Nathaniel'S

April 28, 2011

 Being a fan of sisig since college I wanted to get a taste from the origin of sisig at the culinary heart of Central Luzon.  Our first stop in the mini food tour was NathanielS Restaurant at the San Fernando intersection.

Ingredients for a tasty halo-halo at NathanielS

We ordered palabok, siomai, siopao, lumpia, halo-halo, and buko pandan juice.  Goldilocks would be put to shame at how tasty and refreshing these were!

First off was the palabok.  A favorite afternoon snack among Filipinos, the palabok is composed of softenedbihon noodles with a generous amount of bright orange sauce topped with strips of pork, tinapa, shrimps, and eggs.  My favorite is the crunchy bits of chicharon sprinkled on top.

Fresh Palabok at NathanielS San Fernando, Pampanga

Palabok (Php 55.00) – My first reaction = WOW.  The blending and freshness of the ingredients made this the best tasting palabok I’ve had so far.  The crunchy chicharon, the eggs, the sauce.  Nothing tasted spoiled, it was all fresh and filling.

Next we tried one of the much-raved items on the NathanielS menu, the siomai.  According to Neil, families would order large platters of siomai (or by the bulk).  I’m not really a fanatic for siomai but trying this one changed everything.

Fresh Siomai at NathanielS San Fernando, Pampanga

Siomai (Php 65.00 for 5 pieces) – Just coming from the best-tasting palabok, this was the best-tastingsiomai I’ve ever had. What struck me was how tender and fresh it was.  NathanielS has its own calamansi-soy sauce blend available and it was just perfect!  My mouth waters just thinking about that siomai again.

I ordered lumpia thinking it would be of the fried kind.  You know, the one you would enjoy at a birthday party.  I was looking for a particular crunch.  To my surprise though when they served the lumpia it wasn’t the one I expected.

Fresh Lumpia at NathanielS San Fernando, Pampanga

Lumpia (Php 95.00) – Better known as lumpiang sariwa (Tagalog for fresh), it had a well-grinded filling which I appreciated.  I dislike lumpiang sariwa with fillings that aren’t chopped to bits.  The lumpia here had a nutty taste to it.  I’m not a fan of nuts in my lumpia so this really couldn’t catch up with the palabok andsiomai that I loved on the spot.

I’ve always had this thinking that siomai and siopao are cousins. LOL WTH.  So with the great tasting siomaiout of the way I already had positive expectations of the siopao.  I was already expecting the siopao to taste good.

Fresh Siopao Asado at NathanielS San Fernando, Pampanga

Siopao Asado (Php 20.00 each) - “Fresh”.  That’s the best way I could describe it.  It didn’t feel like I was eating siopao left in the Mini-stop steam box for hours.  This was siopao that felt like it was freshly baked and prepared in the kitchen just minutes ago.  The asado inside was also a delight.  The sauce was sweet but most importantly did not overdo the taste of the rest of the siopao.

Now time for the refreshments!

Fresh Halo-halo at NathanielS San Fernando, Pampanga

Halo-halo (Php 55.00) – We ordered the regular and the taste did not fail.  I don’t like sounding like I have a positive review for everything but this NathanielS really has it going.  I mean, the palabok and the siomai… now the halo-halo [and the buko pandan juice later].  WOW.  Crispy ice, fresh milk, the red gulaaaaaman, and the works.  Perfect merienda!

Now try to wipe that smile off my face.

Delicious halo-halo at NathanielS

Finally the other refreshment we tried was the Buko Pandan Juice.  Lemme insert that I would only read about it on the internet later on that the must-try at NathanielS is the buko pandan salad.  (Oh, reason enough for us to return there in the future.)  Back to the juice…

Buko pandan juice (Php 35.00) – They are served in these generic looking mineral water bottles.  For a cautious first timer the reaction would be “Is this legit?”.  I mean, come on, no labels of NathanielS or anything.  I gave it a try and drank.  I felt the bits and pieces of buko as I downed the ice cold juice.  The third time in this entry: WOW.

The ultimate refresher.  My two-hour biyahe to Pampanga was erased at the refreshing taste of buko pandanjuice at NathanielS Pampanga.

