It was a happy reunion of old friends, as well as making new friends, when Renaissance man Ernest Escaler hosted a dinner at his beautiful home in Parañaque.
The occasion was a get-together for former US Ambassador to the Philippines Frank Wisner and his wife, Judy, who were in town with the US-Philippines Society. Earlier in the day the group met with President Marcos in Malacañang.
From the Palace by the Pasig came First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos (her husband was fasting for a blood test the next morning, and Escaler’s dinner is no place to be if you’re fasting), sans escorts and wang-wang. As she quietly came in, it was real surprise on her face when Escaler took her bag: “You know, he’s always ordering me around — Liza, do this, do that, take this, go there… and now he’s helping me with my bag? First time!”
“First Lady na, eh,” the host replied.
“Talaga? I think I’ll enjoy being First Lady,” she burst out laughing.
From embassy row were US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson and her husband Aubrey, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Babe Romualdez and Egyptian Ambassador Ahmed Shehebeldin (Wisner had served as US ambassador to Egypt and speaks fluent Arabic). Industry heavyweights Doris Ho, Alice Eduardo and Michael Escaler and I completed the dozen.
Gourmet Café chef Enrico Molera outdid himself that evening. A refreshing cooler greeted guests, who could not resist the bite-size lumpiang ubod (flown in from Bacolod) and the crunchiest shrimp okoy, as they admired the lush garden under a perfect, star-dotted sky, with the first half-moon of the new Rabbit Year.
A long table under a tent was set for the light Filipino menu with the freshest ingredients from Escaler’s Gourmet Farms that started with binakol, coconut broth poured over bits of free-range chicken, papaya and malunggay leaves.
A mackerel ceviche on a bed of shredded lettuce with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette led to a distinctly Filipino entree platter — rosemary-infused chicken adobo with a Pinoy salsa on charcoal-grilled eggplant, mini saba fritters (guess who had the waiter bring her seconds!), pinangat (seafood wrapped in lettuce and cooked in coconut milk) and garlic rice — that had one guest contentedly proclaim, “Best Filipino meal I’ve had in a long time.”
Not heavy but filling — everyone cleaned their plate, no leftovers except for some rice — the meal left room for dessert: sans rival — most crunchy and scrumptious — and strong brewed ginger tea or, of course, Gourmet coffee (guess who had both!).
Wisner recounted how his relationship with the Escalers began, in 1991 when a Prisoner of War medal was bestowed on the elder Ernesto Escaler and then Ambassador Wisner pinned the medal on him in a ceremony at the embassy garden fronting Manila Bay.
It was a touching story that captured the mood of the evening — one of shared history, mutual respect and admiration and deep, lasting friendship.