When I first heard about Below Zero Beer, I thought it was just a fad that wouldn’t last. After all, while I like my beer very cold, I was concerned that a nearly frozen beer would lose all flavor.

Man, was I wrong.

When you take that first swallow of your subzero brew on a hot summer day, it’s an eye-opening experience. Even years later, I find that I still occasionally enjoy drinking beer this way.

But how do they do it? Are we at the height of scientific advancement that beer molecules can be controlled at some magic brew master’s will? Are alchemists and sorcerers involved? After all, we’ve been taught that water freezes at zero degrees Celsius. So how come this beer gushes out cold yet smooth instead of freezing solid?

Sadly, no witchcraft is actually involved. The answer lies in a few well known scientific phenomena: Freezing Point Depression and Supercooling. In fact, people have been taking advantage of these principles for centuries. They’re the ones responsible for beer’s ability to stay liquid at freezing temperatures.

Here are the reasons why beer can stave off the hand of Jack Frost:

• Beer is a solution, which means it’s water with other stuff (like alcohol, adjuncts, and carbon dioxide) dissolved in it. That other stuff lowers the freezing point of water to between -2° to -6° Celsius.

• The glass bottle helps to keep it liquid at even lower temperatures. To become ice, beer molecules need to attach themselves to rough surfaces or solid impurities. But since the bottle’s insides are so smooth, ice has a hard time finding purchase. This is called supercooling, and it keeps your beer nice and drinkable even way below the freezing point.

• The freezer they use isn’t anything out of the ordinary. The temperature is just slightly tweaked to keep beer at a temperature where it won’t freeze so easily. To further avoid beer from freezing (and the broken bottles that would result from the liquid’s expansion), the barkeep follows a timed cycle to shuffle the bottles around. This helps maintain a controlled temperature inside the freezer and in the beer bottle itself.

Right after they pop open the bottle, the beer is at a very sensitive phase. Any change in its balance can cause ice to form immediately. This is why tapping the bottle, or pouring it into a glass will make it freeze.

Why do some people like beer below zero? At such a low temperature, a lot of the bitter flavors are subdued. The cold helps hide the bitter and strong flavors of the beer. The sweet and rounder flavors are heightened, and the beer is easier to drink.

Not all beers will benefit from the below zero process, though. Some beers are best served cool or slightly cold, and drunk slowly to savor the flavors. The Beer Guide for Dummies states that you’re better off drinking a Slurpee instead, since very cold temperatures will ruin your beer. Beer aficionados also fault large breweries for promoting ice cold serving temperatures, as this can help mask their beer’s flavor flaws.

Still, with our hot and humid climate, a beer served below zero can do wonders to fill the void she left in your heart to refresh you. You can even try making some at home if you want. A mythbusters episode reports that the beer should stay for about three hours inside your freezer to be supercooled.

Do you like your beer served below zero? Did you ever drink from the bottle too fast and got your tongue frozen stuck? Share your woes in the comments!

Sources: Wikipedia / Wikipedia / For Dummies / Slate / Mythbusters Results /

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If you ask five people where they think the best pares is, chances are you’ll get five different answers. After all, we each have our own favorite dealers who cater to our pares addiction. While Jerry’s, this week’s ghetto grub entry, does feature our beloved beef-in-a-bowl, I won’t make any claims that their’s is the best in the land.

But it is pretty damn good.

Jerry’s is a small, no-frills eatery in Makati. They have a wide range of dishes to offer, but the menu holds no surprises. The usual silogs, fried chicken, and lechon kawali can be found here. The stars of this roadside show, however, are their three artery-clogging dishes: pares, dinakdakan, and bulalo.

The pares is their bestseller. I’ve seen taxi drivers fill up the place as early as nine AM, all of them having ordered pares and rice. At thirty-five pesos, it is one of the cheapest items on the menu. If you still find that a bit steep, you can have pares and mami combo for only twenty-five pesos.

AKA “The Holy Trinity”

The meat is more cartilage than actual beef, but that doesn’t detract from the experience. Each spoonful yields a firm, sticky bite, the result of hours of cooking.  The sauce is more savory than sweet, but it sticks to the traditional flavors of pares by using plenty of star anise. The result is a meaty and filling sauce with a subtle licorice undertone.

The dinakdakan is an Ilocano dish that makes good use of the less sexy parts of the pig (i.e. the yummy stuff some may have second thoughts about eating.) Here at Jerry’s, they use ears, the skin, as well as actual meaty cuts, all mixed with mayonnaise, ginger, and onions. It is a tangy and creamy dish that serves double duty as the pulutan of choice for many diners.

If you’re looking for something to help you drive the rainy day blues away, Jerry’s bulalo is sure to cheer you up. Each bowl is filled with generous servings of meat still attached to the bones. You won’t find any marrow here, though, as that part of the bone is used to flavor the broth. But you do get to savor its richness as the bowl is filled to the brim with the soup. It’s offered at sixty pesos, but from the portions they give, the price is well worth it.

Jerry’s won’t win any awards for being the best in any of their dishes, but they serve good food at even better prices. What more could you for from this quaint little hole-in-the-wall?

Do you like your pares with mami or with rice? Are you on cholesterol medication too from eating too much hearty food? Let us know in the comments!

Jerry’s “The Original”
Located at J.P. Rizal Extension, Barangay East Rembo, Makati City
Open all day, every day.

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Lambanog makes people go crazy. At least that was the image I got from reading “We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers” back in my third year high school literature class. In the story, a Filipino downplays his affinity for alcohol while enjoying Lambanog with his foreign guest. Our countryman casually enjoys his hooch, while his poor friend slowly begins to experience wild hallucinations.

Lambanog, as I would later learn, comes from the fermented sap of the coconut tree. This is then distilled to make the drink more potent. The usual alcohol content of lambanog is 80 to 90 proof (40% and 45% alcohol, respectively). It is a clear, colorless spirit, with a neutral taste, potent kick, and a finish with a hint of sweetness.

I got my first taste of it early in college. A friend from Laguna regularly brought back gallons of the stuff. While I wouldn’t say that everyone went bonkers after getting soused up on Lambanog, I will say that our evenings got pretty interesting. In between emotional breakdowns, hysterical sobbing, and silly dance moves, what stuck in my mind was, “Wow. Lambanog tastes good.”

That first shot led me to make my way down south in search of the puro or pure Lambanog. (You can keep that bubblegum crap, thank you very much.) Buying Lambanog is almost as interesting as the drink itself. My own experiences involved old ladies with shaky hands pouring several ounces into empty peanut butter jars being used as glasses for me to drink. Asking for a taste of the Lambanog you’re buying is customary and expected.

I honestly like pure Lambanog more than all the other locally, commercially produced spirits here (like rum, gin, and brandy). I appreciate it not only for its potency, but also for being easy on the palate, and its versatility as a cocktail base.

It makes me a bit sad that Lambanog still hasn’t broken into the mainstream, though, it certainly isn’t from lack of trying. In the 90’s, Lambanog makers tried to enter the market by offering flavored lambanog. The novelty proved successful initially, but just like the tamagotchi, chameleon cell phone cases, and elephant pants, the fad did not last.

Their marketing approach was probably to blame for the failure. They passed it off as a novelty product, and they relied on gimmicks rather than the actual merits of the product. I’d also hazard to say that the taste buds of its target market weren’t as sophisticated as they are now. Back then, people were looking for just a quick way to get a buzz, rather than a drink you could savor for its flavors, as well as its alcohol content.

Despite the setbacks it has suffered, I believe Lambanog still holds tremendous potential to be recognized. Just like the cachaça from Brazil, and vodka from Eastern Europe, Lambanog is a drink we can be proud of.

Don’t believe me? Here are 5 reasons that may change your mind:

1. It makes for great cocktails/mixes.

Lambanog is a very clean-tasting spirit, with a subtle, sweet finish. This gives it plenty of versatility in cocktails, since you can pretty much pair it with anything you want. Try it with citrus or lychee juices, for sweet, but potent mixes. Its clean taste also makes it perfect for infusions. Traditionally, Lambanog is steeped with either raisins or prunes to give it a sweeter flavor. With the variety of fruits we have, the types of infusions you can do are endless. For the enterprising barkeep and the alcohol gourmand, feel free to experiment. It’s easy. Place Lambanog in a mason jar, steep your favorite fruit in it, and delight your guests with an apéritif you made yourself.

2. Support for local producers

Like most of our local agriculture, the coconut industry is in bad shape. Popularizing Lambanog can really help out our farmers. Supporting good local  products makes sense not only economically (products are made cheaper), but also elevates the quality of the items. When consumers support local producers, we get better products in return.

3. It’s part of our culture.

Okay, so it’s almost always a cop-out to say that we should love something just because it’s part of our history, but cultural identity when it comes to enjoying alcohol is also important. It is a heritage drink, one that has been enjoyed for generations. If for nothing else but its longevity, it deserves respect.

4. It’s a very good drink.

In its pure form, it’s a very good alcoholic beverage. It has very little impurities. The flavor profile is potent, but still smooth and sweet. It’s also quite cheap. Lambanog is also all-natural, which many of our local products (having been doused every which way with additives and artificial flavors) cannot claim. For the price point and the quality of the alcohol, it’s very hard to beat.

5. You can use it in the kitchen, too.

With so many dishes out there that use alcohol as a component, why not substitute Lambanog for the vodka, wine, or beer the recipe calls for?

The flavor of Lambanog makes it great for seafood. Try it with an oyster shooter with a dash of salt, siling labuyo, and calamansi. Cook seafood (like mussels and shrimp) with it. Cooking mellows out the alcohol, and heightens the sweeter flavors.

For many of us, our appreciation for alcohol is still in its early stages. A lot of us are still struggling to move past that stage where getting hammered in the cheapest way possible is the goal. We need to learn how to enjoy the nuances of alcohol.

The next time you get invited to an inuman, why not give the real local stuff a try? It will probably make for more enjoyable nights, and ones that you can actually remember when you get up in the morning.

(Bonus: Here’s a link to Lambanog’s feature in Three Sheets, the Travel Channel’s show about alcohol all over the world.)

Did you try out the bubblegum flavor back in the day? Have you had pure lambanog? Do you have funny drinking stories to share? Let us know in the comments!

References:

Roces, Alejandro R. (c. 1940s). “We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers.” Communication Arts and Skills Through Anglo-American and Filipino Literature. Josephine B. Serrano & Milagros G. Lapid. Third Edition. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House, 1999, 310-315.