NathanielS is at the San Fernando Intersection in Pampanga

(Now you understand why there’s a capital S. LOL)

So if you’re interested in trying NathanielS, please learn that the place closes early.  Yes.  According to Neil they close before 8:00 PM?  I find that hard to understand given that the restaurant appears to be a success in that part of Pampanga.  Everyone seems to love to dine there including the elite perhaps. Hehe.

Make that intersection more than just a pitstop.  Discover NathanielS.  If you’ve just exited the NLEX and turned left in the direction of Subic, the restaurant would be on the left side before the Dolores Intersection overpass in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Bon appetit!



Source:http://digiputz.com/blog/?p=1555

 
 

Lumanog Guitar

April 3, 2011

The Lumanog name is synonymous with Philippine made acoustic guitars. As far as I can remember, when someone in the family wanted an acoustic guitar the reply is always to “get a Lumanog” coz “it’s the best”.

And since the family hails from Pampanga, everyone knows where the best of the best Lumanog guitars can be found – at the hub of guitar and music instrument shops all bearing the name Lumanog in San Anton, Guagua, Pampanga.


Authentic Lumanog acoustic guitars at ROMY LUMANOG gui...


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The Town of Mexico, Pampanga

March 28, 2011
The Town of Mexico, Pampanga
by Alejandro S. Camiling, CPA with Teresita Z. Camiling, BSE, MA


 

The town of Masicu which might have derived its name from an exotic fruit tree called Sicu or Chico or as other historians wrote that it was named so because of the great abundance of water within the settlement, is situated on the eastern side of the capital town of San Fernando. Masicu used to include in its geographical jurisdiction some areas of San Fernando and Angeles before these metropolitan a...


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Pochero

March 22, 2011

Pochero is a traditional Spanish dish that has been adapted by Filipinos and is usually served to guests on special occasions. A true blue pochero has about a million ingredients and take a few hours to simmer. Here is my simple but equally sumptuous version:


Beef Pochero

Ingredients:

2-3 large beef shanks
1 kilo beef pochero cut (you can use beef ribs)
1-2 chorizo de bilbao, sliced
1 can garbanzo beans, skins removed
1 large onion, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
Olive oil
1 pack tom...


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LA Bakeshop’s Famous Cheesebread

March 22, 2011

After NathanielS Restaurant we went to the city center where the public market, cathedral, and government offices are located.  The City of San Fernando is the cultural center of Region III (Central Luzon).

Changing times for San Fernando

San Fernando City Hall

A sign board in San Fernando, Pampanga

Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, Pampanga

Our food stop at the city center would be LA Bakeshop which is located in the public market (palengke).  Dubbed “Home of the Original Cheesebread” the bakeshop kind of blends in with the neighboring stalls so you’ll have to look closely.

LA Bakeshop is the Home of the Original Cheesebread

Now, onto the cheesebread!

Fresh Hot Cheesebread at the LA Bakeshop

Fresh and Hot Cheesebread

Cheesebread (Php 3.00 ...


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Halo-Halo

March 20, 2011

Halo-Halo

Summer is fast approaching and the best way to beat the heat is to eat Halo-Halo.

Halo-halo (Mix in English) is a popular Filipino cold dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various fruits and boiled beans, and served in a tall glass or a bowl.

Ingredients:

* Evaporated Milk

* Sugar

* Banana - Saba (Caramelized)

* Palm fruit or Kaong

* Coconut sport or Macapuno

* Jackfruit or Langka

* Kidney Beans - Boiled and caramelized

* Sago - Caramelized

* Nata de coco

* Purple...


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Sisig, the ultimate pulutan

March 19, 2011

Sisig, the ultimate pulutan companion for beer. Around bars and restaurants, the many varieties of sisig dish is a best seller either to go along your favorite drink or to be chowed down with hot steamed rice.Originally, sisig was made from chopped parts of a pig’s head — ears, snout, the brain, etc. Over the years it was reinvented into simple minced meat served on a sizzling platter with chili, liver, onion and seasoned with calamansi and vinegar.


 

Different orders of sisig come in pork,...


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A province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region.

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