A Filipino Lunch Excursion Planned for THD Residents

One of the numerous activities enjoyed by a number of THD residents are the monthly lunch excursions to the numerous ethnic restaurants here in Walnut Creek.  Unfortunately, there is zero Filipino restaurant in Walnut Creek. The nearest Filipino restaurants are in Concord, Pacheco, San Ramon and Pittsburg. However, these restaurants are not really great for a seat-down semi-formal enjoyable lunch as they are targeted for the take-away crowd (TO GO). 

One of the filipino restaurant recommended by a friend is the FOB Kitchen in Oakland at 5179 Telegraph Ave ( Temescal District)  https://www.yelp.com/biz/fob-kitchen-oakland.     Here's a write up of the Chef and Owner of FOB Kitchen from the website, FOBkitchen.com     

Janice Dulce (she/they) is the Chef and Owner of FOB Kitchen. She was born into a large Filipino family and grew up in the Bay Area and Guam. Her favorite childhood memories involve “handaan” dinner parties, where food was always plentiful.

In 2015, Dulce flew to the Philippines to cook alongside her mother and grandmother, learning and mastering the recipes from her youth. When she returned to the Bay Area, FOB Kitchen was born, first as a weekly pop-up, and three years later into a permanent residence in Oakland, CA. Dulce received the StarChefs Rising Star Community Chef award in 2019 and most recently was selected to be a 2021, 2022 and 2023 California Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide.  She consistently receives recognition from the SF Chronicle, including Top 100 and Top 88 Restaurants List in 2019 and 2020, and 2021’s Top East Bay Restaurants. She has also received write-ups from noteworthy publications including Forbes, East Bay Express, and Berkeleyside.

Dulce has created a one-of-kind space where lively island vibes compliment an array of complex, flavorful dishes. Where guests may feel as proudly FOB or American as they want, and people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community can come to gather for a meal. Dulce is a proud parent of two beautiful 6-year-old twin girls. She loves to attend festivals in her spare time and has enjoyed an 12-year Burning Man tradition with her friends.

Since I have not been to FOB Kitchen, Galen and I are planning to have a Taste- Lunch Date sometime next Month ( May). If we like it, Galen plan on organizing a Lunch Excursion opened to all THD Residents. The Menu is listed on the website above.

Important Note; Filipino Food is designed to be a Family Dining Experience and like the Chinese Dimsum has to be shared so that a variety of dishes can be enjoyed by all.

Here's one of the latest reviews about FOB Kitchen.

Apr 21, 2024

9 photos

Came here with some friends for Oakland restaurant week. It was a miracle that we were able to get seated almost immediately for a group of 4, and service was consistently kind and attentive throughout even though they had all tables full!

The restaurant itself is also beautiful, the tables are spacious, and tables are spaced far enough apart that you can actually enjoy conversation with your friends. I loved all the plants on the shelves above us, made it feel so tropical and airy.

The food itself was incredible, and I loved how vegetarian friendly it was (half our group was vegetarian). We got pretty much everything on the restaurant week menu, and each course impressed us. Standouts were the two salads (some preferred the jicama, others the eggplant), the pancit soranghon, and the turon dessert. It was interesting that each one of us had a different favorite dish--the hallmark of a place that's super special and executes well. And indeed, all the food felt beautifully and thoughtfully constructed. Definitely coming back!!

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2024/03/thirteen-best-filipino-restaurants-in.html

All You Need to Know About Oyster Rockefeller

This photo was my first attempt to cook Oyster Rockefeller at home 3 Years Ago, Fair Oaks, CA 💗

In our recent Lunch Excursion at Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay,  I did not hesitate to order my favorite seafood Dish-Oyster Rockefeller. As a matter of fact, one of the THD residents in our Lunch Group mentioned that the reason why I went to Sam's was just to order the dish and he is correct in his statement. 

My 2 beautiful Lunch Dates- Mary Ann DeWald and Linda Lachick

The other members of our lunch group asked me what is Oyster Rockefeller and I simply told them it has spinach, cheese, garlic, onions,  breaded and baked.  However, the link below is the complete and detailed of the history and variations of these delightful dish for your reading pleasure and information in case you are not familiar with this dish.💚💚

Oysters Rockefeller is a classic seafood recipe originating from the United States, and it has become an iconic dish in American cuisine ever since. The name “Oysters Rockefeller” is derived from John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest individuals in the history of the United States. While there are numerous stories about its origin, one thing is sure - it’s a delicious delicacy everyone should enjoy! 