Image Sources: Expat Philippines / Fotothing / Flickr

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Drinking beer in the Philippines is practically a national past time. Some of us only drink occasionally, others indulge every Friday, and we all have that one friend who will use any excuse to consume his weight in beer at least a couple of times a week.

Our choices, though, have been limited. While there are a number of both local and international brands available, San Miguel still dominates the market. It leaves us with little variety when it comes to taste and style.

To fill this void in the local beer market, a counter-culture movement of home and craft brewers has been steadily growing, successfully making their own beers to suit just about anyone’s unique preferences. They can be found all over the country, providing their fellow enthusiasts with different styles and flavors of beer. In Manila, one such craft beer brewer has taken the next step, introducing their beer to the local commercial market.

Meet Katipunan Craft Ales. Formed by a group of friends who are passionate about beer, the brewery is trying to ferment a revolution to challenge our perceptions on what beer should be.

Even though they’ve only been commercially brewing for a couple of years, they have found much goodwill and success among the drinking circles of Manila, as well as the rest of the country. They make a few different brews, but it is their flagship product that best embodies their brewing philosophy: ale that represents the revolutionary spirit of the Filipino.

Today we pit this rebel against a symbol of our Spanish conquerors, San Miguel Beer. Will it be a worthy face-off? Find out below.

The Beer

As we’ve established before, beer holds a special place in my heart. It’s easy to see why I was so excited to give this brew a try.

Katipunan Craft’s signature brew is called the Indio Pale Ale, a nod to the India Pale Ale. It is a classic type of ale that is distinguished by a distinct hoppy, or bitter taste.

Pouring the beer into a glass shows a deep golden, almost brown, color. You can immediately smell its fruity and faintly hoppy aroma. You’ll also see a few particles floating around, but this is perfectly safe and normal. They’re just leftover products from the fermentation.

The taste is very hoppy. It’s far more bitter than what the local large breweries offer, but it is not an unpleasant kind of bitterness. In fact, it helps to better round out the flavor of the beer. You can also taste tangy, fruity notes with some slight malty sweetness.

This is a beer that goes well with food. I had a burger and fries with it, and the food made the drinking experience all the more enjoyable. The flavors balance well, and the fruity notes became much more distinct.

It’s a different enough experience that you’ll be curious and eager to try it again.

We pitted the Indio Pale Ale against San Miguel’s Super Dry, a beer that boasts a character all its own.

The Face-Off

The Verdict

So, will Katipunan Craft Ales ever knock San Miguel Beer from its throne? Probably not. Indio Pale Ale is priced at PHP 150 (that’s straight from the source, it’d be more expensive from resellers). That’s more than thrice the cost of the most expensive brew that San Miguel offers.

While it’ll never reach the financial success of SMB, Katipunan Craft Ales has already succeeded in sparking the revolution it initially sought. Yes, indeed. They’ve helped change how many Filipinos think and feel about beer. Nowadays, more and more people no longer see beer as something you simply gulp down, making them actually take the time to savor and appreciate the flavor of the beer.

The difference in flavor between a well-made craft beer and something you bought from  7/11 is night and day. Drinking one after the other only makes it easier to taste the blandness in most big-name beers.

For this face-off, Indio Pale Ale has the upper hand when it comes to being full-flavored and well-balanced. Though we don’t see it toppling San Miguel as a regularly consumed beer, the ale is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a great tasting beer, one that would go well with a nice meal.

The Indio Pale Ale is a great drink, one that demands your attention. It is, perhaps, what makes it all the more different from your usual bottle.

Have you tried the Indio Pale Ale or other craft beers? Have you tried brewing your own beer at home? Let us know in the comments!

 Visit Katipunan Craft Ales on Facebook to know more about them and where to buy their beer.

Image Sources: Katipunan Craft Ales | Katipunan Craft Ales | Fully Booked | San Miguel Brewery

Banner Image Source: Katipunan Craft Ales

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Kamayan, or the Filipino practice of eating with one’s bare hands, is still something I do regularly when I’m at home or whenever I camp out. I particularly like eating fried chicken wings and rice this way (I associate this with happy childhood memories, go figure.)

Outside of the actual “Kamayan” restaurant however, I wouldn’t have thought to see this done at other eateries. This made stumbling upon Tamerlane’s Ihaw’s (yes, that’s exactly how they spell the name of the restaurant) over at Antipolo a pleasant, though unexpected, surprise.

Photo by the author

Despite its location, all the seats are packed full during lunch and dinner.

Tamerlane’s is hidden along a nondescript street in a quiet residential area in Antipolo. Still, despite its location, all the seats are packed full during lunch and dinner. It features the usual ihawan fare of grilled meats and seafood, all of which are displayed at the counter. The ordering process is simple. You point out or hand over your selection to the cashier, they grill it, and then serve it you. You can now proceed to eat.

With nothing but your hands.

That’s right, every customer in this restaurant has to eat kamayan style. There are no utensils. It’s just you, your plate, and a banana leaf. Oh, and your hands, of course.

The approach is interesting enough that even the Korean residents of Antipolo have become regulars of the eatery.

I don’t read Hangul. I’m guessing this says “Washing of hands is encouraged.” Photo by the author

Photo by the author

The food is nothing out-of-this-world, but you can hardly go wrong when it comes to grilling. The seafood looks fresh enough and safe to eat. They regularly run out of stock of the items on display, so you can bet that they fill a lot of hungry bellies. Items are affordable, with prices ranging from PHP 15 to PHP 60 for the pork barbecue, BBQ chicken wings and grilled pork chops. Whole seafood, like the catfish and squid, can range from PHP 80 to PHP 140, but these are good for sharing. They also have grilled vegetables, and a salad made up of tomatoes, onions, and salted duck eggs.

Photo by the author

Photo by the author

Every bite is more satisfying when you need to scoop your meal with your fingers

Eating here during dinner is particularly pleasant. The hot rice and grilled meats seem to taste better with the cool night air doing its best to save you from the tropical heat. Every bite is more satisfying when you need to scoop your meal with your fingers, blow on it to cool it down, and bring the food to your mouth in just the right way to prevent any piece from spilling to the floor.

It’s rustic, it’s simple, and it forces you take your time eating as you just can’t relentlessly shovel food into your mouth like you could with a spoon. In a city where tradition is becoming a novelty, it’s refreshing to experience eating like this again.

If you’re ever in Antipolo and want to experience no-frills dining in the traditional Filipino way, try Tamerlane’s Ihaw. It’s nothing fancy, but we really wouldn’t want it any other way.

Know of any other hole-in-the wall places that let you eat with your hands? Do you think some foods just taste better when you do? Let us know in the comments below!

Tamerlane’s Ihaw’s
Along J. Sumulong Street, Antipolo City
Open from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

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From food carts to hole-in-the wall joints, we try out meals that literally test your intestinal fortitude. There may be flies on the counter, and the dishes aren’t always clean, but that big, hot bowl of what’s presumably food just looks so good.  Yes, these are the places your mom warned you about. But it’s okay, we won’t tell if you won’t. Welcome to Ghetto Grub.

Having previously declared our love for deep fried pork parts, I find no shame in confessing that I also harbor a foot fetish. Whether your favorite crispy pata comes from a famous Filipino restaurant, a love hotel, or the Ministop nearest you, this dish of porky perfection is always a hit come mealtime and drinking sessions.

Photo by the author

The crispy pata is a lovely sight to behold. The golden-brown crispy skin teases you with the promise of juicy meat within. The small hint of naked bone that peeks through is just daring you to grab the whole leg and dig in. You find your mouth start to water in anticipation, thoughts of slowly breaking into that piece of meat and seeing the steam rise as you cut through fill your head. It’s like FHM for your mouth.

Photo by the author

It was a few years back that my officemates first introduced me to Analisa’s Crispy Pata, over at Project 4, in Quezon City. Initially, I wasn’t all that excited since I had noticed a general decline in the quality of crispy pata at a lot of food outlets. I really wasn’t expecting that much when I took a bite.

Photo by the author

It’d never felt so good to be so wrong. The skin was perfectly crisp, the meat was moist, and it was seasoned with just the right amount of salt, pepper, and sweetness. That one bite led to many more visits to Analisa’s (some even during the day), all of which have been quite happy experiences so far.

The Analisa’s at Project 4 is actually an outlet of the main establishment in Sikatuna (also in QC). Despite this, the Project 4 branch is still an institution when it comes to crispy pata. It has been in the area for around 20 years, providing not only sustenance, but also a steady supply of patients willing to fund the car payments of the city’s cardiologists.

Photo by the author

Aside from my one true love, they also sell all manner of deep fried goodies like whole chickens, pork bellies, pork heads, and chicken skin. The menu items are so sinful, you’ll immediately gain 10 pounds just from passing by the store.

Their operations are straightforward enough. Most of the items are pre-cooked, and kept frozen inside a chest freezer. The meat is then prepared upon order, and served hot and sexy before you after a few minutes in the deep fryer.

Analisa’s is one of the few places you can get a crispy pata for less than PHP 300.

The menu is also priced quite fairly. Analisa’s is one of the few places you can get a crispy pata for less than PHP 300. Sadly, the kuya over at the counter told me that they may have to increase the prices due to the rising cost of LPG. It’ll just be a twenty-peso increase, though, which makes a minimum impact on the total price. This means I’ll still be able to afford to swing by whenever I feel that special itch.

The Verdict

We’re doing something new on Ghetto Grub. Hopefully, these ratings will help you guys decide if our discoveries are a fit for you and your friends.

Ghetto Factor: 6.5/10

It’s in the projects, but the neighborhood isn’t half that bad. Just don’t go wandering around here by foot late at night. As for the prices, it’s still pretty expensive, but compared it to most other eateries that serve crispy pata, it’s probably a hundred-fifty to two hundred pesos cheaper.

Health Hazard: 1/10

The chances of contracting food-borne diseases here are close to nil. The food is handled minimally and the deep fryer will probably kill off any germs. So, yay for boiling oil!

Conyopatibility: 7/10

For those who break out in rashes when not in the presence of air conditioning, be warned that ordering here is a 15 minutes affair. If you can stand that, then you’ll be fine (Or yaya can drop by to pick-up your order, making it a win-win for you).

