The Flavors of Old Baguio

My face lit up when A announced that “Mitos recently opened her own restaurant”, and all I could think of was the Fabada she served at her home one time we were in Baguio, that was last year.  Needless to say, we had to go that very evening.  We went back the next day with more friends in tow.  And I’ve been back one more time since then.

Mitos is Mitos Benitez-Yñiquez and her now famous restaurant is called Hill Station.  She, for the longest time, managed her family’s renowned Mario’s Restaurant in Baguio.  Her new restaurant is within Casa Vallejo, the boutique hotel built in 1909, renovated and open again for business along Upper Session.

Inspired by American colonial architecture, the main dining area has high ceiling, big French windows and wooden floors.  It also has 2 elegant staircases that lead to the hotel. Warm and cozy that makes you want to linger.

The food celebrates the flavors of Old Baguio, one of the last hill stations of Southeast Asia.  The menu offers a variety of slow-cooked hearty meals.  Lots of stews and some really good curry dishes.  Slow-cooked meals somehow evoke a sense of comfort and complement it with the homey, cozy atmosphere, who wants to go anywhere else?

Yes we spent the afternoon in a cozy corner of the restaurant reading, chatting and enjoying our cake and coffee until it was time for dinner.

Everything or almost everything is homemade — from the breads to the pastries to their ice cream.  As you enter from the bar you will see a shelf of potteries on sale mostly by famed potter, Lanelle Abueva and the Sagada Potters.  Along with it are homemade goodies by Mitos herself, for sale as well– salad dressings, salsa monja, salsa brave, granola, bihod, some jams… if I could bring them all home, I would.

I couldn’t stop raving about Hill Station to my friends in Manila hence the trip to Baguio early this year.  We got a room at Casa Vallejo and spent most of our time there – more on this on my next post.  We also wanted to try everything on their menu, which suffices to say is impossible for 3 people spending only a weekend there.  But with what we are able to cover, here are our favorites:

Tuna Tataki with Wasabi Mayo

Isn’t it obvious?  So good it was gone before I knew it.  Take my word for it… go for this.  The tuna seared very briefly then sliced thinly and seasoned with freshly cracked pepper that gave the tuna a nice kick.  Dipped in wasabi mayo… absolutely heaven.  A great appetizer just before we moved on to the main dining hall.

Home-made bread with Moroccan spice blend and olive oil

First I must say that this spice blend is brilliant.  What a way to whet one’s appetite.  The thing is, you need to control yourself lest you regret it once the main entrée arrives.

Left to right:  Grilled Shiitake and Grilled Tomatoes; Hill Station Green Garden

Hill Station Green Garden — mixed greens, tomatoes, blueberries, white cheese, caramelized walnuts and topped with a sesame-miso dressing.  What’s not to like about this salad?  Great combination and I’m always a sucker for miso or sesame dressings… this was an obvious choice.

Grilled Shiitake and Grilled Tomatoes — we had this over lunch the next day.  It was on their list of Specials.  A really nice blend of ingredients.  Shiitake with all the flavors and the tomatoes grilled and slightly caramelized… a winner.

Clockwise:  Cambodian Coriander and Garlic Chicken; Crispy Duck Flakes; Indian Lamb Curry; Steak and Prawns Peri-Peri

Cambodian Coriander and Garlic Chicken — marinated overnight and charbroiled.  Yum!

Crispy Duck Flakes — had this on my first visit and I highly recommend.  The duck was simmered for hours and then flaked and fried resulting to a dish full of flavor.  And to add to this flavor is laing sa gata.  Unforgettable.

Indian Lamb Curry —  my friend AH was all smiles when he had his first mouthful of this gorgeous curry dish.  I tried a mouthful too and I agree with his smile.  The lamb was so tender and the curry rich and tasty.  A scrumptious dish that epitomizes slow-cooking.

Steak & Prawns Peri-Peri — it had me at Peri-Peri, a famed South African dish that I enjoy a lot.  Was not disappointed.

Left- right:  Tortilla de Patatas and Chorizo Bilbao; French Toast

French Toast — made from home-made whole wheat bread, of course I must have this.

