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by Philipina A. Marcelo
Last week was a week of big miracles, and it continues this week! :) After our appointments with The Knights this week, all we received were good news... and a few words of caution, of course, to avoid hitches on my road to recovery. But I have learned to trust my Knights, and after last week, I know that everyday of my life is going to be a day
Em Em @ C2.of celebration! :) Therefore, this week is another week of celebration. And what's a celebration without some serious foodtrip? :)
This time, inspired by the celebration of Philippine Independence, my niece and I craved something Filipino... some classic Filipino Cuisine. And I know a great place: C2! :) There are two C's in C2... and they are "classic" and "cuisine"... and "Philippines" in between. Therefore, it fits the bill perfectly! Their menu boasts of old Filipino favorites with a touch of adventure - C2 style! :) Their menu includes vegetables (such as the awesome bulanglang and chicharon monggo at crispy paksiw), seafood (such as the finger-smacking good seafood inasal and crispy catfish), meat and poultry (such as the incredible chicken-pork adobo) - all guaranteed mouthwatering! Their all-day merienda (such as the souper molo), desserts (such as the C2 classic, bibingka soufflé) and beverages are also fantastic.
From the hospital, we went to check out the works of Filipino artists in an art gallery close to my home - in all my bandaged neck glory - with the hope of finding something to mark the occasion... that fits my budget. :)
Hot calamansi While we were entertained plenty by the wonderful Filipino ingenuity, I decided that I cannot afford anything there (hehe...), my niece and I decided to comfort ourselves with merienda or "snack" at C2. As it turned out, I was ready for merienda... but she wanted to eat something heavier... meaning, something with white rice! :)
I was advised to keep practicing my vocal chords, and I intended to follow "doctor's order". But I think I overdid it... with Jordin Sparks' "Tattoo"! :) My throat hurt a little bit... and so, I ordered a C2 "solution" for remedy: hot calamansi. I drank slowly. Then again, that's all the drinking speed my throat would allow me at the moment. It's not all that bad though... I just need to be patient. After finishing my hot calamansi, I felt wonderfully relieved... and I was ready for my merienda. :)
I ordered a childhood fave with a C2 twist to it: champorado at
dilis! :) The menu description says, "chocolate rice pooridge drizzled with condensed milk served with crisp, boneless dried fish." I know, it sounded like a real "comfort food"! And, I prepared to be comforted.... When it arrived on our table, it did bring more positive feelings to my day! :) And when I scooped some of the warm champorado, my mouth watered! The chocolatey taste and the sweetness was just right, and the texture perfect. The very thin boneless dilis was so crunchy, it crumbled on the first bite and then seemed to melt in the mouth, leaving a faint saltiness that made me crave for another spoon of champorado each time. Perfect combination! My niece opted for something quite exotic. At her age, and at the state of her metabolism and overall health, I fully encouraged her foodie adventure... with some words of caution, of course. :) And, she's R.N., so she knows better. She ordered the sinful binagoongang lechon kawali. The description on the menu says, "crispy liempo tossed with bagoong
sauce served with grilled eggplant relish." I know, the description alone is guaranteed to make an authentic Pinoy's mouth to water. :) And when it arrived on our table... for the first time, I regretted the fact that the state of my health is such that my metabolism is bound to slow down considerably! Ugh! It looked delicious! And my niece allowed me to have a taste. While I think it was served with too generous amount of bagoong - the most alluring temptation for the hypertensive (haha...), and must therefore be used sparingly - the liempo (pork belly) was cooked to perfection! The meat was tender and the skin so incredibly crispy - a total mouth delight! But, to me, what made this dish a "winner" is the eggplant relish with grated green papaya and red bell pepper strips... the spirited vinegary taste (I suspect they used aged coconut vinegar fermented traditionally in bamboo casks) and some sweetness were combined beyond perfection - so delicious! And they effectively cut whatever fatty sensation left by the liempo, if at all. We skipped dessert and opted to walk around, to hunt for back-to-school bargains (translation: shoes). :) As any time spent with members of my family, the good food, while an absolute delight, is just a plus. What is tastier and unequivocally much more delicious is the company... and the wonderful conversation and exchange of heartfelt adoration for each other. :) Hmmm... another perfect bonding time with one of my nieces! Heaven! :)
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Photo credits: I own all photos.
