It has been predicted that food will be one of the successful businesses in the Year of the Rabbit. I say, it will always be a good venture because everybody eats. I still believe that you must know what to order, when you eat out for you to enjoy a restaurant. This edition brings Singaporean delights and homegrown Baguio surprises for some foodie adventure.
My fondest memory of Singapore was roast duck and to have some in Baguio is something new at Hawker Chan’s.
Half roast duck platter with dumplings is your best sampler of the Michelin Star rate of the restaurant. Michelin Star being a symbol of culinary excellence and high standards in the world. The roast duck is tender, sliced in bite sizes, and seasoned well. This could be a boney experience because compared to the chicken, the duck has more small bones it seems.
Of course, the predominant sesame scent and flavor adds to its experience. The chicken is similarly roasted and sliced and set side by side with the duck on purpose, the meats have distinct flavors, the duck being more tender and finer in texture.
Roast pork gives the fat that is missed in the fowl, this is not crispy but mildly seasoned to give you time to savor the differences in the meats. The salted egg is an added tinge of salt to everything. The fried dumplings have ground pork and vegetables to blend into the bits and pieces of good things.
This meaty dish is complimented by the plain noodles with sambal sauce. The carbs come in the noodles that are blanched and garnished with a light soy as flavoring and topped with sambal paste that is made from ground chilies with vinegar and salt. The option is to mix the chili with the noodles or not if the spice is not to your liking.
At another time, we sampled the other items on the Tea House Kitchen by Chona menu. The tuyo sardines salad with honey lemon vinaigrette was perfect as palate cleaner before the meal. The romaine lettuce was perfect for the salty and sour bits of dried fish bits preserved in olive oil and vinegar. The chunks of oranges gave it a fruity juicy sweetness. The cucumber was sliced thin in slivers and there were cubes of white cheese in the plate. Cherry tomatoes gave this some color. The honey lemon vinaigrette poured over the mixture subdues some of the strong fishy flavor.
The binagoongan fried rice was a complete meal with the protein from the shrimp paste and the salted eggs to top it. Sweet tomatoes were part of the garnish with green onions.
Beef slices in mushroom sauce was tender and delicious. This is made from good beef and not included as one of the popular dishes of Tea House Kitchen but should be added soon.
The pinaksiw na lechon kawali is the must when eating Pinoy style. The deep-fried pork slices simmered in vinegar, garlic, and a little sugar are the sweet-sour additions to the meal.This is also absent in the list of favorites that should be listed.
Gising-gising is an unusual addition to the list of food in this restaurant because this is often served in eateries. However, the Baguio beans used in this dish is the bigger surprise because the common vegetables used in this meal are usually of taro. These are sliced in rings and sauteed with small pork bits then simmered in coconut milk. Then the equally ringed slices of chili peppers are added to give it the spicy jerk. Eating this wakes you up because of the burning sensation in the mouth. But this is a crunchy and juicy joy while eating it.
Steamed chicken in lemon garlic sauce is a departure from the popular fried chicken. This has tender chicken parts that are seasoned by the garlic and mildly scented and perked up by lemon.
There you have it, the secrets of the menu that are not too often ordered. Once in a while, we should nitpick and try some of these.
