21 December 2012

Food encounters US version

Last May 2011 I attended my first American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting in Washington DC.  It was a learning and memorable experience both professionally and personally.  It was also a gastronomic adventure for me.  After attending the sessions, together with my contemporaries from NKTI, we set off to see the sights in DC.
L - R: Dr Vic Espino, Dr Art Castro Jr, Dr Sig Agcaoili, Me

After the long walk, we called up our other colleagues and were set to meet them for dinner but Art got the name of the place wrong but it was a blessing in disguise as we came to discover Ben's Chili Bowl, considered a Washington landmark and is known for the chili dogs, half smokes and milk shakes.




Ben's Chili dog

What's staying in DC without eating at Five Guys?  Good thing was that there was one just across our hotel.  So on the last day of the convention, that was the place to be.  The burger was huge, with all the toppings and lots of fries.  Truly heaven on a bun!



Having a picture of my burger before I attack.

Dr Art's thumbs up for his burger

Dr Vic having his fill

Dr Sig all smiles before digging in

After the AUA Annual Convention, my fellow Davao Urologist, NKTI batchmate Vic and I went to New Jersey to meet up with his old Ateneo high school batchmates , Monet and Aena Fuentes who were our gracious hosts.  Co-incindentally, a batchmate of mine also from Ateneo, Atty Jong was also going to spend a few days with us.

We went to walk around the Manhattan area and Times Square.  After the long walk we decided to have pizza and Monet brought us to Ray's Pizza which was considered a pizza landmark in New York.


After the pizza, we went for drinks at  230-Fifth Rooftop bar.  It had an awesome view of the Empire State Building at the back.


The following day, after seeing Ground Zero, we headed for a heavy lunch...yes heavy indeed:



On our last night, Vic and Jong were craving for Filipino food, hence we ordered crispy pata, sisig and batchoy for take out from Fiesta Grill.


The summer of 2011 was one for the books...meeting up with former co-fellows for an international convention, catching up with old friends and most especially experiencing the food...











17 December 2012

Lutong Bahay at its Best

A quiet, comfortable eating place with a homey atmosphere can be found in DBP village.  It's Ellen's Tuna Queen.  Ate Ellen has been known for the pritong paksiw na buntot ng tuna and many write-ups have been made about it.  But the restaurant is not limited with the buntot ng tuna, they also serve steaks and a wide array of other dishes, some of which are mentioned below:

The lechon kawali(deep fried pork belly) is presented on the counter wrapped in a banana leaf, then it is deep fried just before it is served.  Sinful delight!

The laing is a balanced blend of spices, gata(coconut milk) and taro leaves.  Good combination with the lechon kawali.


What is dining in Ellen's without a tuna dish?The tuna sisig is worth trying.  Minced crispy tuna with salted eggs and onions on a sizzling plate.


Dining in Ate Ellen's will make you truly experience lutong bahay at its best!


13 December 2012

Working with my hands

My hands are always put to good use...

In the operating room



In the kitchen


My Versions:

Spaghetti Bolognese


Penne with Chicken Pomodoro


Gambas


Baked Clams


Beef Salpicao



Cooking with pasta tops my list of the things I do in the kitchen.  My pasta versions are usually done with a tomato based sauce but on occasions, I do pesto and aglio olio.  However, I expanded my repertoire to other dishes like the ones shown above and there are still others which I consider to be works-in-improvement.  












12 December 2012

Chicken wings

Chicken wings or Buffalo wings would be good either as an appetizer, bar chow or even part of the main course...

Among the chicken wings here in Davao, for me, there is one that stands out...not only because of the taste but also because they are served whole...the whole wing...from the tip up to joint before it connects to the breast...

This is Yellow Cab's Hot wings...spicy, juicy, greaseless...usually without a dip but with the blue cheese dip it is awesome!


But if there is one Buffalo wings that will rival the Hot wings, it is Don Henrico's Buffalo wings, wish that they make a comeback in Davao City.



Ristorante Spirale...Best Value Italian Cuisine

Italian cuisine is among my top food favorites....

Davao City has quite a number of Italian restaurants and Spirale gives a lasting impression which will definitely make you look forward to a next visit.

Marinara Bianca with Linguine is a must try...noodles cooked al dente with baby clams, fish, shrimps and squid in a white wine-olive oil base which will leave you speechless after...


The Polpette Spaghetti offers a unique flavor that will linger in your mouth.  The Polpette (marble sized Italian meatballs) is tender and tasty in a tomato sauce base...there is a burst of flavors with every bite.


Below is Pomodoro Spaghetti.  The tomato, basil and garlic combination is heavenly!


Another must try is the Vongole Ai Chorizo (with spaghetti)...the baby clams and chorizo combination in a tomato, garlic and basil sauce...excellent!


Ristorante Spirale lives up to its monicker as the Best Value Italian Cuisine.




The Bistro Selera Experience


I know my way in the kitchen…i know how to cook…and most of all…I love to eat
One place that will make you come back for more is Bistro Selera in SM Lanang
Their best dish for me is the crispy pata…the best among all the CPs I have ever had.

The skin is crackling and crispy…meat is tender and cooked evenly.
Other dishes worth mentioning:
The sinigang na baboy was superb!  The broth was nicely done with generous servings of vegetables and the pork was lean with just thin fat layers.

The suha salad is definitely Davao!  It had good blend of flavors which explodes in your mouth.

The binukadkad na tilapia is a different way to present a deep fried tilapia…greaseless deep fried delight!

Each time I dine in Bistro Selera, I always forget that I am on a no rice diet!