Today's Word: Luke 2:11

Christmas is here! I bet we've all been busy preparing, some of us starting to shop for gifts as early as September or October. Now, all those preparations for the biggest, most joyous day of the year are about to end as finally, we're celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. May I remind my friends, however, not to forget the reason for this season: Jesus! Sure, we have presents for our family and friends. But what are you giving the Birthday Celebrant himself? You do not need to shell out any amount of money to make Him happy on His birthday, just commit yourself to Jesus, make Him your Lord and acknowledge Him as your Savior and you make Jesus happiest. Merry Christmas!

                                                   (Photo credit: www.godswillromania.blogspot.com)

Eat 'bibingka', have a merry Christmas

Cold mornings, simbang gabi, bibingka and puto bumbong. To us Filipinos, these are some of the clear indications that Christmas is here indeed. As I write this piece, it’s only three days before the most joyous day of the year. And yes, I’ve had my first bibingka. Haha! I’m not about to let the Yuletide pass me by without eating this festive Filipino rice cake. This afternoon, I went out of the office to have a merienda of bibingka and a cup of coffee at Ferino’s, which is arguably the best and most famous bibingka store in the country. Fortunately, I didn’t need to travel far to find a Ferino’s store because there’s one near our office in Quezon City. Spending a hundred pesos for one bibingka and P20 for a steaming cup of coffee, 
I’m ready for Christmas! Haha!
A native cake made from rice flour and water or coconut milk and eggs, bibingka (along with puto bumbong, another native snack or kakanin) is traditionally eaten by Filipinos after attending Simbang Gabi (dawn masses) from December 16-24. It’s interesting to watch this delicious snack being cooked. The mixture of rice flour and water/coconut milk is poured over a terra cotta pan lined with a piece of banana leaf and cooked over live coals. Coals are also placed on top of this pan. Once done, margarine with some sugar is spread over the bibingka, after which it is topped with shredded coconut meat or niyog. Sliced salted eggs may also be put on top for added flavor. For ultimate bliss, pair your bibingka with either a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or salabat (ginger ale).

Ferino's bibingka

Earlier this December when we had lunch at Aristocrat on Roxas Blvd., I saw that they had an in-house bibingka station and I took some photos:

Live coals where bibingka would be cooked.

Cooked bibingka still without margarine and coconut meat

 If you're a part of the younger generation and haven’t eaten bibingka, I suggest you ditch pizza   or cake for merienda this Yuletide Season, and feel the Pinoy spirit of Christmas. Of course,  you may enjoy it all-year-round but it's best to warm tummies during the cold days of  December. And yes, it's so much a part of our holiday traditions. Merry Christmas!   

Aristocrat: Still among 'balikbayans'' favorites

This year, our family welcomed several "balikbayans" - my sister who is a nurse in New York and my aunt and uncle and one of their kids, who has lived all her life in Virginia. In both occasions six months apart, we brought them to Aristocrat, that iconic restaurant that's been around for over seven decades, in its main store on Roxas Blvd. in Manila. 

Aristocrat serves most of our favorite Pinoy food like mechado, kaldereta, bulalo, kare-kare and sinigang. However, I believe it's the chicken barbecue that made Aristocrat famous, though it's not a dish that is native to our islands. An order consists of 3 pieces of grilled chicken, paired with java rice and some achara. If you haven't tried Aristocrat's chicken barbecue, I strongly urge you not to get old before doing so. I almost wanted to say you can't be a true Pinoy if you haven't tried it. Haha! Well, apart from the fact that this chicken barbecue is delicious (sweet, smokey, tangy) , Aristocrat itself is an institution! Well, it sure is a feat being in the business for nearly 80 years, considering the very stiff competition these days in the food industry. For this alone, Aristocrat owners deserve a pat in the back. Yet, it's the various yummy dishes that have attracted hordes of diners to their stores in the metro, and the real reason for this restaurant's staying power. 

These are the dishes that we've tried:

Chicken Barbecue, P210.

Tanigue Steak, P330. 

Sizzling pusit, P210. 

Kalderetang Baka, P375 

Calamares, P260.

Bihon Guisado, P305.

Chopsuey, P295.

Ampalaya con Carne, P250.

Sinigang na baboy, P295.

Hototai soup, P250.

For dessert:


Halo-Halo, special, P125; scoop of ice cream, P55. 

Drinks:

Calamansi juice, P55. Buko juice, P90 (I was only able to take a picture after the buko was cut); Green Mango Shake, Fresh Mango shake and Strawberry Shake, P110/glass; 

Brewed coffee, P60.

More desserts:

Aristocrat on Roxas Blvd. has an in-house pastry and cake shop, where choosing is a difficult task. Haha!

On our first visit, I bought this brazo de mercedes at the cake shop; on the second, we got a mango cake roll. I forgot to take a picture of the latter but it was really good!

(So they say and it could just be true!) Aristocrat on Roxas Blvd. in Malate, Manila 

There's a nice view of the sea outside where you can catch the famous Manila Bay sunset.

Because Aristocrat has been here since 1936, Filipinos who have long left the country to work and live abroad and then come home for a vacation, include the restaurant in their list of must-visit foodie places. They remember their old favorites, and are thrilled to be eating them once more at Aristocrat. Indeed, delicious Filipino comfort food are hard to forget, 
no matter how far you go and how long you're gone.