inuyaki » TV

Bourdain Rocks the “Land of Lechon”

Arnold — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:59:39 +0000

I called my mom about 5 minutes before No Reservations: Philippines was going to air in California, and instead of greeting me, she said, “Are you watching No Reservations?” It wasn’t airing in Hawaii, where I was on vacation, for two more hours, but I did call her to make sure she was watching.

You know Bourdain was in the real Philippines because it said BAWAL UMIHI DITO
(translation: don’t pee here) on every wall. :)

If the Pacquiao/De la Hoya fight was the Filipino equivalent of the Super Bowl, I think this block of television devoted to the cuisine of the Philippines might have been our NBA All-Star Game. Granted, 44 minutes isn’t nearly enough time to do justice to the diverse cuisine of the Philippines, but I thought the show did a good job highlighting some of the great things about the Mother Islands. Bourdain is also a self-described history nut, and he had a lot of great questions about the cultural and historical influences on the Philippines.

I’m not going to recap the whole episode, but it was nice to see Bourdain fall in love with sisig and lechon, and then later declare that the Philippines is No. 1 on his “Hierarchy of Pork” on his Travel Channel blog.

The street food section that opened the show was good, and I was glad Bourdain got to try Pancit Palabok—even though he didn’t think it was “the greatest thing ever”—and the shout out to kalamansi in the segment was nice. Oh…I also want Ivan Man Dy’s Adobo T-shirt.

Where do I get this shirt?

Claude Tayag was Bourdain’s host during the Pampanga segment, and he was great. He started with goat four different ways, which was right up Bourdain’s alley, but a porky love connection happened when Claude introduced him to sisig, the fried pork face dish that might never have been invented were it not for the surplus of pig heads that Clark Air base used to give away in the 1970s.

Sizzing Sisig!

I was chatting with my cousin who lives in Vermont (the state, not the street in L.A.) and she got instantly homesick and hungry during the sisig segment. It must suck to be Filipino in Vermont.

Claude brought some snarkiness to the mix by touting the superiority of Pampanga (big surprise) and saying that “You cannot be Filipino unless you become Pampanga first.” Of course, when his wife corrected him, he immediately clarified that you had to know whatever region you’re from first in order to be Filipino, a sentiment Bourdain related to since he considers himself a New Yorker first and an American second.

Claude also made an observation that has frustrated me since I was a kid.

“We’ve always been bypassed by foreign writers. Even in cookbooks—you buy a Southeast Asian cookbook—we’re marginally on the sides,” he said.

Back in the day, every time I picked up an Asian or world history book or cookbook, the first thing I always did was look in the index for any references to the Philippines, and if there were a couple pages, I considered myself lucky.

Food blogger and lechon master MarketMan of MarketManila.com anchored the Cebu segment. The hand-turned, spit-roasted lechon was a sight to behold with its perfect crispy caramel-brown skin that you could tell was delectable, even on the crappy 19-inch TV at my in-laws house. If you’ve ever been to a party where lechon is being served, people are always scheming to get the first crack at that pig skin.

“Best Pig Ever.” – Anthony Bourdain, 2.16.09

MarketMan’s tour of the fish market was great, especially his explanation of the Suki system of doing business. I also loved that he said the clarity and freshness of the first pressing of fish sauce was analogous to the first pressing of olive oil. Basically, MarketMan was dropping knowledge left and right and definitely picked up the slack for Augusto, whose lack of knowledge was glaring and a bit distracting.

See, I can relate to Augusto’s Fil-Am experience almost exactly, and I had my share of identity issues when I was growing up. However, I never would have put myself up as a representative of the Philippines or its cuisine—especially on international television—and I’ve spent more time there than him. Don’t get me wrong…Augusto deserves a lot of credit for making this episode possible, but as a guide, he was ineffective. It was the exact opposite of the Korea episode where Bourdain’s assistant Nari, while American, had strong ties to Korea and the food, as well as a truly compelling family story.

The show works around this deficiency by framing the narrative around Augusto and his ongoing search for his roots, but in the end, I thought it painted young Filipino Americans as lost souls. But Augusto’s Fil-Am experience is essentially the same as thousands of American-born Filipinos, including me, and as Moonie at PinoyLife noted, the fact Bourdain even brought up this topic “made this episode more historic in the realm of Filipino identity in America.”

