabaw. That's not a problem though, 'coz one can ask for a broth refill. That's getting your money's worth.

 Top: Lan Zhou La Mien noodle house is located along Masangkay St. in Sta. Cruz, Manila, right across Metropolitan Medical Center. It's a small, air-conditioned restaurant that offers a variety of noodle dishes. Based on my observation, their best-seller is the beef la mien. They also offer dumplings and friend noodles. The restaurant is always filled with customers, especially during lunch and dinner. Bottom: The "master pullman" working on a lump of dough to produce the desired consistency. To his right is a big pot of flavorful soup base. La Mien literally means "hand-pulled noodles".

Spare ribs la mien. I've tasted all their la mien varieties, but this one is my favorite. This is one of their underrated dishes, since most customers order the more popular beef la mien. Spare ribs la mien is oozing with flavor. The noodles are firm but not hard, the meat is spicy and tender, and the broth is rich and tasty.

Getting Dirty

I was in Makati City Hall a few days ago. No, not for business or document concerns. I was there because of the food bazaar. Yes, there's a food bazaar in the parking area, and they sold lots and lots of ulam and merienda. Oh, the price was cheap, by the way.

So, I bought giniling na baboy and binagoongang baboy (Gosh! Ang-baboy ko!) for lunch. I wasn't in the mood for the sinigang na salmon belly which Mom asked me to buy from Chick-Boy. And when I went out to hitch a trike, I saw it. An apparition.

There it was, in its magnificent glory -- the fishball cart. I tried to avoid it, but it was a temptation too much to resist. (I promised myself not to eat fishball or other street foods again. I was hospitalized because of them -- during my residency training in 2006, and I was the chief resident! Wonderful. No, perfect.) Five years later, I decided to give it another chance, now with "standard precautions".

I bought five-pesos worth (10 pieces) of fishball. Oh, the fun of making tuhog the balls. Amusing, 'coz the price of 50 centavos had not changed in the past 10 years. This time, however, I didn't dip the balls in the sarsa. It's the sauce, honey, that harbored the Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Campylobacter jejuni, and Yersinia enterocolitica. It's the same sauce that gave fishballs the superb taste that would put all those savory Italian sauces to shame, but I didn't want to take the risk and be hospitalized again with severe dehydration. Even so, I enjoyed the sauceless fishballs.

To date (three days after my fishball ingestion), my gastrointestinal mucosa is still intact.

 I secretly took this photo of the fishball cart while I was eating my balls (Ugh!). The sauce looked appetizing. Surely, it would taste even better. Nah, I settled for the sauceless. Not as scrumptious but nonetheless satisfying.

I Love You, Sabado

It's Saturday, seven o'clock in the morning. Time to wake up, freshen up, dress up and prepare for our Saturday morning routine. We're not going to a party or social event. We are going to the market. Yes, mamamalengke kami. Oops, don't forget the camera.

It's odd, really, but Salcedo Saturday Market (SSM) in Jaime Velasquez Park is a place to be in and seen. It's a palengke with a twist. Situated in Salcedo Village, Makati City (a quick 10-minute cab ride away from home), SSM is where we can choose from and buy a great varety of stuff -- from the edible to the usable, the organic to the refined, the conventional to the extreme, and the fresh to the cured. It's also a place where we can dine and see everyone taking photos and videos. For documentation, posterity, feature reporting, blogging?

Mom and I love it here, obviously. It's sort of an extension of our kitchen and pantry. This is where we can eat our favorite native dishes, and be (psychologically) assured that what we're having are fresh, hygienic, genuine, and of good quality. For Mom, gatas ng kalabaw, tudok-tudok, ginisang camaro, and puto-bumbong. For me, okoy, empanadang Iloco, suman latik, and tapang damulag. This is where we buy alimasag, suhang Davao, pecan pie, quiche, and chicharon may taba to go. Among others, of course.

 Top: SSM is actually the Jaime Velasquez Park turned into a sosyal market. (I actually saw a tindera selling kangkong and heard her conversing with a customer in perfect English.) Most of the people who go here are residents of neighboring condos, BPO employees from a night shift, television personalities and celebrities, and simple people who simply want good quality merchandise -- like us, hihi. Bottom: Mom, still undecided on the inihaw.

 Top: One of Mom's all-time favorites is the chicken empanada. Here she poses with her purchased empanada, with the face that shows her excitement to have a taste of that chicken pastel wrapped in bread. Bottom: Just a shot of the moment in front of the stall that sells native handicrafts.

