Food Viewing: Street Foods

Foods in the streets is very common for the Filipino people. It is one of the delicacy that the Philippines can offer to its visitor. It is like this for every town and city in the Philippine. If one family wants to earn some income, they could do this kind of business.

One thing that interest me during my travels is a stand of barbeque that contains only a few selection of finger and street foods that is common for different towns. Of all the barbeque that the streets has to offer, the taste of this one caught my attention because of the savory taste and saucy texture it yet It does not contain too much fat.

I tried to ask the vendor what is her secret to the barbeque, and she answered me simple and straight, "Bumibili ako ang lomo sa palengke at minamarinate ng normal na sauce sa isang boung araw at magdamag." I buy the finest tenderloin at the market and marinate it with the common marinate solution for the whole day and night. She said it while smiling and taking care of her small business.

Her menu is composed of: Meaty Barbeque, Dugo or commonly known as BetaMax, Isaw, and the Barbeque with fat on the end. Only that. But every night that she opens her small stall beside her home, it ends up all sold out. It is to no surprise that it will be a sold out because of its unique taste and clean preparation. Added with determination and good attitude, she is well known in her place to be a good cook too.

Her vinegar is also good, but she didn't tell me her secret on how she made her vinegar, it was a little spicy yet sweet and sour at the same time. I can't exactly how it taste like since it is too good. Other people also tell this kind of comment when I asked the other people buying on the stall.

And since I bought and eat twenty of her barbeque and isaw (Which is my favorite), she asked me what I want to know how she cooked her menu, but I could only select one of the things that she had to sell. I picked isaw since, I am still curious how it got the rich reddish brown color when cooked than what I originally saw to the other barbeque stand in different places that I have been which is pale white. It was simple enough than it looked like.

Fist, she marinated the "isaw" with soy sauce, pepper, a little salt, and katchup into one mixture and put it on a hot pan until it is half cooked together with its marination sauce. When all good, she then put it on a stick, and is ready to be barbequed and ready to eat. well, that was practically all of the procedure she said to me and I have yet to try it when I have a time or when I return back at home.

But hey, I've tasted different "isaw" and barbeque in the streets of Metro Manila, Makati City, Quezon City, Pampanga, Lingayen, and different cities that I have been, but this one really is on my top list for the moment. If I am going to give a point of its menu without the vinegar of course, I would give four out five for the meaty barbeque, four out of five for the "isaw", three out of five for "betamax", and three out of five for the barbeque with fat on the end. I wouldn't dare give out a complete five points out of five since, my travels are far from over. There will be different foods to try to and taste. But if you are going to visit Bolinao, Pangasinan, you should at least try this stall and see for yourself.