As Bourdain himself observed:

It occurs that however badly he wants to be a Filipino, to reconnect with his roots, however hard he’s worked to make that happen—practicing the language, reading up, cooking the food, digging up family memories—he’s still American and to some extent, still new to this part of the family. Not a stranger like me, but an outsider of sorts just the same.

Although I would have preferred that the episode focus more on the food than Augusto’s search for his culture, Augusto deserves a lot of credit for actually wanting to learn more about his culture, especially when it would have been easier for him to ignore it. Of course, Augusto’s story did set up Bourdain’s insightful take on Filipinos and identity that closed the show.

“If there’s anything smart I can say on the subject of national or ethnic identity in general, watching Filipino American Augusto with his Chinese American wife, and—I guess these days—a typical American baby, I think maybe the whole concept is getting quaint and kinda outdated. Who are we really? Increasingly…wherever our hearts are.”

Overall, I thought Bourdain and his crew did an excellent job of showcasing the Philippines without being sensationalistic or cliché, but that’s what he’s done for every other country or region he’s visited. A visit to the Philippines was long overdue, but the wait was worth it, and I hope he goes back for more.

Thanks Tony for shining a light on Philippine cuisine and for giving the Cebuano Lechon the title of “best pig ever.”

And though I may sound critical of him in this post, a big thanks to Augusto for being curious and proud enough of his culture—even if he didn’t fully understand it—to take the initiative to send in his entry and remind Tony that the Philippines was always right under his nose.

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Philippines Tops Bourdain’s “Hierarchy of Pork”

Arnold — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:55:20 +0000

As the No Reservations – Philippines episode gets set to air, Bourdain’s latest blog post boldly declares that the Philippines is No. 1 in his so-called “Hierarchy of Pork,” ahead of Bali and Puerto Rico.

In his post, Bourdain had high praise for both sisig and the lechon he had in Cebu.

What we did get right, I’m quite sure, was making sure that the amazing, porky delights of “sisig” got plenty of camera time. If you’ve never had this divine mosaic of pig parts, chopped and served sizzling and crisp on one side on a screaming hot platter, then you’ve yet to have one of the world’s best beer drinking dishes. And speaking of pig? It can now be said that of all the whole roasted pigs I’ve had all over the world, the slow-roasted lechon I had on Cebu was the best.

First Manny Pacquiao and now No. 1 on Bourdain’s Hierarchy of Pork? All we need now is for Charice to become bigger than Celine Dion, and we can start our official cultural takeover of the world.

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Watch Bourdain Eat the Philippines on No Reservations

Arnold — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:58:13 +0000

I know I’m probably the last Filipino food blogger to mention this, but the much-anticipated Philippines episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations is airing on the Travel Channel tonight at 10pm EST. For a preview, check out his travel itinerary.

Don’t pee here, Tony!

On his Travel Channel blog last October (on my birthday, no less!), Bourdain said this upon his arrival to the Philippines:

Of all the people who watch NO RESERVATIONS, it’s been Filipinos who have been consistently among our biggest fans and most vocal about our having yet to film in their country.

“You’ve been all over Asia,” I hear again and again, “…so WHY haven’t you come to the Philippines?!”

Well…I’m here. And the pressure is on…

…

All I can say is “Don’t worry. We’re NOT doing balut. Been there. Done that.” And privately think to myself, “Don’t screw this up … don’t screw this up … don’t screw this up.”

It’ll be nice to see a show that highlights Philippine cuisine without featuring balut because it’s such a cliche for “adventurous” eaters. Also, It looks like the silog segment got cut, but you can watch it here.

Even though I’m in Hawaii right now, it’s family dinner night so we’re staying in, and I’ll be in front of the TV watching. Will you?