Know of any other crispy pata joints that are worth the visit? Have you had your blood-pressure checked lately? Let us know in the comments below!

Analisa’s Crispy
Lakandula St., Project 4, Quezon City
Open from 9:30 AM to 9 PM
Tel: (02) 439-39-05

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From food carts, to hole-in-the wall joints, we try out meals that literally test your intestinal fortitude. There may be flies on the counter, and the dishes aren’t always clean, but that big, hot bowl of what’s presumably food just looks so good.  Yes, these are the places your mom warned you about. But it’s okay, we won’t tell if you won’t. Welcome to Ghetto Grub.

Like most kids who grew up in the nineties, I have a fondness for Japanese culture. This fascination, though, gave rise to a host of complications.  I questioned how I can have a crush on girl-type Ranma, when he’s really a boy, and struggled to explain to my parents just why I just couldn’t go to church on Sunday because Dragonball Z was on (it never worked, and I had to learn to program the VCR instead.)

Thankfully, the interest also spilled over to healthier things, like eating Japanese food. Back then, Japanese food was affordable, widely available, and as authentic as they could manage here in Manila. And while Japanese food is even more popular today, enjoying it now puts a larger strain on our wallets.

Which is why seeing this sign was so effective at stopping me in in my tracks.

The red lanterns, curtains, and anime posters that decorate the walls are undeniably Japanese kitsch, and the row of teddy bears for sale that line the shelves don’t exactly scream out “Good Japanese Food Here!” Put your doubts aside for a moment, though, and take the time to thumb through their menu. You’ll find it hard to believe what they have in store for you.

Pictures of soldiers drinking beer, and of Sam Pinto, make it all the more ghetto.

Bonus points for having both tongue and wiener on the menu.

Noodle selections.

Photos here just show part of the menu, they have a lot more to offer.

For a hundred pesos, the rice bowls are a steal. The oyakodon is spot on in its flavors, and you’ll finish the bowl feeling stuffed. It’s enough to make you forget all those times you had to make do with dinky over-salted/sweetened pretenders from the foodcourt.

Fun fact: Oyakodon means “parent & child meal with rice” coz of the chicken/egg combo.

The curry katsu is also great. The curry is probably made from instant powder mix, but who cares? It does the job. The porkchop is thick, crisp, and pillow-soft. The sauce is something special as well. It manages to balance the feel of home-cooked goodness with the sketchy but addicting flavors you’d associate with surprise discoveries during late night food crawls.

Katsu Curry

And yes, they also serve all the usual silog meals, but quite honestly, why would you even bother ordering any of them? You’ve got a whole menu of rice bowls, katsus, and noodles to go through, the tapa can wait.

The Verdict

Ghetto Factor: 7/10

There’s almost a twilight zone-esque feel here when you visit late at night. The immediate vicinity is gritty (the strip it’s in features a talyer and various auto parts stores), while managing to be right across a large international school. It looks safe, but feels rough.

Health Hazard: 2/10

The place is pretty clean, but it isn’t spotless either. Just bring a hand sanitizer along and you’ll be fine.

Conyopatiblity: 7/10

The patrons here may lean more towards hungry middle-aged men out for a beer, but the menu is still attractive enough even for those used to dining in more upscale Japanese establishments. They also use pretty Japanese ceramic dishes, making it easier for the more coño among us to zone out the surroundings and pretend they’re in a much, much nicer place.

Do you know of any other Japanese joints that are pretty good? Did you have a crush on Ranma-chan too? Let us know in the comments below!

Ganko Restaurant
Along CAA Road, Las Piñas City
Open from 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM

The post Ghetto Grub: Ganko Restaurant appeared first on Pepper.ph.

Conversations during drinking sessions can be a lot of fun. People are more open, and a lot more willing to call their ex when they shouldn’t to share great stories. When the alcohol is flowing freely, and everyone is chiming in with their own tales of comedic debauchery, it makes for a great night with friends.

Inevitably, though, all drinking sessions soon spiral down to become a discussion where everyone is just basically lying. The fibs range from the slightly believable (“I’ve been vomit free since ’93!”), to shameless fantasies (“I swear, Angel Locsin’s been texting me non-stop since I helped her change a flat tire”).

This magical period of inebriated lies and bragging is where a lot of the alcohol myths I know come from. They’re usually from people who want to share “personal” (but really third or fourth hand) stories that can’t be verified, but are too much trouble to disprove either. Next thing you know, the stories become urban legends, passed down from one passed-out alcoholic to the next.

Just like a bad hangover that lingers, here are 5 alcohol myths that people still inexplicably believe once they’re sober.

5. Beer + Gin = Red Horse.

(via San Miguel Philippines)

The Myth:

Whenever a drinking session involves Red Horse beer, this topic is sure to surface in the discussion eventually. Red Horse is said to owe its gasoline taste high alcohol content to the addition of gin. On the one occasion that I actually drank the damn thing warm and straight from the case, I understood why people might find the notion of gin mixed in with the beer believable.

The Bust:

Red Horse, like most extra-strong beers, falls under the malt liquor category. It’s still a beer, just with more malt added for extra alcohol conversion. Malt comes from cereal grains, like barley, rice, and corn, that have reached germination (or are ready to sprout), which are then dried and fermented to alcohol. That higher alcohol percentage translates into a stronger flavor (like how gin would taste) which downplays the hoppy flavor of the beer.

4. Tanduay Rum Turns to Plastic

(via Ride the Bug)

The Myth:

I’ve been told several times to stay away from the stuff since they say that it turns to plastic when left out in the sun. Imagine, then, what it’ll do inside your body?

Still, the threat of customer plastification never stopped our local bars from using it as the base for their cocktails. That Boracay cocktail, Long Island Iced Tea, and Rum Coke you’re enjoying? It’s probably made with Tanduay.

The Bust:

Rhum is traditionally made with sugarcane, which already makes the drink sticky-sweet. Tanduay blends their alcohol with even more sugar, as a shortcut, to make their basic rhum. When the rhum is left out in the sun and the water content evaporates, the sugar makes the drink thicker, giving it the appearance of plastic goo.

3. Cerveza Negra helps with Menstruation

(via San Miguel Philippines)

The Myth:

This particular home remedy I heard from one of my older co-workers. I was happily drinking a Cerveza Negra when he said, “Pampa-regla yan di ba?” (That’s to help menstruation along, right?) Why he thought this information would be useful for me, I would never know. Suffice to say, I never drank Cerveza Negra in front of old folks again, lest I be mistaken for a woman who just wants to regularize her monthly period.

The Bust:

Okay, I’m not too sure on this one. All I know is that I’ve drank my fair share of Cerveza Negra and I’ve never had sudden heavy flow problems stemming from it. I’m guessing the dark color of the beer is thought to help out with blood related problems? Maybe? Any girls want to chime in? We’re very open to hear about your theories and experiences.

2. Gin Bulag

Pick your Poison. Literally it seems. (via Wikipedia)

The Myth:

You may have heard of the phrase “You’ll drink yourself blind.” Locally, that belief has led to the term gin bulag (blind gin), traditionally associated with the famous Ginebra brand. They say that when you abuse the drink too much, it’ll cause you to go blind.

The Bust:

Now here’s a myth with a grain of truth to it. Alcohol blindness is a real thing, but mostly it’s due to the presence of either lead, or methanol from backyard-made alcohol. Lead can come from moonshiners using old parts that contain lead. Methanol, on the other hand, is added by unscrupulous distillers that want to increase alcohol content cheaply. Both lead and methanol can cause blindness when ingested, but you should be very happy to know that commercially produced hooch contains only ethanol. It won’t blind you, it’ll just kill your liver instead. Great news, right?

1. Happy Horse

You’d be smiling stupid, too, after a case of these bad boys. (via Philippine Urban Legends)

The Myth:

Another Red Horse myth, one which happens to be a favorite of mine. Back in college, we would always look for the “Happy Horse” bottle (named after the smiling horse logo) whenever we would buy beer. It was reputed to have an even stronger kick than the normal bottle with the non-smiling (unhappy? Uninterested? Emotionally unavailable?) horse. It was even said that each case held only one happy horse, a special treat for the lucky guy that draws it out (sort of like an alcoholic golden ticket).

The Bust:

The happy horse logo was actually the just old design of the brand. When the company updated its look, they still made use of the older bottles in order to save money. With the increase in production of bottles with the new logo, though, the Happy Horse soon became quite rare. This gave rise to the myth of the special bottle with higher alcohol content. Though, even if it were true, the myth doesn’t seem to make sense. If you’d already bought an entire case, who cares about the one bottle (no matter how high the alcohol content) if you can just drink all twenty-four?

Were you a believer of any of the myths here? Know any other alcohol urban legends? Did life play a cruel joke on you, and give you gout even though you really, really enjoy beer? Let us know in the comments below!

References: Tanduay Rhum, Wikipedia

The post 5 Filipino Myths About Alcohol Busted! appeared first on Pepper.ph.

I slept through a lot of my Philippine History and Geography classes in high school (I blame the school for scheduling the class after lunch), which explains why I’m a bit hazy on the subject. Still, on the rare occasions that I was awake, I did pay attention. One thing that always stuck in my mind was the lesson about Negros, and how it was the sugar capital of the Philippines. Undoubtedly, this is where Bogs Brew, a small brewery in Bacolod, takes its cue.

Bogs Brew prides itself in making beer that reflects the spirit of Negros, an island where sugar flows in the veins of its people and in the Basi that they drink. Currently, the brewery has two products, the eponymous Bogs Brew and the Primo. Both ales make use of the NegrosIsland sugar.

While the beers they make have been pretty popular in Bacolod for a while, the past couple of years have seen them make the rounds in Manila as well. Today, we get to sample just what the flavors of Negros have to offer in these two brews.

Bogs Brew

The beer comes in a 350 mL bottle. Poured into a glass, you’re greeted with a nice amber color. Plenty of leftover residue can be seen in the beer and there was also so much bubbling going on that I got caught up just watching the bubbles push the residue up and down for several minutes.

On your first drink, right off the bat, the beer hits you with a strong hoppy flavor. The bitterness doesn’t stay too long, though, and you then get to taste the sweet notes come through. It’s almost like having a bit of toffee dissolved in your beer. My main gripes would have to be the excessive carbonation and a lack of body. Both factors make the hops overpower the flavor.

