Palawan food on chance encounters

By JOSEPH GONZALESTaste Buddy

Adobong Sugpo with Gata

MANILA, Philippines -- Sometimes, good dining experiences come in places where you least expect it.  You get to meet old friends in a situation where simple, familiar Filipino fare is mutually shared on the dining table.

“Don’t call me ma’am,” shares a former mentor of mine from way back in college, while sipping her mango shake with a little spurt of honey, mixed with crushed cashew nuts, during a recent ‘stop-over’ buffet lunch at the InterCon's  Café Jeepney restaurant.

She’s right.  On the dining table, we shared a little less about ‘school days’; rather, we talk more about food. After all, conversations become more meaningful with good food around.

Invited guests were awed by the culinary ‘twists’ rendered on the simple Filipino dishes prepared Palawan Style by Miniloc Island Resort chefs Jose Ramos II and Orly Simeon.

Palawan cuisine has been characterized by the freshness of its ingredients and its wide array of seafood and vegetables. But the inclusion of some ingredients like honey, mango and cashew nuts, resulted in unusual and distinct flavors.

“Almost 50% of our dishes are infused with these ingredients which make El Nido recipes very unique,” shares Chef “Boyet” Ramos.

For example, the chefs came up with a little digression on the simple steamed Kangkong Salad. Adding a duo of honey and nuts gave it a sweet and savory balance.

Including sour mango slices in the Sinigang na Maya-Maya gave it a pleasantly acidic punch, glimpsed through the hints of sweetness from the same fruit.

Nothing compares to the Palawan-style grilled Liempo: tender, light and savory with a little touch of sweetness.

And there’s the grilled pusit, which tastes just right and their version of Adobong Sugpo sa Gata which best complements the rice.  “It pays to always use fresh ingredients in cooking,” Chef Boyet shares. “Very El Nido.”

Among others worth tasting are Lumpiang Sariwa with Ubod Kawayan at Hipon, Hipon Hinalabos sa Taba ng Talangka, Kinunot na Pating, Pato-Tim with Tuba (Grilled Duck Simmered in Palawan Coconut Wine), and Bandi (Caramelized Candy with Cashew Nuts).

My former pal was drinking a mango shake which the El Nido chefs fixed for us. It was like sipping a slurpy of fresh mango puree with the sweet taste of biko, reminiscent of the famous rice cake (kakanin), ‘broke,’ hungry, young students used to eat for merienda at the cafeteria in school after dealing with a tough teacher and a stressful exam.  

The Palawan Food Festival by way of Café Jeepney is open till August 31. For reservations, call 793 7000
.