EatingAsia

'But there's no good food in the Philippines!'

That's not our opinion. But it's something we've heard again and again from various quarters over the last couple of months, as we've prepared for this trip. We know it's not the truth, and you do too, if you've had even a cursory look at this book (pictured above), or visited this popular food blog.

We're in Manila, and we'll be here for 10 days (yes, Manila! a city that invariably invokes a wrinkled nose when mentioned), traversing the city and daytripping beyond it, looking for the best that the Philippine kitchen has to offer. We've hooked up with a food-loving Filipino who's travelled to every province in this country and lived in several of them, who promises to be an excellent guide (and advisor for the further explorations here that we're planning). Thanks to a certain generous EatingAsia reader, we're meeting with local chowhounds - professional and otherwise - whose work we admire. We expect this to be one excellent trip, with lots of fantastic food finds. We know there's gold here, and we don't expect to have to dig much to find it.

While this is my first visit to the Philippines, it's a bit of a homecoming for Dave, who got his initial taste of Asia a couple of (ahem) decades ago when he lived here for 6 months. Dave wasn't as food-focused then as he is now (he remembers pancit, balut, buko pie, and adobo, and that's about it), and has only the vaguest remembrances of local flavors. So it should be interesting to see how his impression of the local fare we partake of over the coming days compares with his memories.

We'll be be back in a week and a half with plenty of tales of Filipino tastiness. Until then, Selamat Makan (Happy Eating!)

Get a KLue

I'm now writing a monthly column for Malaysian magazine KLue, on food and food culture in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. The first one appears in the magazine's February 2007 issue, accompanied by Dave's lovely handiwork.

We try to keep to Asian (and, by default, mostly Malaysian) fare here at EatingAsia, but KL is a big, diverse place so for KLue I'll sometimes be ranging well beyond the bounds of wonton mee, char kuey teow, nasi lemak, and southern Indian thali, as with this first column.

In deference to my editor's wishes I'll not be reprinting the column and accompanying photo(s) here until the magazine has been on the stands for a few weeks. In the meantime, if you're in Malaysia pick up a copy, have a read, and let me know what you think. Comments, questions, and suggestions are - as always - very welcome!

P.S. I've recently learned that the relocation of the Bangsar night market has adversely affected the business of the folks featured in this month's article. So if you're intrigued by what you read, give their product a try. And if you like what you taste, tell your friends.

Duck Potatoes for the New Year

If you live anywhere with a sizeable Chinese population these tubers should be turning up around town right about now. Chinese New Year is just a few weeks away and the tulip bulb-like Chinese arrowhead ('nga ku' in Cantonese, 'ya ku in Mandarin'; Sagittaria trifolia L.), which symbolizes prosperity, usually plays a part in the holiday feast.

Chinese arrowhead is a swamp vegetable, like the lotus root and water chestnut. It grows as far from Asia as Hawaii (probably brought by Chinese immigrants) and Iran.

The shoot which rises from the root is removed before cooking. Nga ku is crispy like a water chestnut, but starchier, like a slightly sweet potato (thus its North American moniker - and the title of this post - duck potato). It's steamed with rice and waxed meats (another traditional Chinese New Year food), or stir-fried. We've enjoyed them slow-stewed with pork belly and tofu, as per the non-spicy stew in this post.

Nga ku also make a fine chip. Right now shops and markets around Kuala Lumpur are bursting with red-capped, clear plastic containers of nga ku chips. But beware - all arrowhead chips are not created equal. In general we prefer our chips thick and hefty, but what works for potatoes does not seem to do well by nga ku. Thicker slices of nga ku absorb oil, making for a still delicious, if rather more cholesterol-laden treat. If you're nga ku chip shopping look for thin-sliced chips that border on the translucent.

A word of warning: arrowhead chips are strangely addictive. There's a good chance that once the cap comes off the container it won't be replaced until there's nary a chip left.