Still, it’s a decent drink, and fares better than a lot of major commercial beer brands. The addition of the molasses-like flavor also adds an interesting dimension.

Primo

Primo is labeled as an “all-grain” beer, presumably since it doesn’t use any malt extracts. The mix of grains used consists of barley, organic rice, and corn. It feels good to know that even local beer is trying to go organic, too.

This beer comes in the same bottle as Bogs Brew, but it’s a warm golden color when poured into a glass. There was still a lot of bubbling going on, but it wasn’t as overly carbonated as its brother. There was also virtually zero residue.

An interesting note on the aroma of this brew is that it reminded me of overripe or caramelized pineapples. The same note could also be found in the aftertaste of the drink, like a hint of sweet pineapple jam. I’m guessing the wild bee honey and the muscovado sugar helped bring a unique sweetness and tang to this drink.

Personally, I liked the Primo better than the Bogs Brew. It’s a lot more balanced, and the slight hoppiness helps the other flavors come through.

Overall, both beers are decent drinks, and come at a good price of around PHP 70 per bottle. Drinking the brew also made me more curious as to how well it would fare when enjoyed with the native cuisine of Negros (which is already famous in its own right).

Bogs brew has done an excellent job of representing the heritage of Negros, and makes a great addition to the other craft brews we have going around. As they declare on their bottles, the drink is one of friendship, fun, and flavor. I couldn’t agree more.

Have you tried Bogs Brew? Know of any other local craft beers that we need to try? Let us know in the comments!

Bogs Brew and Primo
Brewed in Bob’s Farm,
Bacolod, Negros Occidental
Comes in 350 mL Bottles (approximately 5% alcohol)
Available in Bacolod,
at Cab Café in Kapitolyo, Pasig,
and Global Beer Exchange, Paseo de Magallanes (when available)

The post Sweet Bacolod: Sampling Bogs Brew and Primo Ales appeared first on Pepper.ph.

From food carts, to hole-in-the wall joints, we try out meals that literally test your intestinal fortitude. There may be flies on the counter, and the dishes aren’t always clean, but that big, hot bowl of what’s presumably food just looks so good.  Yes, these are the places your mom warned you about. But it’s okay, we won’t tell if you won’t. Welcome to Ghetto Grub.

Every time I make my way to the Pepper studio, I see this small eatery along P. Guevarra, in San Juan. The huge “Yakitate Pork Chop House” sign always catches my attention, mostly because this is what flashes through my brain:

via anifex

In the secret hope that the pork chop they serve is an authentic Japanese specialty (either that or a magic snack that turns me into an anime character), I made a promise that I’d try it out one day. Recently, I had the chance to do just that.

Frankly, I was a bit disappointed that the menu wasn’t an assortment of different katsu or pork chop dishes. Neither was the cook a Japanese expat or even a former Japayuki (which I would have been pretty okay with). Instead, all I got was the usual silog fare. But seeing that the place was still packed, even well after the lunch hour, I figured that there must be something special about what they offer.

It didn’t surprise me when I saw several plastic bags with kilos upon kilos of pork chops inside their kitchen. It would probably the first thing anyone would order here, too, since the sign does say (in big, bold letters) PORK CHOP HOUSE.

The porksilog is obviously their bestseller

For PHP 55, the porksilog is their best-seller. It’s a pretty good meal. One of the better things about the chop was the unusual way they cooked it. After it was first fried, they would then place the chop on the hot griddle to toast it a bit more. This helps drain more oil away, and gives the pork chop a less greasy feel.

The chop itself is marinated for flavor. Unlike what you might expect from such a humble eatery, it isn’t that salty at all. In fact, you’d probably be inclined to copy the rest of the regulars, and dip your pork into the soy sauce-calamansi-chili mix they serve to everyone. The egg is cooked perfectly over easy (which is no mean feat), and the rice is all toasty and garlicky.

Yakitate has become quite the institution, and for good reason. It’s the cheapest and nearest eatery for those coming from the Flying V Arena in San Juan, making it a haven for athletes, coaching staff, and referees looking for an affordable and filling meal. It has also found regulars among the many cabbies plying the area, as well as drivers waiting to pick up their wards from school.

Yakitate Pork Chop House is always packed with customers.

Obviously, it’s not a fancy place, and the menu is nothing you haven’t seen before, but it’s almost always packed with customers. Judging from the throng of people stuffing themselves with pork chops and rice, I’d say this little pork chop house is doing a pretty good job.

The Verdict

Is Yakitate Pork Chop House a place you’d visit soon? Let’s See.

GHETTO FACTOR: 7/10

It’s next to a busy street, and a police station is just a hundred meters away, so it’s not like you’d get mugged in broad daylight here. But when you step inside the restaurant you can’t help but feel slummy. It looks like someone put up a shack around an old abandoned diner, so it gets high marks for the ghetto factor.

CONYOPATIBILITY: 0.5/10

No aircon here, not even an electric fan, and there doesn’t even seem to be any electrical lighting either. Calling the place run-down would be like calling this fight scene unrealistic. I’m guessing this explains the long line of drivers picking up take out orders from the store, lest their sundo loses his or her appetite while dining here.

HEALTH HAZARD: 4.5/10

I haven’t heard anybody actually getting sick here, but the place does not look clean. I’d highly recommend bringing your own spoon and fork when you eat here if your tummy is sensitive. Also, as a friendly warning, I’d advise you to buy a soda or something bottled and sealed instead of the free water they offer whenever you dine here.

Have you tried Yakitate Pork Chop House? Wasn’t that just the best fight scene you’ve ever seen onscreen? Know of any other ghetto grub places we should check out? Let us know in the comments below!

Yakitate Pork Chop House
Along P. Guevarra Street,
San Juan City, Metro Manila

The post Ghetto Grub: Yakitate Pork Chop House appeared first on Pepper.ph.

Watching other people getting drunk is the next best thing to actually getting wasted yourself. You get to appreciate just how funny people can be when they’re three sheets to the wind, but you’re still sober enough to not get roped in. Just like watching a car wreck, it’s hard to look away from drunks causing a scene.

Unfortunately, some people think it’s impolite to camp out at bars just to watch people make fools of themselves. One (less exciting, but just as funny) alternative is to stay in and watch drunken scenes in movies instead. It’s a lot easier on your wallet as well. (Also, no one questions your choice to wear nothing but boxers when you’re watching a movie at home.)

There must be dozens of great movie scenes involving alcohol, and all of us have our own personal favorites. In order to weed out the obvious and the repetitive examples, any movie that happens in college, has a fraternity, stars Will Ferrel, Zach Galifianakis, or Adam Sandler are all automatically disqualified. Hope you enjoy my list.

4. Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas.

The whole film is one big drunken journey towards death. Yes, it’s depressing, but watching Nicolas Cage decide to keep on drinking until he’s good and dead is riveting stuff. It’s a sobering look at how an alcoholic is all too aware of the tragic end he’s destined for with his addiction.

via Fan Voice

The scene:

It’s the Cage drinking a bottle of beer while underwater in the pool that really gets to me. I’ve known plenty of alcoholics, and it really is normal for them to drink literally all the time. They do it when they get up in the morning, while they’re at work, at every meal, before finally drinking themselves to sleep at night. However, wanting to keep on drinking even when you can’t breathe is on an entirely different tier. That’s what you call true commitment to alcohol.

3. John Lloyd Cruz in One More Chance.

In One More Chance, John Lloyd Cruz gives a master class on the turbulent emotions every guy feels when going through a breakup. One of the best scenes in the film was JLC working himself slowly from tepid surprise, to simmering annoyance, and finally full-blown boiling rage during the dinner where Basha shows up with a new guy.

Also… STOP CHOOSING TO BREAK OUR HEARTS. (via Reworder)

The scene:

Prior to this get-together, we’re treated to numerous scenes of Lloydie (I like calling him that, don’t judge me) drowning his sorrows every night with beer and bad renditions of Introvoy’s hits. Once the pivotal dinner scene comes around, we see Lloydie (I’ll keep calling him that, get used to it) unkempt, unshaven, and clearly with a few beer bottles head start over the rest of his friends at the party.

Seeing how well your ex is doing (with a guy who looks like Derek Ramsey, no less), when you’re pretty much a drunken mess all of the time, doesn’t do wonders for the guy’s ego. He goes on to help himself to the wine bottle on the table. All it takes is one sip, and JLC successfully immortalizes himself through the delivery of the saddest most heartfelt speech ever heard on Philippine Cinema. It also forever cements the “Three Month Rule” in the relationship bylaws of couples who are breaking up.

2. Michelle Trachtenberg in Euro Trip

Easily one of the hottest girls back then, Michelle Trachtenberg gave us the hottest scene of siblings making-out before the Lannisters made it trendy. (Also, it left a few of us wondering what would we do, if Michelle were our sister.)

(image of the kissing twins, or their reaction after the kiss)

Difference is, Jaime and Cersei enjoy their kiss. (via hotflick)

The scene:

Finding themselves in Eastern Europe with plenty of cash to spend (got to love that exchange rate), the guys do what anyone else would in their situation. They blow their money on a swanky hotel and go clubbing. They drink Absinthe, which is infamous for (supposedly) giving people hallucinations. Next thing we know, Michelle’s getting hot and heavy with one very lucky (?) guy, her twin brother.

Life lesson: close your eyes only after you move in for the kiss, just to double check that the person you’ll be making out with won’t get you arrested.

1. Every single Filipino action film with a beerhouse scene.

It’s a staple in almost every Filipino action movie from the 60’s and up to have at least one bar fight, which turns to an all-out melee at the end.

The scene:

It’s always bedlam inside the beerhouse when it’s featured in a Filipino action film. A bar brawl between the good guys and the bad guys is inevitable, usually over the hero’s girlfriend (who’s also a dancer at the club). Pretty soon it’s weaponized bottles of Pale Pilsen and chairs all over the place. You wonder how the bar’s proprietors even keep the lights on with all the chair smashing and table breaking that constantly occurs. Although reeking of misogyny and flawed male stereotypes, I do miss seeing this trope in the new crop of action films.

Bonus: Since the action films are almost all the same and it’s impossible to pick one as the best, here’s the lovable Weng Weng instead in “For Your Height Only,” our answer to the James Bond classic, “For Your Eyes Only.” Enjoy.

Any other favorite drunk scenes you’d like to mention? Did you have a crush on Michelle Trachtenberg, too? Let us know in the comments below!

