Northern Living: 2017 March

March 2017 Volume 11 | Issue 07

FRONTLINE

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CONT ENTS 12 FEATURE Farming efficiently

16 COVER STORY For Jamela Alindogan, journalism is more than just delivering the news

Cover photo by Joseph Pascual 22 EATS Hot soup from Yokohama

MARCH 2017 04 BEAUTY Bacteria for healthy skin

26 RECIPE A new contender in the chicken wars

06 NORTHERNER Revisiting bayanihan

28 THE GET Kitchen alchemy

08 SPACE Finding history in a Malolos home

EDITOR’S NOTE State of the nation How we see the world has been dramatically altered within the last five years. Instead of becoming more connected because of technological advancements, humanity has found a way to widen the rift between different worldviews. In this issue, we celebrate these differences by talking to noteworthy individuals from various industries.

On the cover, Jamela Alindogan shares her life on the frontlines. As the sole correspondent of Al Jazeera in the country, she talks about how nothing can fully prepare her for coverage assignments. “You tend

to know what to do and what to expect [on site], but you’re also never prepared for what you’ll see or encounter. Every single disaster is different, but the stories are always the same: of loss, grief, displacement, dispossession,” she says.

We also had a conversation with Klasrum ng Pag-asa founder Atty.

Angelo Valencia, who points out the importance of community-building particularly in the countryside.

“No offense, but the future of this country is not found in the cities,” he states. “Rather, it’s in the hearts and minds of the countryside.”

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BEAUT Y

PROBING PROBIOTICS What good bacteria can do for the skin TEXT BEVERLY DALTON ILLUSTRATION ZAIRA TAN

Probiotics have long been known for their significant benefits to the digestive system, but new research has revealed the wonders that good bacteria can also do to the skin.

When the gut flora, or the complex community of microorganisms living in the digestive tract, has more bad bacteria than good ones, chronic inflammation arises, causing acne and other skin problems. So if you want your skin to clear up, the gut is probably a good place to start. Adding probiotics to your diet can help improve the skin’s health and appearance.

The live, active cultures found in yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, Kefir milk, miso, and kimchi may just be the fountain of youth people have been searching for.

bacteria in your digestive tract, the skin will follow suit. Having a bowl of yogurt with fresh berries every morning will surely help. Just keep note that the yogurt should have the label “live, active cultures.”

Glowing skin Although it may seem counterintuitive to apply bacteria on skin, probiotics can actually help reduce redness. They also seal in moisture, keeping skin soft and supple. This is because probiotics, when topically applied, restore good bacteria and antioxidants the same way they do when digested. Check out local beauty stores and look for brands that have probiotics as a key ingredient in their products like Lancóme Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-toWrinkle prevention Foam Cleanser and Clinique Redness Solutions with Probiotics can slow down the early signs of aging Probiotic Technology. because they flush out toxins and eliminate free radicals. Try drinking a glass of Kefir milk a day. Reduces bad bacteria It’s rich in microorganisms and antioxidants, and Probiotics add more good bacteria to our digestive has been believed to prolong life and diminish the system, which in turn help restore balance to the appearance of wrinkles. dermis by fighting off bad bacteria. The result: better-looking skin. The presence of good bacteria Prevent future breakouts also reduces the need to use anti-bacterial soap, Cutting back on carbs can certainly decrease which is often drying to the skin. The next time you inflammation but a daily dose of probiotics can also visit a Japanese restaurant, think of your skin’s health be a preventive measure. With a healthy balance of and order a bowl of miso.

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NORT HERNER

CARDINAL POINTS

The man who builds schools in remote areas maps out a trail of compassion TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

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“I’m not sure what my profession is. Am I a farmer, a lawyer, or a social worker?” ponders Atty. Angelo Valencia, fondly known as Kuya Pultak. This Tuesday afternoon, he’s at a farm to assist in the care of a horse that had just given birth.

With his nomadic lifestyle, Valencia has found plenty of places to call home, from the slopes of Mt. Pulag to the deep seas of Palawan. At Tibby’s Farm, he intends to build a close-knit community for the benefactors of Klasrum ng Pag-asa, the same people who had welcomed him into their homes. “You need to have a community where people can learn, where they can feel safe, and where they can grow. That’s what we’re doing in the farm,” Valencia says.

