the hotel was right in the center of the heritage village. we opted not to take the calesa or any tour and just walked around town. we liked the location of hotel salcedo because while it was near everything, it wasn’t near the plaza which might have been a bit too noisy.

the staff were eager to help. they were not necessarily top trained hotel personnel (little things would show like they’d be a bit slow to react to things) but they did their jobs in good cheer.

the rooms were comfortable. clean and well-appointed. we didn’t get to try the breakfast (we skipped our free one and opted to gorge on ilocos empanada instead. more about that in a succeeding post) but we can’t see how it could be bad – the rest of the food at the hotel was fine (again, part of another post).

all in all though, what charmed us the most was the fact that this was a renovated old house that still maintained a lot of the look and feel of the original structure. the steps opened into a wide receiving area where one could actually sit and look out the windows and imagine, rather easily, what the town must have looked like in the olden days

once inside, the ambience strongly signals what’s in store

the theme of the restaurant is the cuisine of the islamic world. and instantly, we love the idea. it is what we think is best about food – learning about cultures and peoples through their cuisine. we try a number of dishes (we went twice in a row), but – at least for now – the ones that stood out were

the mango curry

this is a dish that made me realize how tiny my existing culinary world really is. a curry with mango subbing for the protein/vegetable? how would that taste? well, it was extraordinarily good. a perfect balance between the spice of the curry and the sweet of the mango – pulling off a delicate balancing act to make sure that in the end this was still a savory dish.

we had this with the injera bread

native to ethiopia, it’s a nicely spongy bread. not brimming with flavor, but just what you want to sop off all that curry in the bowl.

we washed down our food with chili beer and honey beer. fantastic stuff. the beer alone is worth going back for.

and the desserts. kulfi

and the gulab

i’ll say this. i never liked indian desserts. until now. i’m convinced that – at least in the philippines – only ziggurat can do these two dishes in a way that are actually yummy.

these dishes are just the tip of the iceberg. the menu of ziggurat is daunting at first with a food list covering an area as big as a newspaper spread. the first time we were there, the whole experience blew our minds. the boldness of the flavors, the headiness of the spices.

we knew this was a place we had to keep coming back to. we spent about P1,000 each for an appetizer, a main course each, and dessert. though this isn’t particularly expensive given the richness of the culinary experience, it’s still not something we can afford to do regularly.

but we will be back, many many times. each time we will try something different. and each dish, we know, will expand our lives.

it was a noodle soup with tomatoes and scrambled egg.

the noodles were roughly cut, more like torn strips from a sheet of dough – but we liked it because it made the whole thing more toothsome. the soup was not bad, but a little on the bland side. that’s because one has to season with black vinegar and this

with the condiments in, the soup became quite divine. at the door, we asked how much our bill was. the proprietor wrote down 12RMB. P72. for two huge bowls! neither of us managed to finish ours. this place was a true find.

while we were there, we noticed people taking out large amounts of something from the steamers. and so on our next trip, that’s what we ordered.

they were little siopaos

each about 2 or 3 bites and filled with a very tasty meatball. again, we were floored at how cheap it was. 5RMB or P35 for an order containing 10 pieces. no wonder the people were buying as many as 10 orders at a time.

we’ll actually never know what’s in those buns, but it really doesn’t matter – they were that good.

this was the first tantalizing taste of hunan cuisine and we found it bold. moderation is not a key word here. the food was salty, oily, spicy, robust, and we couldn’t get enough. and so we kept coming back and tried green beans with ground pork (12RMB, P80)

and hot pot duck (25RMB, P175)

the hot pot is quite popular (literally a little wok on top of a burner to keep food hot, especially during fall and winter) and made for quite an enjoyable dining experience. and the warmth from the burner really helped us survive the cold.

one other restaurant in the area, called friends cafe, also serves hunan food and from there we tried something called mao’s favorite pork dish (30RMB, P210)

this is basically braised pork with vegetables. nothing spectacular, but it was worth trying just to get an idea of what family food was like. we preferred the other dish we had which was stir fried cabbage served on a hot pot

this had the fiery, salty, greasy quality we’ve come to love.

