While Thanksgiving is really more an American Tradition, Filipinos value good food and gatherings that every day, we find good reasons to be thankful for an eat. This year, U.S. Potato Board and U.S. Department f Agriculture invited Happyfoodies once again to partake on another all-potato full course meal. We enjoyed last year’s Chef Sau’s creations at M Café, and this time it is Chef Ariel’s turn to whip up some magic at Lolo Dad’s Brasserie.
Spud Diner: More than just a slice of the ole Potato Corner
We’re a rice-eating nation and even with the globalization of the Filipino taste buds, rice remains to be our main source of carbs. But every once in a while, one just wants a break — maybe a pasta dish here or a sandwich there. With the birth of The Spud Diner, you can add potato to the list of options. It used to be that potatoes are relegated to side dish status on the dinner table (mashed with gravy on top or sliced into strips, deep-fried and served as French fries). Maybe, that’s because much of the potatoes that are served here are imported from the U.S. of A and saying “I’m a meat-and-potatoes person” sounds very colonial and un-Pinoy. But Spud Diner, an offshoot of the institution called Potato Corner, rises up to the challenge of giving potatoes its rightful place on the table by lending this staple some surprising twists.
An All-Potato Thanksgiving at M Cafe
Ask a typical Pinoy what food he/she associates with potato and chances are, it would be (a) French fries, or (b) mashed potato. Can’t blame us Filipinos for thinking that way as we are rice and not potato eaters. So when the invitation to share thanksgiving dinner with the people of the U.S. Potato Board and U.S. Department of Agriculture at M Café in Makati, came up, we wondered how an all-potato full course would taste like. How could anyone, even a chef the caliber of Sau del Rosario, can get away with an all-potato course was a question on everyone’s mind.
Enjoying the Sea Breeze in Virac
One of the perks of eating out of town is the chance to taste unpretentious food. Not to say we’re jaded by city food but there are times when one would just like to sit down to no-frills fare. So when your happyfoodies went to Virac in Catanduanes, we had to ask the locals where they’d prefer to eat out. One place that keeps popping up is Sea Breeze Restaurant. That it’s mentioned in Jens Peters’ Philippine Guide only whetted our appetite to give it a try.