Cabalen literally means fellow Capampangan. I am not from Pampanga but the food they prepare in that region of the Philippines is what am craving at the moment. They had to be the best cook in the whole archipelago. It is also a famous name of a chain of restaurants.
I came across an article today where the food was being catered by Cabalen. I went straight to their website. Lo and behold - all the food that has been torturing my deprived pinoy palate was there in moving colours. My eyes widened and welcomed them like long-lost friends.
I put a note on my Moleskin that on my next visit home I will go and dine buffet style with Cabalen. Glad they have one in SM Cebu! I am hanging on to that thought. Something to look forward to in this sometimes humdrum world.
Last week I had some kare kare c/o some Pinoy friends and I can't get enough. I wish there is a Filipino restaurant in Melbourne CBD. Even just one. Uno. Isa. Jamat ya may laman bisan isa! There are thousands of Chinese and other Asian restaurants but not a resto of True Pinoy cuisine. There is a stall in Footscray Market food court but closes after hours, and I work full-time.
Work is taking much of my time and not much energy to cook up a Filipino storm but sometimes just frying fish makes up for it.
The other night I came home shivering. I had migraine and was feeling nauseated. I splashed cold water on my face but I was very dizzy so I lay down under the doona and slept. Rich fried some fish for me, made some cucumber salad and coconut rice. Not your usual Pinoy fare but a fusion of Hungarian and Asian food. Hungsi:-) It was great though. Very. I trained my man well:-) I had it around 10 pm after 3 hours snooze. I ate all the pan fried Basa fillet crisped with just salt and pepper. The cucumbers were prepared Rich's Transylvanian way: sour cream, vinegar, finely grated fresh garlic, salt and sugar. Its refreshing taste is akin to Tatziki, but the crunch of the sliced cucumber makes it a notch better than the Greek grated version. The rice was inspired from a few visits to Thai restaurants. Coconut Rice is just your normal steamed rice but instead of water you use canned coconut milk. It can hold on its own sans viand but together with anything fried it is the best. I had mixed berry tea afterwards. No sugar no honey just the slight tanginess of the berries in hot water. I feel that my tummy is cleansed so as my palate ready for dessert. But I beg off. This tea makes me feel satiated as if I had dessert already. Good for weight watchers. (Not me).
I love my food. I look forward to visiting places because of the food and not much else. Family trips are the best because not only am I treated to familiar faces and places but also familiar tastes. Food of my childhood and food of the Philippines in general is always a welcome thought.
I crave for the Pier chicken BBQ and puso`. The latter being steamed rice bundled in a diamond shaped palm leaf pouch. It is served as it is, oftentimes cold. I wished I paid much attention in Grade V Practical Arts because they taught us how to make Puso`.
The experience in the Pier is different from any other. The food seemed to taste much better if eaten there in their rickety stalls with mono block chairs. The makeshift dining area has dirt as floor and the waft of the ever fragrant smokey sizzling chicken barbeque sticks to your clothes. But that is exactly what the people of Surigao swears one should experience when visiting the city. Even the locals who lives a street or two away sits and eats the BBQ there, together with lizards and occasional tiny mice cavorting around. It is indeed an experience that one has to put in their bucket list. SURIGAO PIER BBQ EXPERIENCE.
About 16 years ago, around 2am Papa who was busy campaigning for Mayorship of the city drove Kingay and me to get some barbeque in the Pier. He who sleeps every night on the clock before 10 pm was still up because of the rigorous campaign. There was no one in the house but King and me. King just came back with the boys from pasting posters on the street walls. (Our opponents kept on ripping them off. As they do the country's coffers.)
We were hungry, I was surprised when Papa said, "let's go to the pier." He decided not to take our Red Jeep Wrangler but drove the red car that an uncle lent him for the campaign. It was one of the memories I like to associate with that barbeque chicken in the pier. Although we ate it at home on our round table, it tastes all the same sweet with Papa there.
It can never be duplicated here in the Western World because the main ingredient is FRESH chicken killed an hour or so ago. Not frozen, not killed a day before but that same day it was supposed to meet up with the flaming coconut charcoal. It tastes sweet. It is organic too so the pieces are not as big as the plate-like-size of our marylands. Coupled with the homemade sauce of toyo, calamansi and sili. That tiny native chili that packs a punch. Ahhh BBQ, you truly top my comfort food list.
If only I can have it everytime I need comforting. But the thought that it will be there waiting when I go back is comforting enough. See you soon barbeque and Cabalen. And Papi.
I am smiling now.
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