The original Oysters Rockefeller recipe remains a closely guarded secret, but some common elements are prominent in most contemporary versions. Fresh oysters are the dish's centerpiece, nestled within their half shells and topped with a delectable blend of creamed spinach, butter, breadcrumbs, herbs, and a generous splash of liquor. The concoction is then broiled or baked to create a delightful warm crust, enhancing the natural flavors of the oysters with unparalleled richness. In some recipes a dash of Pernod Absinthe or White wine is added to the sauce during the cooking of the spinach/'herbs/onions/garlic sautéed mixture.

The luxurious flavors of Oysters Rockefeller pair beautifully with a range of drinks and dishes to provide an elegant dining experience. Sparkling wines or champagne often complement the rich oyster flavors, while a classic white wine, such as Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc, can balance the sauce's richness. 

My first experience of this dish was several decades ago. Macrine (my late spouse) and I enjoyed it for the first time when we visited New Orleans in the 1980's. Macrine who was an excellent cook was curious and she decided to cooked it with her own variations after that. When Macrine joined her Creator in 2020, I started cooking it myself.  Here are the links ( postings) I wrote previously on Oyster Rockefeller.       

💗https://myfavoritepinoydishes.blogspot.com/2019/09/i-feel-like-cooking-oyster-rockefeller.html

💖https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-cooked-oyster-rockefeller-yesterday.html

Here are the raw ingredients, I normally used in cooking Oyster Rockefeller or Oyster Bienville.  

Origin of Oyster Rockefeller and Oyster Bienville

Oysters Rockefeller, according to legend, were created about in New Orleans. They were invented to mark the occasion of a visit by industrialist John D. Rockefeller to the Crescent City.

Oysters Bienville, on the other hand, also comes to us from New Orleans. It was named in honor of an early governor Louisiana, Jean de Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville.

These two are very elegant dishes . They are the epitome of style and sophistication and the very embodiment of living the good life.

💚💚https://www.rockefellerscottsdale.com/post/all-about-oysters-rockefeller#:~:text=Pairing%20and%20Serving%20Suggestions,-The%20luxurious%20flavors&text=A%20cold%20beer%20also%20works,for%20a%20more%20casual%20pairing.&text=As%20a%20side%20dish%20or,the%20star%20ingredients%20to%20shine.

Meanwhile Here are the Restaurants in the Walnut Creek Area that Has Oyster Rockefeller in their Menu.    

https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Oysters+Rockefeller&find_loc=Walnut+Creek%2C+CA

My personal recommendation is the Walnut Creek Yatch Club, two blocks from THD, a 3 to 5 minute walk. Be sure to call for reservations, however.   

The Top 100 Best Dishes in the World - TasteAtlas Awards 2024

Note: The Philippines Sinigang Made it to # 97. The US Boiled Main Lobster is #78. Italy has 12 dishes in the List.  Japan and Greece have both 7 dishes in the List. Thailand has 5 Dishes in the List and Brazil has 4 dishes in the List.  

The annual 💥TasteAtlas rankings of the best cuisines, dishes, food cities, food products, and ingredients, as well as lists of legendary restaurants and cookbooks, have been published.

A total of 395,205 (271,819 valid) dish ratings, and 115,660 (80,863 valid) food product ratings have been recorded.

Based on these ratings, the top 50 food items for each cuisine were extracted, and the best-rated cuisines in the world were ranked according to the average ratings of the best-rated dishes and food products of each country. Italy and Japan recorded the same average rating, but Italy has taken first place again this year due to a higher rating of its best-rated dish - pizza. The third best-rated cuisine is Greek, and you can view the entire list here: www.tasteatlas.com/best/cuisines.

