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.
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