The Good Fork, Found!

There are discoveries you want to keep all for yourself because if everybody knew about it, then gets interested with it, you feel robbed of your comfort places. It becomes mainstream until the once quiet place with relaxing ambiance becomes just a regular hangout for everyone else. Nonetheless, my business is likely not the owner's and I decide to share this find anyway as show of support to keep the restaurant open "FOREVER".

The alley leading to the barely visible La Bouna Forchetta restaurant.

It is a hideaway. It literally is.
A secret known only for those chasing after the unknown. A find only those who labor looking are rewarded with. Thanks to Laagholic. Her buyog instincts led us to the restaurant. Acacia Street in Kamputhaw is rather long, however, if you keep walking --- at the cul-de-sac (where the road ends) resides La Bouna Forchetta Da Paolo.

Without the glowing signage at the gate, it is nearly impossible to find the restaurant. Outside, it looks like a vintage home under a canopy of tree branches. The house is combination of concrete, glass and wood elements. Although it feels like trespassing, a waitress actually opens the door and welcomes you in like an expected guest. It is very spacious inside and the wooden chairs and tables can be rearranged to set up long tables retrospective of Jose Rizal era where big high profile Spanish families dine together but it can be setup for guests of two if you needed some privacy, isolation, or a feel of romance.

We settled on a spot near the glass wall where the faint bustling sound of the insects tapping outside the window is audible. It must be the burning lamp on our table and the heat it exuded that attracted them to huddle close. We didn't mind. They were a pleasant disturbance from the plain darkness outside that night. Sensing that we needed to get busy or we'll just be hanging out, the waitress approached us with their laminated menu. I found myself silently guessing and imagining the looks and taste of the dishes in Italian names but couldn't figure them out so I asked for the house specialties. They endorsed Salsiccia e Funghi Pizza and their seafood pasta. Buyog wanted to try arugula topping on pizza and the waitress gladly accommodated the request to halve the pizza flavors.

Buyog, the Explorer!

Focaccia, their complimentary pastry.

Insalata Caprese, mozarella on tomato.

We also ordered their antipasti so we could start off on something while we wait for the pizza and spaghetti to be served. Unknown to us was their complimentary thin focaccia crispies. We nibbled on it, very delighted about the herby treat. Then came Insalata Caprese ( an italian salad consisting of tomato and fresh mozarella cheese ) which was paired with focaccia bread. The mozarella which tastes neutral paired well with the sour-sweet taste of tomato. I had trouble knowing how to eat it with the pastries. I decided I'd top it on the biscuit or the bread but the flakes fell off and I got embarassingly messy that I ended up eating them separately. Needless to say, it was "delizioso". That was a plateful of fresh yummy ingredients.

Alla Dino Seafood Pasta

Halfway through the antipasti came their seafood pasta mixed with olive oil. Cooked al dente, the pasta was inexplicably tasteful. I go nuts over it like I did with most pasta sauted in olive oil. This was very redolent of Dong Juan's Gambas Aglio Olio but tastes even better. Mind-boggling to me is the manner their squid meat tasted. Its texture was somewhere between fresh and rotten (without the smell) that it could have been lobster or crab meat. I was over the moon as the salt, butter/oil, herbs, prawns, mussels, squid and fresh tomato blended to create that oddly glorious flavor. I am literally salivating at the thought of this.

Lastly, we had the pizza served. True to customer specifications, they delivered it in two flavors. One topped with the arugula herbs and the other with sausage and funghi cuts. Of course, the cheese! As a pizza maker myself, capsicum and onions were always a necessary topping. This defied my stereotype. I did not see capsicum on it. The pizza was mildly hot when I bit it and "lala-la-lala" it was like honey on my tongue and "symphony to my ears"  ---- except arugula. While others describe arugula's taste as "peppery", "like mustard", "oompphh flavor" -- still others say it tastes like "soap" (hahaha). If you are the type that picks the capsicum toppings, you will do the same (with disgust) for arugula. The flavor is so strong but chefs and food lovers whose taste bud looks for adventures certainly marvel on its use. It is mostly mixed in green salads. Personally I think it was distasteful, too -- only in the beginning -- but the more I took in, the more my palate became accustomed to it. It is the type that belongs to "acquired taste" as some would describe. We finished with a glass of red wine.

