The Best of Bacolod

This year, I was inspired by one of my projects at work to make a promise to myself that I will start exploring more of the beauty of the Philippines. And that meant more than just Boracay. Well, there was no better way to start than with The City of Smiles -- Bacolod -- for their annual Masskara Festival. 

Besides their infamous street party, I've always known Bacolod for its friendly people and beautiful women. All I've ever known about the Negrense cuisine is its now very commercialized chicken inasal, which you can find in almost every corner of Metro Manila. But really, nothing beats the delicious treasures I discovered while enjoying the sights and sounds of Bacolod and the colorful Masskara Festival. Let me take you through the best of my mouthwatering Bacolod discoveries.

1. Manokan Country for a taste of Authentic Chicken Inasal

The moment our plane landed in Silay Airport, we knew what the first order of business was. We were all starving, and our first meal in this city was waiting for us half an hour away. We instructed our cab driver to take us straight to Manokan Country so we could sample some authentic Bacolod chicken inasal.

Manokan Country was a loooooooong stretch of adjacent carinderia-type restaurants serving the best of chicken inasal. Manong driver suggested that we eat in Nena's Beth. It was one of the bigger restaurants in the area, and due to intense hunger, we did not argue. It took us about five minutes to decide what to order. Four orders of paa, one pecho-pak (pecho and pakpak), 5 cups of garlic rice, and a very wise choice of two plates of oysters. Yes, oysters. More on that later.

The chicken arrived all in one plate, and just by looking at it I knew it had to be good. There were some parts highlighted by slightly burned chicken skin, and it was glowing with chicken oil. It was not as big as I expected it to be, though. I don't know if I was just really hungry, but I think I ate my meal too quickly. It was juicy, thanks to the additional chicken oil we ordered, and the toyo-suka-calamansi-sili was a perfect match. There's something about the vinegar in Bacolod. It tasted a bit like cider, which added an extra kick.

Paa and Pecho-Pak (about P60 each)

Now, the oysters. First of all, I did NOT expect oysters in this restaurants. And definitely not for P35. This is the kind of food I only get to enjoy in buffets, rockefeller style. The oysters in Nena's Beth were steamed plain and simple, but coupled with our trusty sawsawan (dip), they were just delicious.

Oysters (P35)

2. Calea Pastries for the best cakes in town

After resting a bit for the remainder of the afternoon, C and I decided to explore and walk down Lacson street to prep ourselves up for the crazy night of partying ahead. We enjoyed taking photos of the different colored masks that were being sold on the streets, the sponsored booths offering freebies and fun activities, and the beautiful costumes of some performers, so much so that we didn't realize we were already at Calea. We had probably walked about a kilometer, and we didn't even notice.

Calea had such a homey feel inside that reminded me of the ambience in Mom and Tina's. C and I liked the details like the frame on the wall and the wooden entrance door. The place looked so clean despite having people flock into the restaurant  minute after minute.

They probably had every kind of cake you can possibly imagine - chocolate, vanilla, fruit based, with frosting, without frosting, ice cream cake, you name it.

But our top three Calea cakes would have to be the following:

Calea Chocolate Cake

This is Calea's signature cake. It's two layers of soft chocolate cake with caramel custard in between, topped with a thick, moist layer of chocolate. I liked the fact that it was not too sweet, and it went perfectly well with their Cafe Americano.

Calea Chocolate Cake (P 85)

Pecan Caramel Cheesecake

This one C really kept raving about. And for good reason. It was a great balance of sweetness coming from the top caramel layer, and slight sourness coming from the creamy cheese in the middle. Neither taste overpowered the other. It had a soft and tender texture, and was topped beautifully by a few pieces of pecan nuts.

Pecan Caramel Cheesecake (P 85)

Chocolate Mud Pie

This was a refreshing choice because of the chocolate ice cream that basically comprised 95% of the cake. So you have to eat it fast before it melts. It was generously sprinkled by what tasted like ground Oreos, plus some almonds.

3. Cafe Bob's for pizza, pasta and gelato

We started off our second day with a late lunch at Cafe Bob's. We ordered just two types of dishes. Their Spaghetti Carbonara and the Pizza Negrense, which my friend, Camille, recommended for us to try.

C and I absolutely loved the Carbonara. We liked the fact that it was swimming in delicious white sauce, unlike other kinds that are thick and dry. It was creamy with some bits of meat and lots of cheese. It was so good that we just to order another one after finishing our first plate.

