When in Chic Boy

It's very late at night and you unconsciously sway with every step. There is no voluntary reason for coming here. It is already your body compelling you. It is carnal desire.

When in Chic Boy, this is my modus operandi. It is pleasurable and deadly. It is the taste of freedom, of danger. Like most of the really good things in life, it's something you'd regret, the type you'll get guilty about when you wake up in the morning. It's something you swear you'd never do again but also can't resist to come back for more.

If this is a vice then I wish no virtue.

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#NowPlaying: iBenji - Boneless

Bulalo Recipe of the Philippines

The bulalo is probably one of the best recipes that Philippine cuisine has to offer. It's basically the beef leg bone part (I don't really know what it's called) softened and cooked to perfection in a very simple broth. No fancy ingredients or techniques needed.

Eating the bone marrow part is probably one of the most pleasurable things you can do here on earth while you are alive. And with that pleasure, of course, comes risk. It is very unhealthy and dangerous but I guess that is part of the thrill of eating bulalo. It is like the extreme sports of food. There's a big risk that it can kill you but it's fun and it reminds you that it's good to be alive.

Last night when I got home, it was the best surprise to see a steaming hot bowl of bulalo on the kitchen table. And being that I live in a hypertensive household and that I am an 'only child', I can have the bone marrow all to myself. It was gluttonous and sinful. It's so good that it should be illegal (this is a metaphor because I do not support prohibition or lifestyle regulation by the state).

And it's not just the bone marrow. It's also the soft, melts-in-your-mouth meat, the fats and litid around the bone and within the meat itself. When asked to describe it, it's really a lot closer to pleasurable than just plain delicious. And then top it off with some soy sauce, calamansi, and chili.

And now all I can do is recall the memories of last night as I write here in front of my laptop hungry and bored.

Mercato in the Fort

After a fun night out with your friends in the Fort, it's perfect to go food tripping in Mercato food bazaar.

It was actually my first time there and I felt like a kid entering a huge toy store not knowing where to go first or what to buy with the money I had. And I guess that's one of the main problems of such a competitive market such as this food bazaar: you won't be able to try everything in just one night and you'll miss out on so much unless you come back for more.

The prices aren't as attractive as the food they are selling though. Surely the rent in this place is very high because so many things are overpriced, in my opinion. I ended up spending 25 pesos for a stick of isaw which on the streets would only be around 5 pesos each. I'd have to say that having around 200 pesos or higher would be perfect for a good food trip night here in Mercato in the Fort.

Food places that open until late (or 24 hours) are always a the best and now what more if it's a bazaar with competing stalls! Those who are indecisive will surely be tortured in this place and bombarded with seemingly unlimited choices. Several suggestions from friends that I have to try when I go back there would be the Japanese hotdog, the Angus kebab and many others.

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Eating Gotong Batangas in Batangas

The best place to eat Gotong Batangas will of course be in Batangas. We were actually in Lipa on our way home from Laiya. And that's the most perfect thing because Gotong Batangas is also most of the time referred to as Goto ng Lipa.

After a tiring weekend at the beach, getting to eat a warm bowl of Gotong Batangas was the absolute reward. Ideally, I'm not even allowed to eat this (mas masarap ang bawal!). I'm advised to avoid internal organs and other stuff high in uric acid and bring us to the popular Filipino concept of "Minsan lang naman e". hehehe.

Gotong Batangas is differnt from normal goto because it doesn't have rice. When asked about it, I usually respond that it's a bit similar to the popular goat preparation of papaitan (we actually have a whole dead goat in our freezer right now, I'll blog about that as soon as we cook it).
It's weird how some Filipinos themselves are deterred by these kinds of ingredients. Last night, I was watching the Vienna episode of No Reservations and saw that these kinds of ingredients were actually a delicacy there and something that they're really proud of whereas here, even when it's all local produce, people will actually consider it exotic. McDo mentality. They are missing out. Oh well, to each his own.
I usually get Gotong Batangas right by the entrance of Nasugbu in Tagaytay (which is technically also Batangas already). You'll surely pass it on your way to Punta Fuego or Tali. It's really one of my favorites. In fact, if you Google search "Gotong Batangas" you will see one of my old entries on HubPages as the number on result on the first page:

You'll be surprised to see how many people search this every day and it is surely a significant contributor to my earnings as a blogger.
And, another reason why I love this is beacause people who serve this will usually give free refills of the soup to those who order. Yup, libreng sabaw. :D