My husband doesn’t care much for eggplant.  Unfortunately, this meant that one of my favourite vegetables became unwelcome in our home.  In the eight years that we’ve been together, the only times I could use it in the kitchen was during tax season (when my husband disappears into the void for 3 months) or on nights where I’m left to cook for myself.  What a terrible dietary restriction.

Since our trip to the Philippines, Kurt has happily relaxed his scorn.  His new interest in eggplant is thanks to a simple dish that most Filipinos know and love: tortang talong.   Below is a visual recipe of the dish that is no longer blacklisted from our household.

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette)

Step 1 – Torch Eggplant

My favourite step. Using a gas stove, roast eggplant on all sides until skin is puffy and charred.  If you don’t have access to open flame (like our kitchen, sob) you can use your oven’s broiler, set on high. It’ll take a little longer to do.

Optional Step 1b – Steam Eggplant

If you are finding it difficult to peel the blackened skin off the eggplant, you can wrap said eggplant in foil and let steam a few minutes. The skin will peel off like panties at a Tom Jones concert.

Step 2 – Peel Eggplant

Remove the skin from your roasted eggplant. It should look like this.  Having trouble? Try Step 1b above.

Step 3 – Egg eggplant

Scramble an egg in a bowl and submerge your eggplant into it. Fan out the eggplant fully with a fork. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Step 4 – Fry Eggplant

Heat a frying pan with a smidgeon of olive oil (low-med heat).  When the oil is ready, use the stem of your eggplant to lay it onto the pan. Make sure to fan the body of the eggplant out and use extra egg to fill in any gaps. Fry for 1-2 mins on each side or until each side is a toasty golden brown.

If you have extra egg left over, you can fry that up separately. It’ll taste like the eggplant omelette but without the veggie bits.

Step 5 – Eat Eggplant

Blot excess oil off the omelette with paper towel if desired and you are done!

In my family, these omelettes are served over steamed rice and accompanied with some sort of pork. I usually eat it with pork chops but have been known to eat it with (gasp) Spam as well. If you want to be truly Filipino about it, create a dipping sauce of equal parts bagoong and white vinegar and spoon a little over each bite.

We left the eternal Christmas of the Philippines for the glitz of Macau in mid-January, expecting relief from the crowds that large holidays beget.  Not so.  The cultural duality of Macau meant that large Chinese New Year floats were already set up in San Malo Plaza. Portuguese edifices were laden with red lanterns and strings of lights.  Media and tourist alike vied for the best ops in front of each New Year’s structure.

Coincidentally, we had chosen Long Kei, one of the few Cantonese restaurants in the city, for our lunch spot.  From our table on the ground floor, we chewed on some of the most light-handed Cantonese cooking we had ever ingested while watching group after group tromp to the upper floor for what I guess to be dim sum (quite comical really; it was like a circus clown car in restaurant form).

Fish maw and egg drop soup

Braised seasonal vegetables in oyster sauce

Steamed pork spare ribs in apricot sauce

Typical multi-lingual format of restaurant menus in Macau

4 subsequent days in Hong Kong meant more Chinese New Year sights, sounds, and culinary delights.  Disneyland Hong Kong happened to launch its New Year’s makeover on the day we decided to visit.  It was a treat to see childhood Disney favourites wrapped in Asian apparel and to pick up Disney souvenirs that were decidedly one of a kind.

Mickey mouse fruit

Love against the castle

Happiness display

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without a banquet, so we corralled as many friends as we could muster on short notice to join us for an extravagant set dinner at Peking Garden Restaurant.  We savoured Peking Duck (my favourite and the specialty of the house), an assortment of delicate meats, vegetables, and seafood, and a cool demo of handmade noodle-making in a spacious, sumptuous dining room.

Sliced whitefish with olives, vegetables, and scallion oil

Peking duck!

Noodle-making demo

Since we had so much fun enjoying the imminence of Chinese New Year in Asia, it seemed only fair to join in on local festivities upon our return.  New Year’s Eve was spent in Aberdeen Centre in an atmosphere that reminded us all too fondly of Langham Place in Mong Kok.

The meal that we had at Northern Delicacy did not remotely compare to the food we enjoyed in Macau and Hong Kong.  The handmade noodles were bland; the honeymoon fried rice compensated for its lack of complexity with a coronary’s worth of grease.  Our favourite dish, the spicy wontons, was glaringly absent.

