On my first trip to the US decades ago, my family and I went on a guided tour. It was my first time to travel with a huge group with a professional tour guide leading the way. I loved the idea of getting to know a place, and then leading groups of people around, giving them a taste of your favorites. It was a job that really interested me, until I reaized that I had certain issues with traveling. I get seasick, airsick (if there’s a lot of turbulence) and carsick (if I’m seated backwards). In short, I’m not the best at traveling. I said goodbye to my dreams of being a professional tour guide, but I guess there will always be a part of me that loves to tour people around, especially if it’s about food.
A couple of weeks ago, I got a message from my friend chef Ed Bugia (of Pino and Backyard) and he asked me if I had some free time. His friend Leah Cohen, Top Chef alum and owner of Pig and Khao restaurant in New York, would be in town, and he was wondering if I could help tour them around. The last time Leah was here for Madrid Fusion, I was working abroad, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet her this time.
On this trip, Leah traveled with her husband Ben Byruch and photographer Dylan Kushel. Leah’s mother is originally from Romblon, so that was one of their stops. They had only two days in Manila, so with the limited time, we had to consider how much they could see in such a short period of time. This trip was about Leah’s cookbook, and they needed to take a lot of pictures of Filipino ingredients and a slice of Filipino life. Meanwhile, I wanted to give them a taste of some dishes they may not have seen before. I thought that a trip to Cavite would be the best option to cover all of those things.
My first order of business would be to call my friend Ige Ramos. A man who likes to say he has no occupation, just “profitable hobbies,” Ige is a proud son of Cavite who has guided me on a previous episode on Cavite food that I shot a couple of years ago. Since then, we have collaborated on projects and of course, eaten a lot of food. Despite his busy schedule (his book Republic of Taste is coming out soon), he was game to join us.
Touring Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit: (From left) Ben Byruch, the author, Dylan Kushel, Leah Cohen and Ige Ramos
Our first stop would be the Cavite City Public Market. I picked up Leah, Ben and Dylan in Makati at around 7:30 a.m. and we all picked Ige up in Pasay at 8. Taking the Cavitex to Cavite at this time in the morning was such a great idea. We were at the market by 9 a.m. The market was a buzz of activity; exactly what Leah and her team had in mind. As Dylan started taking photos around the market, Ige and I showed Leah and Ben our favorite stops, sea salt harvested right in Cavite, home made bagoong, kesilyo (white cheese) and watching fresh lumpia wrappers being made on the spot.
Breakfast was the next thing on our minds as all of our stomachs were grumbling. Aling Ika’s stall in the Cavite City Public Market is somewhat of a legend in these parts and it is a good idea to eat there as early as you can. She opens at 6 a.m. and usually, she runs out of food by 12 noon. We ordered her greatest hits collection, starting with dessert. The Bibingkoy is quite unique: glutinous rice dumplings filled with sweet mung bean paste and then cooked like a bibingka (in a charcoal oven that has heat on top and at the bottom). I love to describe it as a tikoy (glutinous rice cake) and hopia (Chinese mung bean pastry) combined, cooked like a bibingka (rice cake); hence the name. That’s my theory, at least. Served with a coconut milk sauce with sago pearls, it’s a must order when you visit Aling Ika. Aling Ika remembers me from that time on the show, and she remembers I also love her fresh lumpia. Hers is filled with sweet potato, bean sprouts, cabbage and sayote (which is very Chinoy of her) and then topped with raw minced garlic, sweet sauce and chicharon.
As I was enjoying that, Ige also ordered Pancit Puso for the group. Think pancit canton, but Aling Ika ad ds in banana blossoms cooked in vinegar, giving the noodles a zestiness that cuts into the rich flavor of the noodles. When we were done eating, we quickly moved away as more people were waiting their turn to eat. If you are keeping score, the lumpia was already sold out and the Bibingkoy running low by the time we walked away, with noon more than an hour and a half away.
After taking more pictures of ingredients Leah was featuring in her book, we then made our way to one of my favorites in Cavite. Whenever I do travel shows where I taste, I rarely run out of words to say, but the first time I tried the Robinson’s Tamales, I did for a bit. I knew I just had to bring them there for a taste. Made with more peanuts and less glutinous rice than the Pampanga version, the tamales are best served with bread like monay or pan de sal. Based on their looks and comments after tasting the tamales, I knew they agreed with me. The peppery, savory flavor of the tamales are unlike much of anything we eat here in Manila and the best part is they can be enjoyed hot, cold, or room temperature. As we polished off the tamales, I asked Ige to regale them with the origin story of why such a Filipino dish had such an American name. After the Spanish American war, an American soldier by the name of Private Benjamin (I know) Robinson married a Filipina named Iluminada Guerrero Sacramento and started selling these delicious Caviteno tamales. Then, the legend was born!
Our stomachs full, it was the perfect time to do two non-food stops in Cavite. We first drove to see the salt beds (irasan) in Barangay Sta. Isabel in Kawit, Cavite. It was cool to see how natural sea salt was harvested. I wished I had the time to bring them to Pangasinan to see salt harvesting on a large scale, but that will have to be for next time. After taking photos of the salt beds, we then headed to see the Aguinaldo shrine. Open to the public, we went to see General Aguinaldo’s home, including the balcony where Philippine independence was proclaimed. Of particular interest would be viewing Aguinaldo’s private and public dining areas, and if you know where to look, the general’s private swimming pool! If you’ve never been to Cavite before, it’s great to drop by the Aguinaldo shrine. At the very least, it’s a good way to pass the time while waiting for your next meal. I’m kidding! Visit and experience for yourselves a piece of our revolutionary history.
Next time, I’ll tell you all about our other stops: Tagaytay, Silang and Manila!
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