Based on the average user ratings for dishes, a list of the top 100 dishes in the world has been published. The best-rated dish for 2023 is the Brazilian meat cut Picanha, followed by Malaysian bread Roti Canai and Thai stir fry Phat Kaphrao. You can view the entire list here: www.tasteatlas.com/best/dishes

How many dishes have you tasted from the above list. If you have tasted more than ten , I salute you. You are a Food Connoisseur and Adventurer.   If you have not tasted a single dish in the list, I suggest #97, try the Philippines Sinigang. It can be Pork, Shrimps or Fish. The Pork Sinigang can be purchased from Ima's Kusina ( Kitchen) located inside the SeaFood City Mall in Concord. I believe you can order via Door Dash and delivered right in your Front Door here at THD. 

 

💥TasteAtlas is an experiential travel online guide for traditional food that collates authentic recipes, food critic reviews, and research articles about popular ingredients and dishes. Describing itself as "a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants", it features an interactive global food map with dish icons shown in their respective regions and purportedly contains nearly 10,000 dishes, drinks, and ingredients, as well as 9,000 restaurants.

Bon Appetit!

Note: The Philippines is the Nation that is most likely to enjoy foreign cuisine ( 67%) and Japan is the Nation that is least likely to enjoy foreign cuisine( 39%). 

Retirement Party for Merlet Perlas- Galore of Pinoy Dishes

Merlet Perlas- the Honoree of the Retirement Pot Luck Party 

Dinah and I attended a Filipino Pot Luck Party to celebrate the retirement of Professional Nanny, Merlet Perlas from Mogpog, Marinduque, Philippines a couple of weeks ago. Merlet started her first baby sitting job about 45 years ago here in the US.  Her first baby client is now nearly 40 years old. I asked Merlet how many kids ( now adults with their own children) she had raised. She said more than 30. Her first job as a professional Nanny was with Macrine's niece, Zehara,  daughter of Charo Jambalos Levin, Macrine's youngest sister.  Her most recent job is with the grandchildren of Macrine's other sister, Fe Jambalos in Mountain View.

The party is typical of Filipino Parties, lots of food ( mostly filipino dishes) and conversations. Since it was Pot luck there were other dishes: Chinese, Vietnamese and other typical American dishes. There was even Spaghetti for the younger generations. Some of the guests were former clients of Merlet, bringing their own family. Majority of the guests were Macrine's Relatives. Macrine (RIP) was my wife for over 63 years. Macrine passed last August 10, 2020.    

The Main Table for the Dishes. There is another table for Fruits and Desserts. The yellow dish with red, yellow and green peppers is my favorite dish. It is called adobo na Manok sa Gata( Chicken Adobo in Coconut Curry). This was the only dish I partake with steam rice except for two Chinese egg rolls.( center of the table). There was Sushi, Baked Salmon, Barbecue Ribs, Pancit, Adobo, Sweet and Sour Fish and vegetables dishes and Fresh Fruits.  

I took some pictures during the Party.  Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.    

The Fresh Fruits Table and Desserts

  

Best Filipino Restaurants in California

California is the Filipino capital of the United States. Filipinos have been immigrating to the Golden State for 435 years, drawn over time by opportunities in agriculture, the military, and medical fields, as well as by California's location on the Pacific rim as a logical first step for many entering the US. Today the community's influence is in direct proportion to its population. The 1.6 million Filipinos living in California are by far the largest concentration of Filipinos in America, and arguably the world, outside of the Philippines, itself. (For context, the second largest population of Filipinos in the U.S. is in Hawaii, where we number approximately 360,000.) 

Here's the list of the best Filipino restaurants in the California  -LA, SFO and Other Cities in California

💥https://booky.ph/blog/teppanyaki/

Californian Filipinos found their voices as early activists, as they combatted injustices produced by labor laws, housing, education, hate crimes, interracial marriages and economic inequality. Their impact is national: From the 1930s to mid 1960s, for example, one of the leading activists of his time was Stockton-based Larry Itliong, the Filipino-American labor organizer who Cezar Chavez later joined up with to lead the Delano grape strike that led to better working conditions for farm laborers. (Today, the Central Valley maintains a vibrant Filipino presence; if you're in Stockton, visit Foo Lung Deli on main street for Filipino comfort food that never disappoints, and Papa Urb's Grill on Weber Avenue for fast food if you've got the munchies.)