The one point of redemption was the steamed pork dumplings (known to me better as “soup dumplings”).  Lesson learned: we’ll revert to our routine of having dim sum at Northern Delicacy and finding someplace else to satisfy our dinner cravings.

Northern Delicacy
4151 Hazelbridge Way | Aberdeen Centre, Richmond
(604) 233-7050

In our attempt to last till the clock struck midnight, we wandered the halls of Aberdeen Centre amongst a most jovial crowd.  Perhaps we were too jetlagged or lazy or old, but we faded well before 11pm, with just enough energy to buy a coconut bun from Saint Germain Bakery and take in a Cantonese skit at the mainstage.

Nevertheless, we arrived home full and happy, our sadness at having left Hong Kong momentarily abated, with high hopes for what fortune the Year of the Ox will bring.

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December 2008 before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

By now, Kurt and I should have hopped on the jetfoil from Macau to Hong Kong. As much as I missed the Philippines and the family that I have there, this is the place that I had been looking forward to all trip.

I’ve already shared my favourite Hong Kong eateries when I wrote about it a few months ago, so I’ll keep this post focussed more along the non-food stops we have planned.

Happy Valley Racetrack

As if we had never spent a dime in speculation all trip, first stop is likely Kurt’s pick: betting on the horsies at Hong Kong’s fabled racetrack.

floodlit track, originally uploaded by mikesten.

Victoria Peak

Colleagues took me up to Victoria Peak last year on a clear and breezy August evening. I’d like to do the same for Kurt (though he may have to hold my hand as we climb and descend the 7 stories of terrifying floating escalators).

Monkey Mountain

Hoping to reconnect with old friends with a Saturday hike up “Monkey Mountain”: a place in the New Territories famed for the horde of primates that distract you in your ascent.

Monkey Mountain, originally uploaded by pnoeric.

Lantau Island and Disneyland Hong Kong

My idea: seeing the temples and giant Buddha on Lantau Island.

Originally uploaded by moonsheep.

His idea: visiting the ho-hum Disneyland Hong Kong on Lantau in an effort to visit all the Disney theme parks in the world (only one remaining on the list will be Disneyland Tokyo).

Disney in the Stars, originally uploaded by bredgur.

Shopping, shopping, shopping

My idea entirely. I may pick up an extra suitcase just for the flight home =)

More food exploration

If time and budget allows, I really would love to splurge at a private kitchen or Michelin-starred restaurant. My first trip had me wanting to check out Spoon, but reviews haven’t been so enthusiastic lately. We have yet to choose where to alight for some Asian fine dining; I’ll have to tell you how it goes down via live updates from Twitter or via blog upon our return. Rick Green of BC Brews, who had passed on great tips for eating in Macau, also had some thoughts to share about Hong Kong dining:

Not a big fan of Chinese interpretations of Western food in Hong Kong. Looking for something French-wise, I would recommend Indochine 1929 in Lan Kwai Fong (California Building) if it’s still as good as it was in 2000. A really great restaurant was Zahra @ 409 Jaffe Road, Wanchai — Lebanese. Apparently, it is closed now . I haven’t found Lebanese in Vancouver quite as good, although Kayan in the old Tojo’s on Broadway is worth a visit.

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December 2008 before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

Last time I was in Macau, my uncle took me on a sleepless tour of the casinos from midnight till dawn.  Neither of us was much of a gambler; we hopped from site to site in search of a place that offered sustenance at an ungodly hour.  The verdict? It seemed that everyone else up that late needed only alcohol, cigarettes, and the thrill of victory to keep them going.

This time around, I’m travelling with my husband, who does a fairly decent job of supplementing our monthly income with his online poker winnings.  He is itching to tour the poker tables at the new Venetian: the largest casino in the world.  It presides over Macau like a bloated monarch, oozing decadence onto the wide colonial boulevards that surround.

I am more interested in capturing all that shiny-shiny with my SLR. My point and shoot photos from last year didn’t come close to doing the glitter of Macau any justice.

In the day, we plan to tour the city’s architectural and culinary facets.  I’d like to take Kurt to food faves such as EOD Cafe and try out some of the places that Rick Green of BC Brews suggested:

For all the times that I went to Macau when I was living in Hong Kong, I never went gambling; I have no interest. I occupied my time during the day walking through the streets, touring the historic sites, seeing the gardens, and visiting museums. In the evening, it was eating, eating, eating. Macanese food is absolutely essential — Fernando’s, Litoral, Riquexo, Sol Nascente.