As far as I am concerned, everything was delightful as it was educational. Nowadays, food tastes pretty much the same. Lechon, steak, liempo, humba.. they are available almost everywhere - the same pork meat cooked differently. The arugula, despite it's freakin' strong taste, was key to understanding that there is a lot more beyond the usual flavors.

That's focaccia between me and my bubeh... 

I've gone back since my first --- with Kris this time. And like the first visit, the waitresses are still the same giddy fellas. They were courteous to the formal customers but they were ecstatic to the crazy ones. We had fun talking with them about the Mona Lisa painting and the frowning portrait hung on the wall, and then about Manny Pacquaio and life in general. I still have the same good things to say about the food (meaning they cook consistently) and I got to share it with my baby who mused at every bite. Our conversation were like "uuhhms" and "ohhhs", "nomnom", "namnam", "chompchomp", -- JUST WOW!

After the "ohhhs" and "uhhmmss". Just WOW!

La Bouna Forchetta da Paolo, they say was originally located along Jones Avenue beside Angelica's bakeshoppe but they have since transferred to the new location for quite a number of years now. I was tipped that the food are now being prepared by Filipino chefs who took first hand training from the original Italian chef. True or not, I care less. The food sold for itself. It is raking 4 to perfect 5-star ratings in TripAdvisor. You shan't miss.

Wallet Watch: P874 each ( 2 pax )

La Bouna Forchetta de Paolo
ADVENT BUSINESS CENTER
139 Acacia St. Kamputhaw, Cebu City, Cebu City
https://www.facebook.com/labuonarestaurant/timeline

Third at the Kuizine

You've probably only known Jo's Chicken Inato and Jollibee across The STRIP in Osmena Blvd but what you are unfamiliar of are the nearby small dining hole-in-the-walls. One of which is Kuizine. There is nothing aesthetically fancy about the restaurant except their brand that is sophisticated and painted or glued like a wallpaper. I have to be honest that I, like most, have glanced, once or twice, then just walked past it many times before, except one time when I and Laagholic ran out of new finds around Capitol site.

We entered the restaurant with a little hesitation fearing that we might be disappointed because there were no other customers besides us. We sat at the corner thinking and browsing through the pages of the menu slid in plastic page holders. I am always uncomfortable at the slightest sense of pressure which is why i dislike waiting attendants standing at the back. I think it is really self-induced. I understand that it is part of their job but my melancholy always gets the best of me. I overthink and sometimes, even assume their thoughts. In order to free them from getting irritated by slow customers like us and also save myself from "overthinking", I engaged them into a chat, went straight for that one question that narrows choices down to just 1 or 2 ---- "What are your bestsellers here?" It works 90% each time I visit a restaurant for the first time. The very patient waitress said: Tinabal and Baby Back Ribs.

Baby Back Ribs is the younger generations' pop choice. And because I am young (not lying), i took that while my friend ordered tinabal. A few minutes passed and the orders came one after the other.

Tinabal is famous in Philippines' Visayas region, particularly in Leyte. This is no easy cooking because preparing it involves a delicate process and not to mention hours of waiting. Parrot fish is scaled, eviscerated, split (maybe deboned too) and soaked in brine solution for 2 hours. Afterwhich, it is removed from the solution, re-salted, and then put in a plastic pail for 24 hours. Remove the fish and dry by patting salt onto it again. Ferment by storing it in room temperature for 1 or 2 weeks.

I wonder how they do it in restaurants when orders keep coming in. Perhaps they ferment several kilos of fish ahead of time to make sure they wouldn't run out of stocks.

I couldn't, for certain, say that Kuizine's version resembles the authentic ones but even if it didn't I would still say with much delight that theirs did not run short of "wows" and "oohs" from us. I particularly like how the fermented fish was cooked such that the outer layer is crisp while the inside was still juicy and tender. The presentation of the dish looked well thought off. The color was festive and vibrant. It was salty but I guess it wouldn't be tinabal if it wasn't marinated in salt. Sauteed tomatoes, ginger, onion, and garlic gave it superb flavor. It was very evocative of my dad's cooking except that his version used sun-dried salted fish.