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Providence – Los Angeles, CA

Arnold — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:11:50 +0000

My parents’ wedding anniversary is two days after Christmas, and in the last few years, we’ve started taking them to restaurants that normally aren’t on their radar. Last year, we took them to Osteria Mozza, and this year, after reading my French Laundry post, my mom said she wanted to experience something like that. Granted, it’s impossible to find something comparable to The French Laundry in Southern California, but L.A. is no slouch when it comes to great restaurants. I ended up choosing Providence because of its seafood-centric menu and more affordable five-course tasting option, but two Michelin stars didn’t hurt either.

Two Michelin Stars in Los Angeles.

My first exposure to Providence and Chef Michael Cimarusti was on the second season of After Hours with Daniel Boulud, the MOJO HD show where Boulud throws after hours dinners at prominent restaurants. Season two was set in LA, and admittedly, it was hard to keep track of which one-word restaurant was which. As I rewatched the episode on Hulu.com, I instantly remembered Providence while watching the episode where a lobster attacks a piece of Kobe beef. You can watch the episode in its entirety at Hulu.com.

One of the first things we noticed about the tasting menu was that the dessert course featured a kalamansi gelée. If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you’ll know that kalamansi is the citrus of choice in the Philippines, especially in one of my favorite dishes, bistek tagalog. My parents were especially excited to see this versatile Filipino citrus featured in a fine-dining setting. For us, it was the second time in a month we’ve seen Filipino ingredients on a high-end tasting menu. (The first was the Ilocano salt and Pili nuts at The French Laundry.) So while the rest of the tasting menu looked fabulous on paper, we already had our eyes on dessert.

We started with an inventive amuse bouche trio.

Amuse Bouche Trio
From left: Gin and Tonic Gelée with Lime Zest and Tonic Powder, Mojito Raviolo,
Celery Root Soup and Black Truffle Syrup

The Gin and Tonic Gelée had a little tonic powder on it that started fizzing once you squeezed the juice from a lime wedge on top so that when you put it in your mouth, it replicated the carbonation of the tonic water, while the gelée supplied the gin. The best way to describe the Mojito Raviolo is that it’s a mojito shot in a bubble. When you put it in your mouth, it bursts with all the flavor of a good mojito. The third amuse was a mug-shaped shot glass filled with celery root soup on top of black truffle syrup. Since the soup was lighter than the syrup, it took up the top half of the mug. You drink this like you would a shot of liquor so that the soup and syrup combine into a tasty mix of temperatures and viscosity.

Before we got to the tasting menu, we ordered another appetizer, just because it sounded good.

Fatty Big Eye Tuna and Santa Barbara Sea Urchin
Soy Créme Fraîche, Crispy Soba, Mache, Black Truffle.

The Fatty Big Eye Tuna and Santa Barbara Sea Urchin was served with soy créme fraîche, crispy soba, mache, black truffle. This dish sounded interesting because of the contrast in textures between the tuna and sea urchin, as well as the addition of the crispy soba. It was delicious.

The first course of the tasting was Japanese Kanpachi with Satsuma tangerines, black olives and Piquillo Peppers. The combination of all the little elements of this dish were excellent together, but the Satsumas were especially impressive on their own.

Japanese Kanpachi
Satsuma Tangerines, Black Olives and Piquillo Peppers.

Nancy’s Day Boat Scallops were perfect and served with a subtle truffle vinaigrette, Juilet tomatoes, and frisée.

Nancy’s Day Boat Scallops
Truffle Vinaigrette, Juilet Tomatoes, Frisée

The Norwegian halibut was the last fish course in the tasting menu and another perfect dish. It was served with fried burdock, which my wife wasn’t a fan of because it’s too woody, but I thought it was pretty good. The lemon butter sauce and shiso foam were great complements to the halibut.

Halibut
Burdock, Shiso, Lemon

My parents and wife enjoyed their Veal Tenderloins served with chanterelle mushrooms, Weiser Farmers torpedo onion, celery root purée.

Tenderloin of Veal
Chanterelle Mushrooms, Weiser Farmers Torpedo Onion, Celery Root Purée

Earlier in the evening, our waiter told me about the $50 Kobe ribeye supplement for the tasting menu, and I jumped at the opportunity. It was served tableside by Providence owner and General Manager Donato Poto.

Kobe ribeye prepared tableside.

