FRIDAY FOODFEST: chicharonsilog from tapsi ni vivian

originally, this friday foodfest should be a feature on my trip down the streets of manila, particularly the various food trips in the quiapo and divisoria area. until something happened.

last weekend, san jose seminary had its family day. as the one assigned for the prizes for the afternoon program, i scheduled a trip to divisoria together with my committee members and two of my classmates. one of my classmates agreed to drive for us, on the condition that we eat at mamonluk's after shopping. i gladly obliged, since i like mamonluk's too. in his words, mapanghi pero masarap.

however, with one of our companions having to rush back to the seminary for counseling as well as the amount of time we spent shopping for prizes, we had to go somewhere else. after bringing people back to san jose, my classmate and i started thinking where to eat as we have been starving throughout the trip. several suggestions came out, like chic-boy (which i will review very soon), mang jimmy's (another food trip worth reviewing), kowloon house, etc. after making the u-turn in front of miriam college, he suddenly thought of going to a place "that we'll surely like." we ended up along gil fernando avenue in marikina, in a place called "tapsi ni vivian."

chicharonsilog = sinful

what caught my attention in this place was not much of the ambiance (very clean, open-air, non-airconditioned hall) nor the price (php 100 for a meal is good enough), but the hefty servings they give for traditional carinderia food like lechon kawali, liempo, tapa, dinuguan, etc. but what struck me the most was the chicharonsilog: deep fried pork intestines (isaw) and fried rice topped with sunny side-up egg. damn, writing this entry is already making me hungry!

FRIDAY FOODFEST: theo 275 goes to laguna

last august 19, our philippine church history class went on a tour to the different churches in the laguna de bay area. it was an interesting tour as our guide, fr. gabby delfino, helped us see aspects of philippine church history vis-a-vis pastoral considerations today, especially in parochial life.

 in the midst of church historians

besides going on a road trip on a long weekend, this trip primarily served as a supplement to our philipine church history classes. fr. gabby, who holds a licentiate in church history, made interesting references to some of the things we learned in our church history lessons (like laguna de bay as a route for transporting goods during the galleon trade, geographical considerations in evangelization, the presence of franciscans and augustinians in the laguna area, the effect of franciscan mindset with the people of laguna, etc.). it was also nice to look at ecclesiastical art, from church architecture and wood carvings from paete to the catechetical artworks inside the churches.

 are those bishops burning in hell? tsk tsk tsk!

but this is not a church history entry. this is friday foodfest!

of course, road trips will not be complete without gastronomical experiences in that area. as one of my principles in travel goes, i prefer to eat in a place where i can truly experience its culture rather than a convenient fastfood chain that can be seen in my own place. let us try to look at some of the delicacies that the wonderful province of laguna has to offer.

FRIDAY FOODFEST: scenes from the world food expo 2011

last friday, i went to world trade center in manila to attend the country's biggest and most effective food show: world food expo 2011!

this four day event held last 3-6 august 2011 aimed at bringing buyers and sellers to a wide display of products and services in two locations: world trade center and smx convention center. though i might not be even fit to be qualified as a food expert, but as a consumer myself, i found this exhibit an interesting spectacle of free samples and discounted products. simply put, i was there for the "food trip." hahaha!

going around the booths was a treat in itself. i first came across a food booth showcasing egg whites and yolks preserved in tetra packs. obviously i did not purchase the product but ended up buying a liter of apple juice for just php 50! various food samples like cracker nuts, cookies, cheese, fried snacks, angry birds-themed cupcakes, juices and other drinks, canned goods made from crocodile meat, special milk for dogs, and roasted beef gave me an enticing gastronomical experience for the afternoon. unfortunately, i have a schedule in the seminary for the evening so i was not able to go to smx for the other half of the expo. sayang!

overall, it was a unique experience for me to go to expos like this. i've been to car shows and computer expos in the past, but this is my first time to come over a food expo. hope to visit more food expos soon!


special thanks (again) to vea for the free invite to this event!

FRIDAY FOODFEST: the chokeslam from zark's burger

i have always been a fan of burgers. since my childhood days, the big mac has remained a fascination to me despite its decreasing size lately. i have tried burgers from here and there - from cheap thrills like burger machine's double bartburger (because it's buy-one-take-one) to in-and-out burger's 4x4 and animal style (oh i miss san francisco). personally, i consider the "big d" burger of dayrit's as my favorite burger of all time. as sinful as they can be, burgers are part of my "to avoid" list in my dietary regimen. but sometimes i can throw that away and just indulge in such a treat.

two weeks ago, i went to this burger place along taft avenue (across la salle... yes, you read it right. the "L" word) named zark's burger. vea has been telling me about their burgers as well as the "jawbreaker" and "chokeslam" challenges (like finishing the burger and fries according to a particular time-limit), and i was raring to give it a try. though i already lost four kilos since the start of san jose seminary's biggest loser challenge, i decided to give in to this side of the challenge - on the "green" side of the playing court.

coming soon: FRIDAY FOODFEST

for sure, alam niyo na ang sagot ko pag inalok niyo ako ng "KAIN TAYO." hahahaha

starting next week, i will be launching a new segment here in PIBS (naks, parang tv show o sikat na blog lang ha! hahahaha) entitled FRIDAY FOODFEST.

i will be featuring something from my food trips and other gastronomical experiences every friday. more than just featuring food and places, i also hope to feature some dishes from around: maybe the seminary or at home. this is also a good chance for me to return to some of my food trip places during my seminary and regency days.

some of the things to watch out in this segment will be the "chokeslam" from my visit in zark's burger last week, a resident kmu specialty called "dinamita", and chicken charlie's, a personal favorite from my regency in xavier.

i do hope to make this a regular column in this "feeling sikat" blog. hahahaha!