Top: The fairest of all flowers finds this perfect spot for the perfect shot. The beauty of the orchids, the brightness of the red floral polo, and Mom's natural splendor all complementing each other. Bottom: Grawl! Mega-giant tiger prawns. Oh yeah, crustaceans (including crabs) belong to Mom's top 3 favorites (lechon and ice cream are the other two). We bought three pieces and cooked sinigang na sugpo.

Left: Eating time. Puto-bumbong and chicken empanada (among others) for breakfast. Right: Salcedo Village, in the immediate vicinity of SSM, and Mom having a feel of the neighborhood.

KL, Kain-Larga

It was, in a way, a risk. Most of my friends said Kuala Lumpur (KL) wasn't really as spectacular as the other cities in South East Asia. It's just like a cleaner version of Makati City. Finally, after much contemplation, I made my decision. I'd bring Mom to KL for her 78th birthday. It turned out to be a wise decision. KL exceeded our expectations the moment we got off our plane at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

We fell in love with the Malaysian capital. And the food? Lovely, adventurous, lavish. We tried everything from street delights to fine dining specialties. The taste... "Truly Asia."

Our first taste of Malaysian food was a room-service dinner at the InterContinental. We arrived late in the evening so we couldn't explore the nearby streets for our meal. The food was not pricy for a five-star hotel, surprisingly. We had Hainanese chicken rice (top photo) and curry noodles (bottom photo). 

Ice cream didn't escape our taste buds, Mom being an ice cream enthusiast for that matter. Left: Durian ice cream from Beryl chocolate factory and ice cream kiosk. Yours Truly had coconut ice cream. We had the more uncommon flavors. Malaysian ice cream had just the right degree of sweetness. Hindi nakakasuya. (Beryl Cocoa Boutique) Right: A large serving of the conventional dessert banana split with a variety of candy toppings and chocolate syrup. (The Petronas)

It's a birthday-eve dinner at the food court of the Malaysian world-famous landmark The Petronas Towers. See that giant prawn? That was worth MYR 25 (PHP 350). Mom loved shrimps so the moment she saw it, I knew I had to order it for her. The shell was crunchy and tasty so we almost consumed the entire prawn.

As had always been claimed, authentic lutong-bahay food could only be experienced in the cheaper establishments. After a tour of KL proper, we asked our driver/tour guide to bring us to an authentic Malaysian restaurant for lunch. We didn't actually expect that he would bring us to this karinderya style food court. But after tasting the food, it was only then that we realized why he brought us there. This place served the best-tasting chicken rice ever!

Happy 78th birthday, Mommy. A big birthday surprise was waiting for her. A buffet dinner in a fine-dining restaurant high up in the Malaysian sky and with full circumferential view of KL -- the Revolving Restaurant in the KL Tower. Top: The location of the Revolving Restaurant, 420 meters above ground (red arrow). Bottom: A delightful stop at the Observation Deck of the KL Tower before proceeding to the restaurant. The Revolving Restaurant was so called because it was literally revolving.

Top: Posing in one of the food stations -- Mom's favorite area, desserts. She went back to this area four times just so she could taste all the sweets and ice cream. There were four food stations scattered throughout the restaurant, each with its own theme, ie, appetizers/hors d'oeuvre, entree, Malaysian dishes, desserts. Bottom: The Birthday Mom with a very picturesque view of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. (Revolving Restaurant, KL Tower)

We got hungry while waiting for our flight back to Manila, so we decided to have a snack in this coffee shop/restaurant -- Old Town. They served kopi tiam -- traditional Malaysian breakfast and white coffee. I had the white coffee because it intrigued me. It appeared lighter than the usual black color, but it had a very strong kick. (Old Town White Coffee, KL International Airport)

Satisfive

Just an ordinary afternoon. I was in Sta. Cruz in Manila to collect some Pap smears and specimens from my suking gynecologists and surgeons. For this day, however, I didn't go to Wai Ying in Benavides St. to have my routine once-a-week Chinese-food meal. Well, I was rushing to go home to have lunch with Her Majesty.

While walking along Mayhaligue St. (near Metropolitan Medical Center), I came across this bakery which sold these sliced bars wrapped in cellophane plastic. It reminded me of the butterscotch bars which came from Iloilo. I asked the saleslady what they were. "Caramel bars po," she replied. I asked again, "Magkano." And she said, "Limampiso po." I got one, and I thought I was eating the caramel bar from Max's Bakeshop -- you know, the house that fried chicken built. For five pesos, it was sulit. What's sulit? Well, according to a TV commercial, "It's getting more than what you paid for." I had a bottle of Cheers orange soda for panulak.

A block away towards the Bambang LRT station, there was this stall which sold kwek-kwek and.. yes! Just what I had been craving for. Hotdogs. Not Sabrett nor the tender juicy type, but the hotdog that could be bought from the palengke -- iyung puro harina at red food color. "Magkano?" Then the tindera answered, "Piso po ang isa." And so I got five pieces, and I ate them in the kalye in my corporate attire. I was so satisfied.The best five pesos I'd ever spent.