The cows are free to graze and are occasionally fed with sugar cane.

Why is it important for us to build communities?

If we’re going to do something, we have to do it as a community because that’s what bayanihan is. I’ve always believed that where you were born, where you live, where you’ve studied is the place you have to work with. You have to be in your community and be a factor in its development. We must build where the streets have no names and where the roads end, and those who have had less should have more— these are the indigenous people. No offense, but the future of this country is not found in cities. Rather, it’s in the hearts and minds of the countryside. That needs to be imparted to those living in cities, so they could shed off their mantel of entitlement.

Moy Moy the wild boar is treated as pet at Tibby’s Farm, where he can freely roam.

In building communities, how do you deal with stubborn people who refuse to cooperate?

It takes a lot of patience. When I was a child, my mom would tell me to visit the playground. There are bullies there, I would tell her, and she’d answer, “How else would you learn? Life is like a jungle full of animals. You have to learn not to fight with them but to make sure that they see things your way.”

So, what do we need? Patience. As I put it, “stay a day longer.” There may be catastrophes, but they eventually end anyway.

What have you learned from different regions of the Philippines?

In Sulu, honor is very important—martabat. For the Tausugs, they say what they mean, mean what they say, and do what they do. Everyone complies with these principles and also hold each other accountable.

In the north, the education of the kids is primary; they put the interest of their children first. As for the children, they bond together and disregard interfamily squabbles. Here in the city, we have to continually impress upon our partners that no matter how talented they are, it’s not about them. [Our work] is never about the trophy, never about a medal.

“No offense, but the future of this country is not found in cities.”

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SPACE Individual portraits of Alberta UitangcoySantos and her family welcome museum visitors.

HIDDEN FIGURES

History unravels in a Malolos heritage home TEXT CARLO HERRERA PHOTOGRAPHY PAT MATEO

On December 1888, toward the latter portion of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, a group of 21 young and affluent Mestiza-Sangley women, led by my great great grandmother Alberta Uitangcoy, made their way to the Malolos convent to present Governor General Valeriano Weyler a petition to provide Spanish education to women. Despite heavy opposition from the friar curate and an arduous socio-political battle for the approval of the establishment, the women succeeded in their lobbying and were allowed to open a school.

Their movement was recognized and lauded by a number of key reformists, including Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, and Fernando Canon.

Today, The Women of Malolos are regarded by several noteworthy Philippine historians as heroes.

However, the narrative of The Women of Malolos is not as simplistic as a temporary victory for educational reform in a regressive time. Some of the women had also played crucial roles in establishing the first Philippine Red Cross, in response to the

outbreak of the Philippine-American revolution, and the Asociacion Feminista de Filipinas, which aimed to tackle several women’s rights issues of their time.

My great great grandmother in particular participated in both.

Today, in the heart of Barangay Santo Niño, within the historic Malolos City Center, remnants of their often overlooked contribution to Philippine history are preserved in the newly furnished exhibits of the Museo ng mga Kababaihan ng Malolos, currently housed in the Uitangcoy-Santos ancestral residence.

The bahay na bato structure, which was finished in 1914, was where Paulino Santos and Alberta Uitangcoy had raised their children and grandchildren. Their estate remains popular among town locals not only for its historical significance but also for the family’s contributions to the local culinary and medical industries. Uitangcoy is credited for coming up with several native Malolos delicacies such as empanada de kaliskis, suspiros de pili, mazapan de pili, gurgurya, and elevated renditions of the ensaymada and pastillas de

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SPACE

leche. Her sons Gonzalo and Luis, meanwhile, went on to have successful medical careers that drew in patients from every rung of society, from politicians to plantation workers, and even national artists such as Fernando Amorsolo, Fabian de la Rosa, and Guillermo Tolentino. The Santos Medical clinic and pharmacy still operate to this day, attending to patients every day throughout the year.

Being the birthplace of Asia’s first republic, Malolos is one of the country’s richest towns in terms of heritage sites, with almost every street and building having its own story to tell. Given the Manila-centric progression of the country within the last century, cities such as Malolos weren’t given the same opportunities to capitalize on growth. Most ancestral homes in the Philippines are usually sold to other parties for development and/or relocation, given the high cost of upkeep and virtually zero return on investment.

