Rediscovering a well loved cuisine at Nam Prik Thai Kitchen

Believe or not, right after enjoying a bowl of Thai noodles and iced tea at Sen Lek noodle house in Pavia, we found ourselves in the midst of another Thai restaurant - right along the highway in Sambag, in the midst of a (shrinking) rice field!

The location sounds familiar alright, but no, it isn’t the famous Peppy Thai Deli but another restaurant that goes by the name of Nam Prik Thai Kitchen. Good thing that Sir Eugene Jamerlan knows the owner of the restaurant, and together with , it was one afternoon filled with good food and fun under the sun.

The owner of Nam Prik Thai Kitchen is related with the owners of Peppy Thai Deli but I won’t go into the details though. All I can say is that Nam Prik brought back the experience of the old Peppy Thai Deli – having authentic Thai cuisine served turo turo style in a rustic and al fresco ambiance.

With specialties of the day on display, first to catch our attention was the Pomelo Salad that didn’t only look but also tasted delicious. Mixed with cucumbers, tomatoes and mangoes among others, the blend of these fruit and vegetables created a burst of flavours that proves refreshing. And I can’t believe it tasted good with drops of fish sauce too!

A chicken dish with green curry and coco milk (sauce) was among the more popular choice on the table. It proves how freshly a made curry dish makes a big difference on how the actual dish would taste and look – lots better.

Then there’s my staple – Nam Tok o roughly referred to as cold pork loin salad. I always loved this at Peppy Thai Deli and this one was just the same. Pork loin blended in shallots and chilies with calamansi dressing, creating my favorite blend of taste and texture.

Also must order is the Papered Squid. Just deep fried (almost) paper thin squid that gives a crunch in every bite. A perfect munch anytime with a lot of crunch. I just love it as always.

Desserts brought in were in the form of Cassava Cake and Rice Pudding with Mango. The former tastes as good as it looks; delicious from the flavourful cassava base to the cheesy top – will surely have it again.

And the latter, though it looks like ibos with paho, it was actually better than its simple looks that I’ll be trying to “copy” it at home.

It was indeed a rediscovery of Thai cuisine with a Filipino touch in a rustic setting that makes eating a leisure activity. No need to rush, no pretensions - just good food and good company. And having new dishes to rave (and crave), it surely won’t be last visit to Nam Prik Thai Kitchen to have a taste of the dishes I loved and to discover what they have more to offer. And of course, that Nam Prik Ong which the owner raving about, will be on top of the list.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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