among the main ingredients, we noticed, were dried sili and pink peppercorn. happily, these are easy to find locally and so we’ve begun attempts to replicate at least the vegetable dishes. we’ve had some success. all we need now is the hot pot.

first up, stinky tofu (5RMB, P35)

a dish that truly deserves its name. fermented tofu topped with a chili sauce and lots of wansoy. smells like feet but is very very good. one serving is a good snack. and this is very popular – i love how the chinese kids go nuts over this.

in the stall beside this was takoyaki balls

not drastically different from the takoyaki balls here, but for something coming from a street stall, it was remarkably fresh.

the other very popular stand was one that sold skewered meat (photo here isn’t ours)

this went for 10RMB (P70) for 3 sticks. choice of lamb or chicken. they were indeed very tasty. the texture though was a little odd, particularly that of the lamb. it had the mouthfeel of gluten or veggie meat. so we’re not exactly sure how it’s done, but it’s also crazy popular and very yummy.

one favorite of ours was curry balls

think of your regular squid balls and fish balls (better than regular though, can actually taste fish) and soak them in a thick spicy curry broth. fantastic. and the menu had an english translation so we theoretically knew what we were eating. not particularly cheap at 25RMB (P150) for a set of lobster, squid, and fish balls, but oh so yummy.

at any given time, these stalls would be mobbed by kids going to the hutong to hang out. we have yet to try some other things like chicken wings or skewered mushrooms. which is good – we have new stuff to try next trip

we decided on hua’s restaurant (huajia yiyuan) – a place acclaimed for its seafood, but also said to be using an old imperial duck recipe with a good array of condiments. so on our first dinner, after visiting the forbidden city and tianamen square, it was time for duck.

the restaurant was very nice. quiet, pleasant. courtyard style. and the duck? crisp, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth awesomeness. even with all the anticipation we were not let down.

we had a half duck for 118 RMB (P800) and that came with a full suite of condiments and unlimited wrap. most restaurants have cucumber and something, but this place added pineapple, melon, and a few other things we honestly couldn’t identify

needless to say, we ate it all. sheer bliss.

to make sure our palates stayed nice and sharp, we also had hot and sour soup (28 RMB, P190) a bowl

the balance of hot and sour was perfect. but they also had an herb which made it bolder, gave it a fuller mouthfeel. a taste we haven’t encountered here at home. and this was the first indication we had that chinese food here was quite different from there.

after tasting peking duck in peking we now constantly dream of it. a true gastronomic delight.

and we highly recommend hua’s restaurant for this transcendent experience.

the hostel is located on the most charming street in a beijing hutong. it’s full of restaurants and bars and shops giving off a very vibrant, artsy vibe.

the hostel is a 5 minute walk to the bus station (numbers 107, 124, 210, 635) and 15 minutes from the subway. really easy to commute around beijing from here. and transport fare is very cheap. a bus ride is 1 RMB (P7) and the subway is 2 RMB (P14). almost all the major sites are right by a subway stop.

the staff is very friendly and competent, equipping you with essential maps and things to get you going around the city. there’s a common room with a TV and DVD player and some books. a billiards room. wifi and computers. and, what we loved, tsingtao beer for only 4 RMB (P28).

our room was a suite room with a queen bed and its own bathroom. very roomy. great value for P320 RMB (P2,100) a night. the room comes with a free breakfast

very basic, but enough fuel for the morning walks around the sites.

we can’t rave about this place enough. sure it wasn’t luxury accommodations, but it was clean and comfortable, efficient, and had all the facilities we needed.

we’re already planning our next trip (maybe next year), and for sure this is the place we will again call home in beijing

they started us off with a glass of prosecco each. it was quite good. nice cold sparkling wine to get the digestion going.