Tortilla de Patatas and Chorizo Bilbao — saving the best for last, I instantly fell in love with this tortilla.  It raised my love for anything chorizo to the next level.  A dish of eggs, potatoes and good quality chorizo bilbao, have it with the baguette and the salsa brava con chorizo bilbao… wicked!  Wanted to have more than just a few bites, unfortunately it was not mine to do so.  Makes me want to go back to enjoy again, this time I’ll order the dish.

Hill Station is worth a trip to Baguio, I guarantee.  And while there, look out for a bubbly lady with a hearty laugh, that’s Mitos.

Useful Info:

Hill Station
At Casa Vallejo
Upper Session Road,
Baguio City
Contact No.:  (074) 424-2734, 423-9100 or 423-9558

At the Wharf

If you don’t like crowds and all kinds of tourist traps, Fisherman’s Wharf is probably not the best place to be.  But if it is your first time in San Francisco, I would recommend an hour or two to wander around, sample some fresh sourdough bread and feast on Dungeness crabs.

And with a tourist in tow (a staff M came with us on this trip), we headed out to the Wharf the morning of our departure and spent our last few hours in SF doing just that.

Fisherman’s Wharf is best known for Pier 39, the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Ghirardelli Square and a lot more, it is however most famous for (at least as far as I’m concerned) the restaurants and stands that serves fresh seafood, more notably its Dungeness Crabs and Clam Chowder on sourdough bread.  While you can actually get great tasting Dungeness crabs elsewhere like R&G in Chinatown and a favorite back then, Thanh Long at the Sunset district

and the sourdough bread over at Acme is, in my opinion, more superior, my brother always says that, “experiencing it where it all started is always more meaningful”.  I agree.

And Fisherman’s Wharf is the epicenter of San Francisco’s famed Dungeness crabs. The fresh street Dungeness crabs sold by vendors are expensive but very fresh – ask for fresh crabs and you’ll get one that is freshly cooked for you.

Even before there were sidewalk vendors and restaurants, some of the fishermen would set up cauldrons of boiling water and cook the freshly caught crabs, handing them out in paper cups as a crab cocktail.  Many restaurants and vendors today continue the tradition of steaming crab cauldrons in front of their place of business and still serve them on paper cups.  One may however opt to order a whole cooked crab to take home. Firm and sweet, this crustacean has played a significant role in defining San Francisco’s culture – from the boat docks of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Italian restaurants nearby to the Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants around the city today.

Clam Chowder on sourdough bread is my brother’s favorite and Boudin Café is where he usually goes to get them.  Born in the Gold Rush, Boudin Bakery is the oldest business in San Francisco.  Known for its sourdough bread, the bakery still uses the same starter yeast bacteria culture it developed in 1849.

Although their main bakery is in the Richmond district, their Baker’s Hall at the Wharf is their flagship place.  It may not be the best today; it surely is still a very decent piece of sourdough bread and is and will always be synonymous to San Francisco.

I love San Francisco and no matter how often I visit, I will never tire of it.  It is after all my favorite city.  So until next time…

A Side Trip to Danville

Whenever I am in the US, my time with my cousin and good friend S has always been short – only a few hours for either lunch or dinner depending on how our schedules connect.  On my recent trip to the Bay Area, we made it a point to spend a couple of days together starting with a mini family reunion at her parents’ home in San Ramon and ending with lunch I immensely enjoyed in downtown Danville.

Just 30 miles east of San Francisco, Danville, the heart of the San Ramon Valley was a pleasant surprise.  As with many towns, it features various interesting shops, art galleries and upscale eateries.  One such eatery is Sideboard, a neighborhood café at the old Danville Hotel.

It spells quaint the minute I walked in with its charming French country décor.  One gets a choice to dine on wooden tables and cozy chairs indoors or on the mosaic tiled patio tables outside – which we chose despite the chilly weather.

A perfect choice for summer but if like us, one still prefers to sit outdoors on a cold winter’s day, they offer heater stands and thick woolen blankets to keep one warm.  Having a meal at Sideboard is like having dinner at your good friend’s home as the owner Ford Andrews goes around talking to diners as if we are his long-lost friends.  The self-service style is evidence to the friendly casual atmosphere it has come to project.  And the food is comforting and personal.  Ford’s wife Erin uses regionally grown produce, which she personally hunts for at the Farmer’s market nearby or at the Ferry building in San Francisco.  What we had that day:

A must try!  Fried Brussel Sprouts.  One after the other, I just kept popping these gorgeously fried babies into my mouth.  The best dish I had here.