Thumbnail via joblo.com
Header via DiamondCoast

The post My 4 Favorite Movie Scenes with People Getting Drunk Onscreen appeared first on Pepper.ph.

Going Home

It’s only noon, on an otherwise unremarkable day in May, and I’m already breathing heavily. I have to pause and rest one minute for every five minutes I walk. I’ve never felt so out of shape in my life, but I don’t want to look like a weakling in front of the kuya who’s guiding me. I remember the ferry ride I took earlier, from Calapan in Oriental Mindoro, and the merienda I, regretfully, chose not to eat on the ship. I chug down some water with my disappointment and continue to walk along the pilapil¹ as we make the rounds through the fishponds my grandfather had built some sixty years past.

My great-grandfather constructed our fishponds more than three generations ago.

It’s been three generations since my great-grandfather first began construction of the fishponds, built by his own hands, sweat, and blood. In the decades that followed, my grandparents and their four sons managed to grow and expand the farm while raising their respective families. Today though, only my dad and his brother stand as our elders, the rest are at peace.

I continue my trek, trying to imagine how it must have been back then. With each step, I take care not to stumble on the overgrowth of weeds, lest I slip and fall down the crumbling slope. With each step, I am mindful of the echoes of my heritage each time my boot hits the ground.

Mindoro, More than Just the Beach

Ask anyone in the Philippines about Mindoro, and chances are Puerto Galera will be the first thing they mention. It is, after all, one of the more well-known beaches in the country. For me, however, it will always be the island where I trace my roots.

Mindoro is a few kilometers shy of two hundred from Manila. Located just below Batangas, it is one of the southernmost Islands of Luzon.  It’s one of the largest as well at ten and a half thousand square kilometers. While it is considered a gateway to the Visayas, it is still Tagalog territory, and people there speak in similar fashion to natives of Batangas and Quezon.

Oriental Mindoro has 160,000 hectares of  agricultural land.

Our province, Oriental Mindoro, has almost a hundred and sixty thousand hectares of agricultural land. To provide better context, more than three hundred UP Diliman campuses could fit inside the area. Despite its large size, the province remains relatively undeveloped. Spend a few hours driving along the new highways and you’ll see nothing but farm after farm after farm. You’d be able to count the number of malls with just one hand.

Progress, though, does continue to come to Mindoro. Calapan, the provincial capitol, just got new traffic lights, and at one intersection, you can see announcements and ads being displayed on a large LCD screen. Overseas workers are now coming home, and with them, the money and drive to build new subdivisions and commercial centers.

Much has changed from the Mindoro I remember from my youth. I’m still a little astonished wheneve I drive through different towns without having to worry about damaging my car’s suspension. New sedans and SUVs from the casa² in Batangas roll off the pier in a steady fashion.

The author as a child being taught how to fish near at one of the fishponds.

Much more, though, still remains the same. The vast tracts of farmland are still there, tended the same way, and perhaps more telling, tended by the same people. Farms are left to the people that started them decades ago, as they’ve sent their children off to far away schools so that they may find work in corporations and call centers. Maybe, if they’re lucky, perhaps their children can even get jobs overseas.

The First Tide Comes In

There’s little of Mindoro’s history to be found in books or online. Much of the knowledge I’ve gained about my family and our roots in Mindoro come by way of stories from my dad and his brothers. Farming, for our branch at least, is where it all began. And the man who started it was my Lolo Tato, my great-grandfather. If there’s one story about him that would always pop up during get-togethers, it would be how he persevered through incredible hardships and managed to make a successful run at farming.

If they didn’t want to starve, the new arrivals had to find a way to convert and cultivate the land.

As one of the new settlers in Mindoro shipped there by the government’s homestead program, Lolo Tato faced many of the same challenges his neighbors did. If they didn’t want to starve, the new arrivals had to find a way to convert and cultivate the land that had long been left fallow. However there was no farm machinery available and continuous outbreaks of disease claimed the lives of many people. Many of his neighbors chose to leave and find their luck elsewhere, lolo decided to stay and offered to buy their land off them, often with nothing but a promissory note as payment.

In time, he managed to turn these lands into rice fields and fruit farms. He planted what he could, and did a lot of the work himself. When they came of age, his children, including my grandfather Leo, began to help and inherited duties and responsibilities around the farm as well. With a lot of hard work and perseverance, the farms proved successful enough for Lolo Tato to send his siblings and his children to school. He made good on those promissory notes. Leo, whom we all called Daddy, later became one of the first civil engineers out of UP Diliman, all thanks to farming.

In retrospect, I guess this is why Daddy wanted to venture into farming himself, building six fishponds to raise anything from shrimp and crabs to  bangus and tilapia. His gamble did succeed, as all his sons got a good education from thanks the income generated by his fishponds.

Sometime in the sixties, the whole family moved to Makati to find even better opportunities in the booming metropolitan scene. Times were good back then. The Philippine Peso was still at 2 or 3 for every dollar and the country’s economy was widely held as one of the strongest and fastest growing in Asia.

Living in Manila, the farm seemed farther and farther away each year.

All the sons were able to finish college in Metro Manila, and found suitable employment after graduation. Despite their office jobs, the brothers still took turns managing the family farm. Living permanently in Metro Manila, however, and with their own individual families and lives to take care of, made things difficult. The distance from the farm seemed to grow further and further away each year.

Low Tide, a Generation Removed

According to Farmland, an upcoming documentary from the United States, “Most Americans are five generations removed from the farm.” In the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila,  most adults are only a generation or two removed from the ploughing and planting, but the is gap steadily increasing.

For our family, my generation is the first to grow up exclusively in Metro Manila. If you ask me about the number of times I’ve actually been to the farm, I’d probably be ashamed of my answer. In the first twenty years of my life, I would not be lying if I said I knew nothing about growing food or taking care of animals. Like Daddy, most of us took up Engineering or technical courses in college instead of anything related to agriculture. As children, we did spend summers at the farm, but we didn’t go there to work or help out. Mostly, these trips were vacations for us, and while we were exposed to farming, we were always kept separate from it.

Restaurants and groceries have effectively alienated us from the farm.

It’s a bit amusing to note that while we all know so much about the finished products that we consume, we know comparatively very little about the food’s source. Restaurants and groceries, the most immediate and familiar connections we have to food, have effectively alienated us from the farm, both as a concept as an actual destination to reach. We’ve chosen convenience over our connection with where our food comes from.

Very few of us view this separation as negative, very few even know that the delineation exists. We don’t have to look too far from home to understand the reason why. In Pamapnga, at an aquaculture conference I attended, a friend put it in this way, “Farmers work very hard. They do it to raise their kids and put them through school. And they say to their kids, finish school, and get a good job. Do it so you don’t have to go through a hard life. Do it so you don’t have to become a farmer.” Something, somewhere, has gone terribly wrong if becoming a farmer is now being used as a tell tale sign of a failed life.

The Tide of Opportunity Comes In

I drove back from that conference with mixed feelings. While I realized that government and private sector support for the industry was growing, I couldn’t help but notice that I was probably the only one in my age group in attendance. I kept thinking back to what my friend said, that farmers don’t let their kids grow up to be farmers, and what that meant for the country’s future.

From that conference, I made my way to the PICC in Pasay for the last leg of the 10^th National Organic Agriculture Conference. There, I was greeted by a totally different scene. The lecture halls were filled with students, young professionals, and people well into their adulthood. A few exhibitors who had developed technologies for organic farming were also quite near my age. There was something the air, a scent that you could tell everyone else in the building could smell, opportunity.

Opportunity, or the lack of it, is what I feel stops a lot of young people today from going into farming. From my personal experience, it’s difficult to let go of the safety net that is a salaried day job with benefits just to venture into agriculture. It’s an issue that my family is well aware of, and one that needs resolution soon.

To put it bluntly, it’s about the money. There are always bills to be paid, we have to send our kids to good schools, and we want to live in relative comfort. It’s hard to give all that up for a life that you know nothing about, one we’ve been told won’t help us reach our own goals.

There’s now added interest  in producing healthy, organic, and sustainable agricultural products.

The new food movements, however, have become an unexpected ally. They’ve sparked new ways of thinking about food, creating an entirely new market niche. There’s now added interest and incentive in producing healthy, organic, and sustainable agricultural products. Farming continues to be a difficult endeavor, but it now has the potential to provide more significant income to for the needs of the farmers. Farmers can then focus on producing safe and good quality food without worrying about how they’ll be able to pay the bills. It’s a perfect marriage of business, sustainability, and social responsibility.

People are now becoming very picky eaters. There’s an added dimension of social responsibility that goes together with taste and flavor of food, and people are willing to pay a premium for food that provides this value. Admittedly, it’s a niche market for now. But the movement is starting to grow beyond just a being label that restaurants and specialty stores stick on their products so they can charge more. We’ve even featured some enterprises that have taken the next logical step in taking up the cause of farmers and producers of organic and socially responsible products.

Places such as Green Pastures, where organic ingredients are as important as the flavors, have begun to pop up. Our good friend, Jeremy of Mr. Delicious, makes it a point to build a relationship with the locals he sources his ingredients from. There’s also Got Heart, a store which acts as intermediary to give exposure to locally and responsibly grown products. One of the more inspiring endeavors is that of Gawad Kalinga’s Enchanted Farm, its business model seamlessly integrating social responsibility with a products people support because of their quality.

The new farm and food movements have the chance to flourish because they’re not just feel-good or charity cases. Farms can now say, “We’re producing food that values your well-being, that values nature, and that values the hands which farmed them.”

Going With the Current

It’s important to point out that some farms that have become success stories for sustainable agriculture. The Costales and Herbana farms are a couple of ventures in Laguna which I’ve been particularly impressed with, as they demonstrate that farming is a viable and profitable practice in this day and age. There are, of course, several other organic farms all over the country which have done well for themselves. All of them deserve our support.

Sustainability is what will keep you afloat.

I’ve mentioned sustainability a lot in this article. It’s a buzzword that is in danger of losing its meaning like the oft abused “organic” and “artisanal” labels. However, true sustainability is a practice which makes sense not only in business, but in our lives as well. In the end, it’s what keeps you afloat, the ability to sustain people through healthy crops, sustaining your operations with sound practices, and sustaining your self to be able to do the same day in and day out, and hopefully for the next generations to come.

Grilling Tilapia by the pond where they were raised.