The Kobe ribeye was cooked medium rare, had a nice salty crust and literally melted in my mouth. I liked the pieces of veal I got to try, but was even happier that I did upgraded to the Kobe. Plus, I got to share it with the table, so everyone got to try it. It was served with porcini mushrooms, pomme fondante, and spring onions…

Japanese Wagyu Rib-Eye (Kagoshima, Japan)
Porcini Mushrooms, Pomme Fondante, Spring Onions

…and a really nice bacon parmesan risotto.

Providence is also the home of cutting-edge desserts, and pastry chef Adrian Vasquez is one of the best in the business. In fact, you can go to Providence strictly for their dessert tasting menu, which we are planning on trying on a future visit. The kalamansi gelée was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The kalamansi flavor was instantly recognizable and the texture was a perfect complement to the litchi-shiso sorbet and the tapioca balls in the white chocolate coconut soy milk soup.

Kalamansi Gelée
White Chocolate Coconut Soy Milk Soup, Litchi-Shiso Sorbet

Our tasting service had ended, but the kalamansi gelée was so good that my wife and I looked at each other and knew we wanted to try some more desserts. She ordered the pumpkin “pie” and I ordered the “cheesecake.” Both of these desserts were “deconstructed” and while they tasted really good, the platings were a bit fussy.

Pumpkin “Pie”
Curry Ice Cream, Pecan Streusel

The beignets in the “cheesecake” were really good.

“Cheesecake”
Passion Fruit, Guava Sorbet, Beignets.

Providence is regarded as one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles, and it’s hard to argue with that assertion. My parents had a good time, and my mom was glad to have had the experience. It’s definitely a place I want to return, but I think our next visit will be for the dessert tasting menu. If you’re looking for a world-class restaurant with fresh, modern cuisine, Providence should be at or near the top of your list.

INFORMATION
Providence
5955 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038 map
323.460.4170
Web site

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Cemitas Puebla

Arnold — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:58:33 +0000

Since I’m from California, I didn’t seriously consider having Mexican food in Chicago, but Cemitas Puebla was No. 1 on Chicago Yelp’s “Hot on Yelp” list and a popular topic on LTH Forum, a Chicago-based food forum. A little more research revealed that Cemitas Puebla was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, which probably attributed to its Yelp popularity. Although I’m not a fan of Guy Fieri as a chef or restauranteur, his DDD gig might be the best job in the country.

Cemitas are a sandwich that’s native to the Mexican state of Puebla and at Cemitas Puebla, they’re comprised of your choice of meat on toasted sesame seed bread, avocado, Oaxacan cheese, papalo (a seasonal cilantro-like herb), their own homemade adobo chipotles. Cemitas Puebla is so committed to the authenticity of their food that they make regular trips to Mexico to get the right ingredients.

We ordered the Cemita Milanesa, a breaded butterflied pork chop that, like all their food, was made fresh to order. The milanesa was a little dry, but combined with the toasted bread, cheese, and chipotles, it was really tasty. In fact, the adobo chipotles with its mild lingering heat might be the real star of Cemitas Puebla since it has a prominent role in every cemita, as well as the Tacos Arabe (see below), and is also available on every table.

Cemita Milanesa

Their other specialty is the Tacos Arabe (Arabian Tacos), which owner Tony Anteliz likes to call the “cousin of the shawarma” and comes from the heavy Middle Eastern influence on Puebla. Marinated pork and onions are stacked on a spit roasted like a traditional al pastor. On order, it’s sliced and grilled for a few minutes and then served rolled in a really thin pita with a chipotle sauce that’s made by puréeing their adobo chipotles.

From left, taco al pastor and taco arabe

We got their late, so I got the last pieces of meat off the spit, which were really good, but I’m sure their better much earlier in the day. I also got a selection of other tacos including, an excellent carne asada, and very good al pastor and chorizo. One of our friends ordered the chalupas chorizo that looked amazing as well.

Chalupas chorizo

The best part about Cemitas Puebla is that it’s cheap, hearty food. Plus the service is fast, friendly and attentive. Even though you order at the counter, they bring your food to you when it’s ready and are always around to make sure you’re being taken care of.

