BEFORE the break of dawn last Saturday, I purposely went out of my way to eat breakfast at Kanto Freestyle Breakfast in Mandaluyong City.
The place has generated so much buzz and some friends have been telling me that it is one place worth visiting whenever my hungry stomach growls.
So, at 3 in the morning, with the aid of the GPS, I drove myself to Kanto to experience dining there. Traffic was light during that time. Driving from Makati City to Mandaluyong City was a breeze.
And the streets had a different aura at that time of the day. It did not felt like I was in Metro Manila at all. It was like I was in a different city, where madness and chaos on the streets do not exist.
Passing through the Makati City’s red-light district also felt different. The establishments and the people around looked more welcoming than seedy.
That is until I reached that stretch of the road leading to the Mandaluyong City Hall and had to navigate the dilapidated road caused by that endless digging of the Department of Public Works and Highways, when I again realized that, yup, I am still in Metro Manila.
Arriving in Kanto, I was lucky enough to find parking on one side of the street. Unbelievable but the place was almost packed a little past 3 a.m. Considering the place was not really big but at 3 a.m.?
After a few more minutes, the place was fully packed. There was even a family with their kids dining and about six individuals on the waiting line outside.
I got myself a table near the entrance and quickly scanned the menu. It was the usual tapa, longganisa and tocino variety, but their tapa is from New Zealand. They also have varieties of omelettes, French toasts and sandwiches.
Oh, and get this. They have Goya Chocnut Ganache, Oreo Cookie Butter and Mixed Berry pancakes.
The scene at Kanto is probably the best example as to why I believe the Philippines is probably one of the best, if not the best food destinations in Asia.
We have so many food places from the expensive to the hole in the wall variety. There are limitless options with unbelievable varieties from the super expensive to those that will take less than P100 from your pocket.
And this is the reason the Department of Tourism (DOT) should be applauded even more. They have seen how this can be tapped to lure in more tourists into the country.
As Tourism Assistant Secretary Arturo P. Boncato Jr. said during the launch of this year’s “Flavors of the Philippines” campaign, that food and accommodation take up half the expenses of tourists in the country.
Held on Tuesday last week at the home of former Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo in Cavite, Boncato again highlighted that the country welcomed 5.36 million international tourists last year, with them spending $5 billion.
So, if you are doing the math, that is something roughly translated to P117.5 billion on food and accommodation. Let us say, that is equally divided, then foreigners who visited the country last year, spent P58.75 billion on food alone.
Launched a day before the Philippines opened Madrid Fusión Manila for a second year, Boncato said food is a universal language and that it is a part of our history, culture and heritage.
I appreciated that more when during the launch in Cavite, Tayabas Mayor Faustino Silang explained and acted every part of the lambanog ritual, which he said dates back to the time when were under Spanish rule.
It was sophisticated and charming. It is an all-together different way from the Filipinos current beer and liquor drinking habits.
Anyway, Boncato told me on the side that there is now an international appreciation of Filipino dishes, which is not just being discussed but are actually being fused by highly respected chefs into their own creations. He said that this is seen happening already in restaurants in the United States and some parts of Europe.
Boncato said these groups of people are very much aware of the effort being placed by the Philippines in promoting our various flavors on the international front. He also said that with more than 10 million Filipinos living abroad, there is a word of mouth campaign for Filipino dishes.
For her part, DOT Region IV Director Rebecca Labit told me that by next year, they are looking to have regional food festivals and will look to tap either the Philippine Tour Operators Association or the Philippine Travel Agencies Association for the project.
She said that in the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon areas, there are 20 million same day visitors and that they are attracting a lot of tourists from Japan, Korea, India and the US.
In Cavite a Galleon Trade tour is being offered that will take tourists through Cavite City, Rosario, Maragundon, Ternate, Naic and Tanza, with visits to historical sites, churches and, of course, the food that have Chinese, Spanish and Indonesian influences.
It cannot be denied that the DOT, with Flavors of the Philippines, is doing a yeoman’s job in further promoting the Philippines as a major tourism destination in the region.
For the whole month, the program will hold various activities in hundreds of venues across the country.
Among the activities lined up include a tapa festival, food tours and tasting, weekend markets, agri-fairs, stand-alone events in restaurants and hotels, gourmet meals by celebrity chefs, including special dinners with international Michelin starred chefs, mall-based food events, museum exhibits and culinary tours.
So, even if the Philippines is not yet on par in terms of popular recognition of Japanese or Chinese dishes because, let us face it, it will take Philippine restaurants to actually be opened abroad, the dishes we grew up eating are slowly gaining a global following.
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Guys, like I said last week, we need to do the second installment of our mailbag.
E-mail me your questions and whatever it is on your mind, no matter how crazy they are, on or before April 20 and I will use them here in my column on April 24.
It is about time we all have fun again.
For comments, suggestions, and reactions, I can be reached at raalzona@yahoo.com.