Many Asian and Filipino food distributors were established or have a strong foothold in California, serving the enormous opportunity in demand. Through enterprising efforts of visionary Filipinos, Philippine ingredient distributors like Ramar foods, Island Pacific Supermarkets and 99 Ranch have had the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders of the Filipino food supply chain. (Ramar, for example, is the creator of beloved Filipino brands like Magnolia ice cream and Manila Gold, which sells elusive calamansi juice packaged for convenience.)

The Filipino diaspora spread its wings far and wide in California. Today, it is concentrated in three main regions: The Greater Los Angeles Area, The Bay Area, and San Diego. These three areas produced official and unofficial Little Manilas.

In the LA region, there is Historic Filipinotown (graced with a recently unveiled monumental gateway welcoming visitors) and West Covina. Both neighborhoods invite visitors to wander and discover, but be sure to visit The Parks Finest BBQ for Filipino-inspired BBQ owned and operated by a husband-and-wife team committed to community from day one, and Hi FI Kitchen for traditional & Vegan rice bowls that preserve the heritage of Historic Filipinotown. Don't miss Dollar Hits (2432 W Temple St, Los Angeles, which serves OG Filipino street food from the streets of Manila to the street of LA, or Lasita, which is in high demand as a stop for rotisserie chicken brined, stuffed and marinated with lemongrass, garlic, spring onion and ginger. For good eats a bit further out from the city center, drive to Chino to hit Cafe 86 for all the ube you can eat.

In the Bay Area, there is Daly City and a re-emerging Manilatown in SoMa. In Daly city, stop by one of the locations of Starbread, a bakery established in 1986, for the ube donuts and their famous señorita bread, a soft and aromatic pastry. For old-school flavor, there's Fil-Am Cuisine, which does the best pork barbecue on the West Coast, traditionally cooked over charcoal. For something fancier, visit Abaca for contemporary Filipino-American-Californian Cuisine from Chef Francis Ang. Get over to Oakland for FOB Kitchen, a QWOC owned restaurant in Temescal with a full-bar, plant-based items like pancit and inspired conversations.

Last but not least, SoCal boasts San Diego's National City and Mira Mesa (nickname "Manila Mesa") as the center of all things Pinoy. A much anticipated addition to the San Diego dining scene, White Rice brings hipster fuel to FIlipino food, and Animae headed by executive chef QWOC Tara Munsod, who has deftly introduced progressive dishes like her Clam Sinigang into the former Japanese steak house. If you're curious what Filipino fried chicken is all about, try Max's Restaurant, an old-school national chain that also manages to be a local favorite for lightly coated, delicately crispy chicken fried to a light golden brown and best enjoyed with banana ketchup and white rice.

https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/best-places-eat-filipino-food-every-state?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2024011221&utm_content=photo&utm_campaign=foodandwine&fbclid=IwAR0LqMBuOa9H_lp5F6WmjwPgN1gcGdmrMx5knD6tuy4j9gPe_ojaeMVOzC8

💥Not listed in the above web site is the newly opened Filipino-Spanish restaurant, Fiesta Philippines in Rancho Cordova that just opened last year.

 https://www.fiestaphilippines.restaurant/about/

Lastly, here's my four quotes on Food and one of my Favorite Pinoy Dish-Ox tail Kare-Kare

Food Quotes

• There is no sincerer love than the love of food. ... 
• Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner. ... 
• One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. ... 
• If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

Meanwhile here are the top 5 popular ethnic cuisines in California:

 https://www.california.com/most-popular-ethnic-cuisines-california/?fbclid=IwAR33BB93PAB9hJ8Lrft1OOw0nimZNynuCbPiSH6lgo_SnHRhd3A_16KRATY

Personal Note: My family resided in Pinole, California from 1979 to 1990. The neighboring town of Hercules was just starting building new homes. At that time the population of Hercules was about 50% Filipino-Americans who moved from the San Francisco- Daly City neighborhood for cheaper and newer housing opportunities.  Today, the town of Hercules has population consisting of  Asian:( 41.71%) White: (22.4%) Black or African American: (19.52% ) and Two or more races: (8.41%).

 https://www.california.com/discover-the-hidden-gem-of-hercules-california-a-wholesome-paradise/