Baby back ribs, on the other hand, has invaded Cebu quite vastly. It is spelled in bold and sometimes italics in almost every restaurant. It has gone too mainstream such that they almost just taste alike. Kuizine's version certainly has joined the awesome band wagon and sits well in it.

For me, however, tinabal definiteIy makes Kuizine distinctive. And I will remember their chef and crew for serving that indisputable delicious treat.

First visit: with Laagholic

Second visit: with my Baby

Third visit: with tinabal (solo)

I've come face to face with that parrot fish (tinabal) thrice this year: first with Laagholic, second with my baby, and the latest, by myself. Each time, meaningful: laughter, love, reflection. The last being introspective and spiritually boosting. Other than Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 37:4 (scriptural verses on flower pots), I caught sight of a wall piece that read:

I left thinking when my 4th will be. Just crazy!!

Kuizine's owners are from Leyte and they also sell their homemade "Bahalina" - the type that could take down "sukang Pinakurat" (which now sadly tastes very commercial).

Wallet Watch: P165 to P250

Kuizine
The Art of Comfort Food
Centero Arcade, The Boulevard Complex,
Osmena Blvd, Capitol, Cebu City

Tel. No. 2544640

The Escape to Palanas

Quiet, private, tall trees, mountain views, a swimming pool or a beach, fresh breeze, food, and comfortable accommodation -- my elements of a perfect escape. Once in a while the urge to separate from urbanity becomes a necessity for a working person. Overworking can be stressful and science concludes legitimate translation of stress to physical exhaustion and fatigue. If not dealt with, it can potentially lead to more chronic issues such as ulcers and other physical diseases.

I have an unspoken bias and liking for the eastern part of southern Cebu for many reasons. Firstly, it is my regular route back to Dumaguete (my hometown) on land. Secondly, travel spots are everywhere in the south. You have places like, Carcar (famous for lechon, chicharon,  and old Spanish houses), Argao (famous for Torta), Alcoy (stretch of white sand beaches), Dalaguete (more beach resorts and Osmena Peak), Boljoon (home of the old Spanish church and Ilihan Rock), and Oslob (swimming with the whalesharks). And just as I thought I have been to this part of Cebu enough, there are always new finds that trigger your travelling feet.

One time, I passed by a sign that took my attention. It read "Palanas: Farm and Mountain Resort". I looked it up in the internet and the pictures were enticing. I knew I had to be there so when the opportunity came, I took it without hesitation. My friends were enumerating options about where to go for a summer getaway south of Cebu. I injected Palanas and I was secretly happy they voted for it, too.

Ready with my 1.5 kg Carcar lechon and a knapsack of personal travel necessities, I traveled ahead to Boljoon. While waiting for my friends to arrive, I took snapshots of the old church then sat on a chair under the tree shade watching tourists come and go. As soon as my friends arrived, we looked for an eatery where they feasted on the lechon I brought from Carcar. Right before riding the motorcycle to the farm, we bought a kilo of fish, squid, and some spices from Boljoon Market.

The ride up to Palanas was priced by the locals at P100 per motorcycle but my friend decided to pay P120 and took 2 for all three of us. It was about 20 to 25 minutes ride up the mountain passing through a provincial rode that was sometimes really close to cliff edges that had no railings and should the motorcycle collide with another, it could literally send you hanging by the edge. Some sporadic pine trees were great consolations along the road and as much as the view beyond the cliff were awesome, I dared not stare too long because my imagination goes all over the place in the absence of protective railings.

Finally, we arrived. A tall steel gate was the entrance to the resort. It was already 4PM and everything inside were teeming with greens. Hanging vines, exotic plants, white-petaled gumamelas, tall labeled trees, subtitled with a common name or a scientific name. It felt like going into an educational tour back in the days.

