Ble+ Real Greek Food: An enthusiast's review

I personally consider myself as a lover of food and not really a food critic. I just try out random restaurants based on hearsay, online posts and gut feel.

I am fortunate to be living near what people would call a foodie haven in BF Homes. There are too many restaurants to try out in this area, too many that I sometimes question my decision to buy a stove, grill, and fridge. With all these food places a tricycle away, there seems to be no need to cook at home.

So I decide to try out restaurants arounf the block from time to time. Here is one:

Blé is a Greek restaurant along El Grande Avenue, BF Homes Northwest. I came across this restaurant in Hole in the Wall in Makati, where they had a branch. Then I saw the sign at the counter that says "Visit our branch in BF Homes." I enjoyed their Souvlaki the first time I went so I decided to try out the BF Homes branch.

I suggested Blé as the meetup place with a college friend. Despite being based in the East, she obliged my offer. So she drove an hour and a half and me? I walked for 10 minutes to the restaurant.

Enough about the anecdotes and I will go review the restaurant based only on the food we tried out.

1. Mousaka (no picture) -- Among the dishes we tried out, this was my favorite. You can taste the flavorful eggplant, bechamel and cheese just with one bite. I loved this dish.

2. Spanakopita (Spinach Pie) -- Okay, for this one, I sort of wondered if this was a version of how they do spinach pies in Greece. Of course I cannot judge which version from among the spanakopitas I've tried is the most authentic, but this was the least memorable. The skin tasted a bit like those regular lumpia wrappers you buy in the market. Hey, I have nothing against lumpia wrappers, in fact I still believe that lumpiang shanghai is one of the best culinary contributions of our dear Chinese conquerors. But this is Greek food. I expected more from this dish.

3. Souvlaki -- This one I have already tried in Hole in the Wall in Makati. I loved the flavor of both the meat and the yogurt dressing. The only comment I have here is that this looked more like a kobideh kabab than a souvlaki. Like I said above, I am not here to judge the authenticity of the Greek food, but among all the souvlaki's I've tried, this is the only one that used ground meat. Taste was good though. 

4. Coffee -- Coffee was good. Period. I cannot say how Greek their coffee, but the aroma and flavor made me want a beach getaway. 

Overall, the Blexperience was good. Not to mention that it felt like we reserved the place since there were no one else in the restaurant. We went for lunch on a weekday so I figured that was the reason. 

I'm excited to try out the other restaurants in BF. This is just one of many posts about food in the area.

Here is Zomato's page about Blé. 

Ted's Bulletin

Finally I was able to dine at one of the famous all-day breakfast places in Washington, DC. Ted's Bulletin boasts its diner-style fare, complete with the delightfully sweet milkshakes and desserts. I loved their chocolate milkshake and fried steak.

Ted's

168/365

©JReyes

Morini @ The Yards

We made an accidental food stop in Morini Osteria in The Yards, SE Washington DC. We initially intended to eat Asian at Kruba for lunch. I always trusted Yelp to yelp me out in deciding a restaurant to try out, but this time, it failed to tell me the right hours for Kruba. Yelp says it is open from noon on Sundays, but then when we arrived it said that they open at 4pm. Even their suppliers of bean sprouts consulted yelp about their store hours as when we came by their door, there was a big bag of bean sprouts waiting at the step. :) So we tried looking for other open restaurants around. We then saw Morini Osteria along the harbor.

What seemed like a frustrating first trip at The Yards turned out to be a happy gastronomic adventure thanks to Morini. They were offering Restaurant Week that day, but we decided to try the regular menu. We tried the appetizer meats and cheeses (they offered 3 for $17 so we tried the Speck, smoked proschiutto, sopresatta and one cheese). The Speck was gee-double-o-dee good!

