Love the Filipino flavors at Bagoong Club
Food writers occasionally reach the point of having too much of a good thing. After a surfeit of meticulously prepared rich food with intricate flavors comes a stage called buffet bloat. The excitement of trying out a new dish wanes, the wellspring of adjectives to describe the food runs dry, and there is an irksome awareness that the discerning and animated taste buds are dull, benumbed and insipid. The Filipino terms for the sensation are suya or umay. You must know the feeling. It is the moment when you need to eat something different to recover from a jaded palate.
Although I’ll admit that I am sorely tempted to be selfish and keep the latest restaurant discovery a secret, to be enjoyed solely by an extensive collection of family and friends, I realize that this goes against the purpose and spirit of food writing. The good news of restaurants serving delicious food needs to be shared, so that these establishments will thrive and grow. And thus, I am glad to report that Bagoong Club has successfully re-whetted my dwindling appetite and revitalized my fatigued food sense.
The new place is located along quiet
The place is relatively unknown, having just opened a few weeks ago. Still, the staff is friendly and the service was prompt. Headings on the menu are in the native tongue and one would have to be Filipino to appreciate the wit and humor of Puro Kababuyan (designating pork dishes), Manok Tilaok (chicken) or Baka Sakali (beef), among others. As is usual in Filipino homes, the food was served all at once. The hearty servings meant for sharing were freshly cooked and tastier than we anticipated. It was comfort food — home-style cooking but with an innovative twist.
We had an inihaw na boneless bangus (P180) generously stuffed with a tasty shallot and tomato dice that was broiled to just the right degree of doneness, and laing espesyal (P120), delicious and creamy with thick coconut milk. The ukoy (P150) turned out to be a mountain of assorted vegetables heaped on a platter. The fresh vegetables were cooked in a light, crisp batter and served with a tangy and slightly spicy vinegar dip. On my second serving, it occurred to me that healthy eating would not be too difficult if all vegetables were just as tasty. The crispy pork binagoongan (P190) was rendered unique since it had a curry/ginger/coconut milk topping. Unlike the traditional binagoongan where the condiment is already mixed in with the meat, the bagoong is served separately so that the diner can adjust flavors according to his preference. The best part about the dish is that the fat or taba has been rendered so that it is almost a delicious chicharon. Sinful, yes; but also very sarap. Just as good was the kare-kare (P280) that stayed true to the tradition of using ground freshly roasted peanuts and malagkit as a thickening agent. Definitely, no shortcuts were taken in cooking the dish.
To assuage the slight guilt from another meat overload, we had the steamed vegetable platter (P145) with strips of eggplant, slices of ampalaya, and freshly picked squash flowers. Served with ripe red tomatoes and a brownish purple, clean-tasting fish bagoong dressing (what Ilocanos and Pangasinenses call monamon), it served well to ready the taste buds for even more delicious choices. However, I would have to say that the mongo sa bulalo (P225) is my new favorite. The beef marrow really does wonders in enriching the broth, and the bits of tender meat and cartilage that one patiently pries from the bone are truly delectable alone or with mouthfuls of mongo soup.
Why call the place Bagoong Club, we asked Rosky Sevilla, who owns the restaurant with his brothers Franco and Randy. “We want to give bagoong an identity,” he says. “Did you know that bagoong is survival food?” He explains that during the Second World War, Filipino prisoners of war carried packets of fermented fish and shrimp (alamang) to liven up the taste of their meager fare. “Even in the time of the Katipuneros,” he says, “a pouch of the condiment was standard gear along with the bolos and anting-antings, so that all the Katipuneros had to do was to cook rice and they would have a ready meal.” This was a story told throughout the years in Rosky’s family, and we don’t dare question its validity. After all, he and his brothers count among their ancestors heroes like Marcelo and Gregorio del Pilar, and are the grandsons of the well-respected statesman, passionate exponent of the national language and esteemed Filipino patriot Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo. (“When we were little kids, our grandfather used to bring us regularly to political gatherings so that, after a while, we were already able to memorize the speeches,” laugh Rosky and Franco.) Using bagoong as a recurrent theme in their restaurant is a means of supporting local industry and another way of helping hometown entrepreneurs improve their economic status. When one looks at the situation figuratively, there is a realization that even the humble bagoong can take on a heroic role as a means of helping the national circumstance. Taking into consideration another coincidence — that the talented chef-consultant at Bagoong Club is uncannily named Tristan Bayani — one no longer dares question that even lowly bagoong has extensive potential.
Expect good food but a no-excessive-frills dining experience at Bagoong Club. There are no starched linen napkins, rare vintages, or a simpering maitre d’. But the good news is that for the good and hearty food, the restaurant has wonderful democratic prices that are easily within reach. Suffice it to say that my frugal chowhound friends should find themselves at home, satisfied and burping with contentment in the place. The rally cry there should be “Busog!”
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Did you know that one of Jose Rizal’s favorite foods while he was in Dapitan was bagoong made by his lady love Josephine Bracken? Spend Valentine’s Day with your family or special someone and experience the restaurant’s Bagoong Pag-Ibig Package. The chefs have prepared a special set menu, and a full-course meal featuring bagoong paella awaits you until Feb. 15.
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Bagoong Club Restaurant is at
