Comfortable Cold Cuts

At the height of a typhoon, anything can taste authentic, especially if it feels like the last supper. Not really knowing the extent of devastation typhoon "Ondoy" caused Metro Manila at supper time, we walked towards the Mabuhay Rotonda area to check out a chinese restaurant known for we do not know because it just opened. But good words spread like wildfire, or rain, for good food and this is one place where foodies would give a good word for its good food.


It looked traditional chinese as we sensed its old chinese feel reminiscent of Old Ongpin-based chinese restaurants minus the over used furnitures and dirty interiors that would make you wait for Jacky Chan to come out and beat the shit out of those drunk tiger palm buddha kung fu fighters.

The service tea was good and the assorted cold cuts was just wonderful. Easy on the palate and tasted very refreshing without that aftertaste associated with the dreaded monosodium glutamate (MSG) assumed to be ever present in chinese foods. And the price was very reasonable.

Chinese food is comfort food in times of calamity and Luck Garden Tea House and Seafood Restaurant sure comforted my cold and hungry stomach.

Luck Garden Tea House & Seafood Restaurant 3 Kanlaon St cor. Quezon Avenue, Quezon City, 415-5825, 4156-5825

longganisa

Longganisa, or native or local or pork sausage, whatever, is a fascinating food as it transforms its looks, composition, and taste depending on its point of origin in the Philippines. Nueva Ecija's Cabanatuan Longganisa, Quezon's Longganisa Lucban, Vigan Longganisa, Tuguegarao Longganisa, and the Longganisa list just goes on and on.

Its a miss and hit trick in finding the best longganisa for each one. We have our taste preferences and it takes a lot of patience, trial and error, and lots of trust built and trust reneged (for sellers claiming to have the best longganisa).

I am for the garlicky longganisa with ground pork stuffed with lots of garlic and maybe, other mysterious ingredients health buffs are known to barf about. I like the Nueva Ecija Cabanatuan longganisa with its tighter than a nun's ass garlic packed sausage.

Longganisa with garlic rice and sunny side up eggs, with vinegar dip and the not so healthy orange juice mixed from a sachet powder, makes a good breakfast morning.

chicken

chicken is an attempt to tell stories about food, cooking, eating, drinking. Or show pictures of food, cooking, eating, drinking. Whatever is available. Its an attempt, anyway. No one can do anything about it. Its my shit. So be it.