Bicol Bites Part 2

CEBU, Philippines - The Bicolano gastronomic journey continues as I walk you through some of the region's dining destinations that have earned the nods of gourmands.

Chef Doy's Gourmet restaurant, owned by executive chef Leandro "Doy" Sto. Domingo, in Cereza Compound (a dining enclave), Magsaysay Avenue in Naga, Camarines Sur is all about "fusion, flares and twist of Filipino cuisine."

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Kinunot Na Pating is the signature appetizer of boiled pating (shark meat) in water with calamansi, patis (fish sauce) and cane vinegar, chopped into small pieces, sautéed in garlic, ginger and onions and seasoned with salt and pepper. To make it Bicolano, fresh coco cream was poured and brought to a simmer. To cap this sour dish akin to kinilaw, spice it up with chilies, and add malunggay leaves.

Tinuk-tok is another pinangat variety that uses chopped deveined sea water shrimps and young coconut to come up with a delectable Bicolano dish. This fare utilizes shrimp head extract, mixed with coconut milk – the mixture used to simmer the tinuktok.

Since Chef Doy's gastronomic nook lean towards a fusion of the traditional, native dishes with a modern flair, here are some of the dishes that epitomize just that:

Kare-Kareng Litson Kawali – a classic Filipino dish that traditionally uses beef cooked in thick peanut sauce; instead this uses crispy pork belly.

Batang Batang Pusit is a simple dish of baby squid sautéed in olive oil with select spices; a surprisingly delish appetizer.

Sizzling Kandingga is for the bopis fan. Served sizzling is the Bicolano bopis, sautéed pork lungs (and heart) with diced carrots and chilies topped with egg.

Binakol Na Manok definitely left a mark. The group was all praises to this Pinoy soup of chicken simmered in pure coconut juice and malunggay leaves served in a coconut shell. Comfort food!

Paella, being Spanish, turned Bicolano with the use of the signature regional dish, laing as base, topped with clams, sliced squid, bite-sized bagnet and hard boiled egg. Pretty interesting.

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Sibid-Sibid Food Park along Peñaranda Street, Bonot in Legazpi City is natively dressed in bamboo like most fishing villages, living up to its name which means an outrigger/bangka. Of course, the menu is packed with the fresh catch of the day, as well as Bicol cuisine classics that the entire country has grown to love.

Maragsip Lipatang or crispy anchovy is the perfect appetizer to binge on while the orders are on queue. Gulp down a bowl of Cocido, a cross between sinigang and tinola, a fish and shrimp stew with veggies and young coconut meat. Another fish dish is Picadillo Na Laman. This isn't the Latin American ground beef fare but rather what the natives call Isda sa Gata, tastes more of inun-unan to me, only cooked with gata.

Kanoos Negro, squid in its ink with coconut milk and chili, sizzles in a hot plate. You wouldn't mind the black ink.

The scrumptious Tinutongan is native chicken slow cooked in smoked coconut milk, with veggies.

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Side trips:

Small Talk Cafe along Doña Aurora Street in Legazpi City serves pasta with a local twist: there's Pasta Pinangat/Laing, Pili Basil Pasta (I highly recommend), Bicol Express Pasta, among others. 

Balay Cena Una is a two-floor refurbished ancestral home in Daraga, Albay, that offers international flavors. Enjoy a visual feast of vintage, novelty items and old photos that adorn the entire abode.

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Marco Polo Plaza will spice up your summer even more with Culinary Journey: Bicolandia, a food fest featuring Bicol's degustation gems at Café Marco on April 20 to 29, 2012.

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Cebu Pacific Air offers the most number of domestic and international flights out of Cebu for the lowest year-round fares. Book any of its direct daily Cebu-Legazpi flights for as low as P1,288. Go to www.cebupacificair .com or call (032) 230-8888 for more details. (FREEMAN)