I was caught up in the Friday Rush running all sorts of errands that I wasn't able to make my own dinner. I stayed for an extra hour at the office to finish a last-minute research assignment, went window-shopping for a track suit to wear as a costume at our next event, and bought microwaveable popcorn at the grocery for our weekend beach trip.
Since I was already in Cubao, I thought I should pay a visit to Manang who sells the best bagoong I have ever tasted in my entire life.
Manang's stall is in Cubao Expo (formerly Marikina Shoe Expo) at the exit end of the horseshoe-shaped driveway. I discovered her tasty bagoong six years ago while hunting for vintage Playboy magazines in the shops there. When I gushed about how delicious it was, she proudly shared that one of her loyal customers regularly brings bottles of her bagoong to relatives in the States.
What makes Manang's bagoong very special is the unique combination of sugar, sili, and garlic. Lots and lots of garlic!
I bought two bottles for my officemate, one bottle for me, and 20 pesos worth of mangga and bagoong.
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| Filipino street food at its quintessential finest |
From Cubao Expo, I made a beeline for the lower ground level of SM. In front of the supermarket is a kiosk named Abuy Taste of China. It sells only five things: bottled water, black gulaman, hong-ma (braised pork hock), beef brisket, and Chinese fresh lumpia. I ordered a lumpia. The servers always ask you if you want garlic in your lumpia or not. I love garlic so I always say yes.
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| All-vegetable goodness (no MSG, too) |
Garlic is beloved for its pungent flavor as well as the sharp taste it gives to a dish. The superstitious believes it wards off vampires. The practical knows that it turns off dates.
I sat down at an empty table, took out the mangga and bagoong from my shopping bag, and enjoyed my garlicky feast.
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