Lucban Look Back

I still remember my first time in Lucban in the early 90s. With good friends from law school, we went there to watch the colorful Pahiyas Festival with the traditional kiping in all shapes, colors and sizes and the bountiful harvests displayed in every home. Vividly etched in my mind are those of the church visit, our lunch at the nearby convent and of course the street march as we joined the parade. There was really not much time then to explore this old historic town in Quezon Province (established in 1578) whose streets would turn into a sea of humanity during the Pahiyas. After the celebration and merrymaking, my friends and I hurriedly left to get to the parking area located just outside the town center to catch our bus that will take us back to Manila.

This time around, after 2 decades, I drove to Lucban on a non-Pahiyas day via Nagcarlan, Liliw and Majayjay (all in Laguna Province). I wonder what Lucban would be like without the Pahiyas.  

Here are the highlights of my second visit:

Lucban Church. Also known as the Church of St. Louis of Toulouse. The marquee says that the first church was built in 1595 but was ruined in 1629; the second one was constructed between 1630-1640 but was seriously damaged in 1733; the present church was erected in 1738.

church facade, showing some intricate details of 4 engaged 

columns and triple balustrade on arched windows juxtaposed with

niche sculptures; 

pocket vegetation growing all over 

the facade adds up to an old natural finish 

church nave leading to the transept

colorful frescoes on the wall and on the narthex or vestibule

La Casa de Dona Ana. This stone house is grand by any standard. The casa's marquee says a lot about its interesting storied past.

Inside is the Dealo Koffee Klatch where one can find assorted

cakes, pastries and biscuits baked the old-fashioned way

I love the yema cake and the local biscuit they call senorita

Ven’s Puto Seko.  The funny thing with shops selling local delicacies is that each one claims to be the best and the original. My friend, who is from Lucban, vouched that Ven's puto seko is the original. And so that's where we went.

when eating puto seko, one needs to have a drink on hand

as it melts in the mouth and triggers some kind of a choking feel

Eker and Ely’s Longganisa. What's Lucban without the longganisa? Several stores sell the town's most famous item but I relied once again on the recommendation of my friend who says that the longganisa from Eker and Ely is the best. This store has become some sort of an institution, selling its delicious longganisa since 1958.

Aside from Lucban's yummy treats, there are interesting finds as one walks along the streets near the church. 

Left: abaca slippers from Albay; Right: pandan bags from Lucban

hats galore for rustic fashionistas

Patio Rizal Hotel. I just had to take a photo of this hotel because every time I try to book for a room during the Pahiyas, the lady on the other line would always say that the hotel has been fully booked since last year.

a couple of heritage houses with verandas and ventanillas

providing old charm

Kamay ni Hesus Church. After Lucban town proper on the way to Tayabas, one can pay a visit to this place where a huge replica of Jesus' image is perched on top of a hill. This is the church where the healing priest, Fr. Faller, does his healing sessions.

Kamayan sa Palaisdaan. This is where I had lunch, as recommended by my friend. This restaurant is located in Tayabas town, a short 10-minute drive from Lucban.

an ideal place for dining in this area; be careful when walking on 

the uneven bamboo poles; obviously stilettos are a no-no

     

ensaladang paco with sardines 

the paco or ferns are picked fresh from the river banks

sinugnug, a Tayabas delicacy

grilled tilapia simmered in coconut milk

spareribs barbecue

no need to worry about hands getting dirty,

one can wash hands at this banga (clay jar) 

with free-flowing water from a mountain spring

Even without the Pahiyas, Lucban is still worth a visit. With the mystic Mt. Banahaw as backdrop, over the years, it has retained its old charm and beauty. I simply enjoyed the leisurely walk along the streets near the church with plenty of delightful surprises along the way.

Writer's Bar Afternoon Tea (Raffles Hotel, Makati City)

All online tea literatures are one in saying that afternoon tea is an English tradition. Lindsey Goodwin of about.com has this to say on afternoon tea:

It was started in the mid-1800s by the Duchess of Bedford. At the time, kerosene lamps were introduced in wealthier homes, and eating a late dinner (around 8 or 9 PM) became fashionable. There were only 2 meals then each day: a mid-morning, breakfast-like meal and an increasingly late dinner-like meal.