Spaghetti Carbonara (P 120)

The Pizza Negrense was very interesting. It was a combination of chorizo, tomatoes, olive oil and mozzarella cheese. It was slightly sour because of the tomatoes, but balanced out by the salty goodness of the chorizo and the creaminess of the cheese. The crust was just the right thickness for us to enjoy the toppings without being overwhelmed. 

Pizza Negrense (P 225)

Right beside our table stood the gelato station. Customers kept falling in line for this so I decided to give it a try. I ordered two kinds for us to try - the Ferrero flavored gelato and one with Vanilla and Almond flavor.

The Ferrero-flavored one was very close to the original, which happens to be my favorite, too. It even had bits of chocolate that added some texture to the creamy gelato.

Ferrero (P 75)

The Vanilla and Almond-flavored gelato was good, too. It was far from the vanilla flavor you find in local ice cream brands. I wish it had actual almonds as toppings though!

At this point in the trip, C and I felt like we had consumed a week's worth of calories in just 24 hours. But this weekend was not the venue to worry about our diet, and so we continued our food tripping until the evening.

4. Aboy's Restaurant for delicious fresh seafood

After Cafe Bob's, we went back to Calea for some more sweet treats. For our last night in Bacolod, we decided to have a rather late dinner since we were still stuffed with everything that we ate during the day. But after seeing the bed of fresh seafood right after entering the restaurant, we suddenly had space for more food.

The winning dish in Aboy's would have to be their Scallops. Imagine soft pieces of fresh scallops still in their shells topped with plenty of garlic. It was such a treat for our tongues. And again, just like the oysters, having scallops on our table felt like we were eating in some fancy hotel buffet.

Scallops (P 120)

The other excellent dish in their menu was the Squid Fats. At first I thought it was impossible to have Squid Fats for our viande. But our friend Jeg suggested this, and we're just thankful that we did. True to its name, it had generous servings of squid fat submerged in the tasty squid ink. It went very, very well with the rice to make our version of sinfully yummy squid fats rice.

Squid Fats (P 160)

Squid fats mixed with rice

Here's the rest of the items that we tried:

Sizzling Scallops (P 200)

Relleno Crab (P 160)

Blue Marlin (P 170)

Pork Belly (P 100)

For what we paid, this meal was more than worth it. It was the best way to culminate this awesome trip.

5. Virgie's Napoleones for the best pasalubong

C and I explored the city a little more as we searched for Virgie's. We decided to save up on transportation cost and take the jeepney instead. So from the other end of Lacson, we rode the jeepney until it turned to the street going to SM. We walked down a few more blocks until we reached the pedicab terminal. It was getting a little hot at this point so we decided to ask Manong to take us to our destination via his pedicab. He took us through the inner streets of the town where the less fortunate Negrenses lived. We got a glimpse of a small slum community on our way to Virgie's.

After a quick 3-minute ride, we got to Virgie's and thankfully there weren't that many people yet. I hurried to the counter and picked up six boxes of Napoleones to bring home to my family and my officemates. This was my first time to try Napoleones and boy were they goooood. The outside was slightly crispy, with a light sweet frosting on top. Once you bite into it, a soft custard filling will flow through to your mouth. It was just plain addicting. I think I can finish a box of 12 in one sitting.

Napoleones (P 165 for a box of 12) - Photo courtesy of www.virgieshomemade.com

 

Photo courtesy of www.virgieshomemade.com

Writing about my entire Bacolod food trip feels pretty awesome. Not bad for my first published out-of-town food experience, yes? 

Hopefully, I'll get to have more of these explorations around the Philippines. Hmm... I wonder where I should go next?

A Mamou Birthday Celebration

Birthday celebrations are always so magical to me. For one, it's such a happy celebration of a life that was so generously given to us by our Creator. And it's a sweet reminder to all of us that despite the many terrible things that may happen to us and to those around us, we are still much more fortunate and blessed. 

Last October 13th, my team and I put together a simple surprise for our big boss, Christine, who has worked so hard in the past months to ensure the bright future of our business. And so we thought it best to make her feel special and blessed on her hatch day, in an equally special place.

Mamou had a laid back and homey feel that was perfect for an intimate gathering. I also noticed quite a number of foreigners clearly having a good time. The dim lighting added to the relaxed atmosphere, with the only bright lights coming from the semi-open kitchen.

Inside Mamou

The moment we sat down, the waiter served us a basket of bread. I know it's just bread, but for me this actually ushered in the delicious meal. I particularly loved the brown-colored one, which had slightly more flavor than the others.