I went for the comforting Pulled pork sandwich while my brother chose this delectable bowl of Chili (a favorite of his).

The scones, he said, went so well with the chili, he asked for second servings (of the scones), which Ford gladly gave.

Also not to be missed is their famous burger made from Prather Ranch beef.

This homemade Banana bread and a mug of Blue Bottle coffee is the perfect cap to a wonderful lunch.

My visit to Sideboard had me wishing I lived in the area so I can make it my regular go-to café – a great place to kill time with a good cup of coffee and terrific homemade desserts. Thank you S for taking me there.   🙂

Useful Info

Sideboard Cafe
The Danville Hotel
411 Hartz Ave.,
Danville, CA
(925) 984-2713

Rustic Italian in Sausalito

My mom once told my dad while driving around Sausalito that it would be lovely to own a house there — overlooking the marina would even be lovelier.  Gulp!   😯   I want one too.   😛  Its neighborhood oozes with charm, the steep wooded hillside on one side and the water on the other faintly reminds me of the Mediterranean, although Positano it isn’t.

With the wide choice of restaurants from charming outdoor cafes and bistros to chic dining right on the waterfront, this endearing city of Marin County has captivated my heart since long ago.

Yes, the food and the quaintness played a big role in endearing me to this town.

We had a few days to spare before heading home to Manila and we decided that a beautiful lunch in a beautiful city is the best way to spend our last day with our chef-brother and Sausalito it was.

We got a table at Poggio, a classic Italian restaurant at the Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa overlooking the bridgeway and the Sausalito marina.  Chef Paul McNee’s menu featuring Northern Italian classics, changes daily.  Rustic and soulful, he uses local ingredients and prepares nearly everything in-house from cured salami and prosciutto to fresh pastas.

For our starter, we had this beautifully prepared Octopus with Pork Belly confit, frisée, french beans and poached egg.  What an array of texture and flavor.

I had this light potato gnocchi tossed with a rabbit ragout – comparable in taste to our Chicken Adobo and the rabbit taste so much like chicken too.

I wish I had ordered this.  Tagliatelle with crispy pig face.  A winner I tell you, I wanted to devour the whole plate, except that it wasn’t mine.  Imagine large chunks of crispy pork with the fat melting in your mouth.  And the olives and the chilies added more levels of goodness to this excellent dish.

Yes, my trip to San Francisco is indeed a trip full of feasting.  I’m happy to say though that hours of slaving away at the gym during lunch break have helped me shed most of the pounds gained on this trip by now.   😀

Useful Info:

Poggio
777 Bridgeway ,
Sausalito, CA
(415) 332-7771
www.poggiotrattoria.com

R&G Lounge

Credits:  Papers from Lana Koopman Digital Designs — squares paper, striped paper and turq diamonds;  Elements from Pink and me kit by Pouyou

When in San Francisco, a visit to Chinatown is a must even on limited time.  Tired from all the walking we did at the Fancy Food Show, my brothers and cousins decided that an early comforting dinner was called for.  R&G Lounge at the corner of Clay and Kearny came to mind.

Their famous salt and pepper crabs deep-fried to perfection – sweet, juicy and some parts crispy.

And then there’s the Peking Duck with its golden brown crispy skin and juicy meat.

The Beef Brisket and Turnip soup cooked in a clay pot, I particularly liked because the flavorful broth reminds me of a similar soup my grandma used to make.

Recognized as one of the best Chinese restaurant in San Francisco Bay Area, R&G is a go-to for reasonably priced traditional Cantonese meal.  From a restaurant that seats 50 people when it opened in 1985, it is today a 3-storey restaurant that can serve up to 250 people.

Despite the expansion, lines are still long which only says that people continue to flock there for one good reason – the mouth-watering dishes that come out of their kitchen.