Appetizer platter

I got the Crab and Sea Urchin Bucatini in marinara sauce. Bubbles got the cheese ravioli. Both were satisfyingly good in taste. The only thing is that their pasta portions are relatively smaller than those of other Italian restaurants. In my amateurishly objective opinion, I would rate Morini a four out of five stars. :) 

Bucatini

139/365

25 January 2015

It was good that we ended up in Morini Osteria. :) 

Rasika: Elegant Indian Fare

The restaurant week winter edition is back! This time Bubbles was lucky to have been able to get a seat in the hottest Indian Restaurant in the Metro DC area, Rasika. It was our first time to visit the place because reservation in this restaurant has been eternally difficult. Normally it takes 2 weeks, sometimes a month to wait for your ideal time of the day.

They only had restaurant week menu this week, but their choices were actually wide with at least 5 selections of each course. Bubbles and I both chose Lamb Dishes as our main course.

The most memorable dish was the appetizer Calamari Karawari. Deep fried squid rings in semolina batter, with a side of delicious sauce. That for me is the best calamari I've had in the DC Metro Area.

The interior of Rasika is very elegant but still cultural, a vibe that accentuates your dining experience. Upon entering the main dining area from the door, there is a hallway that boasts its collection of wines and spices.

In my not-hard-to-please and inexperienced taste buds, I am giving the overall experience in Rasika 5 out of 5 stars. :) *

Rasika Wines and Spices

137/365

23 January 2015

©JReyes

*Note: I have not been commissioned nor been paid by Rasika to make this review. The review is of my own and cannot be used as reference to your dining experience. Cheers!

Chasin' Tails: Seafood and Crawfish delish

We tried out this highly rated (via Yelp) and recommended (by peers) New Orleans crawfish place in Southwest Arlington, VA called Chasin' Tails (along Westmoreland St, near I-66).

Overall experience was great. Food was greasily great, as expected from a southern creole Louisiana bayou food restaurant. We tried a pound of shrimp, crawfish, and snow crabs in what the called the "Oh Dang!" sauce, which is a combination of garlic, lemon, butter and cajun sauces. We also tried their fresh oysters, fried calamari, jambalaya, cajun fries and beignets (which were free after I checked into the restaurant using Yelp).

This is a highly recommended restaurant if you are in to get your hands wet and wild with the juicy goodness of the sauce-drenched pounds of seafood. Or if your appetite is not up for such an experience you could still try their deep fried goodies like the beignets or calamari, or the creole traditional greats like the jambalaya or gumbo. We only tried few but from the looks of the other dishes I can say that they are equally good.

I would compare this restaurant to Washington DC's Hot N' Juicy Crawfish. There is some flavor that makes Hot N' Juicy a better choice, however, considering overall experience, like convenience, parking, space of restaurant, and price, I think that is where Chasin' Tails edges Hot N' Juicy.

In my not so experienced point of view, I would give Chasin' Tails 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. :)

Oysterrific

Day 119

4 January 2015

Mazagan: the Pike's Moroccan

For our Anniversary dinner, wife and I decided to try out a neighborhood newbie, Mazagan Restaurant along Columbia Pike. It serves Moroccan food, with specialties like Kabobs, Tagines and the Meditteranean dips. Not to mention they have a designated area for hookah/shisha (we'lle try that one out next time). 

The place did not disappoint. Being new in town we did not expect much in terms of service and taste. We also have not been to Morocco to say that it's authentic. With the little knowledge we have of the food, we found it quite tasty and appealing. The Tagine sauce was tasty and the meat (we tried lamb) was soft and tender. I've had better kabobs in the Metro before so the kabob was so-so for me (but it was still not bad). We went on a Monday, which was incidentally a wine bottle half-off day. You can't go wrong with a $14 Cabernet in a fancy restaurant! 

With my little knowledge in good food, my personal rating overall for Mazagan would be a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Thanks Mazagan for giving us a taste of Morocco just a few miles away from home! 

Mazagan: the Pike's Moroccan

365-day challenge, Day 113

29 December 2014

©JReyes

Lamb Tagine

©JReyes

For the love of boxing... and food!