Despite these hurdles, the Uitangcoy-Santos descendants, together with the help of The Women of Malolos Foundation, have never sold any part of the estate to an outside entity. The foundation and its sponsors have succeeded in reconstructing vital parts of the home, such as the exterior and the ceiling, handmade from the house’s original mold.

Sustainability, however, remains difficult. With the foundation fighting an uphill battle to keep things afloat and the family generally seeing the property as an afterthought, I decided to specialize in heritage curation and preservation. After it was unanimously approved by a panel of museological experts, I received curatorial control from my family and the foundation, and soon found myself facing the interesting challenge of finding a natural balance between the preservation and restoration of a heritage home and the curation of a museum with a legitimate historical claim. It was important for me to reinstate the original intent of the space while allowing it to serve the functions of a modern-day museum. Outside of the painstaking process of treating and preserving a plethora of decaying articles that somehow survived the past century, perhaps the most difficult part of the whole process has been reimagining a functioning household even as I installed the new exhibits. The most powerful guide question was simply, “What would my lola have wanted?”

The restoration and re-curation of the museum culminate in a tour program specially crafted for a contemporary audience. As the museum reopens this month, I hope that it would be received as a space that not only houses the widest collection of primary resources surrounding The Women of Malolos, but

“Given the Manila-centric progression of the country within the last century, cities such as Malolos weren’t given the same opportunities to capitalize on growth.”

Carlo Herrera and his lola Lourdes Santos Herrera, who used to live in the heritage home

also as a place that celebrates the authenticity of what life in the home once was. With all the work put into it, from making the living room completely functional again and restoring the original bedroom to creating a new dining room where my great great grandmother’s recipes will once again be served to new visitors, I look forward to turning hazy memories of my childhood into an unforgettably vivid experience that celebrates not only history but also a heritage that has lived through five generations.

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Clockwise: Religious articles on display at the museum; Perfume bottles serve as indicator of the home’s age; Carlo Herrera replicated the original ceiling of the museum.

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FEAT URE

FARM VILLE

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FEAT URE Farmer Raphael “Raffy” Dacones graduated with a degree in architecture.

The Teraoka Family Farm adopts a culture of efficiency to follow the cycle of nature TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY JILSON SECKLER TIU

The city was still asleep when we set out at 3 a.m. for a three-hour trip to the Teraoka Family Farm in Mangatarem, Pangasinan. An hour later, while we were still in transit, the roosters at the farm started to crow, signaling the farmers to start their day. The farmers water the plants early in the morning to minimize evaporation.

Then just as the sky brightens, we finally arrive.

The family patriarch Carlos Teraoka had acquired the 200-hectare land in 1992. “I retired that year, and to maintain good memory, I searched for something that would keep me busy.” He settled for planting mangoes.

An image of the property, taken in the early ’90s, hangs on a pillar in the dining area. In it, the land is devoid of the lush greenery it now boasts. In fact, it seems to be calling for the kind of miracles that Nora Aunor’s Elsa had brought because the land could pass as the barren Barrio Cupang in Ishmael Bernal’s Himala.

The soil at Teraoka Family Farm is rocky and was initially deemed unsuitable for farming. “We had experts survey the land and they told us that the only way [to profit from it] is to buy [certain materials that would cost half a million]. I had no hopes for it,” Raphael Dacones, Teraoka’s grandson and lead farmer of Teraoka Family Farm, says. However, his uncle and mentor Rafael Estrada, who has been practicing organic farming for around 30 years now, was determined to prove that the land could grow food. “You must know

the secret of design,” Estrada says. “How is that possible with rocky soil, you ask? Well, rocks contain minerals.

Plants release acids and [that helps them] get sustenance from the rocks.”

The Teraoka Family Farm employs a method of farming that uses organic matter available in the area.

“We try to respect how nature intended plants to grow,” Dacones says. Near the farm shed is a hill of rice hulls that will be carbonized, and the final product will be used as soil conditioner to help with water retention and add essential nutrients to the soil. For pesky insects, the farm uses a concoction of gin and chili as pesticide.

Inside one of the three greenhouses that shelters kale, a farmer stoops to examine the crop’s bluish-green leaves. “Every day, we have to remove bugs manually from the leaves. That’s why kale is expensive.” Alongside kale and lettuce, grass grows. “We just leave it there because we want the setting to be as natural as possible,” Dacones explains.

