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May I be allowed to hit my chest and proclaim that no one can beat my mother’s adobo. And apart from adobo, its specialties include swam corn, bulanglang, lagat paro with kamias, butul butul babi with bule (beans) baluga. All of these were my favorites. My mother, Apung Batik, as she was known all over town, owned a carinderia in the Porac market and counted even the town’s wealthy families as clients. His friends, relatives and clients can vouch for what I have said. The best of Ima ko. Until today, I miss her cooking terribly. And whenever I thought I could smell the aroma of her food, I couldn’t help but swallow my mouth and pursed my lips. Now, the adobo controversy. Why now the controversy over how to prepare and cook the adobo when it is declared the pambansang ulam?
Let’s talk more about food. Here in Pampanga, especially Angeles City, there has been a drastic change in the culinary habits of many Capampangans. Before, only the top crust made trips to high-end restaurants. In my teenage years, there was the Blue Ribbon Steak House in the basement of the Marlim Mansion Hotel and the Jack’s in the same building. Of course, there was the Maranao of Oasis hotel which, until today, is well attended. There are few others. C closed its doors a few years ago when the late Chef Cris moved to Manila, but returned to the management of the Royce Hotel and opened an Italian restaurant under his name, Amare by Chef Chris. Another Italian restaurant not to be missed is Danilo Giampolo’s Picolo Padre on the ground floor of the Prime Asia Hotel. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, it will close temporarily and the reopening is set to last for another one or two years, according to Aida, the Filipino wife of Dan from Masbate.
In the early years there was Everybody’s of the Santos which was a destination restaurant for most travelers. (I remember the late Ka Blas F. Ople who made periodic trips to San Fernando for paksing bangus and adobong Kamaro). Now, in Clark Freeport alone, there is Binulo managed by Maricar Angeles and the Matam-ih owned by the former mayor of Capas, TJ Rodriguez. And for foodies, try Deli which is located opposite the Widus Casino. Cafe Mesa attracts those who like to watch leggy waitresses who are hot like my steaming sumiyaki.
Outside of Clark Freeport, Korean and Japanese restaurants have mushroomed. During lunch and dinner hours, you are most likely to be stuck in traffic with customers entering and exiting the Friendship Highway where most of the restaurants are located. Halla is the pioneering Korean restaurant on this strip. And now there is Anmyundo, Bongganae, Jungs Ktichen, Jungwon, Guyiga and many more that make Korean food affordable for the most part with their unlimited sangyupsal.
Le Fortune is still the number one Chinese restaurant. Too bad William Kwong’s Shanghai restaurant has ceased operations. The same goes for Beijing by the late Ramon Tang. Lately, SM Clark, inspired by the high spending of locals and the influx of Korean tourists, lined up several restaurants. Besides traditional dishes like Max’s, Gerry’s Grill, Mang Inasal, Susie’s Cuisine and Ikabud among others, there are now fuzion restaurants offering Lebanese, Japanese and Italian dishes.
There is no longer any reason for Capampangans and their guests to go home for lunch or serve dinner at home, even if it’s your birthday or wedding anniversary. A word of advice: if you have a small capital and you think you are entrepreneurial, set up a restaurant offering different types of adobo cuisine.
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