We hosted a fight night party to watch Manny Pacquiao slug it out with the young New Yorker Chris Algieri. What better way to celebrate a fight night than a feast of food and drinks. This time, we decided to give the menu a hint of "traditional" Filipino...

Special thanks to a nearby Filipino store, we were able to snatch a couple of bags of the street favorite Filipino fish ball, locally made by some Filipino folks in New Jersey. I then cooked the traditional sweet sauce from scratch. Just like that, all of us felt a taste of home... :)

And to top the night off, Pacquiao gets to retain his welterweight belt by overpowering Chris Algieri. Mabuhay ka Manny!

Fishballs

365-day challenge, Day 76

22 November 2014

©JReyes

The Fishball Gang

Ramen Fix

Sakuramen in Adam's Morgan in my opinion is the best ramen place in DC. It's a small lower-level restaurant along 18th Street of Adam's Morgan. Juancho loves this place too. It's the only noodle place where he actually gets to enjoy the noodles (he's able to finish half the bowl)!

I introduced Mom-mom to this ramen place last month. She loved it very much she asked to eat there again before she leaves for Manila. And so we went... Again... :)

Ramen Bites

365-day challenge, Day 47

24 October 2014

©JReyes

Chicken a la King

Mom-mom is about a week away from going back to Manila. But before she leaves, she pampers us by cooking food good for the next two or three weeks. She asks us for our favorites among her dishes and she willingly cooks them all before she gets set to go back home. One dish she prepared is Chicken a la King, one of my wife's favorites.

Thanks for the great food for the next week Mom-mom!!!

Chicken a la King

Day 44, 365-day challenge

21 October 2014

©JReyes

Day 26 -- Mayeen and Gelo

It's always good to see good friends from thousands of miles away. That's why when I know folks are in my side of town, I make sure I get to see them for at least lunch or dinner. If schedule permits, I get to take them to some places around town.

This day Gelo and Mayeen made DC one of their stopovers during their US tour. :) It was good to share hotdogs (my favorite Ben's Chili Bowl, fries, stories, and a few laughs together. Bonus was the 50-cent tour I gave them after the dinner. Not ot mention we had a good pictorial, too. :)

Thanks for the dinner slot folks! It was great catching up with you both! See you in Manila very soon!

Mayeen and Gelo
©JReyes
2 October 2014 

Day 25 -- Tablas

Welcomed the first day of October over a happy hour with tapas at Boqueria. Oooh those crunchy creamy croquetas...

That was to also celebrate my cousin's birthday in September. Happy Birthday Trish!

Tablas

©JReyes

1 October 2014

Day 21 -- The Gaucho

We gave Mom-mom the Brazilian treatment for her birthday. No, not that painful hair-loss regimen that until now I still cannot understand how ladies (and even gents) could put up with such torture in the name of vanity. Anyway, the Brazilian treatment I was referring to was the churrascaria style of serving meat in Fogo de Chao.

Happy Birthday, Mom-mom!

The Gaucho

©JReyes

27 September 2014

Day 18 -- Bon Mi

Another one of the LuWOW (Lunch Walk Out Wednesdays) series. We decided to go to Bon Mi, a sandwich, rice and noodle place inspired by the Vietnamese sandwich Banh Mi. I tried the Rice and Quinoa bowl with Roast Pork and Coconut Curry dressing. All I can say is you can never go wrong with pork. :)

Bon Mi Bowl

©JReyes

September 24, 2014

Day 11 - Boxed Goodness

My officemates and I have decided to go on a weekly lunch outside of the building. As a self-proclaimed group secretariat (whose function is to remind and recommend the venue of the weekly lunch out), I aptly baptized it to be called the Lunch Walk-out Wednesdays (LuWOW). :) So far we have done it for four consecutive weeks now.

This week, we went to Newton's Noodles along 20th Stree, which offers a "cook-while-you-wait" noodles with your choice of ingredients. They call their noodles the "Fuzu." Along with the ingredients you also get to choose the sauce between soy and coconut curry. On this day I chose to not think too much and decided to take on one of their pre-chosen Fuzus, called the Coco-Curry.