Useful Info:

R&G Lounge
631 Kearny St.,
San Francisco, CA
Tel:  (415) 982-7877
http://www.rnglounge.com

Incanto and Offal Cuisine

Incanto is a rustic Italian style restaurant in Noe Valley, an upscale neighborhood and home to many urban professionals with young families.  It is not your ordinary Italian restaurant serving only Italian classics; there are always options on Incanto’s menu for the more adventurous gastronome.  Executive chef Chris Cosentino of “The Next Iron Chef” fame is known for his “Offal” cooking as seen on his blog.

And what is offal cooking, you may ask?  It is a word derived from the slaughterhouse phrase “off fall” or the pieces that “fall off” a carcass when being butchered – Not limited to entrails but also includes the heart, liver, brain and lungs.  In Filipino, laman loob and although not that uncommon in our cuisine, it has however only recently become recognized in the “foodie” community of America.

Known to often feature unusual ingredients such as lamb tripe and beef hearts in his menu, Cosentino is heard to still refuse balut!  That says a lot about our delicacy, doesn’t it?   😯

A restaurant find like this is not unthinkable especially if planned by my chef-foodie brother.

A lighted showcase of Boccalone goodies greets you as you enter the cozy, rustic restaurant, which instantly stole my attention and eventually my heart.  We were early for our reservations so I had time to study the menu and noted that they had more Italian classics than offal offerings, which is probably more sensible in the end as adventurous gastronome, albeit growing, is still just a small population and probably more so in the US.

We started with these beautiful breads, which are wonderful with the tapenade.  Anyway, for our starters, we ordered a Boccalone Salumi Platter in Boar.

Not really understanding what “boar” stood for until we saw this huge platter in front of us.  The options on the menu were Piglet, Sow and Boar; apparently it was describing the size of the platter.  Hearing so many good things about Boccalone Salumeria, I wasn’t worried about it.  The 4 of us devoured almost everything on the platter.

I loved it so much, on my last day of this trip, I went to their store at the Ferry Building and brought home some Nduja and Brown Sugar & fennel Salamis.  Needless to say, they’re awesomely good!

My brother had this Handkerchief Pasta and Rustic Pork Ragu, which I found delightful.  This is the classic dish while mine was more offal.

It’s Oxtail, Sweetbread with Rutabaga and Dandelion Salsa.  Oxtail is pretty common in my part of the world and as one would expect, I enjoyed this dish a lot.  It was tender, the salsa added crisp texture to the sweetbread, which is not a favorite if truth be told and I’ll take kidney or even brain over it.  Sweetbreads are the thymus and the pancreatic glands of young cows, lamb or pigs.

And then there was dessert!

Chocolate-Nduja ice cream and almonds – my choice as I am so into ice cream (or anything sweet for that matter) infused with some sort of savory flavor nowadays.  Nduja (en-doo-ya) is a spicy spreadable salami.  I have to say, the spicy, salty salami brought this chocolate dessert to another level.

Quince, Pecorino, Moliterno and Hazelnut butter.  

Myrtle Panna Cotta and huckleberries.  Two-thumbs up!

At one point through our course, a waiter knocked off a glass of wine – good thing our friend was wearing something dark – and this came on the house.  I’m liking this restaurant all the more.   🙂

If you find yourself in the neighborhood or somewhere near the neighborhood and if you want to add to your gastronomic adventures, include Incanto and/or Boccalone in your list of must-tries.

Useful Info:

Incanto
1550 Church Street,
Noe Valley, San Francisco, CA
(415) 641-4500
Website:  http://incanto.biz/
 
Boccalone Salumeria
1 Ferry Building #21
San Francisco, CA
(415) 433-6500

Sili’t Gata

Serve me a dish that combines coconut milk and chili pepper and you’ve won me over, tightly wrapped around your finger at that.  So imagine me in Bicol where sili (chili pepper) and gata (coconut milk) is present in almost every dish.  Absolute bliss, I tell ya! First thing we did after we put to right the mishap was ventured to the Food Court of SM-Naga looking for the food stall recommended by the CWC staff.

At Geewan:

We shared an order of:

Clockwise:  Laing, Pinagat and Bicol Express
Laing:  Probably the most famous Bicol dish.  It’s pork sautéed in garlic, ginger and onions combined with dried taro leaves cooked in coconut milk and spiced with… you guessed it – sili.

