Rough Groove

Trip to Guiuan, 5 - Leyte delicacies

Just right before I boarded the bus for Ormoc, a trip in Tacloban is not compete without the usual moron and binagol delicacies.

Moron, a sticky rice delicacy wrapped in banana leaves and steamed is native to Tacloban and rather oily. It is also found in Ormoc which is a little bit drier compared to the former. I was also told that it is found in Butuan in Mindanao too. What sets this apart from the usual suman delicacies of other Philippine provinces is that it has a choco mixture, right.

Another delicious and sweet delicacy, binagol is made from taro, with a caramelized mixture at the bottom blended with peanuts. A small coconut shell is where the edible parts are placed and then wrapped with banana leaves and bound with a string.

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Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 1 - Supercat

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 2 - On the road

Another trip in Binondo

Well, I was on another errand in Sta. Cruz and just couldn’t resist to drop by Ongpin in Binondo. At first, I was just planned to have a snack of bola-bola siopao in one snack house near the Binondo church (the one I frequent). The steamed bun was just so so with not even a piece of salted egg and/or sliver of sausage but I bet, their special siopao would be much much better and larger (I think). This coupled with avocado shake and I was full.

On the way back, I can’t just help but imagine the taste of the mixed nuts with one salted egg yolk mooncake that I had two days ago and was definitely craving to get one that when I passed by the Salazar bakery, I saw and got one. Off to Eng Bee Tin and I got their squid adobo and special puto cheese (hmmm, after having tasted it, I say I prefer those that I usually get in Cebu, moist and really cheesy but the sliver of salted egg on top somewhat made up for the shortcoming).

From their, on my way back to the Carriedo LRT station, I passed by a couple of fruit stands and bought guavas as well as this strange fruit they call lampara that almost takes like mansanitas but a little bit less sweeter. There were also pears, peaches, lansones from Bangkok, different kinds of persimons and plums but I stayed off from these considering the price. Just before I got to the station, I happened to chance upon a stall selling kikiam (meat and vegetable mixture wrapped in beancurd) and got one package.

This place is really very tempting for various food items. I just hope that when I get back there probably tomorrow, I can reign in my curiosity.

Pomegranates in Ongpin

Just as I was on my way back to the Carriedo LRT station, I was walking along Ongpin St. in chinatown for some errands, that I passed by a couple of fruit stalls and what just captured my attention were a few boxes of pomegranates neatly packaged in plastic with chinese calligraphy and styrofoam pouches.

It has been decades since I’ve enjoyed this unique fruit that we locally call granada (translates to grenade in English). Maybe because of its shape and hundreds of tightly packed seeds covered in the most delicate and translucent pulp sometimes with a tinge of red or purple or maroon or just plain translucence arranged in sections covered with a thin gossamer sheath.

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Cabagan, Isabela

I’ve just been passing over Cabagan, Isabela everytime I’m traveling to Tuguegarao. For a few trips already, I’ve been intrigued especially what the church looked like since I’ve already visited Tumauini, San Pablo, Cauayan and Tuguegarao. Images of an old church of the Isabela style which is made of bricks with almost the same architecture has been in my mind. Second thing, my uncle has been egging me to visit the place because of its church. Well, two weekends ago, I just had that opportunity and was quite disappointed.

The parish of St. Paul the Apostle that is Cabagan, Isabela is probably an old parish. Turning right, riding a tricycle to the church to a very wide open space bounded by a perimeter fence that marked the town’s plaza, an old brick pedestal with a cross on top in the style of that in Tumauini but smaller greets the visitor (left). However, upon looking in the direction of the church, I was just disappointed that the old brick church that I was expecting has been, as I was told, demolished and now stood a modern structure without charm (right). (A follow up information was given to me: the old church was bombed and was destroyed in the last world war).

Somewhat saddened, I just went to a café and treated myself with Pansit Cabagan for lunch, a noodle dish that the town is famous for with this particular food being served from Cagayan province in the north to Nueva Vizcaya in the south, with a cold Coke. The dish is made from delicate and thin local noodles cooked with a broth topped with slivers of cooked squid, pechay/veggies, quail’s egg and pork crackling (left). Just delicious.

After that treat, I hired a horse drawn carriage to the terminal to catch a bus for Santiago (right).

Halohalo and disappointment in Chowking Exportbank

Summer is starting to be felt as days here in Makati are getting warmer, hot and humid. That’s why I decided last night to have a bowl of halo halo (literally, mix-mix due to how different ingredients are mixed together) at Chowking Exportbank branch. You see, every summer, I’ve always looked forward to a Chowking halo halo. This very Pinoy cooler is definitely a must have especially during the hot months of the year. Its taste is just heaven as one finds different sweet concoctions (preserved fruits, leche flan, sugared mung beans, and other sweet derivatives) mixed with shaved ice, a scoop or two of ice cream and milk. Different textures of ice, the smoothness of a leche flan, the fibrousness of a cooked langka (jackfruit), the slippery surface of a kaong or the roughness of candied kondol, its always a delight.

Even when we were still children, my mother used to bring us to White Clouds, a snack bar specializing in halo-halo that was located in Colon St. back in Cebu just near Ding Hau, a dimsum restaurant. It was usually served in a tall glass, unlike now that bowls are rather common in most places. This paired with hot egg sandwich daubed with Lady’s Choice sandwich spread was always a treat for us. When I was assigned in Mindanao, during the months of March, April and May, I usually drop by Chowking in SM City Davao when I’m just malling or at Divisoria in Cagayan de Oro. A halo halo is a balm to keep one sane from the hot temperature.

Back to the Chowking branch in Exportbank, I’ve ordered one and when it was delivered at my table, I was just very disappointed to look at it. The price is now P64, compared with around P50+ last year. The sweet ingredients are becoming sparse and the ice thin. After one mixes it, it just became a blob of ice colored with the ube ice cream and bits and pieces, here and there of the already lessening ingredients. What a bummer. A disappointment. I’ve sent an SMS to the contact number for suggestions and comments and all I got was a standard reply of “thank you for the… well check on it… blah, blah, blah.” I’ve also pointed out that the cashier also didn’t give a raffle stub for an ongoing promo. A person from that store called but because of bad signal, it was cut and never called again.

So much for a supposedly pleasant evening and bad service.