The noodle place was cozy and clean, and the food was actually good, contrary to Yelp comments. I'd give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. But due to the lack of choices for noodle places in the area, I might lower the bar and raise its score to 4.

Looking forward to the next LuWOW destinations in the coming Wednesdays.

This is my POTD for Day 11...

Boxed Goodness

©JReyes

September 17, 2014

365-day Challenge: Day 6 -- Kostas at Work

The fine combination of a Friday and a series of good news convinced me to treat myself to the trusty Greek Deli. According to my Greek friend, the Greek Deli is the closest I'll ever be to Greece in the comforts of busy life of Washington, DC. I've been here many times before and this place never fails to amaze me with the quantity and quality of food. I have not been to Greece to judge whether this is the closest to real Greek food, but among the Greek restaurants I have tried in the District, this may be the best, if not one of the best I've had.

I did not take the risk of trying something new this day, so I went with my traditional fix: Lamb Souvlaki Gyro (Sandwich) and a Side of Spanakopita (Spinach Pie). I was extra fortunate to have my lunch prepare by not other than the proprietor himself, Kostas Fostieris. 

Mr. Fostieris, you might not be able to read this post but just for the record, I want to say your food is FANTASTIC. From the sandwiches to the platters and sides. If you live in the district, please do visit this place. They're open and close early (7am-4pm) so plan your trip! And oh, apologies for the candid "while you work" shot!

Greek Deli DC - http://www.greekdelidc.com

Kostas at Work

©JReyes

12 September 2014

The smell only Filipinos can love

We were given an ample provision of dried fish from back home when we had our two-week vacation in October. We had Danggit, Squid, and Tuyo. I was hoping for a supply of anchovies, or dilis, but mom said they were out-of-stock in our local market. Dried fish has been an integral part of Filipino cuisine. Even if we are in far away countries, we still try our best to have supply of the dried stuff in our fridge, and enjoy them for breakfast, lunch or even dinner. Filipinos usually sneak in a few pounds of these dried fish and squid, cook them in places with very high ventilation and definitely away from the neighbors; or else firemen, or even policemen will come knocking at your door a few minutes after you start cooking.

Not all people smell the same. People have distinct smell depending on their places of origin, even if all people would wear the latest from Kenzo, Dolce and Gabbana, Paco Rabanne, or Brut. For example, no matter how they try, Americans would have the smell of milk. African Americans also have distinct smell. Same with Chinese, Koreans, and of course, Indians. Since we are islanders, people who smell us tell us that we Filipinos smell like fish. Not dried fish hopefully. This is primarily because of what we eat. We perspire what we eat, thus emitting the smell of our food. And it doesn’t smell too good if we work out after eating onions, garlic, and of course, dried fish… gwarrrrkkkk.

A couple of days ago we cooked the danggit that we took home from the Philippines. The danggit was soooo good, having that ultra crispy texture and salty taste. It was to die for. Our friend Aja stopped by to give us our pasalubongs from New York: no, not your traditional Yankees cap or “I heart NY” shirt, but rather two servings of Jolli-Spaghetti and 2-pc Chicken Joy from the Queens branch of the greatest Pinoy fastfood of all time, the fat funny, funky bee, Jollibee. We returned the favor by cooking dinner for her, with the best combination ever: Sinigang na Baboy and Danggit. If we were to be rated by Nigella Lawson or Ina Garten about our culinary combination, we’d be given a flat F-mark for that. But for us, it was the best. We had a hearty, plenty dinner, while leaving our kitchen, dining and living rooms heavily scented by the combination of the sinigang mix and the salty sensation of the danggit. Neither scented candle, nor Lysol can take the smell away. You need a few days for it to just be diffused into the outside air! But the heavenly taste of the danggit was all that mattered. It just gave us a portion of home. We were eating the danggit and sinigang as we listen to how John Lloyd implies that he and Shaina are now separated.