first dish, mussels cooked in white wine with parmesan cheese and bacon

this was good largely due to the freshness and plumpness of the mussel. the natural flavor really came through. i’m not sure the wine did much for it. and maybe a few more sprinkles of bacon wouldn’t hurt. but all in all it was nice and lovely with the prosecco.

next was a squash soup

thick, hearty, and sweet. they used a good piece of squash for this one. it was nicely spiced too. very warming.

the next dish was, according to them, a restaurant bestseller. a thin crepe with ham and a creamy mushroom sauce

now this was really delicious. full, rich mushroom flavor. the crepe just right to stop it from getting overwhelming. totally got our tastebuds a-tingling.

after this was gnocchi with a gorgonzola cheese sauce

finally! good gnocchi! everytime we watch cooking shows, we always hear about gnocchi being soft, fluffy, like a pillow. but all the gnocchis we’ve tried in the philippines have been tough and even a little crumbly. here at l’incontro, it was as it should be. and it is indeed a testament to the skill of a cook to get this texture just right. and the sauce? perfect. our only nitpick was that texturally this dish was too similar to the one previous. but with both being so delicious, it was quite alright.

after a sherbet to cleanse the pallet, out came a slightly deconstructed osso bucco

basically the meat was taken off the bone and stewed separately. very tasty, melt-in-your mouthy. then the bone was roasted. see that bit in the bone? that chunk of marrow? now that is just pure heaven.

last, dessert. a white chocolate panna cotta with chocolate shavings

perhaps the least impressive of the courses. it wasn’t bad, but nothing special either. the flavor was a little weak and it wasn’t as creamy smooth as it could have been. so far, nothing has even come close to the panna cotta at angelina’s in malapascua island.

the wait staff didn’t have to, but they gave us a shot of limoncello each at the end of the meal. the regular price for this would have been P2500 but we got it for half that. and it was truly well worth it. l’incontro is a great restaurant. great food, a decent wine selection, a well-trained staff. a true gem.

order the kutchay and pork dumplings (P80 for 10 pieces)

or xiao long bao (4 pieces for P60)

actually, order any dumpling – they’re all really really good. and, more often than not, when you order, a couple of girls will head to a counter to make the dumpings. they’re that fresh

just let go of aesthetics for a while and you’re in for a really great treat. and at fantastic prices

dong bei is fairly easy to find. take the road to the right of binondo church then turn left on yuchengco street. dong bei is near the end of this road. best to walk. even better, after lunch, walk back along yuchengco to ho-land for what is still, in our opinion, the best hopia fix

there are few places we can think of that are better to start a binondo adventure with.

it was a very pleasant experience for us because, it being a monday night, we had the place all to ourselves. and after reading the menu which contained a term paper on greek cuisine, we were all psyched to eat.

the food at manos is likely what home cooked food in greece is like. which is a good and bad thing.

our first dish was the tzatziki – yogurt with garlic and cucumber – served with pita bread

this was very good – and perhaps the best part of the meal. it was light and flavorful, the yogurt had a fresh tang to it. very nice. it’s easy to imagine how this could be a staple in many a greek home.

we had to have one of the more popular dishes and so we ordered the mousaka (aroundP150)

we enjoyed the flavors of this dish – rich and full. the texture of the potato layers were also remarkable. however, it was something that was obviously reheated. taken from the ref and plunked in the mircowave or something similar. i said that this is how households eat, but in a restaurant setting, it is certainly less than ideal.

we also tried the corfu-style chicken. stewed in cinnamon and cloves with onion leeks and raisins (around P240)

admittedly, we’re not sure how this dish is supposed to taste. it was interesting, but really sweet. should it have been that sweet? maybe. it was just a little… different. but we finished it nonetheless.

for dessert, of course, baklava

this was a bit of a downer. none of the finely layered pastry we were hoping for. what we got was a clump of nuts and weather-worn filo on top. not that it tasted bad, it was ok… but certainly not a dessert to return to.

so i suppose it’s a good thing we got to try manos. at least the mystique has disappeared. i can’t imagine we’d be returning to it soon. maybe for a beer and that tzatziki one day…