Bonchon Chicken at the Ayala Triangle Gardens

 When  A. and I  stepped into the Ayala Triangle compound, I had no idea that I was looking for this non-descript chicken joint with a signage that looks like  it belongs to a bank. The BonChon Chicken was recommended to me by co-workers and fellow foodies V. and R.

The modest space seats about a dozen or so tables and when we got there on a Saturday afternoon, half the place was occupied. Upon the recommendation of the service staff, I ordered the Chicken Combo with chicken wings and drumsticks, the ginger and tofu salad, rice and two cokes.

While we waited for our food, I took the time to snap a few photos of  the Ayala Triangle Gardens, a haven for me in my corporate work years. This was where I snuck off to whenever  needed a quiet moment to absorb of all the figures and strategies trapped in my head. The trees and quiet provided the perfect respite from the concrete high rise cages of the country's central business district.

The view from the restaurant

The trees now share space with metal sculptures by National Artist Arturo Luz,  and the quiet has been replaced by the steadt  murmur of pedestrians milling around looking for a place to eat.

This Christmas season, at night the spectacular view is even made more breathtaking with the Symphony of Parols, a lights and sound show designed by Voltaire de Jesus. Here's a link to one of the YouTube uploads of the said show.

 

YouTube link posted by Directionsonweb

After my moment of corporate recollection, the food arrived.

And we dug in to the small chicken pieces and the rice. After a few bites, we decided to get rid of the spoons and forks and as we say, galit galit na (ignore the company so you can focus on the food).

The chicken skin was crispy and moderately flavored with garlic and soy while the meat was tender. Since our taste buds tend to favor salty flavors, we felt it could still kick up the soy flavor a notch but just the same, it got our nod of approval.

The salad was nothing exceptional but we realized we came here for the chicken, anyway.

It was tempting to ask for more rice, but we decided we'd come back to check out the Hot & Spicy chicken combo next time.

Wingman @ the Collective

I am a fan of buffalo chicken wings. So far, the best buffalo wings I've ever had from Chili's. Aside from a cold bottle of San Miguel beer premium or Cervesa Negra, it is the only thing I order from there.

When I heard about Wingman @the Collective, I took the time to visit is and sample the goods.

Living up to its name, the place has nine flavored wings: Classic Buffalo, Asian Invasion, Honey Mustard, Mango Barbeuce, Garlic Parmesan, Honey Garlic,  Lemon Pepper and Hickory Barbecue.
Since I could only split an order of one dozen wings into two flavors, I decided to order the classic and, as recommended by the staff, the Lemon Pepper.

The marinade for the Classic Buffalo was very American in flavor- the sourness of the vinegar is the first and last thing you'll notice. It was a mistake for me to request a toned down level of spiciness, a good chili kick would have made the experience better. Thankfully, they did not sweeten it to suit the Filipino palate. The Lemon Pepper had a surprisingly well-spiced salty-sour marinade that works well for chicken. The restaurant staff did well in recommending this flavor.

The shortcoming of the experience was in the Blue cheese dip and the vegetable dip. I like my buffalo wings with the more aromatic celery and, a blue cheese dip where the tanginess of the blue cheese adds a layer of saltiness that complements the sourness of the Buffalo Wings. 

To go with the chicken wings, I also ordered the Home Run Sliders. Three mini-burgers in different flavors of my choice: Chimichurri (a blend of garlic, parsely, vinegar and chili) ,  Cowboy (bacon, caramelized onion and smoked hickory barbecue sauce) and Wingman (buffalo sauce with blue cheese). Hands down, the Cowboy burger wins.

And for dessert, I sampled the oddly titled Fried Coca Cola. A sundae like concoction with deep-fried Coke- flavored batter, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a cherry topping. Dolled up like a classic 1950's diner Sundae, it was one of the prettiest desserts I've ever seen.

However, it fell short in the taste category. The Coca cola flavoring in the batter cannot be appreciated either because there was too little of it or there was too much whipped cream. It tasted like  glorified "Maruya" (banana fritters in batter), leaving me wondering why food that looks and sounds this good  cannot taste as good?

Inadobo sa Tuba

I had a string of yayas (nannies) before I was old enough to go to school but none was more memorable than Nanay Juaning. She was only four feet tall, wore a patadyong (locally woven checkered wrap around skirt) , chewed nganga (betel nut) and cursed like a sailor.