On Tuesday, I agreed that my lunch for the office is the dried squid. Bubbles woke up early that day to fry them, while I attend to my early-morning duties: sleep. I was awakened by that familiar smell, seeping through the tiny holes of our bedroom door. I thought the door was open because normally the smell of the food would not enter the bedroom. I underestimated the power of Pusit… That smell woke me up real fast, as I tried to extinguish the scent by spraying Lysol all over the place. And I was successful. I could smell both the dried squid and the Linen scent of Lysol at the same time. The freshener did not take out the smell, it just added another scent. Fantastic.

As Bubbles and I were walking to the doctor (she had gestational diabetes test this day), I smelled the familiar scent of home. I was nowhere near home but I could still smell that combination of linen and squid… Then, I realized: the smell stuck to my shirt and jacket! Luckily I was able to sneak into the office without meeting anyone or else somebody might have called the cops or fire brigade already. Knowing that the scent of the dried squid was overwhelmingly strong, I needed to do my fastest lunch break ever in our pantry. The squid is good and the smell, terrific. That is of course based on someone who was born and raised to tell that that scent was great. But for a modern American neighborhood, they would think otherwise. :) So I instantly finished my squid, washed the container and sprayed some alcohol and my tummy was satisfied. I won’t do the stunt again, in a few months again though. Probably during the summer so I can eat somewhere with proper ventilation. :)

Dried fish: it surely has that smell that only a Filipino could love. I would love to have a weekly fix of this delicious breakfast. I’ll make sure to also stack up on some fresheners just in case non-Filipino visitors come by (which is very seldom).

Ayos!

The Eastern Market

For food and "tiangge" lovers like Bubbles, one will surely enjoy the weekend flea markets of the Eastern Market in downtown washington DC. The Eastern Market is located just more than a mile away from the US Capitol. The Eastern Market proper is open daily, while the weekend markets are, obviously, open on weekends only.

Inside the Eastern Market, there are food stands where one can have his lunch, meryenda, or dinner. One of Bubbles' colleagues tipped that the Market's crabcake sandwich is a winner, so we immediately tried it out. And indeed, it was the best I tasted so far. I also tried their fried shrimps and fish and they were also good. The crab cake sandwich, though, was exceptional. We're definitely going back for more!

Indeed we did go back! When my good friend Jayvee came to Washington last week, we took him to Eastern Market to buy a crab cake sandwich to go so he could have a meal on his way back to his sister in New Jersey. In just a few minutes, he already texted me and provided rave reviews about the sandwich! He mentioned that he should have bought two sandwiches. It was the epitome of the Filipino term "bitin." :)

We'll go back to Eastern Market one of these days to shop for food that we can cook at home.

 A few pictures (taken using my BlackBerry Bold 9780):

Hat Sale

Posters, paintings, and all others artistic

The Happy Missus

Cheers!

The General Motors Diet - Second Try

I've done this diet before and it somehow worked for me even if I cheated on one of the days. On day two, I decided to categorize peanuts as vegetable so that it could maintain my sanity. I also categorized corn as a valuable vegetable so I ate as much. :) What happened? I lost around 4.7 pounds. Good thing I maintained the loss of weight. The first three days feel strange, but it felt good afterwards because you'll feel like you cleaned up your colon. The fourth day is extremely difficult, even if I am a fan of bananas and milk. Here's the diet plan below:

GM Diet Plan

During the first seven days you must abstain from all alcohol. You must drink 10 glasses of water each day on the GM Diet

Day One All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.


Day Two All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Day Four Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.

Day Five Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

Day Six Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.

Day Seven Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

Tomorrow morning from the GM Diet you will be 10-17 lbs. lighter than one week ago. If you desire further weight loss, repeat the program again. You may repeat this program as often as you like, however, it is suggested that you are allowed two glasses of white wine in addition to the instructions on the program. You may substitute champagne for white wine. Under no circumstances are you to drink any other alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer which is allowed. Any liquor (bourbon,vodka, rum) is forbidden.