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December 2008 before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

Rather than roughing it for a few days in the Bohol interior, we chose to ensconce ourselves for the full week at Bohol Beach Club, one of Panglao Island’s favoured Philippine beach resorts.  We don’t plan on doing much besides playing in the water and getting 3 shades darker (redder in Kurt’s case).  Here’s a bit about the place we’re staying at plus another agricultural point of interest that I hope to make time for.

Bohol Beach Club (+63 038 411 5222)

RoughGuides: “Spacious cottages with big verandas right on beautiful Bolod Beach, a short distance to the north of Alona Beach.  A range of five-star facilities and services.”

Our impressions:  After the run-down “resort” we stayed at on Lake Taal, we worried that Bohol Beach Club would be less than what its website promised.  Happily, our concerns were unfounded.  Beautiful estate with plenty of pools and white sands for days of sunbathing and relaxation. Staff are attentive and well versed in English. Not a note of over-enthusiastic karaoke to be heard, even though the karaoke room available for rent is in the Games Hall far, far away from any of the suites. 

Good food despite being a little too buffet; you can usually ask for the menu and order a la carte. Wifi is not advertised but you can buy 1-hour cards at P90 a pop from the front desk. Much cheaper than the P200 they charge at the business centre on their computers that seem to run at a snail’s pace.

Bohol Bee Farm (+63 38 502 2288)

True to its commitment to promote organic farming, Bohol Bee Farm is evolving a unique, eco-friendly line of food products that contributes to the health, integrity and dietary balance of the body. Home baked bread, squash muffins, pure honey, honey spread and bee pollen are some of the products being produced by the Bohol Bee Farm.

Organic foods, originally uploaded by lolay.

Visitors to the Bohol Bee Farm are also immersed in various farm activities. Well-informed staff will demonstrate and give inputs on the process involved in each activity. Farm activities include:

• Farm tour
• Raffia making
• Furniture making
• Sewing/craft
• Paddling
• Basket making
• Organic farming

I read a recent article in Smile Magazine, the in-flight reading on Cebu Pacific Airlines, that describes Bohol Bee Farm as “Best Breakfast” and “Best Dinner Experience” when travelling to Tagbilaran (Bohol).  While we had already planned to visit this farm before coming across this article, my eagerness to dine there has now increased by threefold.

Bites of Asia photos now available

Would you like to see highlights of our trip thus far? Visit the newly created photoset on Flickr, which I will attempt to update as we jump to Macau and Hong Kong.

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December 2008 before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

Floating Restaurant (Loboc River, Bohol), originally uploaded by hulagway.

Now for a truly South Pacific experience: hiking amid the jungles of a remote (well, not really) tropical island!

If we have a bit of time in the city that we fly into from Manila, we may check out Payag Jo’s, Bacolod Barbecue, and Miravilla: three Tagbilaran restaurants that high school buddy Meryl adores.

Before we boarded our flight from Vancouver, my grandfather had sent us a reassuring message that our desired Bohol pit stop, the eclectic Nuts Huts, should have space for us despite not taking reservations.  I hope that this day finds us safely settled there.   Here’s some background on this intriguing accommodation alternative.

Nuts Huts Retreat (+63 038 525 9162)

RoughGuides: “The Nuts Huts Retreat makes an excellent base for exploring the river and Bohol’s untouristy interior.  The resort presides over sweeping views of the surrounding hills and is run by two charming Belgians, Rita and Chris, who seem to know what every traveller wants:  great cooking, well-chosen music and the option to do nothing at all in several different locations – a shady terraces, a library, or a herb-infused sauna.  The outdoor restaurant is magic, perched on a hill with views down the valley across a dense green canopy of rainforest.”

Lonely Planet: “Nuts Huts is a truly unique place ensconced in the jungle on the edge of the Loboc River 3km north of Loboc town.  An exception in the Philippines, Nuts Huts is completely integrated into the environment to the point that the 16 separate cottages are difficult to spot from the river.  All have balconies, sweeping views and the occasional 8-legged roommate.  The friendly Belgian couple who run the place offer excellent travel advice and great food – lots of vegetarian and Euro-Asian delights (meals P40 to P130) served up in the wonderful dining  room / lounge area a few hundred steps up from the cottages.”

During our stay at Nuts Huts, we plan to tour these spots in the Bohol interior:

The Chocolate Hills

??????-????(2), originally uploaded by alvin0118.