The bread started off the delicious meal

One of the interesting items I found on the menu was the Tuyo Salad. It was a combination of fresh greens, brown rice, slices of fresh tomatoes and onions, and chopped tuyo. At first I feared the thought of putting brown rice in a salad, but this one turned out to be a good combination as the rice added more texture to the salad. Having the salty taste of tuyo, the sour taste of the tomatoes and the bite from the onions was a nice complement to the rice and the vegetables.

Tuyo Salad (P155)

Mamou's Greens Salad was already a visual treat with the bright green color of the leafy vegetables. It had fresh pieces of small-sized tomatoes and was topped with grated parmesan cheese. The dressing was just right, not too tangy and not bland either. Enjoying this healthy dish prepared us all for the delicious meal ahead.

Mamou's Greens Salad (P295)

After the salads, we went straight to the pastas. Oh, the pastas. The Lorenzo's Truffle Cream pasta was just mouthwatering. The moment the waiter laid down the plate on the table, the fragrant smell of truffle excited our noses. It looked so simple - just the pasta and the cream sauce. No other sophisticated toppings. Just plain truffle goodness. The taste of the truffle was not overpowering at all, and made us all come back for seconds. Whoever Lorenzo is, and if this dish was his brainchild, I hope to meet him someday. :)

Lorenzo's Truffle Cream (P335)

For our red sauce pasta we ordered the Pasta Andrada Bolognese, which was also very good. Like the truffle cream, this dish was also quite simple with just small chunks of tomatoes and some cheese as toppings. Most bolognese pastas I've tried in the past were not so differentiated, but this one had more character. Out of the two pastas, though, the truffle cream obviously gets my vote.

Pasta Andrada Bolognese (P390)

After two delicious dishes of pasta, it was time for the main event. And this one definitely has to be the highlight of the evening, next to our birthday celebrant. Steak always makes any meal special, and so we just couldn't skip ordering Mamou's Angus Ribeye USDA Prime Grade Steak, done medium well. The steak came in a hot plate, already sliced into pieces so it's ready for sharing. It wasn't served flat, and instead was tilted at an angle to separate the oil from the steak. I regret not asking why they did this, but our theory was that so they could offer a choice for those who like their steak oily and those who don't. The meat was extra tender and juicy in the mouth. I opted not to use any other sauce other than the flavorful oil that came with the steak. I also liked the fact that there were some very, very slightly burnt parts in the meat. Even the parts with the meat fat were to-die-for. It looks a bit pricey on the menu but it's good to share for 4 persons, so I think it was quite a good deal.

The steak comes with your choice of two side dishes, and we had the yummy Corn Pudding and Creamed Spinach.

Angus Ribeye USDA Prime Grade Steak (P2,800 for the Twin size [approx. 800g])

Corn Pudding and Creamed Spinach for sides

After reveling at how great the steak was, we decided to order dessert. I thought the Frozen Hot Chocolate was an interesting and innovative creation. When it arrived, all we could see was whipped cream, but under the thick creamy layer was a scoop of chocolate ice cream swimming in hot chocolate. Thankfully it didn't taste like chocolate overload, with the clashing of hot and cold being a surprisingly good combination.

Frozen Hot Chocolate (P185)

You have to dig through the cream to reveal the chocolate ice cream and hot chocolate

We also tried two of their cakes - the New York Cheesecake and the Pecan Pie with "Schlagsanhe". I found the cheesecake a little dry, and I thought the sour taste of the cheesecake contrasted too much with the sweet crust. I liked the pecan pie better, with the pecan nuts adding some crunchy texture to the cake.

New York Cheesecake (P285) and Pecan Pie (P180)

And of course, we couldn't end the night without wishing Christine a very happy birthday with a red velvet cupcake courtesy of Mamou (and a very similar looking red velvet cake from Sonja's care of the team). As an extra treat, our waiter, Jov, even sang "happy birthday" especially for Christine. Notice the "kilig" in Jov's face below :)

At the end of a night that was filled with plenty of delicious food and heartfelt, laughter-filled conversations, we could only hope that Christine felt how special she was to the whole team. More than that, every one of us felt just as special and just as blessed to be working with such a wonderful team, led by such an inspiring lady.

Cheers to another year, Christine! Happy birthday!

*Photos are courtesy of Jerome Go

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 4.5 out of 5 - The steak and the truffle cream pasta are definitely worth going back for.

Mamou is located in Serendra, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. For reservations, call 856-3569.