Cream drinks are especially forbidden on the GM Diet. You may have an occasional cordial such as creme de menthe or schnapps, but you must always limit yourself to two drinks.

If you wine, drink only wine that day. If you have beer, drink only beer that day, etc. Alcohol adds empty calories to your diet. However, after the first week on the GM Diet it will help your digestion and settle your stomach.

GM Wonder Soup

The following soup is intended as a supplement to your GM Diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup.

28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavoring as desired.

GM Diet Additional Notes

Vegetables as may be taken in the form of a salad if desired. No dressing except malt, white or wine vinegar, squeezed lemon, garlic, herbs. No more than one tea spoon of oil on the GM Diet.

You have above a recipe for the wonder soup which can be eaten in unlimited quantities. This soup is a supplement while you are on the program and it should be a pleasure to eat. Not everyone likes cabbage, green peppers, celery etc. This recipe is not inflexible. You may substitute vegetables according to your taste. You may add any vegetables you like: asparagus, peas, corn, turnips, green beans, cauliflower, etc. Try to stay away from beans (lima, pinto, kidney, etc.), however, because they tend to be high in calories even though they are very good for you.

Beverages you may consume while on the GM Diet program :

1. Water (flavored with lemon/lime if desired).
2. Club Soda is OK.
3. Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness.
4. Black Tea = Herb or Leaf.
5. Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of day seven. No fruit juices before day seven.

How and Why the GM Diet Works

Day One – You are preparing your system for the upcoming program. Your only source of nutrition is fresh or canned fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything you could possibly want to sustain life except total balance and variety.

Day Two – Starts with a fix of complex carbohydrates coupled with an oil dose. This is taken in the morning for energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables which are virtually calorie free and provide essential nutrients and fibre.

Day Three – Eliminates the potato because you get your carbohydrates from the fruits. You system is now prepared to start burning excess pounds. You will still have cravings which should start to diminish by day four.

Day Four – Bananas, milk and soup sound the strangest and least desirable. You’re in for a surprise. You probably will not eat all the bananas allowed. But they are there for the potassium you have lost and the sodium you may have missed the past three days. You will notice a definite loss of desire for sweets. You will be surprised how easy this day will go.

Day Five – Beef and tomatoes. The beef is for iron and proteins, the tomatoes are for digestion and fibre. Lots and lots of water purifies your system. You should notice colorless urine today. Your allowance calls for the equivalent of five “quarter ponders”. Do not feel you have to eat all this beef. You must eat the six tomatoes.

Day Six – Similar to day five, Iron and proteins from beef, Vitamins and fibre from vegetables. By now your system is in a total weight loss inclination. There should be a noticeable difference in the way you look today, compared to day one.

Day Seven - Finished off the program like a good cigar used to finish off Victorian meals, except much healthier. You have your system under control and it should thank you for the flushing and cleaning you just gave it.

I sure hope I get better results this time. This time I have my personal nutritionist, my wife. :) 

I Survived! --Bale Dutung's Porky Treats - 8 January 2011

Before leaving for the US, Bubbles and I were fortunate to have been able to travel to a few places, including Boracay. One of the places we were lucky to have been given time was Bale Dutung in Angeles, Pampanga, home of the world-famous Filipino architect-turned-chef Claude Tayag.

Bale Dutung, whose name is Kapampangang for "Wooden House," is a famous Filipino restaurant in Pampanga. This is by-reservation basis only, so you need to call up Claude or Mary Ann Tayag to be able to eat here.

Bale Dutung was made more famous by Anthony Bourdain, who feature Claude Tayag, Pampanga, and this restaurant in his show "No Reservations." Thanks to Petite and Concep's rave reviews of the place when they ate here last year, we decided to spend one of the post-wedding weekends with Bubbles' and my family here at Bale Dutung. 

