A day before the Ramadan ended, I found myself roaming the streets of Quiapo trying to check out the scene and what food find I might discover. It was interesting to mingle with Muslim brothers and sisters and chat with them how they feel fasting from dawn till sunset and as always, continued to learn a lot about their faith and culture. I arrived around 4:00 pm and people were preparing for their evening meal after fasting from 4:00 am in the morning up to 6:00 pm in the evening. Fruit salads ruled the stalls delicately prepared and wrapped in plastic waiting for the faithful to share and partake. I tried APANG, a round-shaped Muslim delicacy that has a very subtle taste made of rice. I was so shy to try it in front of my Muslim acquaintance while they wait for the fasting time to end but my curiosity got the better off me and ate it altogether with the refreshing fruit salad.
From what I’ve observed, most food sold in the Halal restaurants around the Quiapo Mosque have that curry-like texture and yellowish color due to the spices enjoyed by our Muslim brethrens. They have the ARUAN, a fish that looked so delicious with the fish roe and its meaty flesh swimming in a bowl of curry drenched soup. The aroma of grilled fish and roast chicken floated in the Globo de Oro and Elizondo streets teasing the Muslim faithful with its scrumptious promise to break the fast. I followed the smell and ended at the Maud Roast House and mingled with the people trying to buy out all the roast chicken the joint can offer. I was lucky to get a ¼ thigh part and literally enjoyed it with the special hot sauce that I have to go back again sometime and have another go. Then rushing at a special Roti store, I found a laid back seller telling me to come back some other day for they’ve sold out their stock. Man it was a downer not getting that Roti treat.
I went back on the day of Eid ‘L Fitr but most of the stores were closed due to the celebration. I just have to come back some other day.
My two day Quiapo experience all the more exposed the lowdown crassness and stupid ignorance of some moron I met two weeks ago while eating at some bourgeois-assimilated Roti store in Tomas Morato bragging his experience with his Muslim classmate. He just kept rattling and rattling of an experience way back in college when he allegedly manhandled a Muslim and that they are not courageous nor brave and that one just has to show his toughness and other stupid stereotyping and kabobohan that made me leave the premises and light up three sticks of cigarettes just to let go off that steam due to narrow-mindedness and stupidity of individuals.
So much for stupid neanderthals, Eid Mubarak! Allah is Great!
Posts
