March 2008
Day 1: We took the South Superhighway through exit signs that said Alabang, Eton, Tagaytay and Sta Rosa; took Batangas exit. At 9 AM we arrived at first culinary stop: Kusina Salud in San Pablo, Laguna. It is an ancestral home bought by famed couturier Patis Tesoro. We were served a typical Tagalog breakfast - garlic fried rice, longganisa, adobo flakes, omelet. Quite filling, good enough for a brunch. But wait! Dessert was to be served at another place!
At 10:15 AM, we were at Carlito Ortega's sculpture workshop where we had guinatan with rice balls (bilo bilo) served Quezon style - we put our cut-up suman (an elongated rice cake) into the guinatan broth. Carlito is an engineer but art is his true passion. By noon, we were at another artist's studio and restaurant, a sort of private enclave in Tiaong , Quezon. Augusto "Ugu" Bigyan is his name and he is a ceramics artist. The food demo was kulawo - a banana heart and smoked coconut juice salad. Also on the menu: ribs, shrimp, steamed rice, fern salad and sweet saba bananas for dessert.
At 2 PM, we were in Sariaya, Quezon at the Gala-Rodriguez family ancestral home whose architect was the famous Juan Nakpil and furniture by an equally famous Gonzalo Puyat.
At 4 PM, we arrived in Tayabas, Quezon, where we were to stay for the night at the Graceland Country Club and Estates, a private club with an apartel, restaurant and sports facilities. Inspired by Elvis' Memphis estate, the place has names associated with his history, including the Memphis Cafe where we had a typical Tagalog supper of chicken stew with sampalok (tamarind), fried tilapia, fried eggplant served with green mango salad, steamed rice and a simple fresh banana for dessert. What was of great interest, however, was our guide sharing with us the Quezon province tradition of ‘tagayan,' a lambanog (coconut wine) drinking ritual.
Day 2: Early breakfast consisted of TAPSILOG (tapa, sinangag, itlog). We then proceeded to our lunch stop in Lucban, Quezon at the Dealto Restaurant and Bakery where we were met by owner. She did a demo of the famous Lucban longganisa (the key ingredient is crushed oregano leaves - not sugar as in the Pampanga version). Buffet lunch consisted of local pancit called habhab (named after the banana leaves from which the natives eat without utensils), fresh lumpiang hubad, jardinero (a type of meat loaf baked in a lanera pan), chicken and an array of desserts including budin (cassava cake), espasol (rolled rice flour and coconut milk), Filipino tikoy and their famous crispy pound cake called broas.