 Caramel bars. Beautifully wrapped in attractive red and yellow cellophane plastic, comparable to the more expensive bars that could be bought from other commercial bakeshops. Five pesos lang. (Mayhaligue St., Sta. Cruz)

 Palengke-type hotdog. It's not tender, it's not juicy, but it's masarap. I already ate one piece so there were only four pieces in the bamboo stick. Five pesos din lang. (Mayhaligue St., Sta. Cruz)

Queen of Seoul

My Queen is into Korean television dramas. She has five boxes of DVDs, all Koreanovelas. The number of units is still on the rise because I buy DVDs for her every week. She knows the actors/actresses and can identify their respective shows.

Her hair is Korean-do, and she loves it. Thanks to Tei, her stylist at Tony & Jackey.

She danced when I played Big Bang, 2NE1 and Rainism in my iPod.

She likes Korean food. Well, not as much as the way she loves Chinese food, but she never declines when I invite her to dine with me in a Korean restaurant. (That's because I love Korean food!). She must have lived in Korea in her past life.

The only one lacking is for her to visit South Korea herself. Well, that's my project for her next birthday – a trip to Seoul. That means preparing more resources, though. Standard of living in Seoul is higher as compared to other Asian cities that we have visited. And winter fashion connotes spending more than the usual budget for tropical wear for majority of cities in the South East. (But, hey, winter fashion is really fashionable, so we might as well get ready and go for it.)

So, in the meantime, a taste of Seoul in the Metro is by far the best that I can give and do for her. As for our Wonder Trip to Korea… it's a work in progress.

 Mom's first experience of authentic Korean touch. Top: T&J stylist Tei giving Mom a make-over of her crowning glory. Bottom: The finished product. Mom sporting her Korean hairdo, the look that would soon capture Lee Min Ho's heart. (Tony & Jackey, West of Ayala)

 

 An urban taste of Korean food, sort of an East-West fusion. Sizzling garlic shrimp (center) is Mom's favorite order. I'm not really sure if it's an authentic Korean dish, but who cares. It's masarap. (Kaya, Powerplant Mall)

 

 Authentic lutong-bahay type of Korean food. The owner of the restaurant is a sister of a Korean friend. The food is great-tasting, and the Filipino waitresses can patiently explain the different dishes in detail. The place looks like the typical home-street restaurant that you see in Korean drama series, so you feel like you are actually eating in Korea. (We also got a complimentary chapssal cooked in bamboo.) And yes, the side dishes/appetizers are refillable. (Seoul Fusion, Ortigas Home Depot)

 

 A highly recommended Korean restaurant right in the heart of Makati City, and it's just a tricycle ride away from my place. Reasonable price, wide array of choices in the menu, and Filipino staff with good customer service. The side dishes/appetizers are also refillable, and they give complimentary sliced pineapple for dessert. (Ara, Malugay St.)

 

A Razon to Eat

I was back in my home-city after six weeks, my longest absence in six years. I had to go to Tarlac City to take care of some documents. This would take me the whole day, so I planned ahead that I would eat in one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Razon's.

A cold, rainy and wet tricycle ride finally brought me to the first branch of Razon's in downtown Tarlac, in its main thoroughfare, F. Tanedo St. (named after my great, great grandfather, as told by my relatives in the Tanedo side). I had my favorite order -- pancit palabok (known as pansit luglug among Tarlaquenos) and halo-halo. I wanted to order more -- dinugunan and arroz caldo -- but my konsensya suddenly appeared beside me and told me that I would have an excruciating attack of knee pain that evening (and I thought that only happened in Safeguard television ads). And so, I settled for my original orders.

My favorite Razon's specialties -- luglug and halo-halo. Both of these dishes are what I describe as "minimalist". They have very few ingredients but taste really good. The palabok contains only chicharon and sliced egg for its sahog. No shrimp, tinapa, squid, tofu or ground pork as can be encountered in other restaurants. Its noodles are perfectly cooked al dente (and we are not talking about pasta). The halo-halo has only a trio of flavors -- leche flan, saging saba and macapuno. It appears light yellow to cream, strikingly different from the rainbow-colored halo-halo in other food establishments. No ice cream, ube halaya, beans or sago-gulaman. The ice is finely shaved, and the halo-halo remains thick even if the ice has already melted. 