Bale Dutung has a very "homey," warm and cozy atmosphere. It feels like you're just in your very own dining table, eating with your beloved relatives. This is because the hosts, Claude and Maryann makes you feel at home at their very own house! Maryann personally welcomes guests, guides them to their seats, and personally gives them the welcome drinks juice with "muscovado ice." This hands-on treatment is part of the entire package. 

There are three menu options to choose from at Bale Dutung. First is the traditional Kapampangan menu, which showcases hit Pampanga delicacies like the sisig and kare-kare. Another is the Anthony Bourdain menu, where the guests get to experience the Filipino dishes that were eaten by Anthony Bourdain when Claude hosted him at Bale. The third and our chosen menu, is the tasty, porky, cholesterol-packed 5-ways Lechon menu. Diet and health worries are put on the sidelines for this menu, as we will be placed under a flavorful, delightful, happy lineup of porky food, all meat based on the traditional national food, Pork Lechon. 

What is Pork Lechon?!

Lechon, Litson, or Lichon, however way you want it spelled, is the juicy, tasty pork evenly roasted with flame or coal, by regularly turning over the pork using a long bamboo stick and putting seasoning on the skin to give it the right crisp. Lechon is the Philippines' national food and was branded by Anthony Bourdain as the world's greatest pig. 

The Lechon menu in Bale Dutung is a serving of 5 different ways of cooking lechon. The 5-ways lechon, plus a flurry of tasty appetizers and capped with native coffee and sweet native dessert, make up the Lechon menu. 

WARNING: This is not simply a lunch treat. This is an overall dining experience. The usual time spent for a Bale Dutung dining is around 4 hours, so if you're planning a job interview or an airport pickup after eating, forget it, you might miss it. And make sure the kids that you bring are also food enthusiasts, or better yet, ask them to bring their favorite PSP game just to make sure.

Starters

I haven't taken pictures of the first-ever appetizer served to us: crackers with 3 kinds dip. Just by eating this, I am already satisfied. But of course, this is just 2% of the experience. :) 

We started off with Pako salad. Pako is an edible type of fern famous for its uniquely tasty and juicy leaves. 

Afterwards, Maryann will introduce the Lumpiang Ubod sa Oriental Sauce appetizer. She branded this as one of her favorites because given that she's not much of a vegetable eater, Claude made sure that she would eat the lumpiang ubod even if it's all veggies inside. Lumpiang ubod is fried egg roll with vegetable and bamboo shoot fillings.

Maryann then served Chicken Inasal with Talangka Rice. And that is NOT part of the main course yet, despite it having a serving of rice. After this, I am already starting to get full. 

Chicken Inasal is an original Bacolod delicacy, but of course grilled food is a universal way of preparing food, so they adapted it and paired it with a Pampango-famous Talangka Rice (Crab fat Rice). 

We have not finished digesting the Chicken Inasal yet when Maryann got back to our place and gave us a briefing of the next delicious appetizer: Hito (Catfish) wrapped in balo-balo leaf. The taste was very good! This is another veggie-filled food that I appreciated. Like Maryann, I am not a big fan of veggies myself, but these veggies made me rethink my favorites.

The last of the starters is another adapted food from our Japanese brothers and sisters. They served the Talangka sushi, sushi, with a Filipinized flavor. They topped the usual tuna sushi (rice, nori, tuna) with crab fat, and the Japanese delicacy was never the same. Whew! Appetizer lineup is over! And now, the main dishes. 

5-Ways Lechon

Note: All of these 5 dishes are made from the original roasted pig, Lechon!

#1: The Lechon Tortilla

The Five ways lechon started with the Lechon tortilla, an adaptation of the Mexican dish. The big difference from the usual tortilla is that it is stuffed with the yummy roasted pork flakes! The Lechon was made into flakes, and made a little crunchier to make it fit for the tortilla dish. 