In the nursery connected to the first greenhouse, a farmer mixes a deep brown, sweet-smelling liquid with water, which she then uses to water seedlings.

The liquid is called Effective Microorganisms (EM), based on a concept proposed by Professor Teruo Higa of the University of Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan. EM is a concoction of fish amino acid, plant extract, and calcium phosphate. Unlike chemical fertilizers, it

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FEAT URE Rafael Estrada, Dacones’ uncle and mentor, has been in organic farming for 30 years (right).

The ampalaya fruit is wrapped in newspaper to avoid insect damage, but the farm uses natural pesticides (extreme right).

populates the soil with microorganisms that feed the plant and nourishes the soil. “You have to treat the plant and soil as one,” Dacones says. The concoction also removes the odor from pig and chicken manure, which are used for compost.

Beyond those techniques, what seems to be vital in their farming practices is the attitude. “It’s so hard to find really good farmers; they come and go,” Dacones acknowledges. And by good, he doesn’t mean skilled but rather hardworking. After all, farming is hard work.

This is where Japanese principles really come in.

Dacones had worked at a design firm in Japan for three years before becoming a full-time farmer.

More than any specific farming method, he intends to adapt the Japanese work ethic into how the farm is run. “[When I stayed in Japan,] I was able to figure out how to work better. I saw how proficient and efficient the Japanese are so I thought that’s what I could bring here. I want to encourage our farmers to be as efficient as the Japanese.” So far, the local farmers seem to have been able to adopt the trait.

“We used to have 25 farmers. Now, we only have 12, and they’re more than capable.”

In the near future, Dacones aims to hold seminars to teach neighboring farmers the business side of the industry, as well as basic farming techniques. Trained at Region IV, which is far from his region, he sees a need to pass on what he has learned to the communities nearer

to him. With the recent accreditation it has received from the Department of Agriculture, the Teraoka Family Farm will soon hold seminars for farmers and interested individuals alike. “[We intend] to help them have that whole entrepreneurial mindset so that they could also be entrepreneurs. It’s also about helping the Philippines be more food secure,” Dacones says.

Later in the day, he brings us to a man-made lake, which also irrigates the farm. To get there, we have to traverse a long, rocky road with a terrain similar to the African savanna, as depicted in The Lion King or in the pages of National Geographic, sans the wildlife.

At the lake, there is—as sung in Can You Feel the Love Tonight—“a calm surrender to the rush of day.” Nature orchestrates music with the rustling of leaves and the chirping of the birds, an apt scoring to the stillness of the lake.

According to Dacones, the average age of Filipino farmers is 57 and the Manila dream remains appealing to children growing in the countryside. “But farming is not a dirty job,” he says. It’s ironic how people who live in city dream of the peace and the verdant landscapes of the province, while those who grew up breathing in the fresh air of the country yearn for the noise and the fast pace of urban centers. But working with soil under the heat of the sun is a noble job, and for someone who was raised in the city, it’s even how life should be lived.

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A RU T H L E S S

P U R S U I T

Top, half-skirt, and slides, all Forever 21, SM Megamall. Skirt, Vinia Romero.

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Her name and credibility are well-deserved spoils from a hard-won battle, but journalist Jamela Alindogan knows the fight for the truth is far from over TEXT SAMANTHA RAMOS-ZARAGOZA PHOTOGRAPHY JOSEPH PASCUAL

Jamela Alindogan remembers an instance when she had only P20 in her pocket. She was still a college student then, mulling over whether to buy a can of soda or take the jeep to get home. She decided to spend her last money on the syrupy concoction and let its fizz cool down her throat as she walked all the way home.

It was an emblematic scenario for the now 33-yearold correspondent for Al Jazeera—a course of action among many that have tested her mettle and taken her places in her more-than-a-decade long affair with a craft, an affair she describes as both a life of hardship and a legacy.

But tracing Alindogan’s journey from her internship days at Al Jazeera to who she is and what she does today would only be seeing the process through a simplistic prism. Rather, it’s in the unremitting transits from one assignment to the next and the compounding impressions of each that paint a fuller picture of the journalist she has become.

“I’ve lived alone since I was 16 and I’ve never looked back,” Alindogan reveals. “I put myself through school, and my cousins, too.” In college, she juggled her studies at Far Eastern University with the work she did for the school paper, which involved courtside reporting.