The only negative about the place is that they really love Oscar de la Hoya and his pictures are everywhere. I’m all about Manny Pacquiao and expect Pac-Man to kick Oscar’s ass on December 6. :-)

INFORMATION
Cemitas Puebla
3619 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647 map
773.772.8435
Web site
Cemitas Puebla on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

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White Castle and Top Chef — A Match Made in Hell

Arnold — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:13:04 +0000

Our first meal in Chicago wasn’t on my list, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome either. I’ve always been intrigued by the White Castle hype, especially since the burgers don’t really look all that appetizing. My friend Maria mentioned that there were several White Castles near her South Loop condo, so we stopped by for a little snack on the way back from the airport.

The impromptu White Castle visit also coincided with the season premiere of Bravo’s Top Chef, and we made it back to Maria’s condo just in time to watch it from the beginning. Can there be a greater juxtaposition to White Castle than Top Chef?

I really don’t understand the appeal of these burgers. The buns are soggy, the meat is mushy, and for something so small, they kinda just sit in your stomach like a big grease bomb. I think they’re easily outshined by something as mundane as McDonald’s regular hamburgers. Why do people like them so much? Is it the nostalgia? Or do you really have to be high to enjoy them?

As far as Top Chef is concerned, the chefs seem pretty boring compared to previous seasons, although there are a couple Filipinos in the mix this year. Gene is looking like the anti-Dale (temperamentally speaking) and Leah definitely has potential. The two cocky Euros (Stefan and Fabio) should be make the show interesting though.

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Top Chef’s Dale Defends His Vision in BuddyTV Interview

Arnold — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:42:55 +0000

A friend sent me a link to another interview with Top Chef contestant Dale Talde, this time on BuddyTV.com. It covers some of the same ground as the Chow.com interview I discussed in my previous post, but he spent a good chunk of the interview defending himself amidst criticism that he only cooks Asian food.

Are you going to (ask) an Italian chef, “Why do you only do Italian food?” Are you going to (ask) Alain Ducasse, “Why do you only do French food?” My food is inspired by Asia…ALL of Asia…the Philippines, Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos. You want to talk about Asia? Asia is enormous.

In Season 2, Ilan Hall won the title of Top Chef by relying on his background cooking Spanish food. At least Dale was drawing from an entire continent for influence, not just a single country.

If Dale was bothered by anything, it was the criticism of his vision.

Criticize my execution if you want to. If my dish wasn’t good, fine, I’ll take it back. Don’t you in your life ever criticize my vision. It’s MY vision, not your vision.

Dale also said he had no problem throwing down with anyone if they wanted to cook Italian food or French food, but he finds that food boring because the flavors don’t “pop out” to him.

My flavors are big and bold and bright and in your face, and sweet, sour, salty come all at you. I’m not going to sit there and roast a piece of rack of lamb, and cook some noodles, and deglaze with white wine and shallots and then put it on a plate. That’s not who I am. Chilis…vinegar…miso paste. That’s what I do.

Dale was adamant about creating new dishes on the show instead of playing it safe.

Unlike some of my other competitors…I had never done some of that food before. I never did that food. Maybe that was a mistake of mine, too, from an execution standpoint. What I’m not going to do is sit there and recreate dishes that I did at my restaurant. I’m not going to do that. Why? Because it’s not about “Hi, you’re the best chef” and now bite every recipe off all these people. It’s about Dale making his own food and about putting my food in the forefront. Maybe I should have toned my style down, but I failed. I didn’t execute a good dish. The scallop dish was weak. I knew it was weak.

He also broke down his thought process on the ill-fated butterscotch scallop dish.

When you do a miso sauce, there’s a lot of sugar involved in it. The idea of caramelizing the sugar and turning it into a butterscotch and then adding miso…I like salty/sweet. It’s always a combination that I love. That’s what that is. Maybe not so good with scallops, maybe better off with something else like a piece of cod or something a little more savory�scallops have a natural sweetness to it. I had never made that before, and I put it on a plate and that was my downfall.

Ironically, I was watching on old episode of Iron Chef America the other day and Iron Chef Cat Cora, in a honey battle versus Citizen Cake’s Elizabeth Faulkner, caramelized some honey on top of a scallop successfully. So Dale may have been on the right track with the butterscotch…

Listen to the entire interview here.