The story goes that the Duchess found herself with a "sinking feeling" (likely fatigue from hunger during the long wait between meals) and decided to have some friends over for assorted snacks and tea (a very fashionable drink at the time). The idea of an afternoon tea gathering spread across high society and became a favorite past time of ladies of leisure. Later, it spread beyond the highest echelons of society and became more accessible for some other socio-economic groups.

It looks like we defied the English tradition of having an afternoon tea as a stopgap between lunch and dinner. One order of Writer’s Bar afternoon tea for a little over PHP1000, is already good for 2, yet, given its wide array of choices, it can very well be one's dinner. I never thought that it can be so filling.

started with a basic spread of different kinds of sandwiches

I am partial to smoked salmon

smoked ham and cucumber sandwich (for added crunch)

beef tenderloin buns

The sandwiches stuffed us up but it's not over yet. We still had scones - one pair is of the plain kind while the other pair has dried currant. The scones came with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

After the scones, here's the coup de grace for our sweet fix:

the killer three-tiered dessert tray

lemon tartlets and those topped with fresh berries are to die for

eclair for some more sweets

Writer's Bar makes its own macarons infused with tea 

(it does not get its macarons from Fairmont's Cafe Macaron)

bite-size chocolate cakes are also mouth-watering

It was a nice afternoon for all of us - plainly light and easy. We had fun.

A pianist was even on hand to play live music for us while relaxing.

 
By the way, I found these tea basics quite interesting:

Steeping tea. This is an aha moment for me. Steeping tea is basically soaking tea in liquid. And it has rules – steeping time, steeping temperature, etc. - which can depend on whether one has teabags or loose-leaf tea and whether it is black tea, white tea, green tea, etc. Over-steeping can make the tea bitter-tasting. But I'd rather leave the details to the experts.

Loose-leaf tea vs. teabags. Elisa Pupco of about.com has this to say:

Loose-leaf tea is tea that is not brewed in a teabag. When one steeps loose-leaf tea, it has room for the tea leaves to absorb water and expand as they infuse. This allows the water to flow through the leaves and extract a wide range of vitamins, minerals, flavors and aromas for the leaves.  Loose-leaf tea is great because it gives a stronger flavor and one has more control over the amount of tea he or she is using. However, more equipment is required, making it more labor intensive. 

Teabags are great because they’re convenient and easy to use, however they will cause the tea to lack its full flavor.  When one steeps tea in a teabag, its infusion is limited by the size of the teabag.  Because the leaves are not free to move around, the full flavor of the tea is limited. 

Hmn, sounds logical. Surely, these snippets of information affirm what works best for me – loose-leaf tea. I feel that teabags are so cafeteria and might not have a good place in an afternoon tea. But ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference.

Lastly, what is a black, white or green tea? The Writer’s Bar a la carte describes it briefly:

Black tea. Undergoes a full fermentation process and has more anti-oxidant power than a serving of broccoli.

White tea. The least processed form of tea made of buds and select leaves which have been dried.

Green tea. Unfermented. The freshly picked leaves are allowed to dry. Contains 1/3 of the caffeine of the black tea and is high in anti-oxidants.

Afternoon tea at the Writer’s Bar is obviously a worthwhile experience – elegant ambiance, select Harney & Sons tea from Australia, wide array of choices of sandwiches, scones to tartlets topped with fresh berries, macarons, eclair and bite-size chocolate cakes, plus a pianist for live music, all contribute to an overall feel-good mantra. We will go back there to chill some more.

Cafe Macaron

I don't know, but naming a cafe after the product itself seems so limited a proposition, or so I thought. Well maybe there is a Cafe Ensaymada or Cafe Cup Cakes somewhere, but wait, isn't there a Raisin Bread Cafe in Baguio Country Club? That probably doesn't make Cafe Macaron any different in the naming convention after all.

Cafe Macaron is at the Fairmont and Raffles Hotel in Makati City, recently cited as one of the best new hotels in the world. There are three things I instantly like about this hotel - so chic, welcoming staff with ready smiles and surprisingly, parking is for free. It reminds me of the vibe similar to the elegance and sophistication of Andaz hotels.

Cafe Macaron's sleek interiors

an ideal place for hanging out on lazy Sunday afternoons

While cup cakes and red velvets are still here to stay, macarons are fast gaining popularity. I clearly remember when and where I had my first macarons - one was in 2008 at Whittard by Chelsea in Central World Bangkok and the other was in 2010 at TWG in Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

Closer to home, the macarons I've enjoyed were from The Cake Club with fresh fruit fillings and Sweet Bella at Greenbelt 5. Cafe Macaron's is the best for me by far.