Dead set on becoming a human rights lawyer, just as her grandmother had dictated, she treated journalism as her pre-law course.

“I grew up from a very strict upbringing. We were a poor family and I was raised in a very simple way of life. I had relatives in the province whose land was grabbed and couldn’t afford a lawyer to take it back.”

In her first year at the university, though, Alindogan’s involvement with the school paper and the debate group indicated a change in her long-held plans. “I shifted to journalism, which I thought I’d be

more effective in. I’m still thinking about shifting to human rights law, but because I come from a simple background, it’s easier for me to speak to people. I understand what their needs are. I understand their situation. I empathize,” she says.

Fresh out of university in 2006 and desperate for work, Alindogan begged for an internship at Al Jazeera English, which had just opened then in Manila. She took what was given to her, including a year without pay. “I come from a background where I really, absolutely cannot afford to fail, and I knew it.

And it wasn’t a fear of failure that was borne out of a desire to succeed. I didn’t have the notion to save the world; I just wanted to get out of my situation. School was something I had to finish because here in the Philippines, we always base our success, as it should be, on how well we do in school. That was my basis, and the discipline and tenacity [from how I was raised] helped me. I knew how to make sacrifices.”

After her internship, Alindogan went on to work as a reporter for ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol and Bandila, then as a weekend morning news anchor in ANC. Her graveyard shifts as a crime beat reporter exposed her to the underbelly of Manila, a preparation she would later rely on after Al Jazeera hired her again in 2008, first as a producer, then four years later as a correspondent.

The fortitude that saw Alindogan through her career advancement remains resolute in the face of constant adversity, which is a principal component of her job. As the popular face of Al Jazeera for Philippine reportage, mostly about conflicted areas in Mindanao and in parts of Southeast Asia, Alindogan is always armed against the unexpected with a bag already packed with her absolute necessities. “[In this line of work,] you don’t get to mentally prepare for situations like disaster zones; you just rely on a set of skills. You tend to know what to do and what to

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And she’s angry at what she’s seeing in the expect. But you’re also never prepared for what you’ll see or encounter. Every single disaster is different, Philippines. Alindogan constantly implores her but the stories are always the same: of loss, grief, viewers to speak out because silence is consent and dissenting voices are an absolute necessity today. displacement, dispossession,” she says.

Alindogan has been arrested and detained in Sabah “You cannot remain emotionless or impartial. I while covering a story, has witnessed the Bohol side with the oppressed, with humanity. We should earthquake, and has endured 21 days in the front speak up when there’s something wrong. Technically, lines of the Zamboanga siege—all just in 2013. “But with the reportage, that impartiality comes to play [covering] Typhoon Yolanda was really the most when you have to balance your story, but objectivity difficult. My crew and I went missing for four days, itself is a farce. If you see a violation, call it for what three of those with no food. I had to loot,” she recalls. it is. Is that impartiality? To a certain degree, yes, Despite the floods that almost drowned her and the because your fidelity and loyalty is to the truth.” equipment that went missing, her team kept going. Where most will fold under the pressure or settle for “With only the camera and the microphone working, an easier life, she becomes an even finer journalist we kept on. I didn’t feel hungry, I didn’t want to come with a profound understanding of the field. back home. At one For most women, point, I was standing their professional in place, thinking and personal lives where I’d get my next run on contrasting meal. It turned out paths. Alindogan, I was standing on a however, has been body. It was surreal.” able to merge both She took a into a solid entirety. breather in Jakarta Together with after the ordeal, Nikki Luna and but the impulse Ella Mage, she has to finish what she established the Tala had started was far Foundation, which more powerful than provides school her fear. “I couldn’t supplies and toys leave everything just to children living like that, surviving in areas of military “I was in Indanan, Sulu to meet something and then conflict. It’s the kind MNLF Nur Misuari who was in completely turning of work that allows my back on that her to contribute hiding for three years. I had to pass reality. After four further even after days [in Jakarta], a story has been through two Abu Sayyaf territories.