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Dale Eliminated on Top Chef, Opens up to Chow.com

Arnold — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:11:22 +0000

My heart sank when Padma Lakshmi told Dale Talde to “pack his knives and go” on this week’s episode of Top Chef, but I knew it was inevitable after the disastrous opening of Mai Buddha with teammates Lisa Fernandes and Spike Mendelsohn during this week’s challenge, Restaurant Wars. Dale was the executive chef for the restaurant and when things go wrong, the guy at running the show gets the blame. Dale discussed his experiences in an interview with Chow.com.

Aside from some brilliant cooking and wins in both the Quickfire and main challenges, Dale’s time on Top Chef was also marked by his ongoing friction with Lisa. When asked about the rivalry, Dale said:

Dale: Come on, rivalry? Rivalry connotates that someone is at the same level you’re at.
CHOW: So you’re saying that Lisa was nowhere near your level?
Dale: Please. Scoreboard. C’mon.

Dale’s reference to the scoreboard is telling since he had more wins than Lisa and Spike combined and was in the bottom three only once before getting the boot (with his Wedding Wars teammates Lisa, Spike and Nikki). Lisa, on the other hand, had only one challenge win and was on the bottom four times, and I honestly thought she should have been eliminated last week instead of Andrew. Spike had one Quickfire win and was on the bottom five times.

So why was Dale given the boot? He knew it was coming when Antonia picked her team. Both Dale and Antonia were praised as the best contestants during this episode’s egg station Quickfire, but Antonia was declared the overall winner and got to pick her team for Restaurant Wars. She picked Richard and Stephanie, the two strongest contenders on the show aside from Dale.

“Did you see the team? It was like a junior varsity basketball team versus a professional basketball team. I got put on the short-bus all stars.”

The challenge ended up being a rematch of Wedding Wars with Dale’s team on the losing end again. There were several reasons why the Mai Buddha team failed, not the least of which was the toxic work environment created by clashing personalities. Dale admits to letting his ego get out of control and not playing the game correctly by fighting to be executive chef.

“You know when (Frank) Bruni or Adam Platt come into your restaurant and the food sucks, are they going to blame the sous chef or the pastry chef? No. They’re going to blame you, and you’re going to be out on the street looking for a job…but I’m going to be goddamned if Lisa’s going to be the executive chef and I’m going to take the subordinate role to her.”

Dale’s disatrous Butterscotch Scallop dish was another contributor to his demise, and he accepted responsibility for that dish’s failure.

“I messed up. I had a vision and I didn’t execute that vision correctly. I was trying to go for salty, sweet, spicy, sour with the pickled charred long beans and then have the scallop be the savory, sweet, salty—I just put too much sugar in it. I’ll do that recipe again, and I’ll guarantee you that I’ll execute it correctly.

I’ve described Dale as ornery in the past, and he understands that people don’t like him, both on the show and at his regular job at Buddakann in New York.

“It helps a lot when people like you and you like the people you work with, but it’s not a job requirement. It’s not necessary.”

A first-generation Filipino American, Dale attributed his work ethic to his immigrant parents, and during his exit interview on the show, he broke down because he felt like he let them down.

I wanted to show them I could have won this. I know in my heart that I am more talented than a lot of people that are still on the show. I’m very competitive at sports and to be honest with you, I never really won any championships or anything like that. This would have been a nice one to pull out and say, “Hey, I actually won this.”

To listen to the entire interview with Chef Dale Talde, go to Chow.com.

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Dale “Busts Out” Halo Halo on Top Chef

Arnold — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:29:36 +0000

I’m a big Top Chef fan, but I’ve been watching the Chicago incarnation with great interest because of Dale Talde, the ornery and talented Filipino American sous chef at Buddakan, an upscale Chinese restaurant in New York. During the first six episodes of the season, the Chicago native’s dishes have reflected a pan-Asian influence, but last week, Dale got to express his Filipino side during a dessert Quickfire Challenge and received praise and Top 3 finish from guest judge Johnny Iuzzini, the pastry chef at Jean Georges.

