Thursday, May 17, 2007

Gastronomorgasm

The always-friendly, always-accommodating Bond over at the Big Leather Couch tagged me with a restaurant meme. I'm supposed to list the top five favorite places to eat at my location. Then I should tag five other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they've been tagged.

Soooo, I tag the following:

-DaddyPapersurfer (UK). You can ask for help from the TG, DaddyP. In fact, I expect no less.
-Prometheus (India). Food, mon ami! How can you say no to food? And me? [bats eyelashes prettily]:-D
-EDog (Colorado, USA). Food, Ian! Food! Play along, will ya?
-Terra Shield (Malaysia). Our cuisines are similar in some aspects, but I'd like to know more about yours.
-Greedy Blugger (UK). Also known as Nunu's Mum. This expat Filipino woman is passionate about food. However, since her restaurant options are rather limited right now, let's bend the rules for her. Inday, tell us about the most fab places you've had gastronomic epiphanies -- and you've been everywhere!

Here are some of my favorite stuff-my-face places:

1. Dampa. Dampa isn't really a restaurant per se. It's this big complex that has a wet market and numerous tiny restaurants. What you do is this: you go to the market and buy your fresh seafood (there's also pork, chicken, beef, vegetables, etc., but almost everyone goes there for the seafood). And the seafood is ultra-fresh; they're still swimming or wriggling in water when you buy them. The vendor does the murdering for you (if necessary). Feeling your freshly-gutted fish wriggling in your basket, it's a weird sensation I tell you. Then you bring your newly-dead purchases to your restaurant of choice (many of them seat just a dozen or so people) and have them cook it the way you want it. Whenever we go there, we always have prawns among others. Prawns sautéed in butter. Mmmmmmm. Finger. Lickin'. Goooood. [Goin' into semi-orgasmic throes here.]

2. Kimpura Garden. This Japanese restaurant holds lots of good memories for me. We ate a lot there when I was growing up. We'd have this little room all to ourselves, and we'd watch things like sukiyaki (one of my favorite Japanese dishes to this day) being cooked right in front of us. I love Japanese food.


3. Sukho Thai. Eating dishes like chicken pandan (chicken wrapped in pandan leaves), bagoong rice (rice and shrimp paste) with meat, spring onions and green mangoes, meat in coconut milk. Thoughts of these make me close my eyes and writhe in ecstasy.


4. Dad's. Dad's is where you go for buffets. For about US$10, you get to fill your plate again and again and again ad infinitum with various kinds of food: Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, continental. Appetizers, entrées, salads, desserts, soups -- just quit when you're done. It's a sure-fire way to ruin your diet. Make sure you're with someone who can roll you out the door.

5. Pier One. This is a great place to eat and drink. And they have branches in many parts of the Philippines! Where do I start with the dishes I enjoy most? There's crispy kangkong na ginisa sa bawang (deep-fried swamp cabbage with lots and lots of garlic), grilled tuna belly, grilled beef spareribs, sinigang na maya-maya (red snapper in sour broth with vegetables), Seafood kare-kare (peanut-based seafood stew with vegetables), pusit a la pobre (sizzling squid in garlic), sizzling sisig (pork), fresh lumpia (meat/veggies wrapped in a roll with garlic sauce) ... Oh, God. My mind is so drowning in local food porn right now. Ahhhh, yes! Yes! God, YESSSSS!!!




(deep sigh)

Pass me a cigarette, will ya?

24 comments:

Justin said...

Oh, God. My mind is so drowning in local food porn right now.

Oh my ...

Anonymous said...

I so want to try some deep fried swamp cabbage

twin said...

Damn.....I just gained 10 pounds reading that.

I followed penfold's paper trail. Good blogging you have here...

houseband00 said...

I had to do a double-take on your title. =)

But honestly, I've never done it in a restaurant, let alone in dampa! =)

Nice post, Liz! =)

Lizza said...

Justin: Come off it, you know you aren't shocked. :-D

Nursemyra: You should, it's really good.

And no, they weren't throbbing when I wrote this!

NMM: Glad you liked it. Thanks so much for stopping by.

HB: How could anyone possibly do it in Dampa? :-D

Anonymous said...

good list. but i wonder why sukho thai in mega mall was closed. it was one of my favorites.

Ian said...

I'm glad I just ate dinner before reading this post or I'd have gone out and spent a mint.

Anyway, I've added this meme to my queue...expect to see it within a week or so.

:)

Ian

Anonymous said...

My first tag - quite a challenge after Harry Met Sally Met Lizza. As soon as my indigestion tablet kicks in, my finger will fly over the keyboard like a digit possessed.

ShadowFalcon said...

Ok it not even lunch time and now I'm starving!

iz said...

The day I go on a diet, she writes about food!

Liz Hill said...

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

ok Lizza pass me a ciggy!!

Dayum girl--ok--i want to try ALL of the dishes you listed --love the title !! and LOLOL food porn MMMMMMMMM
smooch

Schmoop said...

A "wet market"? That sounds like the name of a Roman Bath House. Cheers!!

Sidney said...

The food is ok but forget about the smoke!

Odat said...

Ohhhhh I'm soooo hungry now..you're the second blog I've read today about food...and it's only 9AM here!!!!
Peace

Maryanne Moll said...

I looooooove Pier One! It's always hardest to choose which ones to order!

Foofa said...

Pier One here is an import store with house wares and such. Yours sounds cooler.

david santos said...

Please, it puts fhoto of Madeleine in your Bloggue

Missing Madeleine!
Madeleine, MeCann was abduted from Praia da Luz, Portugal on 03/03/07.

If you have any information, please contact Crimestoppers on
0800 555 111

Please Help

Michael C said...

Yum! Sure beats McDonalds ;-)

Kiyotoe said...

I'll take Dad's please. Don't forget to take us there when we come to visit.....

;)

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

LIZZA: See now I knew you would enjoy this...and your flowing words were a joy for me... meals should be semi-orgasmic...yes they should

little things said...

OH, why did I eat at Taco Cabana? Just reading about all this healthy food makes me regret my lunchtime decision!

Lizza said...

Sexy mom: Sukho Thai at Mega isn't there anymore??? I didn't even know. :-( I hope the one in Glorietta is still open.

Ian: Oh, goodie. I'd love to read about restaurants in your part of the world.

DaddyP: You can type with just one finger? I'm impressed!

Shadowfalcon: Eat! Get rid of the flu. Hope you're feeling better.

Iz: Pretend you just read about maggots and turds. :-D

Turnbaby: I'm not a big fan of porn. But food porn...anytime, baby!

Matt: Except you don't get pregnant or VD's in wet markets. :-D

Sidney: Oh, ok. Non-smoking section for you then. :-D

Odat: I wish I was where you are now. You can get anything you want to eat there!

Maryanna: Pier One, yummy food...and lots of them!

Natalie: Mucho cool, it is.

David: I'm so sorry for that poor girl's parents. I hope she is found safe and well.

Michael: Strangely, I like McDonald's. I'm no fast food hater. :-D I know I'll pay for it someday, though.

Kiyotoe: Just say when. :-D

Bond: I had fun doing it. Thanks for thinking of me!

Marlayna: Oh, but I love Mexican food too! Too much oil sometimes, but soooo yummy.

Parlancheq said...

Dampa sounds like a cool concept.

Lizza said...

Yes, it is. You can be sure that your food is truly fresh. :-D