We were escorted to our accommodation. After leaving personal belongings, we toured the roof deck. Right where the stairs end at the top showcase the mini bar / kitchen. You don't have any idea what kitchens do to me. I went nuts and my happy cells bounced excitedly while wearing a regular expression. My friends stood at the open roof scanning the surrounding mountain backdrops with "wows" and "oohhhs". I blurted my share too but it was first upon hearing Kris (the receptionist) say "THE KITCHEN IS ALL FOR YOURSELF because you are our only guests sleeping in this building for the evening". "Whooa" beat that! Looking at our spice inventory, I said, "I may need some salt, some pepper, and lemon grass. Do you have these items for sale?" She paused, then said, "I think I can get those to you for free." "How about cooking utensils, frying pan, laddle, a stove, gas, plates, forks and spoons?", I went on asking. She said, "I can get you those too. And do you need a rice cooker?" Nah.. my jaw dropped to the ground. She was willing to provide all items I needed.
=== !!! may i pause for a somersault !!! ===  She lent me their rice cooker!! Other than the kitchen, she explained that we will be charged an hourly rate of P100 for every hour we consume using the karaoke device. My, my, my.... did you just give me two of my favorite pastimes? Any last hint of sanguine tendencies in me went alive.

That night I cooked for us Fish tinola, lumayagan (squid sauteed in onion and garlic), and fried fish. There was nothing better than dining on a roof deck, just you and companions, eating sumptuous dish, under shining stars and bright moonlight. The mountains hid behind pitch-dark backdrops and silence was gently broken by turkey gobbles and insect buzzes. I grew fond of one strange bug that didn't budge even when I went too near to take my sharpest photo.

After dinner, loud karaoke started. A clan in reunion were also doing their runs and rifts at a nearby function hall a few meters away from our building. You are kilometers above sea level! What do you expect? So we sang as loud as we could not minding the neighbors a hill away. I hope no animals or fouls died after we have disturbed them on their sleeping hours. When we could no longer sound a note due to exhaustion, we lounged on a swinging canopy bench directly staring at the moon glowing at the wide black expanse until my companions dozed off to sleep. I was drawn to the glorious moon and so I took snapshots of it. Sadly, none registered sharply.

After a while, we settled onto our respective beds. A white butterfly I saw fluttering on the hallway followed me to bed.

The next day, I woke up early to fix us breakfast: bulad (dry salted fish), egg omelet with lots of tomatoes, fried rice and what was left of our food the night before. We ate until we were satisfied and ready for a walk in a park.. uhmmm .. i mean "ZOO". Palanas has a mini zoo. A steel gate facing our steel gate exit was Palanas mini zoo. It's time we met with the gobbling turkeys, grunting ostriches, wild colorful fowls, cat-fox, tortoise, bleating sheeps and lambs, cows, python, and monkeys. The low hanging trees also had us climbing and of course a picture with the lone aircraft inside the forest. How in the world did it get there?

Lest we start liking the zoo life too much, we headed outside and then back inside the main farm to stroll along their fish ponds. And if the ponds were too murky to spot a fish, there are the glass aquariums. The swimming tilapia just had to be fried butterfly tilapia for lunch. While waiting for the food to be served at the roof deck, we settled for a dip in the pool which later became swimming, and then water sliding. I had the most fun since I was late to get off the pool. Surprisingly, in a very remote location, these pools were well maintained. The water was very clean despite the growing trees around it.

Finally, lunch. We were very quiet. Although unspoken, but it was sad leaving Palanas too soon. If there was only a way of storing fresh air, I would have already hoarded a lot so I could share it while sitting in a jeepney along Escario and Capitol Streets.

There was not too many spots in the vicinity that had access to Sun network but we were lucky to catch one enough to call the motorcycle driver in Boljoon market to fetch us from the resort. We bid goodbye to the crew and said we will return someday.

On the way back, Ilihan Rock and the surrounding coasts in Boljoon were pronounced and clear at certain curbs on the way back to lowland. Our driver suggested we stop to take photos just like the foreign tourists usually do. And we did. We also stopped to take a look at the old and ruined watch tower across the highway before going to Boljoon church, eat tempura and drank a plastic of orange juice. Now that was the conclusion I needed. Not the bus ride that followed..