Pinagat:  Similar to Laing, Pinangat is bundled taro leaves filled with meat or shrimps, sili, ginger, garlic and onion and then slow cooked in gata.  Until I came to Bicol I thought this was a version of the Laing.

Bicol Express:  Pork meat simmered in gata with lots and lots of chili strips.  Some version use green chili to make the dish less spicy and some versions has shrimp paste to add to the flavor.

Kinunot:  Not something that I’d order but in the spirit of adventure, we ordered it just to taste.  It’s an unusual dish of stingray meat or what they call pagi and malunggay leaves.  Just like all the above, the meat and vegetable is simmered in gata and sili.  It was pretty good, I must say.  The thought however of eating something so beautiful does not leave me longing for it.

Laing Pizza

An out of the ordinary creation we got to try at the CWC clubhouse.  Interesting flavor and surprisingly delectable.

Bob Marlin

Our last dinner in Camsur, we decided to go to town for a more scrumptious experience of Bicol cuisine.  We likewise wanted to experience the taste of the town, particularly Magsaysay Ave., the restaurant street of Naga City.  Shuttles were available at the CWC to take guests to town.  We had ourselves dropped off at Bob Marlin’s Restaurant and Grill.  Crispy Pata, albeit their most popular dish, was not something we’d order as we remained faithful to Bicolano food whilst there.

Given the restaurant’s name however, we cannot not have a Marlin Slab in honor of its namesake.  We were not disappointed.

Because it is my favorite Bicolano dish, we ordered the Pinangat to celebrate Bicol cuisine.

Lastly, we ordered a dish we haven’t tried yet and the curious in me just had to give this dish a try.  Adobong Manok sa Gata — Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk.  Sounds interesting?  Tastes interesting too.  The dish replaces soy sauce with gata, which made the stew creamy.  Because I absolutely love gata in anything, I utterly enjoyed this twist in adobo and have inspired me to attempt this dish at home someday.

Useful Info:

Geewan (Main branch)
P. Burgos St.
Naga, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Phone Number: (63 54) 472-3888 or (63 74) 811-7272
 
Bob Marlin Restaurant and Grill
Magsaysay Ave.
Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Phone Number: (63 54) 473-1339, (63 54) 478-4414

Simple & Low-Key

Credits: DID Lesson 2 papers — camp stripe, orange stripe, plain jane, splendid fiins notebookdots 03, thursday b, 08, 02;  Elements — Crystal Wilken’s SVC stitch, flea market brads, heat yellow strips, ikari’s urawesome gray stitches, LivE S$S Twill 2 Delight, ricrac orange

Sometimes the best places are obscured in simple low-key settings… like this Italian-style pizzeria in a Total Gas Station along the National Highway at Barangay San Rafael. Who would have known that one could find great pizza in Laguna and in a gas station to boot?

Came highly recommended by Boots Alcantara of Casa San Pablo, we set out to search for this supposedly good find.  Orders are taken at the convenience store and one can choose to dine inside the store (a small corner is set up like a bar facing the station) or al fresco just behind the store.

The crust, for me, is what makes or breaks a pizza and this definitely made their pizzas – thin and crusty baked in a wood-fire oven.  The toppings, with special mention to their Pesto, Pepperoni and Margherita, have just the right amount of ingredients, the cheese and the sauce not drenching the crispy texture of the crust.

They’re pasta, likewise cooked al dente with me favoring their Bolognese.

Gone before we knew it!

La Pizzeria made such an impression when we had a slice each of they’re Pesto pizza some years ago, I made sure to have a meal there when I found myself back in San Pablo last year.  It still did not disappoint and my meticulous friends continued to be wowed.

Right after lunch and before heading home, we stopped by to bring home some local treats.

El Mare’s buko (coconut) and chicken pies are popular food to take home with you to remember San Pablo by.

Both pies had fillings filled to the brim, the crust – flaky definitely deserving the thumbs up.

The Potter, His Home, His Food

Augusto Bigyan, a once upon a time accountant turned potter extraordinaire, landscape artist and a wonderful cook is someone I used to visit a lot when I needed some inspiration.  Just to be in his wonderful place is enough to replenish my juices.  I’ve known him since the late ‘90s, and this post is close to my heart because although I haven’t been as frequent to visit lately, he has remained my favorite potter and his place still a preferred respite after all these years.  The workshop and residence of Ugu, as he is fondly called, is still the best (but not so) kept secret (anymore) of Quezon.

