Friendly Visit

Xie xie!

A day before I left for Christmas vacation, a group of Chinese volunteers visited me in the office. I only know one of them, who remained a friend after we met with his colleagues in Japan. Thanks for some Chinese presents. I had none to give them, thanks they remembered.

A Chinese inside the Red Palace

There is a Chinese inside the Red Palace. Yes, there is Chinese food inside the Red Palace Restaurant. Food in this restaurant is pretty good. I like to say good for health for those seafoods and vegetables. 

While waiting for your order, they serve you with tea. 

They serve in plain white cups and plates. The simpler the better.

Here comes our order. and more to come...

I cannot say anything more because I would like to taste the food now.

They also deliver fast; I tried it several times already. Red Palace Seafood Restaurant is just a stone's throw away from Sulu Hotel located at Malakas Street, Diliman, Quezon City.

Tudlo-Luto, Paluto Out-of-Town

Remember how much it costs for your freshly bought fish from Farmer's Market to be cooked in Dampa? Roving the countryside gives me a lot of experience that cannot be bought by money. One of which is the appreciation and recognition of everything unique in a certain locality. That includes food of course.

How many pieces can you consume?

I am well-fed when I go out of town. I mean when I go out of the office to visit other regions. Not only because firefighters in the Philippines are most hospitable ever wherever part of the country I may go - that's a fact. Moreover, I find the food which are "dollarly" priced in Metro Manila to be cheaper in other parts of the Philippines.

Paluto in San Francisco

Take for instance the restaurant we visited about two nights ago in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. Seafoods? They have it at a cheaper price. Crabs walking and lobsters alive before being cooked. You choose your own and they'll cook it while you wait.

Don't bother sharing because you have your own.

In Tudlo-Luto Mana-ay Seafood House, I had to consume what must not be left. Thanks to my younger colleagues who shared with me the fun. I was thinking of a lot of people affected by typhoon waiting for relief items to feed their hunger but in my table there was plenty of crabs, shrimps, squid and the like. For the common tilapia in the metropolis, that's just an ordinary soup.

Don't leave this precious food unconsumed.

I can't recall its name.

Tilapia soup

The restaurant is located in the National Highway, Barobo-bound, walking distance from Paseo de San Francisco Hotel Suites.

For Long Life

Fresh noodles

Sexbomb dancers say so: "spaghetti pababa, spaghetti pataas!" The pancit family of foods is said to bless us with long life because of its being physically long.

Egg Noodles

Pancit for long life. In Bicol, we have the famous pansit bato. It's named not because a bato (rock) is used to make it but because the town of Bato in Camarines Sur is the official headquarters of pancit-making industry in the region.

Ramen

Instant noodles. I buy instant noodles occasionally only to teach my daughter of chopsticks 101.

Sotanghon

How about 'tanghon?' At home, we raise native chicken in the backyard. We cook sotanghon with our native chicken and then it's so yummy!

Bihon

Bihon. In Metro Manila, I'm confused the way people call bihon as pancit. At home in the province, bihon is bihon while pancit is different.

Generally speaking, I refers these foods to belong to the pancit family. In Metro Manila, one can go to an eat-all-you-can restaurant and he can see  all of them in one table. You can try visiting Tongyang, I'm pretty sure pancit family is there.

Saranggani Bay

Two weeks ago, a friend gave us this sardines in a bottle, Saranggani Bay. I like Spanish sardines and I liked its taste. It is from Alabel, Saranggani Province, a place where I have already been. So far, Saranggani is the farthest place I have reached in Mindanao. I have reached as far as Alabel and Glan where white sand is so enticing. Never did I swim in Glan, Saranggani for personal reasons. However, what I can assure you of is IT'S PARADISE!

I like the taste of Saranggani Bay sardines and as always, its spicy flavoring. I like spanish sardines because it comes usually in natural flavors. There are no artificial flavors and no other added chemicals. There are more reasons for me to go into organic products especially nowadays. Maybe you can have a taste of one.