Thai foodie

Our recent trip to Thailand was a real treat to the foodie in me. Our host, Dr. Maria Laosunthara and the staff of the International Relations Department of Srinakharinwirot University saw that we get a sampling of Thai food by taking us to some of the best restaurants around the Sukhumvit area, where the university is, like Baan Kanitha and Wanakarm, and international franchise S&P, that has a branch along Chao Phraya river. In photo are the shrimp cakes in sweet-sour sauce by Wanakarm (right), and S&P's version of the famous pad Thai noodles.

We also had lunch in a riverside restaurant at Ratchaburi province. The food there was more local and inexpensive compared to those in Bangkok. Our best bet was the crisp fried fish that was bigger than the plate and deep fried squid rings.

But the best food experience was at Chang Mai, when we enrolled in a cooking course at Baan Thai, a homestyle cooking school featured in Lonely Planet. There were six of us in that afternoon class, a couple from UK, a swimwear model on vacation from the US, a college graduate from the Netherlands, and the Philippines was represented by UP graduate and beauty queen Marnelli Sales and myself. Our teacher was a young chef named Boom, which according to her is Thai for "dimples."

World's best tom yam by me, of course

We agreed to cook tom yam, fried cashew with chicken, Panaeng curry with pork, and green curry with chicken. To save on time, we skipped the marketing part of the class and agreed instead to prepare our own green curry paste. Preparing the curry is an experience with herbs and spices, not to mention the laborious method of pounding the ingredients into paste.

From left, my version of Panaeng curry with pork, green curry with chicken, and fried cashew with chicken and young corn

We voted our official most popular food in Chang Mai the Kao ob saparod or pineapple fried rice with shrimp served at our hotel's restaurant. The Kao pad thai with crabs is generously topped with thumb-sized crab meat.

Pineapple fried rice by Huen Luang Prabang restaurant at Chang Mai

Beers of Asia

Am not a beer drinker, but in our recent trip to the Angkor temples, Eduard and I tried these beers. Angkor is Cambodian, of course. Beer Chang is Thai and is quite an icon. My friend Poks got Beer Chang singlets (sando for us Pinoys) at Chatuchak in our recent visit. Thailand has another brand called Singha. We ordered them at a restaurant in Chang Mai. Tiger is Malaysian or (Singaporean?) - anyway we tried Tiger in Penang during our vacation there in 2006. While in Patpong, Bangkok, we went to a gay pub and ordered San Miguel Light for me, and Pale Pilsen for Ed. The winner is... San Miguel Light, of course. Oh, there's another we tried in Penang, its in a green bottle called Sin To or something, it's Chinese, though. I saw it at a 7-11 in Manila too. Notice the Cambodian tuktuk in the background.

Biggest kropek

We bought a bag of kropeks at the restaurant (was that in Tay Nin, Vietnam) where we had our stopover for breakfast on the way to Cambodia. The kropeks are made of of tapioca flour and had a sweetish flavor, a little sticky when it melts in your mouth. They're big enough to cover your face, as Eduard is showing. We have spent all our dongs, and we did not want to spend our dollars, so we pooled our our coins to buy this bag of giant-sized kropeks. We had fun munching them between dozes on the bus to Cambodia.

It's Binirayan time!

Buri hat from Cadahug, Lauaan, Antique

At about this time of the year, our office is bustling with activity and every available space is littered with posters, brochures, costumes, souvenirs, knick-knacks, event proposals, etc. It means only one thing: It's Binirayan time!

Binirayan Festival 2008 is here again. It will officially open on April 13, with the showcases of young theater artists from Bacolod, Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique. The regional Kampo Kabataan 2008, a summer theater arts camp to be held at Madrangca, San Jose closes on that day, giving the Binirayan launch a regional flavor. The EBJ Freedom Park will witness presentations by these young performers, ending with a party with the San Jose's S.O.S. (Satisfy Our Soul) band. Guests of honor are Governor Sally Perez and National Youth Commissioner Raul Dominic I. Badilla.