In all honesty, I’m still totally unsure whether I should follow my ancestors’ footsteps and go fully into agriculture. For the past couple of years, I’ve been exposed to more ideas and more opportunities that get me excited over the prospect of farming. I also feel that becoming a part of the team here at Pepper.ph wasn’t a coincidence, as it allowed me to connect with so many people who share the same passion for and principles I do about food. Sometimes, I feel like the universe is trying to tell me something,

 What are your thoughts about this topic? Anything you want to share? Leave a comment below.

1. pilapil: earth dikes used to keep water inside an area
2. casa: a car showroom

Sources:
Department of Agriculture

The post A Call to Farms: Why Young Farmers are Becoming an Endangered Species appeared first on Pepper.ph.

Years after I graduated from college, and having joined the ranks of the overworked and underpaid white-collar corporate employees, I became a bit more enlightened about enjoying food and drink. Sure, I go off and indulge every now and then, but I know that living off siomai meals and instant pancit canton on an everyday basis won’t cut it anymore. Even drinking enough beer night after night to construct a full-scale replica of Megamall out of the cases we finished off starts to get old after a while.

Looking back, I realize that I picked up a lot of bad habits in my younger years. While all the alcohol I drank then made for fun nights I can never quite fully remember now, they’ve also affected how I currently enjoy my drinks. I made this list so you youngsters can learn from my mistakes. Hopefully, it can help you avoid plenty of headaches, and prevent drinking alcohol from becoming an ordeal.

4. Ice with Beer

Leave it to Japan to make a beer that needs ice. (via Shift East)

Pop over to any bar in Manila on a Friday night, and you’ll see plenty of minors patrons drinking their beer in glasses full of ice. It’s become so bad, that the servers automatically bring over a bucket of ice anytime anyone orders beer. Sure, our weather is as cool as a sunny day in hell, but that’s no excuse to chug down watered-down alcohol. However, if you’re one of those people who do it just to avoid the taste of beer, maybe you’re better off sticking with a nice can of soda instead?

How to get it right:

Diluting the low quality beer with ice can sometimes be acceptable, but it’s a bad habit that can ruin your first taste of the good stuff. It’s as if you got all dressed up to go on a date but wore bacon briefs underneath (which will suck if you get lucky).

Forget the ice. You can just cool the beer inside your refrigerator for a few hours if you want. Use a nice, big glass and pour the beer slowly. Take time to admire its appearance. Waft the aroma a bit towards your nose, and savor its bouquet. Think of all the responsible adult things you could’ve used the money for, instead of buying that expensive bottle, and regret nothing. Then, take a sip.

Beer may taste better when you’re smug about drinking it, but just remember to always tell the waiter to hold the ice.

3. Cocktail = Sugar + Alcohol

I like my sugar in rainbow colors, and intoxicating, too. (via Deep Seated Boy)

As a former college student who had to stretch his allowance from week to week, I can personally attest to the joy that a bottle of bilog and a few litro packs of pomelo juice can bring. Add twenty pesos for a pack of Happy peanuts, and you have the ingredients for a pretty fun weekday afternoon.

This, however, sets a bad precedent. Most first timers at a bar quickly scan the drink list for the sweetest and fruitiest concoction on the menu. Only when you get something neon that looks radioactive and tastes like five bags of skittles do you realize your mistake.

How to get it right:

While I would never judge anyone based on their drinking preferences, people are doing themselves a great disservice by ordering what’s basically artificial fruit juice and alcohol.

Cocktails are made to enhance and bring out nuanced flavors in alcohol. A good mixed drink will have components that complement one another, and not drown everything out in sugar. Try to ask the bartender for his recommendation for a more complex drink next time, or try out one of our cocktail recipes instead. It won’t be as sweet, but it’ll be infinitely more satisfying.

2. Using a shot glass for everything you drink

The tagayan is one of the most Filipino drinking traditions. Almost everyone’s first drinking experience happened with a group of more experienced drinkers entreating them to join in for just one shot. While this practice is suited for cheap mass-produced alcohol, it’s kind of hard to justify with a bottle of Blue Label. In my opinion, if the bottle costs at least a thousand pesos, then it shouldn’t be bolted down so quickly.

How to get it right:

There’s actually dozens of these, but you really just need three.

Good alcohol, like good wine, deserves to be savored and appreciated. Take time to enjoy that drink you’ve bought with your hard earned money. Get to know the flavors that differentiate one variant from another.

Different kinds of spirits have their own respective characteristics and flavors. Getting the best out of each means using the right kind of glassware. For example, use a scotch glass with your whiskey and enjoy cognac in a tulip glass.

Using the correct glassware not only enhances the pleasure you get from drinking, it also impresses the heck out of bystanders. A decent set of complete glassware can be had for around 500Php, I’d say that’s money well spent.

1. Indulging in nothing but the cheap stuff

Indulging in alcoholic drinks will never be part of a healthy lifestyle, but like my dad says, “As long as you’re going to kill yourself, might as well do it in style.”

I’ve never heard of anyone going gangsta over Remy Martin, either. (via Imageshack)

It’s a bit difficult to justify moving up to mid-tier brands if all you want is to get wasted, especially since alcohol in the Philippines is remarkably affordable. However, as is the case with cheap versions of anything, the low-end brands are filled with adulterants and additives that are better suited for industrial laboratories than kitchens. The results of which can be felt in your killer hangover the following day.

How to get it right:

If you want to avoid wanting to murder everyone after you wake up the next day, then you may want to go for better quality booze. You may have to spring for almost a thousand pesos for a good bottle, but it’s worth it. It tastes great on its own and can be used as a good cocktail base, too.

Buying more expensive alcohol also gives you the excuse to take every drink nice and slow, saving both your money and your liver. It’s a win-win situation.

While no one can tell you how you should enjoy your drink, breaking these bad habits will help you have a better time. After all, you don’t want to end up a slaphappy drunk who randomly threatens to buy out other people, other people’s friends, and other people’s clubs right?

Any other bad habits you want to share? Did you use empty cases of beer like large lego blocks, too? Let us know in the comments below!

Banner via Sorry For Partying

The post 4 Ways We Drink Alcohol Wrong (And How To Get It Right) appeared first on Pepper.ph.

I’ve previously established how fun I find it to watch people get drunk, so I think it’s no mystery how I came to be familiar with the following inuman conventions. While I know I probably look like I’ve got way too much time on my hands, enough at least to compile lists of alcoholic behavioral patterns when I could be doing something more productive (and you’re absolutely right on that point by the way), I still hope you hear me out on this.

Even if we’ve never had a beer (or twelve) together, the Filipino inuman is such a unique shared experience that I’m sure you’re intimately familiar with people who embody the 5 moves I’ve listed below. Chances are, you’re probably even guilty of one of them.

5. The “Nagpapahinga lang” eye-rub

The best drinking sessions always go on well into the wee hours. Unfortunately, this also becomes an ordeal for those who’d rather be (asleep) in bed by eight PM. Still, no one wants to be a party pooper, so our drowsy friends have developed a system to sneak in some shut-eye.

First, it starts with a stifled yawn. Hands move up to the eyes for a quick rub, hoping that this will jolt them awake. Eventually though, their body betrays them. You’ll catch them with their eyes closed, pinching the bridge of their nose, as if lost in thought, busy finding ways to solve world hunger.

If they’re lucky, a friend will nudge them awake before they fall face first into their drink. But, if their friends are anything like mine, the only thing they have to look forward to is waking up with crudely drawn, but surprisingly detailed, male genitalia on their faces.

4. The “Pakitang-tao” wallet reach

Let’s be honest, none of us would say no to being treated to free drinks every single time we’re on a night out. While getting sloshed without having to pay for anything is easy for some people, I personally don’t look good enough in a short skirt to enjoy the same good fortune.

Thankfully, if you’re drinking with a large enough group of people, there’s almost always that one guy who offers to cover a large part of, if not the entire bill. Never mind if you ordered just two buckets of beer, or two bottles of Dom Perignon, this guy has you covered every single time.

However, you need to show proper gratitude and appreciation for his gesture in order to ensure that he continues to do it in the future. This is easily done with a simple move called “the wallet reach.” It’s simple, just reach for your wallet, but never ever, ever, ever actually take it out. To stall, you can employ a number of different strategies. You can hover your hand above your pant’s pocket for a bit, tap your wallet to show it’s really there, or only slip in the very tip of your fingers inside the pocket or bag that contains your cash.

Of course, you both know you really have no intention of paying for a single centavo, but the important thing is that you offered. It’s the gesture (and the twenty pesos in your wallet) that counts. Hey, at least you tried, right?

3. The “pa-simple” ninja shot

One of the most sacred rules during the tagayan is that everyone has to empty the shot glass when it’s their turn to drink. However, when you have a morning meeting at seven the next day, and the face your boss made the last time you went to work smelling like a basket of chico is still fresh in your head, you know you have to figure out a way not to get hammered. Thus was born the ninja shot.

Like the stealthy warrior of the night it’s named after, you take advantage of the fact that everyone’s too drunk to notice you pouring out the alcohol into the nearest potted plant. If your friend’s bamboo palm inexplicably dies over the following days, though,  just try to feign innocence and a little bit of concern.

2. The Romeo

Alcohol is a sure way to loosen a few buttons inhibitions, but not everything is about MOMOL. Sometimes, things are a little more discreet (and romantic) than that. You only need to take a peek under the table to see what I’m talking about (no, not at that you pervert). I’m talking about the couples getting sweet and secretly holding hands.

Now, this is no surprise when it happens to actual couples, even if they are just starting their romance and want to keep it on the down low. But we all have that one friend who manages to get clingy with a different girl every time the group’s out for drinks. There’s no harm I guess, as long as no one takes advantage. After all, everyone’s mostly drunk and just wants to have a good time. Just remember, though, there are some Romeo’s that you’d never want to hold hands with, ever.

1. The unintentional “basagulero”

No, not the guy who picks fights when he’s drunk. This is the guy who manages to run up the bill, not with expensive drinks or five orders of crispy pata, but with all the plates and glasses he manages to break. He may have the dexterity of Ip Man when sober, but after a few drinks, he’s the proverbial bull in a china shop.

Of course, he never means it. The bottle of beer wasn’t supposed to be there as when swung his elbow, and he really didn’t mean to crack his glass when you clinked them together during a toast. Still, you can’t blame him. Some guys just can’t stop themselves from fumbling. Maybe go to a cheaper bar next time, one that uses plastic exclusively, or just stay at someone’s home. That way, you can save everyone from having to pay extra for all the unintentional property damage.