I went back to told. “[Combining I love Sulu for its beaches and the Tacloban and stayed the professional for two weeks. It was with the personal] diversity of its people.” good for me. It was tends to build your therapeutic for me to understanding of process the experience.” your work. It builds confidence, it builds instinct, Soon after, Alindogan gave birth to her son, an but you master it only after you’ve done it. It’s a skill adventure on its own that has played into her public that has to be developed and cannot be fast-tracked.” role. It was an intimate experience that still affects In an industry where public trust takes years and the civic perception she brings into her stories. “The plenty of hard work to build, Alindogan knows all difference with having a child is that the stories I too well the delicate nature of credibility and how cover have become harder to process,” she admits. keeping it is a lifelong duty. “It takes only one “Every single boy I see in a disaster zone is my son. I day to ruin everything: one wrong reporting, one tend to take things more seriously, and motherhood small scandal for a reputation to be tarnished. As really taught me that. Grief feels a lot closer to me a journalist, I adhere to the guidance that moral now that I have a child.” outrage and ethics provide me.”

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“You cannot remain emotionless or impartial. I side with the oppressed, with humanity.”

Dress, Basic Movement, basicmovement.ph.

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COV ER STORY

MAKEUP CATS DEL ROSARIO HAIRSTYLING BULLET REYES STYLING VINCE CRISOSTOMO

Top, Eliz Marcelo, elizmarcelo.com. Skirt, Forever 21, SM Megamall.

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SPECIAL FEAT URE

Sara Black Group publisher Bea Ledesma taught guests how to cook low carb zucchini fritters (right) and kimchi shirataki noodles (above).

Cat Arambulo

THIS IS WHAT OUR GUESTS THOUGHT OF OUR ZUCCHINI FRITTERS Low carb doesn’t make your meal any less filling We made zucchini fritters at a cooking class last Jan. 26. The big surprise: The low carb dish can replace rice or bread in a meal.

The cooking class served as an introduction to Nolisoli.ph, the digital home of Northern Living and Southern Living magazines. Our group publisher Bea Ledesma, whose blog will also be a part of the site, led the class at Bulthaup, Taguig. The Nolisoli team, Denise Alcantara, Pauline Miranda, Oliver Emocling, Danica Condez, Edric dela Rosa and Kristelle Batchelor, assisted during the class.

“I liked it. It was so dense and filling, I didn’t feel like I was eating something vegetarian,” photographer Sara Black, who graced the cover of Southern Living in 2015, said. “I’m really inspired just to see Bea kind of teach everyone what she’s learned in her journey in the past year, and I think I’m gonna be making these stuff at home.”

Nadine Howell of Pedro Craft Brewers, who was also featured in Southern Living’s December 2016

issue, was all praises for the kimchi shirataki noodles, which was also taught and sampled in the class that afternoon. “The dishes are so good, and I can’t believe there aren’t any carbs in it,” she said.

Some of the ingredients used in the zucchini fritters and shirataki noodles were sourced from Holy Carabao, an organic farm and retailer. Hindy Weber, founder of Holy Carabao, was also present at the launch. “I’m so happy because someone like [Bea] appreciates organic, biodynamic food.

It’s not just healthy for weight loss, but it’s really a more holistic approach to health,” she said.

This event is presented by Bulthaup.

Special thanks to Schott Zwiesel, Legle, Vidivi, and Robert Welch, all available at Garden Barn.

Get the recipe at nolisoli.ph. For updates, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/nolisoli.ph, follow us on Twitter at @nolisoliph and on Instagram at @nolisoli.ph.

Coco Quizon

Ces Drilon

Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez

EATS The tantanmen ramen gets its spicy flavor from the layu.

SOUP OPERA

In Quezon City, a modest ramen station offers bowls of all-natural flavors TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

In the Philippines, pancit has several iterations across different regions; Iloilo’s la paz batchoy, for example, has distinct characteristics from the pancit cabagan of Isabela. In Japan, regional variation also occurs in its ramen, with Tokyo, Sapporo, and Hakata each with their own versions.

Yokohama-style ramen, similar to the mediumbodied Tokyo ramen, gets an introduction to Quezon City through Ramen Shokudo; translated to English, the place’s name means “ramen station.” Armed with three years’ experience in cooking Yokohama-style ramen, chef Wataru Hokosawa moved to the Philippines to ensure the authenticity and quality of their ramen. “My

master in Japan wanted me to move here and maintain the soup’s flavor.”

Hokosawa describes Yokohama ramen as “very creamy and rich, and has a very strong taste.” The soup base is derived from the broth of chicken bones and pork bones, boiled for about five to six hours. In addition, Ramen Shokudo prides itself on its use of handmade ingredients and the absence of MSG in their dishes.