#2: The Lechon Sinigang

Pork Sinigang has been a favorite of every Filipino home. It competes with Adobo as the all-time favorite way of cooking pork in the Philippines. I am a self-confessed fan of my wife's sinigang! What if we turn some of the Lechon meat into sinigang? The answer is for you to figure out! As for me, I have experienced the sinigang zeal, the sinigang of sinigangs in Bale Dutung. 

Sinigang is the Filipino version of the Hot and Sour soup. It is a mixture of vegetables and pork cooked in either sampaloc, kamias, or tomatoes. If the Thais have their Tom Yum Soup, we have our very own Sinigang.

#3: Lechon Skin in Liver Sauce

Pork Lechon is famous for its tasty, ultra-crispy skin. As for the 5-ways lechon, this is my favorite part, where Claude gets to cut the Lechon's skin, and people just binge away! You can already feel the crispiness of the skin just by looking at how Claude easily cuts away the skin from the Lechon. Yum! How's your nape, buddy? :) 

The liver sauce makes the skin even tastier. This is our sweet version of the American Gravy. 

#4: Inihaw na Tadyang ng Lechon with Ensaladang Talong (Grilled Spareribs with Eggplant Salsa (?!))

There's no better way to eat the Lechon's ribs but to reheat it by grilling, partner it with the healthy eggplant ensalada. The contrast in flavor gives you the emphasis of both food, which will make you want some more. By this time, I am now full, but I just couldn't stop eating. One tip in this experience is the pacing. After all, this is a 4-hour lunch. 

#5: Sisig Lechon

The original Pampanga delicacy, the Pork Sisig is also one of the many favorite Filipino delights. People would go to Pampanga just to dine in karinderyas (eateries) with Sisig. Lechon sisig is the grand finale of the 5-ways lechon. 

As mentioned by Claude in his briefing of the 5th way, Sisig originated in Pampanga, but has been adapted by many Filipino races, and often substituted one ingredient from another. The original sisig offers chopped pork ears, skin, liver and meat filled with pork brain. In the absence of pork brain in some places, some Pinoys resort to using substitutes, like egg or mayonnaise. In Bale Dutung, Claude cooks the bare sisig lechon, and  you have the choice to make it authentic by applying pork brain filling, which I did! The sisig is never the same without the pork brain, but of course, this needs to be taken moderately. Attention, 50 years old and up. :)

Dessert

For dessert, Claude and Maryann served old-fashioned coffee, plus a plate of Paradiso, an original homemade dessert made of coconut, yam, egg and fresh milk. 

The 4-hour experience is capped with Claude and Maryann's tour of their house, which is located in the 2nd floor of the restaurant. Being an architect as his original profession, Claude applied his architectural expertise in designing a house that truly represents the Filipino culture. And his penchant for antique art gives his home more of the rustic atmosphere, relaxing inside out. 

Bale Dutung is truly a memorable experience for every person who gets to try it out. Anyone who loves food must try this out, not only for its good food, but because it gives our culture much more meaning, it reinvents the Filipino food character and brings it at par with the packaging of our Asian neighbors; With restaurants like Bale, we can aptly brag our hometown food, not just for its taste, but for its overall gastronomic value. 

Claude and Maryann Tayag, Mabuhay kayo! I pray that people like you who appreciate the value of Filipino food would spread around the nation, and if possible around the world. I hope that next time, a similar Bale Dutung will be put up in Cebu, Negros, Davao, Bohol, Ilocos, and many other places! 

I also hope that Filipinos put up decent-looking Filipino-delicacy stores around the world. Ahem, Virginia! 

Some photos of the 5-ways lechon survivors*: 

*All photos taken with Canon Powershot A590is

Quinito: Yummy!

The Apostol Ladies

Claude with the Lechoneros

Senior Survivor: He Gets to take home the shirt

The Ultimate Survivors

The Reyeses

The Acostas

Joaquin and Dondon

The Newlyweds with Claude

Bub and Pet with Claude and Maryann

The Duloses with Claude and Maryann

Autograph signing with Mommy Es