Tip: When you are coming from the south and you need to head out to Cebu City late in the afternoon, do not be too picky and proud. Catch the first bus that stops... be it regular or air-conditioned as long as it has vacant seats. Believe me, standing the whole trip through even on an air-conditioned bus over an approximately 3-hour period is not at all pleasant.


Wallet Watch: approximately P1,500 (common expenses shared by 3 pax)

Trip Stops:

Cebu South Bus Terminal - Boljoon Market (via Bus)
Boljoon Market - Palanas Farm and Resort (via motorcycle / habal-habal)
Palanas Farm and Resort - Boljoon Church Bus Stop (via motorcycle / habal-habal)
Boljoon Church - Cebu South Bus Terminal (via Bus)

Palanas Farm and Mountain Resort
http://www.palanascebu.com/
Pondohan, Upper Becerril,
6024 Boljoon, Cebu, Philippines
Mobile   : 0922-8178598
Tel. No. : (63-32) 231-2727, (63-32) 514-2517, (63-32) 520-5641

I "Heart" Lettuce Wraps

Some memories stick like glue in the mind. If it was a good one, you'd certainly want to repeat the same at least one time more. That first lettuce wrap dining experience definitely got me hooked such that even after several months have passed, I still drool over the thought of literally drooling at each mouthful of meat and spice filled lettuce. Not to mention wetting hands while folding the leaves to keep the fillings intact.

That first time was in Pearl (Korean Meatshop and Restaurant) right across Jo's Chicken Inato in Osmena Blvd., a few blocks away from Cebu Capitol. This time, Laagholic Bee, famous for her controversial blog (pun intended) More than Just Love in Loveland, succumbed to a sporadic and random invite to Gaisano Country Mall for lunch. Initially, we thought of the Japanese restaurant but somehow the road brought us to Korea (figuratively).

"PEARL" stood out clearly on an overhead banner and the smaller inscriptions below it read "Korean Meatshop and Restaurant". Both of us were surprised at how fast it has branched out across Cebu in maybe a period of less than 5 years. The other two locations they stand along A.S. Fortuna St. and another near Cebu Capitol Site. 

Picture placards of lettuce, chop sticks, table-top grill, and kimchi flashed in mind. My stomach has gone giddy already and I couldn't wait to sit and start digging on their side dishes. I personally find their chopped cabbages (mixed with chili flakes, taste of sesame oil, salt and vinegar) my favorite rice substitute. As long as it is free and refilled limitlessly, I care less for rice. At P200, you are served a plate of samgyeopsal, and unlimited garlic, onion, chili paste, soy bean paste, soup, cabbage and lettuce leaves -- all served fresh,

Samgyeopsal

Dining is so much fun when you are doing the grilling and the mixing of your food by yourself let alone the enjoyment of working the chop sticks, filling, and folding the lettuce leaves using bare hands. Every mouthful is delightful while the sauce drips down your lips. Instinctively, you reach your tongue out to catch it before it drops on your office shirt.

Tip: If you plan to eat inside a walled restaurant that has an open grilling station (e.g. CARNIVORE), you may want to consider putting on your extra shirt. That is so you can change back to your office top before going back to work. Otherwise, you will be conscious of how you smell like smoked meat around your colleagues.

This lettuce wrap dining experience is surely one I would like to to do again and again. Probably because I enjoy cooking food myself. Plus, it has the laid back and fiesta feel of the Filipinos' version -- the Boodle Fight.

I was thinking of my family back home whom I wanted to share this experience with. Finding help from shelves of Imported Goods in our local mall, I managed to purchase a bottled soy bean paste, lettuce and cabbage cloves, chili paste, and pork strips. I put together a replica of my PEARL experience. I was happy to serve my parents a healthy Korean-like dish and engage them in a fun lettuce wrapping food bonanza.

My attempt to a Korean lettuce wrap dish.

How about you? What's your favorite Korean restaurant in Cebu? Drop me a comment below.

Wallet Watch: approx P400 each because we also ordered a plate of sushi.

PEARL: Korean Meatshop and Restaurant
The Strip, Cebu Provincial Capitol Site (Address 1)
A.S. Fortuna Street, Mandaue, Cebu (Address 2)
Banilad, G/F Gaisano Country Mall (Address 3)