Other activities in Binirayan are the Cultural Caravan in Barbaza on April 16, Search for Mr. Antique 2008 on April 18, Senior Citizens Night in Patnongon on April 19, Lin-ay kang Antique Talents Night in Bugasong on April 20, Children's Festival in Hamtic on April 21, Komedya Valderrama at EBJ Freedom Park on April 22, Lin-ay kang Antique prejudging in Pandan on April 23, Pasundayag Expo & Food Fest opening on April 24, and the three-day highlights on the 25th to 27th.

April 25
Biray kang Barangay from Pantalan to Malandog Beach

Lin-ay kang Antique press presentation
Torch Parade from Malandog to San Jose
Bugal kang Antique Awards
Fireworks Display

April 26
Binirayan Confab at The Pinnacle Suites
Dog Show by Antique Kennel Club
Search for Lin-ay kang Antique 2008 Coronation Night

April 27
Parada kang Lahi
Malay-Ati Competition
LGU & Employees Fashion Show
Fireworks Display

Visit Antique in Binirayan. For inquiries, email birayfest@yahoo.com.ph, or call 036-5407343 or 09275830174. Kruhay!

Pandan's delicacy

Rex Zaldivar served us this dish of "uson" stewed in coconut milk and soured with iba (tag. kamyas) in his cozy house in Pandan. Uson is like lobster, but a thinner version. It was my first and only time to eat uson. I hope it wouldn't be the last.

The other delicacy from Pandan is the binabak - steamed river shrimps and young coconut wrapped in leaves. Lately, however, the binabak I tasted was overpowering with ginger. I wish they cut down on the ginger, so the dish has a very subtle and delicate sweetish flavor. That's how I remember the first binabak I tasted in 1986.

Pandan is a three to four-hour drive from San Jose, Antique, closer when coming from Caticlan/Boracay. The best places to visit are Malumpati Cold Spring and Bugang River. Also, the hat and bag-makers of Sto. Rosario is worth a trip. Drop by the house that sells smoked chorizo and embotido along the road to Mag-aba.There's a small sign by the fence.

Driving south from Pandan, pass by a house that sells authentic German sausages and bread, owned by a couple named Hell (think German, not English). The little signboard is hardly noticeable, so drive slow along Idio. Be friendly with the German and his Antiqueña wife. If they like you, they might show you their kitchen and smokehouse, piggery and chicken coop. A kilo costs from 250 - 400 Php. Their vienna sausage is great, and the schweinfleish, liver sausage, and beer sausage too.

Mararison Island (Mis)adventure

The name itself spells adventure. "Mararison" comes from the Kinaray-a "malalison," meaning disobedient. According to legend, a young girl named Mara fell in love with a stranger. Despite her parents' objections to the man, she eloped with him one night. The lovers were out at sea when a storm came. And you know what happens to disobient children. The next day, the villagers found an beautiful island, which they named after Mara, the malalison.

Mararison Island off Culasi, Antique is 10 minutes by outrigger boat from the public market in Culasi. The island is good for trekking or simply lazing under the sun. Villagers are very friendly. There are no accomodation facilities there, but you can talk to the barangay captain to use the village hall, which they have turned into classrooms by day. Electricity is available only at 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, during which time you don't expect the locals out because they are glued to their TV sets or videoke.

The more adventurous can camp out. Last time we went there, we slept on the stage by the basketball court with the fishermen. They are very friendly. Invite them for a drink of Tanduay or Emperador brandy, and you get company all night. In the morning, watch out by the beach for fresh catch. The fishermen usually take them to Culasi. We got a kilo of squid for only 50 pesos!

You can go around the island in two hours, or hire a boat to take you around or snorkel. The side facing the South China Sea is a good campsite. There are two islets, and the locals say there is a cave in one of them. We were not prepared to check it out then.

How to go to Antique: From Manila, one can fly in to Iloilo and take the two-hour ride to San Jose, three to four hours to Culasi; or take the ro-ro (Dimple Star or Gasat Express) from Pasay. The bus passes by Culasi town from Caticlan.