IN RETROSPECT: "NO RESERVATIONS: PHILIPPINES"

Like many other Filipino Americans, I was absolutely looking forward to checking out Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations show this past Monday as he finally featured The Philippines. Chef Bourdain has had his share of Asian cuisine having been to many nations in East, South, Central, and Southeast Asia. As long as the show has been in existence, however, he had never been to The Philippines... until now.

I couldn't help but notice all the East Coasters posting their blips about the show on Facebook three hours before the show aired Pacific time. I tried not to pay attention to all the status updates that people were posting since I wanted to have an untainted opportunity to take in the show, and see what it had to offer. I loved how everyone was talking about Bourdain's love for Philippine lechon. Being the pork lover that he is, I took much pride in the fact that he called Philippine lechon the "best ever."

For me, though, it wasn't the lechon that really sold me. Don't get me wrong, I love me a nicely roasted pig. However, I was more appreciative of the attention the show brought to the less popular aspects of Philippine cuisine.

First of all, I'm glad that they featured the Philippine dampa. The dampa is more than your run-of-the-mill palengke (market). A typical dampa is a place where vegetables and meats can be purchased. But the specialty here is the seafood. Unlike some palengkes where seafood is kept in ice, a dampa will sell only fresh catch, keeping the fish, shrimps, crabs, and other items alive and "wet" (hence the name, "dampa"). The extra-special feature here is that you can take what you've bought, and bring it over to one of the on-site restaurants to be cooked in the way that you want: adobo, sinigang, pinakbet, binagoongan, etc. It's very similar to the wharf in Long Beach, or the spot in Redondo Beach, where you can buy fresh seafood, then have it cooked any way you like. The next time you find yourself in Manila, hit up a dampa. You will not be disappointed.

Dampa in Paranaque

Secondly, I am glad that Bourdain featured the cuisine of the province of Pampanga. I would've preferred that he featured Ilocano cuisine (gotta love my roots!), but Pampangueno cusine is equally amazing. And there are many similarities between Pampangueno and Ilocano fare. One of the most ingenious contributions of Pampanguenos to Philippine cuisine is sisig. I must admit that for many years, I was absolutely petrified to even think about eating sisig. Literally meaning "to snack on something sour," sisig is generally a dish made from parts of a pig’s head and liver, and is usually seasoned with kalamansi and chili peppers. It's a mish-mosh of spicy-salty-sour-sweet flavors, and is generally served as pulutan, or snack food that is served alongside alcohol. I've only had sisig in the States, and I honestly believe that it is made of regular pork meat here. I'm not sure if I can stomach to have the real thing back in the Motha'land, but maybe with a few swigs of Tanduay, I just might be able to handle it.

I'm also quite surprised that they featured pinapaitan, which is a stew generally made with baka (beef), tripe, and bile (among other things). The dish is Ilocano in origin, and is very popular in the northern (Ilocano) region of the country. It has gained popularity in other provinces where Ilocanos have migrated to and made a place for themselves (such as Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija). But the Pampanguenos have adopted it as well, and they featured the dish, made with goat meat, on the show. To my surprise, Bourdain enjoyed it! There's definitely an acquired taste to it, and growing up I hated it. But as I got older, it became one of those dishes that I truly craved. When I'm home for the holidays, it's one of mom's/dad's dishes that I look forward to having.

Pinapaitan

On his blog, Chef Bourdain discussed how he was afraid of disappointing Filipino viewers because there was no way he could cover the diversity of the country's cuisine in the span of 45 minutes. To truly capture the diversity of Philippine cuisine, you'd need a series of shows to even come close to covering as much as possible. And there really is a lot to share -- from other Ilocano dishes like dinengdeng and pinakbet, to Bicol Express, to Mindanao's version of adobo --made with coconut milk. There is a plethora of flavors in Philippine cuisine that even the typical Filipino American has yet to explore.

I know that I've barely scratched the surface.

(Photos from du-musings.blogspot.com, manalang.com, & overseaspinoycooking.blogspot.com respectively)