Tarsiers Visitors Centre

si Joy, nang-aasar ng tarsier, originally uploaded by mela sogono.

Loboc River Cruise

River Cruise at Loboc, originally uploaded by ericlucky290.

Sagbayan Peak

Sagbayan Peak, originally uploaded by ericlucky290.

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

Taal View HDR, originally uploaded by Sir Mervs

This week, Kurt and I ventured a few hours south of Metro Manila to a breathtaking ridge overlooking Taal Lake.  What could be more adventuresome than 2 days touring an active volcano and its fulvous lake of sulphur?

The other reason we chose this destination was for the food. The nearby town of Tagaytay harbours many a wealthy Filipino, contributing to the region’s reputation as a culinary mecca.  Here are a few of the places that books and friends have given the thumbs up:

Sonya’s Garden (+63 0917 532 9097)

RoughGuides: “Romantic cottage accommodation in a mermarkable garden nurtured by the eponymous Sonya.  Rooms are wonderful and the rate includes a delicious breakfast, prepared with mostly home-grown, organic ingredients.  If you’re not staying the night, drop by for lunch or dinner.  Daily set menus cost P500 (P250 for children) and include delights such as home-grown organic salad with mango, pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies, and banana fritters for dessert.  It’s very popular, so book ahead.”

Lonely Planet: “The restaurant at the famous B&B serves up exquisite vegetarian dishes and other fare using ingredients from the eponymous gardens.”

Our visit on Dec 30:   Saying this place is “a little out of the way” is an understatement.  It’s situated deep within the town of Alfonso, Cavite, which neighbours Tagaytay to its west.  If you plan to visit Taal, make sure to arrange transport (taxi if you can afford it; a private driver is best) in advance through your hotel.

It’s worth the visit, but I wouldn’t call it a must-see.  The estate is lush with the fragrance of flowers and freshly baked bread from their in-house panderia.  The main restaurant is an enormous greenhouse that has been converted into a dining area that looks fit for an upper-classman’s wedding.  We didn’t get a menu; all tables are served the same 3-course lunch, consisting of whatever is in season and usually showcasing whatever is growing well in their gardens.  Our particular dining experience included freshly squeezed dalandan juice, a salad with umpteen fruits and local vegetables as toppings, house-made bread with 6 types of spreads, linguini with a half-dozen bowls of ingredients and sauces, and for dessert, chocolate ube cake, mini-turon, and caramelized camote.  We washed the last bit down with refreshing tarragon tea.

Dining at Sonya’s is expensive by local standards: P610 a head inclusive of taxes and gratuity. For us, that equated to about $50 for a table of 3.

If you’ve been eating Filipino food non-stop like we have in the past week, Sonya’s would be a lovely change of pace. Otherwise, do try Leslie’s Restaurant on the main highway in Tagaytay.  From our quick stop to pick up postcards, it was beautifully adorned, spacious, with wonderfully smelling Filipino dishes and *spectacular* views of the volcano and lake in the underlying valley. (see futher guide book details on Leslie’s below).

Antonio’s (+63 0917 899 2866)

Lonely Planet: “This upscale continental resturant offers the chance to rub elbows with politicians and oligarchs over full-course seafood meals – if you can get a reservation.  Book months ahead for weekends.  The decor is a mix of Filipino and Mexican, and seating areas include some lovely tables overlooking lotus ponds.”

Leslie’s (+63 413 4271)

Lonely Planet: “This Tagaytay institution is known for fried tawili (small fish), kare-kare (oxtail with peanut sauce), sinigang (tamarind soup) and other Philippine delicacies.  Its large outdoor dining area overlooks the lake and is dotted with folksy open-air huts for a private dining.”

Josephine Restaurant & Resort (+63 2842 9851)

RoughGuides: “200m east of the Taal Vista Lodge Hotel, on the main road that runs along the ridge to Tagaytay, is Josephine’s an institution among Filipinos, serving good home-style Filipino dishes with mounds of steamed rice.”

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December 2008 before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

Since I left Manila as a 4-year-old, I haven’t been back much.  The last visit before this one was when I was eight, and the highlight of that trip for me was Pagsanjan Falls.

This is where I hope we are headed to today.

I was surprised that my husband recognized the name when I suggested Pagsanjan.  Apparently, this was where the river scenes of Apocalypse Now were filmed. Can you see the similarity between art and life?