Dale chose to make halo halo, a classic Filipino treat of shaved ice, milk (usually condensed or evaporated) and any number of other tropical ingredients, such as sweet beans, tropical fruits, and ice cream. Because of the variety ingredients and personal preferences, there isn’t one set recipe for halo halo, and Dale’s is no exception—a combination of shaved ice, avocado, mango, kiwi and nuts. Sure it was a non-traditional, upscale interpretation, but this is Top Chef, and it was nice to see him bring Filipino culture to the table.

This season of Top Chef hasn’t been nearly as exciting or dramatic as previous seasons, but I still love the show. Dale got off to a slow start, but as the season has progressed, I think he’s found his groove and is now one of the favorites to win. He even showed his “gangsta” side when he grabbed his crotch and went off on Lisa Fernandes after she pandered to Ming Tsai’s “Asian-ness” and then won a trip to Italy despite being negative, whiny, bitch-ass teammate. (Can you tell I really don’t like Lisa?)

What? You say something?

Are you watching Top Chef? Who do you want to win? Should there be a faux-hawk ban next season?

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Bourdain Latest in Long Line of SPAM Converts

Arnold — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:09:51 +0000

This week’s episode of No Reservations brought Anthony Bourdain to Hawaii, and it was fun watching him enjoy some of the great food and drink Hawaii has to offer. I’ve been waiting for this show to air because I was curious about his impressions of local culture and cuisine, and I figured he’d be brutally honest about his experience.

Overall, the show did a pretty good job covering Hawaii in a short amount of time, but the most satisfying part of the show was when Bourdain professed his love for everyone’s favorite mystery meat…SPAM!

At the New Uptown Fountain in Kalihi, Bourdain settled into a meal with Honolulu Advertiser food columnist David Choo that can best be described as a local “tasting menu” that featured several local favorites, including different presentations of SPAM. (Choo chronicles his entire Bourdain experience on his blog, appropriately called Choo On This.

First up was SPAM Musubi (a.k.a. SPAM sushi), but this version had a fried rice filling instead of the traditional steamed rice.

“That’s great,” Bourdain said. “I’m thinking stoned at two o’clock in the morning, watching TV…I want this really badly.”

Next up was what Bourdain described “a SPAM frittata with kimchee on top, floating in curry sauce.” I’ve never heard of this concoction, but it looked great and apparently it’s a house specialty. After a little riff on how the hospitals in Hawaii must do tremendous business because of the food locals are eating, Bourdain said, “I’m going to stroke out at the end of this meal.”

A plate of SPAM, eggs and fried rice was next, followed by an intermezzo of chicken tofu and some homemade chili before a bowl of SPAM saimin arrived at the table. There were lots of other non-SPAM dishes on the table, including one of my favorites, Loco Moco (hamburger patty, over-easy eggs served over rice and mac salad and smothered in gravy), to which Bourdain remarked, “This…don’t even tell anyone that I enjoyed that.”

(NOTE: This chronology is based on what aired and is a product of editing. For more details on the meal, see Choo’s blog above.)

All in all, it was pretty funny watching Bourdain have his SPAM epiphany in Hawaii, probably the best place in the world to eat SPAM.

“In all of its high-sodium, gravy-drenched glory, SPAM has in every sense found its way into my heart,” he said. “I get it now. I feel inducted into the Church of True Knowledge.”

Throughout the episode, Bourdain’s observations about local culture showed that he really “gets” Hawaii in the sense that he understands how its plantation history, which includes the importation of labor from China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines to work the fields, as well as U.S military occupation and eventual statehood, helped create a unique, diverse local population and cultivated the beautiful mish-mosh of cuisine that accompanies it. He even called Hawaii “America’s Singapore.”

In addition to feasting on SPAM, Bourdain also visited Ono Hawaiian Foods, one of my favorite places to eat in Oahu, Side Street Inn, where he met up with a bunch of local chefs including Alan Wong, and Bailey’s Aloha Shirts on Kapahulu Ave., where he bought a $3000 Aloha shirt.

For more information on this episode of No Reservations, check out the No Reservations page on the Travel Channel Web site.

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