Big on Baclaran

Manila's sprawl, when viewed from the window of a car crawling along one of it's traffic-choked major roadways, does not invite walking. But hidden in this urban tangle are neighborhoods, and the only way to discover them is to get out and hoof it.

We've taken a shine to Baclaran, a barangay anchored by the Redemptorist Church (also known as Baclaran Church) on Roxas Boulevard.

It's especially busy on Wednesday, novena day, when devotees of Our Lady of Perpetual Help crowd the building and overflow into its yard. It's said that a prayer to Our Lady is always answered.

On Sundays the church and the streets around it have a bit of a fiesta feel to them. The crowds aren't as thick as on Wednesdays, but everyone who's out seems to be enjoying him or herself. There's so much going on it's hard to take it all in.

Just outside the church's Redemptorist Road gate, one vendor sells bibingka, and rice cakes steamed in bamboo,

while another offers a range of Santo Nino statues. In the Philippines the Infant Jesus is believed to bring good luck, and at markets you'll rarely find a produce or fish vendor without a Santa Nino watching over his or her trade.

A grandmother with a captivating apple-doll face and smiling eyes is convinced to mug for the camera,

and further up the street, at number 3062, lechon is offered at Jay's. Their slogan: Crispy Na!

If a plate of roast pig doesn't appeal, there's also goto, Philippine rice porridge flavored with pork and topped with fried garlic,

paksiw, a sweet-sour stew made of lechon leftovers,

and succulent glazed meat on a skewer.

Nearby, appraoching the Baclaran LRT station, the jeepneys are lined up hood to tailpipe,

in front of a private market claiming to be the city's cleanest. There, vendors named Lexie and Elsa and Woody and Vacio sell meat, and fish fresh enough - and at prices low enough - to make a seafood lover swoon.

Just across from the meat, displays of abundance

and heaps of edible flowers add a splash of color.

Behind the cleanest market, a banana delivery.

In front, a fighting cock watches over plastic bins of rice,

a kitten stares wistfully at banana leaf-lined metal trays of krill and sardines,

and a fish seller strikes a pose,

while a child grabs a bite where he can.

Down Opena Street, on the other side of Baclaran Church, Mindanao-born mama of the Plaza family supplements husband Teofilo's earnings as a taxi driver by serving, from the first-floor kitchen of their tiny home, 

the best

pork sinigang, meaty and rich and clear and light all at the same time, pleasingly sour and packed with perfectly cooked vegetables - a heaven-sent pick-me-up on a hot morning.

In the narrow streets and alleys around, religious statues are offered for sale,

ice cream is scooped from an old-fashioned wheeled cart the likes of which you'll see all over Manila,

seaweed, oysters, and everything else from the deep is sold at the dimunitive Seaside Market,

breakfast is taken curbside,

a shuffle pool tournament is underway,

fish is grilled over coals,

'Hey Joe! One shot!' is shouted from hither

and yon,

and two strangers are welcomed in a way they've come to think of as very Filipino.

Yes, we've taken a shine to Baclaran.

Comments

[corrine]

Nice photos! Did you try any of the street food?

[Marvin]

I always loved the photos and writing on your blog. This was another great perspective of life in the many cities you visit.

[Chubbypanda]

I'm always in the mood for lechon.

Poor kitten. Did it get some food?

[Tanya]

You made me miss home so much. I haven't really been to baclaran but seeing the pork sinigang made me drool like crazy. hmmm mmmmm.. :D

[jj]

niiiiccceee.... i go to baclaran for the pirated dvds... :)

[Robyn]

Corrine - if there's a picture of it, we ate it.

Marvin - thanks. I was struck, after I wrote this post, by how much of life happens on the street in Manila. I think that's taken for granted in other southeast Asian cities bec. it's more visible from the main roads.

chubby - we passed on the lechon this day. I'd been eating it for a couple of days by then. As for the kitten ... if we lived in Manila it would probably be ours, now.

Tanya - that was some seriously good sinigang. Truly the best pork version I've ever had. Her other dishes were lovely as well. The lady can cook.