Have you observed any other moves people pull when boozed up? What’s the most creative way you’ve escaped your turn during a round of tagay? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The 5 Moves Everyone Pulls at a Pinoy Inuman appeared first on Pepper.ph.

From food carts, to hole-in-the wall joints, we try out meals that literally test your intestinal fortitude. There may be flies on the counter, and the dishes aren’t always clean, but that big, hot bowl of what’s presumably food just looks so good.  Yes, these are the places your mom warned you about. But it’s okay, we won’t tell if you won’t. Welcome to Ghetto Grub.

Mang Ambong is the best barbecue stall at Better Living, Parañaque.

Sharing the same space with the office of the local tricycle driver’s association, as well as a watch repair booth, Mang Ambong serves grilled meats-on-sticks for any hungry passer-by. It is, in my opinion, one of the best barbecue stalls at Better Living, Parañaque. Maybe it’s because of their marinade, one of the few that doesn’t taste like diabetes on the first bite. Maybe it’s the fact that their location allows you to multi-task, letting you file a complaint against a tricycle driver, get your watch’s battery replaced, and have your fill of isaw all at the same time, that makes it special. Whatever it is, I often find myself here on my free afternoons, happily exacerbating my problems with gout and elevated cholesterol.

When Mang Ambong opened up shop a few years back, it was a cause for celebration. I didn’t really need to ask anyone whether or not their barbecue was any good. The throng of customers routinely clamoring for Mang Ambong’s meat sticks, their parked scooters causing a major traffic obstruction on a daily basis, was all the answer I needed.

The price can be forgiven because of the huge serving size per stick.

Mang Ambong serves the usual grilled delights, the majority of them being offal. You have your pick of intestines, gizzards, and pig ears. Their pork barbecue is sold at Php 20 pesos. While that’s a little more expensive than normal, the serving size is pretty huge. Actually, all their grilled meats are huge. Instead of flimsy wooden skewers, everything they sell uses one of those sticks usually saved for the chicken quarters at Mang Inasal. The heft is put to good use, supporting the generous chunks of meat so they don’t fall into the coals while being grilled.

Because of Mang Ambong’s success, they’ve recently upgraded from a rickety grill stand to a built-in unit that comes complete with a chimney. They usually start grilling at three in the afternoon. They continue late into the night or until they run out of barbecue to cook, whichever comes first.

I’ve never actually seen Mang Ambong, and the staff I encounter there would all make great contenders for “That’s My Tomboy,” so I’m not sure whether he’s a real guy or not. Still, if I do get a chance to meet him, I’d gladly shake his hand for once again bringing decent sticks of grilled pork parts to our town.

The Verdict

Is Mang Ambong a place for you? Let’s take a look.

Ghetto Factor: 7/10

It shares the same space with a tricycle association office and a watch shop that had six badly made Rolex replicas the last time I was there. That has got to count for a lot in determining its “ghetto-ness.”

Health Hazard: 4/10

Unlike other more civilized barbecue joints, this one still has just one communal jar of vinegar. While I’m sure (hope?) that double dipping probably almost (maybe?) never happens anymore, you may want to ask for your orders to-go if your stomach is a bit sensitive.

Conyopatibility: 2/10

I’ve yet to see conyo kids hang out here. To be fair, the hordes of people on scooters may be scaring them off, so maybe they’re sending yaya for take-out instead.

Where’s your favorite barbecue place? Do you ever double dip shame on you! ? Leave a comment a below!

Mang Ambong
Doña Soledad, Better Living Subd.
Parañaque City

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The holidays are now over, but we’re all probably still reeling from ingesting too much food and drink. While I’ve no doubt a lot of us enjoyed a bit of bubbly and other imported libations during the break, there are plenty more who tried to kill their liver with the cheap stuff (which is not exactly a bad thing).

Firewater, gut-rot, moonshine, or bottom shelf booze, you can call these brands whatever you want. Just remember that they fill a very important need in our society (to get us totally smashed while keeping our wallets intact). For the uninformed, here are 5 of the more popular brands you should look for the next time you’re a little short.

5. White Castle Whisky

via Destileria Limtuaco

If there has ever been an iconic figure for local booze, the White Castle model would be it. Picture a woman in a red bikini, riding a white horse along a stretch of sandy beach, and you’d have the most well known figure to help boys through puberty to shill for spirits on local television.

White Castle Whisky takes a few cues from the then-popular White Horse Whisky, but the similarities remain superficial. Among the local bottom shelf brands, White Castle Whisky may be the most complex and expensive choice, but it can’t hold a candle to whiskies from abroad. Still, for the free calendar price, it can’t be beat, which is why it still sells so well.

4. Ginebra San Miguel

via Annescapade

Also known as bilog and kwatro kantos, this local gin probably outsells all other gins available in the Philippine market. While it works well as a pre-made Molotov cocktail, it’s also a pretty versatile drink. It can be consumed neat or in popular mixes like gin-pomelo.

This gin has been around for more than a century, and its taste (and affordability) probably hasn’t changed that much since its inception. A word of warning, it can be a harsh drink for the uninitiated due to its high alcohol content and astringent mouth feel. Nevertheless, it continues to be a favorite among Filipinos all over the country.

3. Tanduay Rhum 5 Years

via Ride the Bug

Tandauy is the brand that made both rhum and calendars of scantily clad female celebrities regular fixtures in sari-sari­ stores. It is more popularly known as lapad, thanks to the wide, flask shaped bottle of its smallest variant.

While rhum is naturally sweet  (it’s derived from sugar), Tanduay takes things up a notch by blending its product with even more sugar to get its distinct smooth draw. The end result is a sticky sweet spirit that has been purported to turn to plastic when left under the sun. While this is no doubt an urban legend, it’s a pretty useful tale for mothers who’d like to keep their kids off alcohol (or at least away from the cheap stuff.)

Yes, there will always be those that look down on this rhum, but I’m sure a certain senator will be forever grateful to it for giving us this awesome 2014 calendar.

2. Emperador Brandy

via Emperador Brandy

Don’t be fooled by the commercials that feature actors drinking the stuff out of huge brandy snifters. In the real world, more people probably drink Emperador Brandy out of shot glasses, and chased by iced tea. Also known as a long-neck (again, because of the bottle’s shape), this brandy is really cheap at less than a hundred pesos a bottle.

While brandy is considered a digestif, and is best enjoyed in moderation, Emperador fans see no reason to follow such silly rules. It’s usually consumed in copious amounts, since doing so doesn’t put too much of a dent on the wallet. I confess that I myself have partaken in drinking sessions where we easily put down six to eight bottles of this hooch, mostly because it’s so damn cheap.

Emperador’s popularity has led to many copycat brands being introduced into the market, giving us more TV commercials featuring actors who probably never have, and never will, taste the product they are endorsing.

1. Gold Eagle Beer

via Flickr

This beer was actually pretty famous in the late 80’s up to the early 90’s. Produced by San Miguel, it was cheaper than their flagship Pale Pilsen, but some would argue that it tasted pretty much the same. While I haven’t seen a Gold Eagle Beer commercial in quite awhile, its tagline “Pang-kundisyon para bukas/sa may ambisyon” (gets you in good condition for tomorrow) is unforgettable since it’s the only beer I know that boasts of restorative powers.

Oddly enough, it has become the beer of choice in a lot of provinces exactly because of this claim. A lot of the drinkers out there swear that it gives them a good night’s sleep after a particularly grueling day, and they wake up refreshed the next morning, ready to take on the challenges ahead.

If you’re the type to eschew local alcohol in favor of more expensive options at whatever local hotspot is currently trendy, don’t turn up your nose just yet. You’d be surprised to know that almost all bars here use the local stuff for a lot of their mixes, and chances are you’ve unknowingly enjoyed a long-neck or lapad a time or two. While they certainly won’t win any points for class, let’s thank these cheap alcoholic alternatives for getting us nice and buzzed, but not broke.

Have you tried any of these brands? Were you a poor engineering student who found joy in getting drunk on gin with just twenty pesos in your wallet too? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Bottom Shelf Booze: 5 Local Drinks to Get You Wasted on the Cheap appeared first on Pepper.ph.

From food carts, to hole-in-the wall joints, we try out meals that literally test your intestinal fortitude. There may be flies on the counter, and the dishes aren’t always clean, but that big, hot bowl of what’s presumably food just looks so good.  Yes, these are the places your mom warned you about. But it’s okay, we won’t tell if you won’t. Welcome to Ghetto Grub.

Back when I was a kid, my dad used to take the whole family out to Sunday lunch every week. We’d go to a nice kubo-kubo restaurant by Laguna Lake where we could have our fill of local seafood dishes. I remember feasting on bowls upon bowls of ginataang kuhol (snails cooked in coconut milk) with my sister. It was the highlight of our weekends.

Sadly, like the tragic decline of that once beautiful lake, the years have not been kind to ginataang kuhol. The dish appears to have fallen out of favor with most local restaurants, save, perhaps, for those specializing in traditional Filipino cuisine. When I was told of a karinderya that is reputed to serve a mean ginataang kuhol, I just knew I had to try it out.

The dishes  looked pretty much like how mom (or lola) would’ve wanted them to look.

Caruz Eatery has been around for more than twenty-five years. When I stepped inside to look at what they offered, it wasn’t hard to see why they’ve lasted for so long. The choices were not only extensive, but all dishes looked pretty much like how your mom (or lola) would have cooked them. They were actually just bringing in a new batch of freshly made caldereta as I was taking pictures, and for a moment, I seriously considered ordering it along with the kuhol.

Thankfully, I regained my senses (to the everlasting gratitude of my expanding gut) and settled for a compromise. I ordered a bowl of kuhol and asked the waitress to put caldereta sauce on my rice. All the smugness I felt with having avoided calories, however, disappeared when I had to order another cup of rice just to mop up the leftover sauce from the ginataang kuhol. It would’ve been criminal to let it go to waste.

For PHP 65, you get a very generous bowl of kuhol.

For PHP 65, you get a very generous bowl of kuhol. It’s packed with fat snails in shells filled with coconut milk. Caruz Eatery also uses just the right amount of coconut cream, putting in just enough to make you want more with your rice without letting you hit that dreaded wall of umay from all the fat. After my meal, I felt so full that I spent a good five minutes just sitting there with a look of contentment on my face.