I asked the staff of Cafe Macaron as to what makes a good macaron. She kindly explained that ultimately, it depends on one's personal taste - some want their macarons to be a little bit flaky or crispy on the outside while others prefer theirs to be chewy inside out. How sweet it should be varies from person to person.

Cafe Macaron's is the chewy type with just the right sweetness going with it. It comes in various flavors, some with local ingredients like mango, ube and quezo de bola.

wide array of flavors to choose from: black sesame, 

quezo de bola, ube, mango, raspberry, chocolate, etc.

taking a bite of ube macaron

just another way to enjoy our macarons; left: black

sesame seed; right: quezo de bola, our favorite

which is also one of the bestsellers 

I had hot Moroccan mint tea while Mayi had a fresh blend 

of guava, lemon, lime and rose (yes, the flower)  

The staff told me that Cafe Macaron's vision is to infuse local with international flavors not only for its macarons but also for its cakes and pastries.

there are cakes and pastries with calamansi, 

banana and other familiar local flavors

Definitely I'd like go back to Fairmont and Raffles Hotel not only for Cafe Macaron but also for the other interesting dining places yet to be explored.

Victorino's

Just got curious about this place. It was a mere old house I used to pass by every night on my way home from the office. Later, it underwent some makeover and by the next time I saw it, it was already on soft opening (April 2013). What then was an old house tucked at the corner of Jamboree and Scout Rallos Streets in Quezon City has become Victorino's, a dining place wherein one can  feast on authentic Ilocano dishes minus the 10-hour long drive to the north.

the foyer that leads to the main dining area

It definitely helps that several cars are parked on the side street each time I pass by. I told myself  I've got to try it. No regrets. For a non-Ilocano like me, dining there was a pleasant experience - simple and no-frills but no less enjoyable.

By the way, I don't know if this helps too but when I asked the waiter who's behind this niche place, it apparently includes culinary icon Heny Sison as well as an actress whose partner is a politician from Ilocos.  Looks like culinary arts, showbiz and politics provide for an interesting mix.

These are some of the Ilocano dishes we had for lunch.

the almost paper thin bagnet chips with camote

and taro chips are excellent openers 

Victorino's take on pochero served with

bagoong and eggplant a la Ilocos

with no malice aforethought, this is definitely the 

Ilocano dish with the best name recall, poqui-poqui

(grilled eggplant sauteed in onions and tomatoes)

the menu calls this acias buridibod (malunggay

fruit and camote boiled in bagoong); please note

 that there is a specific Ilocano way of eating this

Step 1 - split it open

Step 2 - tuck it between the lips and scrape the

inside using the lower set of teeth

this is how we were eating the buridibod (used the 

spoon to scrape the inside with the fork firmly

holding and keeping it in place); the operations 

manager kindly showed us the Ilocano way

After lunch, we enjoyed Heny Sison's bestseller, the lemon torte. These photos say it all.

BEFORE

AFTER - it came crumbling down with walnuts

and all but nary a trace of how it originally was

Heny Sison's dessert spread; please note that 

the lemon torte is not displayed here as it 

needs to be kept frozen; one has to ask for it

Victorino's has a lot more to offer. One visit is not enough. 

There goes another Sunday of culinary adventure. I love Sundays. :-)

The Cake Club (Bonifacio High Street)

We have invariably tried the different restaurants in BHS but when it comes to delightful desserts, cheesecake most especially, The Cake Club which is affiliated with Diamond Hotel is the place we always go to. It has another branch in Rockwell but we prefer the BHS branch partly for its al fresco area which is ideal for people-watching and enjoying the limited outdoor while having cheesecake and sipping vanilla-flavored tea, our personal favorite among its wide selection of fine teas.

Here's some of The Cake Club's regular line up:

tempting array of cheesecakes and macarons for the sweet 

tooth - white cheesecakes, raspberry-filled macarons,  and 

pistachio macarons with strawberry fillings  

walnut cheesecakes and l'obsession, obviously for 

one's chocolatey fix 

mango parfait and baked cheesecake; 

mango parfait is forgettable; the baked cheesecake is our 

favorite - light and smooth that melts in one's mouth 

(quite in contrast with the rich and heavy New York 

cheesecake I've tried in Times Square)

The Cake Club's ice cream is also delectable but that would be for later.