Thanks jj. I can get pirated dvds here in Malaysia. ;-)

[renato]

Even if Baclaran is better known for its lechon stalls, it was the picture of the sinigang, the fish grilling over coals, and the seaweed (beside the oysters) that was making me hungry. In fact those 3 combined would make a very good meal.

[Andrea R.]

Thank you for posting such an intriguing look at Baclaran. Instead of the usual focus on the poverty and the squalor, you brought out what's lovely, delicious and unique about Baclaran. Hope you can see more of the Philippines soon.

[Robyn]

Renato - you're right about that meal. One I'd love to have right now.

Andrea - Baclaran is certainly not Manila's richest neighborhood (nor its poorest), but it's a neighborhood nonetheless, and one with lots of personality at that.

[ELE]

Thank you for another glorious post. The writing is superb, and every photograph a masterpiece.
Viva EatingAsia!

[Nate 2.0]

Ahh sinigang. I haven't had that in a long time. It sure looks good!

[Robyn]

ELE - you're welcome!

Nate - never encountered sinigang before our trip to Manila last Feb ... now it is a favorite here at home! Mine doesn't taste like this one did, though.

[MegaMom]

Fantastic post! You have captured the very soul, the anima of Baclaran. Despite options to shop, eat and see sights at higher end places in Manila (of which there are many relative to Baclaran), I would choose to do what you have, anytime!

[IronEaters]

the pics are lovely, the way u capture them in their natural states... nice works!

[bel]

wow, remarkable pictures. seeing baclaran in this light has increased my appreciation of the place. thanks and more power.

[Michelle]

i have not been back home to the philippines in almost 12 years. these pictures took me back. the jeepneys, the lechon, the street food...all those images flooded back memories from my childhood. thank you for sharing these. i especially loved the ice cream cart photo. that cart fed me daily :)

[Christine]

I'm guilty of sometims taking places in my own backyard, such as Baclaran, for granted. Thank you for this beautiful photo essay on this vibrant pocket in our city. That sinigang does look scrumptious! :)

[Robyn]

Megamom, IronEaters, Bel - thanks.

Michelle - glad we could give you a quick trip back the Philippines. ;-)

Christine - I think we're all guilty of that. One of the advantages of being a foreigner - anywhere - is seeing everything as new.

[randyb]

Stumbled upon your blog through a link in one of my favorite food blogs (marketmanila.com). Your pics are awesome (and the commentary that goes with them). I think I'll be a regular visitor here. Cheers!

[jb]

These pictures are awesome! Some of the best stuff is truly behind the main roads. If you haven't visited the area near the mosque directly opposite from the big Quiapo Church, it was one of my favorite places to visit when I studied in Manila. Lots of beautiful fabrics in vibrant colors and pretty patterns.

Drooling from the sinigang...

[Danney]

Wow thanks to MarketManila, I found myself another beautiful site to read!! I love the photos of the smiling Lola. Reminding me of my ancestors. Kudos to Eating Asia.

[Anson]

Regarding the pork sinigang, Tita Cely at Market, Market in Fort Bonifacio is another good place to try it out.

As for the flower, I think those are squash blossom. They are edible, but I forgot what dish they are supposed to end up in.

[Robyn]

randyb, Danney - welcome to EatingAsia! We love comments, esp as we're somewhat new to Philippine food.

jb - thanks for that tip. We walked through the area briefly after a Quiapo visit and have been intending to go back. It was late morning/approaching lunch and the food was looking very good. Next trip to Manila, certainly.

Anson - thanks for that tip. I love sinigang. Yes, they are squash blossoms. We've had them in Pampanga in corn soup. Wonder in what other incarnations they show up in Philippine food?

[alicia]

I love your phoographs. I am ashamed to say that although living in Manila for quite a while, I have never been to Baclaran. Your pictures are just what I needed to see to get myself there. I must agree with Renato, I am so glad you focused on what's wonderful about the philippines, despite the poverty and pollution that would have been more apparent . The warmth and character in that woman's smile was just fantastic.

[Robyn]

alicia - thank you. If this post inspires you to head to Baclaran, then that's the best compliment we can receive. If you do head over, the 'cleanest market' that I mentioned has amazingly beautiful seafood. If I lived in Manila I would be shopping there every other day!