For some reasons, I only eat at Razon's F. Tanedo St. branch. I don't dine in other branches including the ones in Metro Manila. In the photo, a view of downtown Tarlac from the restaurant. Tarlac City is what I consider the smaller counterpart of developing nations. It is literally a developing city, a far cry from other main cities in Central Luzon. Nevertheless, I love this city. The building in the right is Philippine National Bank, the place where Mom and I usually waited for a jeepney to bring us back to our town way back in my pre-school and grade school years. The building across is an old movie house where I watched my first film ever, Teacher's Pet, at age 5, again with Mom.

True Confections

One of my favorite bakeshops in the Metro. The Bakeshop at the Edsa Shangri-La Manila.

Each time I go to "Shang", it's my routine to pass by The Bakeshop and just look at their baked goods. The place is small and cute – cozy but sosyal. The cakes, cookies, breads, pralines and pastries are all delectable and beautifully arranged. The staff is very accommodating (a very important requirement for me to love a certain establishment). And, for a bakeshop in a five-star hotel, the price is incredibly reasonable, so I always end up buying some items.

Top & bottom: The Bakeshop can pride itself on its wide array of baked goods, displayed pleasingly in a small space at the main lobby of the hotel. My favorite so far is their doughnuts. No fancy toppings, just a dash of sugar and spice. I bought three pieces for Mom, but I ended up eating all of them.

 

Top: Some stuff are adorably hanging on the wall. They are for sale, by the way, not just for decoration. Bottom: The center-stage display is this jaw-dropping collection of bread. At the far left is squid ink baguette. When I first saw it, I thought it was so named because of its black color, but apparently squid ink was actually used as a main ingredient. And it's really amoy pusit, theoretically a perfect match to aligue pasta or pasta negra, or plainly with cream cheese and cold soda.

 Yours Truly had the chance to have this photo taken by the shop's staff. How I wish I could indulge myself in all these variety of mouth-watering cakes and confections.

The Legend of the Sunflower

Today, Mom craved for sinigang na tanigue sa miso. I knew she was referring to one of her favorite dishes at Buddy's. I left the house and I was at Buddy's in an instant. Kidding. Buddy's (Kakarong branch) was a short five-minute walk from my place in Makati City.

While waiting for my order, I looked at my favorite image in this restaurant -- the sunflower. The sunflower was their signature design. It was everywhere -- chairs, ceiling, railing, order number, tip box, food images, take-out stools... It's cute, really. I had asked the staff several times from the very first instance that I ate there in 2001, "Bakit sunflower?" Ten years later, I was still asking the same question. Not one of the staff satisfied my curiosity. Perhaps it's the owner's favorite flower. Who knew? Intriguing, indeed, for a restaurant which had its roots from Lucban, Quezon.

The Sunflower, carved on the chair and my order number.

The ceiling light in the form of a Sunflower. The kiping, an integral part of Lucban's Pahiyas festival, only played a supporting role.

The main counter with Sunflower railing. Cool.

A Cheek Of Her Own

I call Mom the "lechon authority". Indeed, she is. She loves lechon. When she says the lechon served is good, then it is really good. When she says otherwise, then that lechon gets a failing mark.

To satisfy her craving for her long-time favorite, I brought her today to the country's lechon capital for lunch. Where else? La Loma, Quezon City. This was our first time to see this lechon studded neighborhood. We chose to dine in Ping Ping's because it was the most accessible. Ping Ping was right along A. Bonifacio Ave.; no need to enter La Loma's lechon street proper.

Ping Ping, one of the more popular names in the lechon industry. The strategic location made it very accessible to customers, either for dine in or for take out (that's "for here" and "to go", respectively, when using contemporary colegiala English). The restaurant was filled with customers, with a birthday party going on in one corner and a beer binge-drinking spree (in broad daylight!) happening at the other end. 

Left: This was a delightful eye catcher to welcome the customers right in front of the restaurant -- the parade of lechon still pinned to their bamboo skewer.

Right: Mom and I got seated in one corner. We could not choose a more comfortable spot because the place was really crowded. Seen in the photo -- Mom holding a plate of her special request, an ulo ng lechon of her own. She had always dreamed of getting the crispy skin off the pig's cheek all for herself. So much for a 78-year-old lady with a konsintidor doctor-son. Interestingly, ping-ping is also the Ilocano term for cheek.

Top: There, our order. Plain lechon with pork liver sauce, no more, no less. Plain rice to complement the lechon and complete the set. Coke Zero for lesser guilt. Konti lang, 'no?

Bottom: Lechon-filled table. The third plate in the middle of the table was a quarter-kilogram serving of my favorite part of the lechon -- the tyan ng baboy. For me, the abdominal portion was the most flavorful part of the lechon because of its thinness and the alternating layers of taba and laman. The skin in this portion was also very crunchy, with the mantika spurting in the mouth with every bite.