That isn’t really much of a problem as there
is always bound to be a favorite Chinese eatery in every town
and it is no different in Bacolod. For a newly blessed Christian
in a beaded panyal, a little Bacoleña wearing a supergirl
costume, or a blushing debutant, the most cherished memory
happens at a lauriat. For a misty eyed bride, a golden-wed groom
or a grandma celebrating more decades than she thinks she will
be blessed with, lingering remembrances are laced with steamed
and stir fried versions of her favorite Chinese dishes because
nothing lines the stomach better than Chinese cooking.
A special occasion in the ‘60s would mean a
visit to Chinese panciterias like Manila Restaurant or Antigua
at the old Chinese enclave of Bacolod called the Capitol
Shopping Center, the recognized root of Chinese culinary culture
in the city. Names like Holiday Restaurant and United Restaurant
are old favorites that have survived the decades with tasty
memoirs that include among others some age-old noodle-based
favorites like bam-i, a variety of hot pots and
dumplings, shark’s fin and nido soups, the singular taste of
century eggs and sweet chorizo bilbao. Following the same
tradition of good hot Chinese food are Tita Ping’s and Lanten
Restaurant. City Lunch, on the other hand, consistently offers
old time favorites like siopao, batchang, matchang and its
famous fresh lumpia. Of course, there’s always the dependable
pot of tea on the side.
Over the years, nothing much has changed in
the tradition of celebrating family milestones from a Chinese
cook’s kitchen. That is, nothing much except for a pleasing
development spanning more extensive choices in Bacolod which can
range from the authentic, or food that has been adapted for
local tastes, to something that is newly created. These would
mean a variety of fresh bean curd or tofu preparation, ambiance
and even health philosophies.
Our quick tour will bring us first to more
luxurious dining places where special guests and elderly loved
ones are made comfortable in keeping with traditional Chinese
courtesies. As fish has always been associated with prosperity
and wealth, on New Year’s Eve, a variety of fresh fish are on
display at the Great Wok of China along North Drive. The Full
Moon restaurant has a chef from Hong Kong and offers a
deliciously authentic Chinese menu. The spicy seafood hotpot is
sure to double your helping of fried rice and whet the appetite
for more of the beef with ampalaya, a particularly tender
tofu dish and the tasty fish fillet with broccoli.
Another option is Mei Wei seafood restaurant
with its façade of aquariums containing fresh lobsters, crabs,
eels and even turtles for turtle soup and exotic turtle fat. Its
divine fingers of seafood salad rolls, spareribs in lemon sauce
and broccoli with garlic will keep you coming back especially
for special events of up to 200 guests which it can accommodate
in a number of function rooms.
The same can be said of the all-too-familiar
chow haven, the Apollo Restaurant. Apollo has been around from
as far back as when pancit was still pian i sit
(conveniently cooked fast) and students from La Con-solacion
College would head for its pioneer Plaza Mart branch to split a
bowl of lomi for snacks. Today, it has two branches
catering to intimate as well as formal affairs with a wide
variety of dishes including its sought after Sun Yat Sen noodles
and lemon chicken.
Like in Southern China, rice too is a
critical part of Bacolod Chinese cuisine. A wide variety of
fried rice, from the Spanish dubbed morisquieta tostado to L’
Sea restaurant’s Yang Chow rice, are usually served family-style
in panciterias like Lanten restaurant.
Armed with wooden chopsticks and wide ceramic
flat-bottomed spoons, one can experience the healthy offerings
of the Sian Tian Health Food Center of the Divine Institute of
Chong Shu, a non-profit non-sectarian temple that believes in
the karmic benefits of the vegetarian lifestyle. Diners can
count on a healthy serving organic red rice with attractively
prepared stuffed tofu, sweet and sour vege-fish and appetizing
potato salad. The temple also sells frozen gluten products and
produces bean curd in soft and hard varieties, as well as fresh
soya milk. It serves a diverse clientele from all walks of life
Mondays to Saturdays.
Of course, for the young and the young at
heart, there is always a distinct novelle chinoise who thinks
ambiance and serves an upbeat version of lumpia in his
delectable prosperity sprinkles as entrée. Mai Pao is the obra
maestra of an Australian trained young chef who tweaked the
standard Chinese fare, an experience you would croon over a bowl
of extra-filling hot and sour soup and a mouthwatering Tsinoy
fusion dish called salted fish fried rice.
Truly, Bacolod has a lot to be grateful for
as it welcomes the year of the Earth Rat with the third
BacoLaodiat Festival from February 7-9. The term BacoLaodiat is
coined from the name of the City of Bacolod and the Fookien word
laodiat that means happy celebration. Bacolod City and
its Tsinoy community is the first to baptize the festivity with
a name and turn the Chinese New Year into a local community
festival. It is the group’s vision to pump fresh blood into the
birth place of Tsinoy heritage by going back to the Capitol
Shopping Center as its main venue for this year’s celebration.
