For the last leg of a recent three-country Southeast Asian cruise, our ship anchored off Patong in Phuket, Thailand. Stepping ashore, I instantly regretted having signed up for the guided tour: I could have spent the time making the rounds of the food stands, restaurants, and bars along the beachfront and nearby Soi Bangla. Alas, our guide promptly whisked our group onto a bus and off we went.
I look at a restaurant’s crowded menu and wonder what lies in the far (or deep) reaches of their freezer. Whatever it is, you can be sure it figures in the slowest moving dish in their lineup. That’s why dining experts advise sticking to the bestsellers; if you have no idea what those are, then look at what other customers are having.
The last time I was in Cebu, I made a point of dining in restaurants I had not tried before. The experiences ranged from amusing to instructive — on the whole, time and money well spent. Still, I yearned for something simple and familiar before I left. It was past 10 PM, so we decided on Ned Nanay’s Grill, a short distance from Cebu Doctors’ Hospital uptown.
“You want to eat like a local,” Luchie said, “start acting like one.”
“But it’s three in the morning!”
“That’s right. Go wash up.”
Quick — what do you think that dish in the photo is? Did you say “fried chicken?” That was what I thought, too. Not that the chicken looked bad — far from it, in fact — but I was hoping for something less run-of-the-mill for my first proper Hong Kong meal.
We celebrated a friend’s recent birthday with a pulutan set of almost exclusively maskara or pork face. It was not lost on us that at our age we should not have been indulging in such high-calorie stuff, but waddaheck.
This article came out April of last year, but I have only recently been made aware of the family connection. I am understandably excited to learn of the achievements of Chef Patrick Enage (a cousin on my mother’s side) and wish him continued success in his culinary endeavors. After his stint at Wink & Nod in Boston, MA, Chef Patrick is set to (re-)open his restaurant, Akinto, later this year (Twitter).
I’m starting to regret having found dried plum/kiamoy powder (Fat & Thin brand) at Metro Ayala in Cebu. I had only meant for it to add an interesting twist to my usual kalamansi juice, as with the drink served at Chong Qing Grilled Fish that I had liked so much. But now I dip fruits in it as well (that’s how the stuff is marketed, actually — as a dip). Even apple, which I do not fancy, has become eminently palatable.
Our last meal in Singapore was the most expensive of the whole trip — and the least satisfying. This was at Makansutra Gluttons Bay, across the river from Marina Bay Sands. It had not been on our itinerary; that would be the Supertrees at the Gardens by the Bay, but a sudden downpour had us confined to our hotel room for the rest of the afternoon.
We should have taken a cue from the price. Starting at $32, the house specialty at Chong Qing Grilled Fish was rather expensive, but we had put that down to the restaurant’s more upscale location (Liang Seah, across Bugis Junction). With additional enoki mushrooms and fried tofu skin, our order came to around $40.