They offer four flavors: shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), tantanmen (spicy), and miso. As Hokosawa promised, the soup of all the four variants is rich but not overpowering. The tantanmen and shio, however, are the easy favorites, with the tantanmen drizzled on top

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EATS

with layu (chili oil), and juicy chashu and hanjuku (softboiled egg) swimming in the broth. The piquancy of the soup remains tolerable, revealing the dish’s natural umami taste. The shio, on the other hand, has an aroma that is reminiscent of the sea. Like the other variants, a soft-boiled egg and chunks of chashu rest on top of its noodles, but it has the additional garnish of tender bamboo shoots. A quick slurp of the soup introduces a mildly salty taste to the palate, almost similar to homecooked tinolang tahong or pesa. If you want something to pair with the ramen, the gyoza is a safe choice.

“Filipinos like consuming the soup before the noodles; I’ve seen a lot of people ask me for extra soup,” Hokosawa notices. This is a dining choice particular to Filipino culture, as in Japan, “when ramen is served, we start eating the noodles first. After we finish eating the noodles, that’s when we start drinking the soup. That’s the basic flow for eating ramen for us.” There are no hard rules in eating ramen, though. Whether you want to follow the ramen guide from Juzo Itami’s Tampopo or create your own style, Ramen Shokudo’s hearty soup deserves a place in your stomach.

“When ramen is served, we start eating the noodles first. After we finish eating the noodles, that’s when we start drinking the soup. That’s the basic flow for eating ramen for us.”

The chashu is torched before it’s placed atop the soup (right); Chef Wataru Hokasawa trains Ramen Shokudo’s staff before he returns to Japan (extreme right).

Ramen Shokudo. 401 Banawe Ave., Quezon City. 247-7873. www.facebook.com/RamenShokudo.

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RECIPE

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RECIPE RECIPE

FLYING FLAVORS

Feast on buffalo wings made sweet and salty TEXT ERNZ OWERA OF MANAM COMFORT FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY DANICA CONDEZ

CARAMELIZED PATIS WINGS

INGREDIENTS

8 pcs. chicken wings (cut into 2) 1/4 tsp. black ground pepper 1/4 tsp. iodized salt 1 tsp. chicken powder Cooking oil for deep frying For the sauce 3 1/2 tbsp. palm oil 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce 1/2 cup honey 2 tsp. garlic, minced 1 tsp. siling labuyo, chopped

PROCEDURE

1. Marinate chicken in spices for 2 hours.

2. Fry chicken at 180˚ Celsius for 4 to 5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

3. Lift the fry basket and shake off oil. Drain excess oil from the chicken wings using a paper towel then set aside.

4. Heat pan to medium-high heat.

5. Sauté garlic until it’s aromatic.

Add brown sugar.

6. Turn off the heat.

7. Add siling labuyo and fish sauce.

Mix well.

8. Pour sauce onto fried chicken wings. To coat them equally, toss the wings in the sauce.

9. Arrange chicken wings on a plate and drizzle with excess glaze.

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T HE GET

PRACTICAL MAGIC

A New Age cookbook adds spice to daily life TEXT EDLAINE C. FLOR PHOTOGRAPHY REGINA CANLAS

Healthy living should not be the sole provenance of the elite and the secret to longevity should not be prohibitively expensive. But with the contrasting demands of a busy career and a home life, an attainable cheat sheet like Amanda Chantal Bacon’s The Moon Juice Cookbook is more than handy. In fact, it counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Alicia Keys as fans.

Explore sexuality and creativity with Hot Sex Milk, a warm elixir that sends power to the right places with its unique blend of a pumpkin seed milk base, maca powder,

cacao powder, ho shouwu, coconut oil, schisandra berries, and bee pollen. The Chinese herb ho shouwu is more popularly known as cacao, and the dried schisandra berries from northern China are said to be natural aphrodisiacs that boost libido and improve prostate health. For something more subtle, the Sesame Ginger Matcha awakens the taste buds. This moon milk is alchemized from raw, silky butter to bolster the immune system, while matcha is an incredibly energizing source of antioxidants that is gentle on the adrenal glands even as it boosts metabolism.

The Moon Juice Cookbook. www.moonjuiceshop.com.

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