A very wide selection of food, plus it’s only 380 for a taxi room. Wait, what?

A word of warning though, especially for those with significant others, it may be best to tell them of your plans to dine here beforehand. While Caruz is a very decent place (Hillsong was on loop on the stereo when I ate there), don’t be surprised to receive a call from your wife asking what you’re doing in the area. It is, after all, right across the motel strip in Pasig, and replying with “kumakain lang ako dito” may result in an even bigger fight.

The Verdict

Is Caruz Eatery a place for you? Let’s take a look.

Ghetto Factor: 4.5/10

It is a decent place, and quite clean inside, Solely for the fact that it’s a stone’s throw away from five love motels, though, I have to give it extra ghetto points.

Health Hazard: 1/10

Again, it looks pretty clean. No flies, and all the interiors look spic and span. No worries here.

Conyopatabilty: 6.5/10

Their facebook page proudly displays the photos of several celebrities that have had their meals here. There’s also a separate, air-conditioned area where diners can escape the heat. I’d say your conyo friend would be pretty comfortable here.

Have you tried Caruz Eatery? Did you consume ungodly amounts of snails, too, when you were a kid? Do you have any favorite karinderya? Let us know in the comments below!

Caruz Eatery
220 Hillcrest Drive, Pasig City
Open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM

The post Ghetto Grub: Caruz Eatery appeared first on Pepper.ph.

From food carts, to hole-in-the wall joints, we try out meals that literally test your intestinal fortitude. There may be flies on the counter, and the dishes aren’t always clean, but that big, hot bowl of what’s presumably food just looks so good.  Yes, these are the places your mom warned you about. But it’s okay, we won’t tell if you won’t. Welcome to Ghetto Grub.

It was bound to happen. You probably know the feeling. It’s late at night, you’ve just had a few (liters) of beer, when you suddenly feel the need to stuff yourself with cheap and hot food before you head off to sleep.

Thankfully, Paranaque is filled with more tapsi places than you can shake a fishball stick at. And each offers a good range of junky food that will more than satiate your post-alcohol cravings. For today’s Ghetto Grub, I’m pleased to introduce you to what is considered a tapsi institution in the south, Maty’s.

Maty’s began as a single stall in the early 1960′s.

Maty’s is one of the oldest running tapsihan places in Paranaque. What originally began as a single stall in the 1960’s has grown to be the three joints open today, each one located just a few meters from the each other. If you’re wondering why they didn’t just open up one big store, keep in mind that Maty’s is located at Don Galo, Paranaque’s old quarter. Space there is harder to come by than a winning 6/55 lottery ticket.

Unlike a lot of modern tapsi places, Maty’s tapa does not taste like candy.

The tapa in Maty’s uses a different, meatier cut of beef than most people are used to. It’s tenderized and pulled apart, giving it a unique appearance. Also, unlike a lot of modern tapsi places, the marinade they use doesn’t taste like candy, and is instead, a good balance of salty and sweet. It is greasy, meaty, and just the right meal to settle your stomach after all that alcohol you’ve taken in.

It’s not the lowest priced tapsilog around, and at PHP 70, I know there are a lot of other places you can go to for a cheap fix. What it is, though, is a very good meal, and one that’s been around for almost half a century. I’d like to think you’re paying for a piece of history whenever you eat here.

If you’re really in need of a more affordable alternative, then the barsilog is a good choice. At PHP 35, it is the cheapest meal on the menu, and also one of the tastiest. The serving may not be that big, but the pork is plump and juicy, and goes very well with the fried rice and egg.

The Verdict

Is Maty’s a place for you? Let’s take a look.

Ghetto Factor: 8/10

The particular branch I ate at looked almost new, and reminded me of Tapsi ni Vivian in Marikina. However, don’t be fooled by the renovation. Maty’s is a little notorious due to a rumor that the tapa they serve is actually horsemeat. Also, it is located in Don Galo, a place so ghetto, it spawned this record company.

Health Hazard: 2/10

The floors were a bit dirty, I guess the cleaning crew called it a night early. But all in all, it’s a pretty clean joint.

Conyopatabilty: 6.5/10

No air conditioner here, but it is well lit and looks quite nice. It really wouldn’t be any different than your conyo friend visiting Sinangag Express.

Have you been to Maty’s? Where are your favorite go-to places after drinks? Let us know in the comments below!

Maty’s
Quirino Avenue, Don Galo
Paranaque City

The post Ghetto Grub: Maty’s appeared first on Pepper.ph.

From food carts, to hole-in-the wall joints, we try out meals that literally test your intestinal fortitude. There may be flies on the counter, and the dishes aren’t always clean, but that big, hot bowl of what’s presumably food just looks so good.  Yes, these are the places your mom warned you about. But it’s okay, we won’t tell if you won’t. Welcome to Ghetto Grub.

Crisgard Fastfood offers a balance between taste and value.

Back when I was just a greenhorn slave engineer assigned to Pasig City, I had the good fortune of being near several eateries that let me fill my belly without busting my wallet. While there were times I had to sacrifice taste for value, more often than not, I did manage to find places that offered a balance of both. Today’s Ghetto Grub, Crisgard Fastfood, is one of those eateries. They saved me from going broke but, unfortunately, also helped a lot at getting me fat.

This is just half of the menu on display.

Crisgard is no greasy spoon. It is a carinderia that features a regular spread of more than twenty different viands. You can choose from several vegetable dishes, the usual pork chops and Liempo, the Papaitan, Caldereta, Calamares, Hamonado, and well, you get the picture. Prices range from forty to seventy pesos. There’s plenty to choose from, and plenty to eat in each serving, enough to satisfy the many hungry workers that regularly flock to this joint.

Their Buko Sorbet keeps me coming back time and again.

However, while the food is certainly good, this isn’t the main draw of Crisgard. It’s their Buko Sorbet (PHP 25) that keeps me coming back here time and again. While I’m not sure that they still churn it by hand, they do still serve it directly from the quaint stainless steel drums usually used by sorbeteros. The icy slush of coconut water, with strands of the coconut meat mixed in, makes for a refreshing drink even with this cold spell.

Crisgard is known for their Pancit con Lechon.

I suspect that the “fastfood” part of Crisgard Fastfood comes from the many noodle dishes they offer on their short order menu. Pancit con Lechon (PHP 150, for a serving good for two) is a staple in these parts, and Crisgard is well known for their own tasty version. You can also order a bilao of pancit in many different sizes, and bringing one to an office party will surely win you friends.

It’s comforting to know that stores like Crisgard are able to continue operating. I’m glad they’ve managed to keep up with the times. And with waves of workers continuing to pour in to the area, I’m confident that these guys will find Crisgard to be as affordable and satisfying a place as I did.

The Verdict

Is Crisgard Fastfood for you? Let’s find out.

Ghetto Factor: 3/10

It’s inside a subdivision, so no worries here. It may not be the classiest area, but there are a lot of worse places in Pasig.

Health Hazard: 1/10

There were a few flies buzzing around, but other than that, I wouldn’t worry about getting ill from eating here.

Conyopatibility: 6/10

There isn’t any air-conditioning here, but the place is clean, spacious, and the interiors make you feel like you’re eating at a friend’s home. Your conyo friend won’t feel too out of place here.

Crisgard Fastfood
Bartville Road, Bartville Subdivision
Dela Paz, Pasig City

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Since the very beginning of Ghetto Grub, we’ve always encouraged you guys to sound off on where the best eats in the crappiest places are for you. Your suggestions are really appreciated and I’d like you guys to know that we’re doing our best to try them all out. Just keep sharing your favorite ghetto grub spots, and let’s help the entire Pepper community discover more food-borne diseases great finds at cheap prices.

I’m happy to say that I finally went to Las Piñas to try the one suggestion that regularly pops up in the comments. Yes, we’re featuring Mang Raul’s, and I must say that while I’m no stranger to barbecue joints, I had to see this one for myself to believe it.

Mang Raul has got quite the setup, with an indoor dining area as well as several tables where you can dine al fresco. If you don’t mind smelling like ulam, I’d recommend that you eat outside as it lets you enjoy the barbecue aroma coming from the grill (probably harmful, but the fumes smell insanely good) to make yourself even hungrier while you wait for your order.

This barbecue joint is as ghetto as they come, coming off like a dingier version of UP Diliman’s Beach House. From the looks of it, however, the customers don’t seem to mind at all. It was well into in the evening when I got to Mang Raul’s, and the place was still packed. It got even more cramped as the hours went by. What was strange, though, wasn’t the number of people there. The weirdest thing was that a lot of the customers came by car and were dressed like they’d be more at home at a Starbucks.

Judging from the young and hip customers that made up the crowd, Mang Raul’s BBQ seems like trendy place to be. I realized two things that night. First, that Las Piñas has a significant number of conyo kids (which wasn’t really a surprise), and second, Mang Raul has good enough meat-on-sticks to keep all these guys coming back for more.

Mang Raul grills the usual array of choices you’d expect. They offer pork barbecue, a mix of pork and chicken offal, and they even have bright red hotdogs to boot. You queue up and place your choices in a tray they give you. Your orders then go straight into the vat of his special sauce for dunking, and then placed on the grill to cook.

There are four choices of dip you can try to go with your barbecue, each one a different level of heat and sweetness. I recommend you get the Tamis-anghang Dip (sweet & spicy) and just add more spicy vinegar to increase the heat. This sauce is so good that I wish I had ordered rice just to mop it all up. I was contemplating drinking the leftover fluid from my tray, but the looks of disdain I’d inevitably invite from the crowd stilled my hand. It would be way too embarrassing and it would keep me from ever stepping foot in Mang Raul’s ever again, which would be bad.

Mang Raul is also a testament to how hard work, and a good product can pay off. According to one of the other proprietors in the area, Mang Raul began as a small food stand in the seventies, before growing to become the landmark that it is today. One bite of his barbecue or isaw, drenched in sauce, though, makes it easy to understand how he did it.

The Verdict 

The sticks are always hot-off-the-grill, and I like that it’s got that balance of juiciness and the char-grilled skewers. However, it’s the sauce that will keep you coming back for more. If you’re in the area, make it a point to visit this barbecue joint at least once.

Mang Raul’s Barbecue
BF Almanza,
Las Piñas City

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