He’s works are mostly functional pieces — dinnerware, decorative tiles, accent pieces such as these vases, bowls and plates.

Last November during a joint birthday celebration with some friends, I suggested that we take the Viaje del Sol route and have lunch at his place.  I wanted to take them somewhere I consider special and wow them.  As most have never been there.  It worked.  They were more than wowed.  They shopped till they dropped too.

Ugu, the prolific humble artist that he is, slowly started transforming his home into this wonderful haven of art in the ‘90s.  The first time I stepped foot here, his garden was mostly talahib (tall weeds or grass) still, with just a few Balinese inspired cabanas and simple but tasteful wooden furniture to speak of.  Today, clusters of cabana with the same tastefully laid-out furniture occupying a bigger lush landscaped garden with his masterpieces thoughtfully dispersed all over.

They started serving meals since way back because after a 3-hour drive, you’re hungry and there aren’t any place to have decent meals anywhere near.  And his is more than just decent.  I remember going there craving for his dishes as much as wanting to get a piece or two of his latest works.

Ugu’s other passion is cooking and he is equally talented in that area, serving up creative dishes with simple, appetizing flavors of a home cooked meal. Lunch is a fix set depending on what’s in the market the day before.

So go out of your way to visit this wonderful haven at the outskirts of Tiaong.  I guarantee that you will leave the place so full of inspiration, if not a whole bayong (bag) of pottery goodness and a happy tummy.   😉

Getting there:

The first few time would be a little tricky and hopefully they don’t tear down my one and only landmark… here goes:

From SLEX, go all the way to the end going towards Lucena.  You’ll see a junction when you reach Sto. Tomas, take the left road still going towards Lucena.  Driving along the National Rd., take the right road (which is the National Rd. as the left road will take you to the town of San Pablo) when you hit the junction at San Pablo.  When you hit Tiaong, just follow the road till you see a Rural Bank on your left, passing the market and the municipio.  Turn left at the small street just before the faded pink building (my landmark), which is the Rural Bank, a few meters after you hit Km98.  You will pass a railroad track, continue driving till you see  “Alvarez Village” and “Alavarez High School” signs, make another left on that road.  You will hit a Mexican looking terracotta house.  That’s Ugu’s.

Address:  Alvarez Village, Brgy. Lusacan, Tiaong, Quezon

Other useful info:

1.  They usually go on sale 3 times a year:

  • During Pahiyas Festival (May 15)
  • On his birthday (August  14) – the discount always matches his age.
  • Year-end sale (1st week of Oct)

2.  Call in advance or you won’t be served any lunch, they only market enough for a day’s worth.

Telephone:  +6342-545-9144

Tagaytay Food Tripping: Tootsie’s

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I still dream of their Chorizo Adelfa – spicy and crispy, the leftovers I took home.  The chorizo pasta I made from it when I got home was unforgettable too.

I have yet to return to Tootsie’s for this (by far my favorite here).  But more than the chorizo, they serve excellent family dishes passed on from generation to generation as told on their menu.  Here are some of what we had and totally enjoyed.

Inihaw na Maliputo (grilled seasonal freshwater fish found only in Taal Lake).   The fish is ever so fresh and sweet.

Kulawong Puso ng Saging (Banana blossom spiked with vinegar) – always loved this dish and this particular one is wickedly good.

Sugpo sa gata (Prawns in Coconut Milk).  I’m always biased with dishes cooked in gata.  This did not disappoint.

Turon Halo-halo – with leche flan (caramel custard) and ube (yam), drizzled with a special langka (jackfruit) sauce.  This was calling my name but somehow, this dessert didn’t measure up.  The turon per se was really good but the sauce (for me) was not necessary.  The only dish that was sort of but not totally disappointing.

Tarragon and Mint Tea:  Absolutely refreshing.

Quietly tucked along the Aguinaldo Highway, Tootsie’s is definitely a restaurant screaming for attention if lovely home-style Filipino food is what you’re after.

Useful Info:

Tootsie’s
J. Abad Santos, cor. Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City
Tel: (046) – 4834629 / 0917-TOOTSIE (866 87 43)