Episode 33: Starting the year right at Casa Vallejo Hill Station!

I’m starting the year right with a quick dinner with my brother MC at Hill Station, the restaurant of Casa Vallejo in Baguio City. After spending the holidays with my family in the highlands, I figured it would be nice to check out at some place we haven’t been in the city. This place felt just the right spot.

Random thoughts on Christmas and New Year

Happy new year!

Here I am in my room in Baguio with my first post of the year. As always, I spent my Christmas and New Year's Eve here with my family. We didn't do anything fancy, we just went to church and had a full feast. That's how we've spent our holidays these past few years, and it's fun.

Episode 32: A culinary adventure of epic proportions at Bale Dutung

Some time ago, I re-watched the Philippines’ episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, just for kicks. The episode was one of the first materials I gleaned on while writing about lechon, so I figured I could find other stuff to work on.

One of the places Tony visited in the episode is Bale Dutung, the culinary sanctuary of artist Claude Tayag in Pampanga. Bale Dutung was Tony’s second stop on his journey to understand Filipino cuisine, and what better way to do so than to venture to Pampanga, the culinary capital of the Philippines.

It was fun watching Tony learn about our cuisine while dining on Kapampangan dishes. In fact, this was the reason dining at Bale Dutung became a culinary adventure of epic epicurean proportions. Hey, if Anthony Bourdain dined there and said the food is excellent, then it surely is, right?

Thing is, having a chance to dine at Bale Dutung is an incredible feat. You have to get a booking months in advance, and you need to be in a group of at least ten. You also have to shell out P1,800/head.  I figured that it would take a while before I could try out Claude’s cooking.

That is until one day, I found myself in a busload of tourists on its way to Pampanga, and into the doorstep of Bale Dutung.

Episode 31: Feeding the body and soul at Oh My Gulay!

If there was one restaurant in Baguio that I regret not being able to appreciate early, it’s Oh My Gulay! (OMG!). Sure, I pass by it from time to time to have coffee, but I’ve never dined there. That was because my idea of a pastime other than having coffee was a heavy meal over beer and cigarettes. Hey, I was young.

Unlimited Grub Grabs, Year 2~

I am the soul of the gourmand.

Good food fuels my body, and good wine burns my blood.

I have tasted hundreds of dishes

Regardless of cuisine yet mindful of the price.

I seek great-tasting food and drinks.

My heart will only be satisfied by the best.

And so I invite you to my UNLIMITED GRUB GRABS.

Eat your way through the Philippines!

Cafe by the Ruins (Baguio City)

Ever tried eating “pinuneg”? Pinuneg is Igorot blood sausage, with a funky, raw, bloody taste. This is usually served during cañaos in the Cordilleras, with red rice and pork roasted and boiled in a salty broth. Also, brace yourself for pinikpikan, gingery chicken stew prepared in a manner that will make animal rights activists cry.

Aikyatchi: Mabuhay Germany!

The German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry presents "Mabuhay Germany," a three-day exhibition celebrating the friendship of the Philippines and Germany. Now on its third year, the event gives visitors the chance to know more about Germany through its people, industry, and culture.

Episode 30: Of comfort food, happy hormones, and Angry Birds

Eating is fun. Dining on different kinds of food is fun, and so is savoring the flavor and scent of each dish. Going to different kinds of restaurants is fun too because that’s part of the experience of dining.

But it’s a different matter if I’m being fed chicken tinola and beef nilaga (stew). I love chicken tinola; that hot, gingery broth warmed my days and nights in Baguio. The beef nilaga’s rich chunks of beef and thick broth invigorate me when I’m sick after drinking lots of beer. Leche flan? Yeah, leche flan is my drug, and so is that sweet, pink salmon, be it grilled or sushi.

Each of us has dishes that we consider our “comfort food.” Be it a home-cooked meal or something from your favorite store, it’s a dish that not only makes you feel good, but also relieves feelings that make you feel physically, mentally, or emotionally bad.

Episode 29: Ultimate Taste Test 6.0!

Unlimited Grub Grabs goes to UTT... Again! (Dang, I've always wanted to say something like that.)

Aspiring food critics gathered at the Rockwell Tent in Makati last September 3 for Ultimate Taste Test. This is the sixth installment of one of the biggest food tasting events in Metro Manila hosted by professional food blogger Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet.

Episode 28: How to eat sushi, and then some

I love sushi, plain and simple. I love the taste of raw salmon, the sweetness of the sushi rice, and the sudden burst of wasabi in every bite. Anyone who's into Japanese cuisine would have sushi among their favorites, along with ramen, tempura, curry rice and yakiniku. It is, after all, the most popular icon of Japanese cuisine.

So when Century Tsukiji (at Century Park Hotel) announced that it's having an all-you-can-eat sushi promo, I thought why not go for it, I can enjoy as much sushi as I want. It's the Japanese food fan's ultimate fantasy! But what I thought was a simple food raid turned into a crash course on the Japanese way of eating sushi.