Snapshots: Three-Way Adobo in Pamana Restaurant, Tagaytay

There are three things I love most about the Philippines, in no particular order: the resilience and natural happiness of its people (a trait I find that I myself manifest - I'm a generally upbeat and happy person, which probably has a lot to do with my Type 7 - Enthusiast personality. And yes, it also has a lot to do with why I often digress from the point I'm writing about, branching off to random topics and rambling about them for a fair amount of time before I get back to my point...just like what I'm doing right now!); its stunning beaches and the sheer volume of them - there's just so many, thanks to our 7,000+ islands!; and finally, Filipino food.

Filipino food is soul food - comforting, nostalgic, and basically a general source of happiness. Filipino food reminds me of family - I shall never tire of my grandmother's cooking. Her afritada is the best, her morcon pretty much a legend in our hometown and is a staple dish during the annual fiesta, and I can probably live on her Filipino-style lasagna for days on end (I think I might have actually done that once during one of my holidays breaks when I was still in college). There's also my uncle's epic caldereta that's always served during the holidays or other family get-togethers - the secret ingredient, I think, are the olives he puts in it, but it's really a lot more than that. You could serve me the same exact dish with the same ingredients, cooked by a fancy chef, and I'd still prefer my uncle's own cooking, because it reminds me of home and family.

Anthony Bourdain seems to think that from a global perspective, Filipino Food is rather underrated (watch the episode he did in the Philippines, it showed a pretty decent representation of Filipino cuisine), and unfortunately, I kind of have to agree with him - you don't see a lot of Filipino food in cooking shows or travel shows, and I don't think there are a lot of Filipino restaurants outside of the Philippines, at least, not as much as there are Chinese or Vietnamese or Thai food places. So I thought I'd be a little patriotic and do my share of spreading the word on how awesome Filipino food is.

Over the holidays last year, my friends and I went on a road trip to Tagaytay where we had lunch at Pamana Restaurant, a family-owned joint that served Filipino cuisine made from secret family recipes handed down from generation to generation. We ordered a number of different dishes, but my favorite of the lot would have to be the three-way adobo - that is, adobo done three ways: chicken adobo, adobo spareribs, and adobo flakes. I already love adobo to begin with (and what Filipino doesn't?), but this dish definitely gets bonus points for creativity and variety.

This will be the last of my series of food posts for now, but I think I'll be writing more about our food trip to Pamana Restaurant soon. And I'll still probably have sporadic food posts every now and then as well, so I hope you look forward to those!

Pamana Restaurant is located along Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay, right beside Boutique Hotel.


rissee said...

good one!

flipnomad said...

ginutom ako hehe

Daene said...

Rissee: thank you! Dude, let's road trip and food trip, like seriously! I haven't seen you in ages! There is apparently Tequila Rose-flavored Ice Cream somewhere in BF. Let's check it out soon!

Flipnomad: Ako din! Seriously, after I posted this, it took all my strength to keep from driving to Tagaytay to have a meal at Pamana restaurant. Haha.

shara said...

how bad do i want to be in Tagaytay with you right now?

Daene said...

Awww, shars! I love that even if you're living the life in New York, you still miss adobo. Indeed, you can take the Filipina away from the Philippines, but you can't take away a Filipina's love for adobo. Haha, what? Sorry, it's late, and I am being random and weird! :)

shara said...

the adobo's seeped into my blood, luv. LOL. I even fight with the Latin boys and girls 'cos I insist that Adobo's homegrown pinoy. HAHA!
no worries, Daene. In fact, stay random and weird. ;D

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