I’ll try to obtain photos of this beautiful landscape, but with my SLR packed away from all that nasty water, you may have to accept humble images from my point-and-shoot.  That is, if it survives the pressure of passing through a massive waterfall and all the splashing it’ll see as we descend the rapids…

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December 2008 before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

I would be remiss to make no mention of my high school pal Zia, who has been feeding us so many ideas for Philippine food and activity that I wish we could have stowed her away in our luggage and taken her with us as our personal guide.

Pulutan at Pananghalian, originally uploaded by ~MVI~.

Like Cheryll, Zia sent me a comprehensive list of her favourite places to eat in Manila, ranging from the economical to the extravagant.  I have no idea how we’re going to run through all of these, but I sure as heck am going to try!

EkspoSining (Central Luzon State University), originally uploaded by ~MVI~.

Okay, I’m kind of obsessed with food…and seriously, I think some of the best eating can be done in the Philippines and for relatively cheap. Here are my suggestions:

1. Reyes Barbecue: the chicken is awesome. You can find this at almost every mall food court and it’s really cheap; ~$2 for a full meal.
2. Cibo: really good, authentic italian food.
3. Cafe Bola: this is in Greenbelt in Makati. They have really great adobo flakes with tomato and goat cheese on top.  OMG SO GOOD.  Modern Filipino cuisine.
4. Sentro: Filipino fusion cuisine, also at Greenbelt. They have corned beef sinigang. SO GOOD.
5. Seryna: they have lunch specials for P320, which give you a boatload of fresh sashimi, chicken, rice, soup, salad, and dessert. This is my favourite thing on the planet. It’s in Makati Cinema Square, Little Tokyo. You *must* go here for lunch if you like Japanese food.
6. Chocolate Kiss: this is a restaurant in Quezon City. They have really good sans rival (buttery cake). I once bought an entire one for myself! [Zia - I would have done that too!]
7. Cyma: in Greenbelt. Good Greek food.
8. Sugi: in Greenbelt. Good but fairly expensive Japanese food.
9. Dampa: this is in Paranaque, quite a ways away from everything. It’s a market place where you go buy whatever fresh fish you want (tuna, clams, oysters, whatever) and go next door and have them cook it up for you according to your specifications. Cheap and AWESOME.
10. Taho: they sell this on the street. It is soy with brown sugar syrup and tapioca.  It’s my fave. They also sell a cleaner version in the malls.

This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December 2008 before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.

Streets of Manila, originally uploaded by wili_hybrid.

Manila, my birth place, is where we plan to spend a good chunk of time.  I haven’t been back in over 20 years, and haven’t seen my maternal grandfather in over a decade.  By now, I’m sure there will have been many happy tears shed and many perusing of photographs on both sides.

For the most part, we’ll be acquiescing to my grandfather’s tourist agenda for us and scheduling in as much quality time with my extended family between now and New Year’s Day.

A number of friends from around the world have also been emailing me with what to do while we’re in the Philippines.  Some have been goldmines of info, and the zeal with which they impart travel advice makes it apparent how much they love this country, no matter where they live now.  One friend in particular, Cheryll, had this outstanding list about spending Christmas in Manila:

Christmas at the Pen, originally uploaded by marky!!.

Since I have spent my life in the Philippines until I moved here in 2007, here’s my take on Pinoy Christmas:

1. Please don’t ever ever miss eating puto bumbong and bibingka if you will be attending the dawn mass. They should be in a lot of street corners during that time of the year as well. If it’s too street food-y for you, you can always go to a restaurant called Via Mare where these items are served…though the street-bought puto bumbong and bibingka are the best!
2. If you’re into shopping, there are a lot of bazaars running in December and of course, there’s shopping in Greenhills.  A lot of good cheap stuff…only if you can brave the crowds.
3. In Makati City, Greenbelt and the Fort are the places to go. Almost all the big designer brands have stores there. There should be weekly fireworks displays happening in these places too.
4. In Mandaluyong City, there’s this street called Policarpio street that is visited by hordes of people every year just to see their christmas light display.
5. Fort Santiago and Intramuros are tourist spots that are good to see too. Old World (Spanish) charm.
6. One good Pinoy food experience is going to Kamay-Kainan or Barrio Fiesta for authentic Filipino dishes. There will even be groups of pinoy singers and dancers who will serenade you while you eat, if you don’t mind the distraction.
7. Enjoy the seafood in the Philippines!
8. Enjoy the street food: fishballs, squidballs, quikiam, balut and penoy.  Mmm…I miss them all!