Comings and goings

SO Anthony Bourdain was here. It was a short visit which took him to Sofitel Philippine Plaza where he was billeted (why there I don't know, but yeah, let's wow him w/ the sunset at Manila Bay why don't we?), Pampanga, and Cebu.

Whenever I'm out of town, I usually switch on the TV to Discovery Travel and Living and just veg out watching all the travel and cooking shows, especially Bourdain's No Reservations. (We don't have the channel in the basic package of Skycable, ay kaluoy!, so I've long been thinking of switching to Global Destiny.)

He is one cool dude I would love to hang around with because he eats so well and is into all the simple cooked meals of all these countries he visits. Hindi sya maarte kumain, not like some of those girls in Lonely Planet. If he were Pinoy, I think he would enjoy eating sinangag, tuyo or daing, itlog na maalat, with a steaming cup of coffee on the side. Or not.

I heard he had dinner with a handful of very young journalists last Saturday at a private room at Spiral. (Oh noes! 'wag naman sana yung walang kamatayang buffet! haha). His visit was a much-anticipated event among media especially by those of us who love to cook and eat. Unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to have graced his table. Boo-hoo-hoo!

They ate some goat cheese wrapped in salmon, according to Josemari Ugarte, editor-in-chief of Rogue who was one of those invited. (I should be hating you right now Josemari, except that I just love your Dad and Ana so much. So you are saved from my wrath, haha. I am looking forward to your Bourdain story. But Rene Nieva, phooey to you! harummph!)

Btw, someone just sent me a photo of Saturday's dinner. (It happened apparently bec. Chef Gene Gonzalez, whom Bourdain was supposed to meet, was in Vietnam.) Anyhoo, "the Chosen" were seated at a round table, taking notes or listening in rapt attention to Bourdain probably explain why he will also not eat balut anymore. But no one was seated right beside him. Everyone seemed to be in awe of Bourdain, whoa, parang Jesus Christ Superstar!

I just hope the people who brought Bourdain around didn't make him eat at any sissy pretentious restaurants patronized only by their owners and their wanna-be sosyalero friends. Mercifully, one of his escorts was Claude Tayag who brought Bourdain to Pampanga, of course. (Crispy camaru anyone? Yum!) He also visited Cebu, so visions of Bourdain sweating it out in a sutukil resto by the road side, ice-cold San Miguel beer in the left hand, his smokes in the right hand, tickled me no end. This guy has no hang-ups really about eating even at carinderias of the world. Basta masarap, masaya sya. One thing for sure, he will not eat any lechon. He knows it, he's eaten it, he is up to here, according to his blog. (One visitor to Bourdain's blog actually suggested Lydia's Lechon! hahaha. I prefer Elar's though.)

If I had a chance to show him around, I would have brought him to Sosing's where all the sweaty cabbies and jeepney drivers have their fill of delicious home-cooked meals. Of course, ever since the drivers' amos and the Makati execs discovered Sosing's, it has ceased to be just your ordinary carinderia. Still, people go there for the best nilagang baka, the sweaty ambiance, and the large servings of rice. Ayuus.

(Photo from anthonybourdain.net)

OOPSIE! Anthony Bourdain did get to meet Chef Gene after all, w/ our very own Judy Ann Santos who takes cooking lessons at Cafe Ysabel. Read the account in Gianina Gonzalez's blog. (Ang di alam ni Bourdain, mas sikat sa kanya si Juday haha!)

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Speaking of comings and goings, arriving tomorrow is fertilizer scammer Joc-joc Bolante. I am curious who will eventually meet him at the airport...the NBI, Senate sergeant-of-arms, or Mike Arroyo's boys who will make the former DA undersecretary promptly disappear. (The idiots probably have learned their lesson from that failed Jun Lozada show off off off broadway!)

As of the last TV news I watched, the G-men were still arguing who would take custody of Joc-joc as he re-enters Philippine soil. Supposedly he will be escorted by US Immigration marshalls...ngek, how embarrassing naman! But I wonder though if he really is arriving at the NAIA. There are rumors that Joc-Joc will be arriving either at the DMIA at Clark, Pampanga, or at the Mactan International Airport in Cebu from Hong Kong. He will want to avoid publicity and those who want to ensure that he keeps his mouth shut, may try to secretly whisk him away.

Well, let's just wait for the big show tomorrow.