we had a book launch in balay kalinaw yesterday and it sure was taking a long time for the food to be served. good thing somebody said the two magic words: isaw tayo.

isaw is a term for the small intestines. time was when it would generally mean the small intestines of a chicken. now the distinction is made between isaw manok and isaw baboy. and if you head to any of the isaw stands in UP (and around the country i'm sure), there's a whole array of foodstuff waiting for the grill.

aside from isaw baboy and manok, there's tenga (pig ears), atay at at balun balunan (chicken liver and gizzard), bulaklak (from another part of the pig's intestines), rambo (pig blood), adidas (chicken feet), and a few more i can't remember.

these are all marinated in a delectable barbecue sauce and then grilled and served with a spicy vinegar that's good enough to drink on its own.

a regular-sized order of a total of around 12 sticks will cost somewhere in the area of P50 while mini merienda should go for around P20. wash this down with sprite or 7-up or mountain dew and you can't go wrong.

the filipino creativity with food. you just gotta love it. 

the late working nights have necessitated extended eating hours. so what to do with hunger at midnight? cook? no way. it's times like these that all i can say is, "thank God for instant noodles."

i've loaded up on the best junk: yakisoba (all flavors) and my favorite chips - chippy and my latest discovery, onion and garlic flavored v-cut. i also have a couple of packs of dried mango, and on the way out of the supermarket i grabbed a few slices of majestic ham.

probably not the best food to keep my brain going, but... who cares. 

one of my clearest childhood memories is of my tito chot taking me aside to show me how he made sisig.

the process begins by chopping into fine pieces grilled meat taken from a pig's head and ears.  this meat should never be raw before the chopping if you want to do it right - medium-rare should do it.

the chopped meat is then marinated in salt and pepper, a little vinegar, and 7-up. not too long though, then it hits the frying pan with a whole bunch of onions. the meat should be slightly toasted and, for the perfect, add a little pig's brains (some restaurants throw in egg or mayonnaise. doesn't taste nearly as good, but it's for the same  purpose). season again with a little pepper and it's good to go.

down it with ice cold beer, the only acceptable beverage to bring out the best in this dish. 

this sisig, still the best i have ever tried, can be found in May Farm, along McArthur Highway in Bamban, Tarlac. 

the image of john cusack, standing in the rain, holding a boom box over his head is probably one of the most definitive of the 80s.

this is from the movie "say anything."  

in your eyes by peter gabriel 

love I get so lost, sometimes
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
when I want to run away
I drive off in my car
but whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
the heat I see in your eyes

love, I don't like to see so much pain
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

and all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

in your eyes...

ever wonder what 'real' thai food tastes like? both the street fare and somewhat more upscale dishes?

and khmer food, what's that all about?

authentic indian and burmese cuisine capture your imagination?

mine too, and starting tomorrow i'm going to find out what they're all about

hoowa!

Before I left, I was warned that Cambodian food might not be all that. After having had around 10 meals there, I happily disagree.

Our first meal was dinner at The Red Piano. This is one of the more popular places in Siem Reap - especially after having been home to the crew (and I think also the cast) of Tomb Raider. The Red Piano is located in an area referred to as pub street which has a row of European-owned restaurants and bars. The street is around 200 meters long and is somewhat upscale (probably the second or third most expensive area in town).

The first thing that caught our eye on the menu was sauteed prawns and squid. The menu said 12 pieces and that seemed like great value for $3. For starters, we had vegetarian samosas at $1 for 4 pieces.

When the prawns came, they turned out to be more like shrimp - small and whitish. But there were more than 12 and they were fantastic. The seafood was tossed in with lots of sweet onions and bell peppers cooked in a creamy butter. The dish was delicately seasoned with black pepper and another spice I have yet to identify (I searched the market and couldn't find it though my guess is it's tumeric or coriander seeds). The samosas were filling and the pastry just the right touch of flakiness.

 This was our introduction into Khmer cuisine, and just the first of many excellent meals...

We tried another version of that shrimp and squid dish in a carinderia-type eatery and it was every bit as good... for only $1.50 (by the way, if you're wondering why I'm quoting in US$, it's because that's the currency in Cambodia).

There were two excellent carinderias just down the road from the hotel - one was called Fullon and I'm afraid I don't know the name of the other one - but the waiter was always greeting us everytime we'd pass... suki.

In the first eatery, TRWNN (the restaurant with no name), we had that shrimp dish plus flat noodles with egg, beef, and brocolli, plus fried rice for a total of $5. Everything was so tasty we couldn't stop eating. It was a shame when we ran out of food. We had one more meal there of fried fish, noodles with vegetables and pork - which set us back $3.50 - and again it was excellent. The fish was seasoned with something close to unagi sauce and was very tender.

Fullon restaurant had a fantastic sweet and sour fish ($1.50) made with fresh tomatoes. A different but welcome experience from the Chinese restaurant fare we're used to. The sauce was light and fresh, a great complement to the soft and flaky texture of the fish.

Next, dessert...