My 10 Favorite Dishes

Do you have all-time favorite dishes that you cannot say no to whatever happens? These are mine.

I have to say goodbye to them because of changes in my life. It started with wanting a simple life some years ago and spread out to other areas of my life. It's a continuing journey with its own challenges but I am happy and at peace. One of those challenges concerns food, specifically pork and shellfish. So here I am. I had each of these dishes one last time to say goodbye.

1.  CRISPY PATA at Barrio Fiesta. This was the ultimate treat for me growing up.

2.  CHICHARON WITH LAMAN that I eat with steamed white rice. Some of my friends cannot imagine eating this with rice. It's a snack or pulutan but I could easily have two cups of rice with a few pieces of this.

3.  TAHONG, grilled and baked with lots of garlic and cheese. Yum!

4.  CRAB MARITESS at Crustacia. I love crabs, boiled, steamed, with coconut sauce, however, it's cooked. My mother said, pinaglihi ako sa alimasag. When I was born, the first thing she asked the nurses was how may fingers and toes did I have because having eaten a lot of crabs during her pregnancy might have given me more than ten fingers and toes. I know. I know. It's not true. It's what old folks say. But it's one of my favorite food that I always eat with my hands and I can eat a 900 gram crab all by myself.

5.  SPICY SPARE RIBS or Pork Chops.

6.  HOT PRAWN SALAD at Summer Palace. There are many versions of this in Chinese restaurants but I like the Summer Palace and HK Choi versions best.

7.  CRISPY BACON is another one that makes me eat a lotta rice.

8.  HAKAW or Shrimp Dumpling

9.  PRAWN THERMIDOR

10.  SPICY SQUID dipped in Bagoong with Calamansi at Mann Hann. One Christmas season I was shopping by myself and got hungry. I went to Mann Hann and ordered this dish with 2 cups of rice and iced tea.

There you are. Not the healthiest foods anyway so I'm better off without them. Don't feel sorry for me because I still have lots of favorites that I can eat like Shakey's thin crust pizza, Spinach Tofu at HK Choi, Fish and Chips at Charley's, Parmesan Fish at the Cookbook Kitchen, etc. I'll be just fine.