Sooo me. Sooo Pinoy.

Scouring the archipelago for gastronomic riches is a food lover's dream. It's no easy feat, but I'll be thrilled to take on this challenge. Perhaps a person who is neither a professional chef nor a jet-setting tourist but finds genuine enthusiasm in eating great food can give a fresh and honest take on such an adventure. Armed with discerning taste buds, a curious stomach and an equal love for writing, I'm always game and happy to eat, drink and blog about anything, from the hottest papaitan to the spiciest bicol express, from gingered pythons to blanched seaweeds, from the strongest tapuy to the sweetest buko juice.


I remember my first bite of a flame-grilled burger that is still a favorite a decade after. Regardless of the number of burgers I’ve eaten, what forever lives in my memory is that mind-blowing first bite. In the same way that despite the amount of chicken skin with fat I’ve eaten, one instance of savor and softness after a thundering crunch makes me feel like a chicken skin virgin.

Maybe that’s the joy in eating: one can discover beauty in every sensation, in every bite. After all, we never eat the same food twice.

This is where Filipino food stands out the most. It is as diverse a cuisine as we are a people. With each dish having a personality that mirrors the chef’s and matches a particular palate, Filipino food screams of individuality and reflects our ethnic character. Each island, language and cooking style has collectively gifted us with an interesting, complex and one of a kind cuisine that ingeniously takes advantage of every region's resources. Instead of mulling over how it can be described in a nutshell, we must break all shells and embrace our diversity. Yes, we are highly regionalistic, but eating is the one thing that binds us.

Think about it. No matter where we find ourselves, Filipino food transports us home.

Isn’t it always a delight to have a bowl of pasty kare-kare and bagoong on the table?

Do we ever feel giddier than when we are peeling fat-ridden skin off crispy pata?

And who among us doesn't find comfort in any form of adobo with rice?

Eating is a personal experience, one that we love to share. That is why our social gatherings revolve around food. We communicate, interact and build relationships while eating together. With our innate passion for eating, which sees itself deeply ingrained in our culture, we are the best ambassadors of any epicurean cause. And what better way to spread awareness of the intricacy of Filipino cuisine and Filipinos’ culinary creativity than going on the ultimate food trip of dining in 101 Philippine restaurants?

It's about time Filipino cuisine is put in the spotlight to reveal its charm and bring it closer to tourists and most especially to Filipinos. If eating and blogging is the answer, then I’m on the right track. I’m not a glutton for nothing.