And if there’s one thing that really irks me more is when someone says they’re looking for a restaurant with a ‘lutong bahay’ kind of food. I don’t know about you, but, lutong bahay to me is vague. Whose bahay? Whose region? Why would someone look for a lutong bahay in downtown Manhattan? Or did you mean ‘lutong restoran?”
I have yet to see a Filipino restaurant here in New York evolving into an artistic, moma kind, broadway flair , Filipino haute cuisine with post modern exotic regional dishes taken from different parts of the Philippines. We already have been outcasted, outdone, outmaneuvered by our fellow Asians. The Korean has fused itself and claimed a district in midtown Manhattan, the Vietnam sour spicy phos and the pad thai’s of Thailand are weighing itself against the Italian pastas. Plus the Indian curries and papadums have landed into nouveau fine dining cuisine along with its Mediterranean counterparts.
And what about us, pinoys. We are still stuck to the old cafeteria turo-turo style. The family buffet mentality that drags us to the menial servitude of ordering one dish for all, and all dishes for one.
Where all the food orders are placed in the center for all to share,because as they say --Sharing is Caring.
How then can our own cuisine be known without being branded as copy cats of asian neighbors.. Lumpia Shanghai is of Chinese descent and isn‘t adobo Mexican or that lechon asado is Spanish for roast suckling pig? And what’s special about pancit --when everyone has pasta, lo mein, pad thai and rice noodles?
Anthony Bourdain in his t.v. show, “No reservations,” once asked that, “the Filipinos are very well represented in America but why is it that Filipino cuisine is a BLANK PAGE?” And Market Manila’s answer to his question was profound and precise, in the sense that we Filipinos in general easily adapt ourselves to new places much quicker than other cultures. We are as comfortable eating a shawarma in Saudi, or wherever country we land, we‘re okay when it comes to food……..
If I were to put up an eating place to bolster the evolution of Filipino cuisine, Manhattan is the place to do it. I will revolutionize the way pinoys eat. I will not go for a client that say’s “do you have this or that?”, because that is not the restaurant I will create. Instead, I will look for clients that say, “surprise me!” and then I will create my masterpieces.
My dishes will be named after people, events, places and anything significant pertaining to the Philippines. High quality with homegrown freshness and the best of ingredients with a collaboration of global finds plus the latest of equiptment will comprise my spotless work area. So as not to burn the pockets of many Filipinos counting their valuable dollars multiplying everything by 50 to one, I will offer a prix fixe menu. And here is a sample of what might come out of my kitchen:
PINOY PINAKURAT
(a CIA prix fixe Menu)
By a Cuisine-nera In America
Paquiao Punch
(it will really knock you out)
A cocktail mixture of vino kulafo, tequila and cachaca on a tall glass rimmed with lime and sweet colored sugar garnished with chopped mint and cucumber tidbits.
Imelda’s shoeless Feet
(an adaptation of the chicken feet appetizer)
the chicken feet is segmentedly cut up to display sticks, Pressure boiled with wine aromatic herbs and seasonings, smothered in a red wine reduction artistically displayed over blanched kangkong
(be careful of the tiny chicken bones)
Charlene Pampenco’s BAM-EEEYAYEYAY will always love you uuu
(this is my version of the visayan bam-I….as the salad part)
Fresh juliened vegetables of carrots, green beans, and fungi porcini, cremini and button mushrooms (I hate tenga ng daga, they‘re like chewing gum with leather texture)
Halili Six Tortelini
(try saying it with a visayan accent, you’ll know why, and my version of Dinuguan sauce )
Six pieces of meat tortellini with blood stew red wine reduction and jalapeno puree
This will be a bloody spicy entrée and exciting to the palate
Con-Ass d’Cochons
(translation: Con-Ass of Pigs…for want of a better title to what‘s happening in the P.I…the main course because it‘s what‘s happening now )
3 pcs of 2 square inches lechon kawali style with golden crispy skin and soft buttery meat garnished with a terrine of chicken liver /balsamic vinegar for that acidic taste to contrast the succellent pork taste and garnished with colored pepper and sea salt bits.
APO disiac
(dessert-Ever hear of the threesome Apo Hiking--this is my tribue to them. The title reminded me of J.P who recently wrote sex phrases in f.b. and got a kick out of it)
A small single serving rounded three tiered dessert composed of maja maiz at the bottom, centered with leche flan and ube inspired panna cotta surrounded by a sauce of coconut cream and muscovado sugar spiked with tanduay rhum (pinoy version of bailey’s) and topped with a chocolate flat mold musical note.
Barack O’ Sama-sama
(and finally an expresso fit for a king, ingredients found in the P.I.)
A teaspoon each of Kopi Luwak (most expensive in the world) from Cavite, and Liberica coffee from Batangas. Cream and sugar at the client’s discretion)
I assure you that after one has had his fill of the above dishes, he will do a MacArthurian reply of “I shall return.”
And now, I shall conceptualize my dream and make a business plan. Hopefully, I can entice some investment banker in Wall Street for capitalization..….Oh well, pinch me, because I’m just dreamingl!!!!
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