I guess I remember her best because she was the only one who did not shoo me away from the kitchen when I wanted to watch her cook. 

She would patiently demonstrate how to clean rice grains before cooking. The process, called pagtatahip, was to place the rice on a shallow, rounded woven basket and to flip it around letting the wind gently blow away the husk and powdered bits. Her stubby fingers would then trace a wavy pattern on the  rice grains and pick out small stones and pieces of dirt (this was way before hypermarkets). Before cooking the rice she would squat beside the  kitchen door and chew on her nganga, spitting out red saliva every minute or so. Once she finished her chewing habit, she would quietly  proceed to the kitchen and cook the rice.

She would let me taste the food that she liked, including fried tiyan ng bangus, pajo (small mango) and tuba (sweet palm wine). I would stop playing pretend Wonder Woman everytime she calls me to the kitchen. Time in the kitchen with her was always spent discovering new tastes and textures.

When we left Iloilo for Manila, she went with us but only stayed a while before returning to her hometown. I can't recall whatever happened to her but I will always remember her for being one of the first people who made me appreciate working in the kitchen.

I rediscovered tuba a few years back on a trip to Cagayan de Oro when I came across a commercially produced vinegar made out of tuba. I brought home a bottle and used it for adobo. The recipe eventually transformed into the one that I am sharing with you now.

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 pcs. Chicken lollipop
• 1 cup sukang tuba (vinegar made from coconut wine)
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 garlic cloe
• 1 tbsp pepper corn
• 2 tsp honey

PROCEDURE:

Place the chicken wings in a wok or round pan. Peel and crush the garlic. Place on top of chicken together with peppercorn. Pour in the vinegar and the soy sauce. Turn the fire on to medium heat. When the sauce boils, mix the honey in and lower the heat. Let it simmer until it reaches a thick consistency.  

Chicken Redux Cream Soup

It's raining hard and long where I am. This kind of bed weather brings in a lot of memories-- naughty, nice and nasty.

I made my first chicken redux soup on my first year of living together with A. It was the first time I got a bad case of colds with my fever running as high as a dog's IQ.

A. went to work that day, leaving me with my cold meds and a light peck on the forehead. Before the meds could kick in, I was feeling really down and was leaking water from my eyes like a storm cloud because I realized that I missed my moms- my biological mom, my stepmom and A.'s mom. No one was getting mad at me for getting myself wet in the rain. No one was trying to make me put on three tons of clothing to bring the sweat out. I didn't have anyone to lay their palm on my forehead to check if I was still hot. For the first time in my adult life, I wanted my mommy! 

Any one of them. All three of them.

I fell asleep after  my dramatics had subsided and the meds began kicking in. When I woke up hungry, there was nothing in the ref but left over fried chicken. I was too parched to eat anything dry. When I saw the packet of cream of mushroom soup, I got the idea for Chicken Redux Cream Soup. ☂

Ingredients:

At least 2 pieces of left over chicken (any part), minced; skin and bony bits included

2 cups of water

1 small onion, diced

1 can button mushrooms (approx 200 g.), diced

1 can of cream soup (mushroom, chicken, asparagus)

Pour all ingredients on the pan, including bony chicken parts, let boil in medium heat or until the soup consistency is to our liking. Take out chicken bones and ladle yourself a bowl. Should be good for 2-3 helpings. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  

Variations:

☞ Use grilled, steamed, broiled or baked chicken if you don't have any fried chicken left overs. Using left over chicken from dishes with too much sauce doesn't work well.

☞ Use fresh vegetables: potatoes, carrots. peas, corn  

☞ Using powdered cream soup:

Pour 1 cup of water into the pan together with the onions, mushrooms, minced chicken and bony chicken parts. Boil in medium heat. Add 1 packet of powdered cream soup diluted in 1 cup of water. Simmer in low heat until consistency is to your liking.

☞ Instant Congee version:

If you have left over white rice, add the rice to your hot soup. I do this when I am too lazy but know that I need a little bit more than soup to fill me up.

☞ Noodle soup version:

Follow the instructions on the noodle soup packet  but add the chicken with the water. This way, the chicken water absorbs the flavor of the chicken.

Chicken soup, the ones with real chicken in it has supposedly been scientifically proven to help cure colds according to this CNN article http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/diet.fitness/10/17/chicken.soup.reut/