May 16, 2002

     I've been busy these past two weeks, there was barely enough time to sit down and write something. A little bit of extra work at the office, some spring cleaning at home, and the NBA (National Basketball Association) playoffs. And the weather has been pretty good, sunny in the 70's, with a little rain at times, like the Philippines in December. If you live in a place where all four seasons can occur in a day, better take advantage of any good day. Cut some grass, do a little gardening, and take the kid and the wife for a walk.

     Also, last week, we finally found some time to finally drive about 60 miles to a suburb southwest of Chicago, where a Filipino restaurant has become one of the favorites of the Ilonggo community here because it is the only one with Batchoy and Pancit Molo on its menu. It was part-curiosity, and part-, well, we've never eaten batchoy in 2 years. Which is probably a good thing because my lipid profile hasn't looked better in months the last time I had it checked, but being a self-proclaimed food connoisseur, I needed to know if this batchoy hype is even justified.

     I have heard about this restaurant for years. If you bump into an Ilonggo at a birthday or some other party here, chances are he'll ask you if you've tried this batchoy place, sometimes to the point of annoyance. Another annoying question frequently asked when I attend an Ilonggo party - "You look familiar". I just tell them "you watch TV too much".

     Okay, I made up the last 2 sentences.

"The closest thing you can find here that somehow resembles the miki (noodles) of La Paz is a shoelace."

     So we drove for about an hour, found the place and checked the menu. I had a little conversation with the owner who is from Bacolod while waiting to order. He's a real nice man who knew right away what we came to his restaurant for after he heard us talking in Ilonggo. But I have to be honest here. The batchoy was far from being authentic. Far from being Ted's - the yardstick, the standard, the Cadillac of La Paz batchoy.

     That comparison may be unfair because I am comparing something against an original. It is an obvious mismatch, of course. Like Dr. Noel B. going one-on-one against Shaq in a caged wrestling match. It's not pretty. But then, it's not even close to Nat's or Farmer's or Maggi Instant Mami Noodles. My friend who recommended and constantly bugged me to try the restaurant all this time may have problems with his taste buds. What would you say if somebody gives you a chocolate-flavored ice cream that tastes like strawberry?

     And my wife agrees with me on this. She is no food connoisseur but it certainly helps my credibility, if I have any to start with.

     To be fair, I won't judge the restaurant just because I didn't like the batchoy. There are legit reasons why 'perfect duplication' of something is impossible. In this case, you couldn't find the same ingredients here in Chicago as you would in La Paz. Take the miki or meke or however it is spelled (it's the noodles!), for example. The closest thing you can find here that somehow resembles the miki of La Paz is a shoelace.

     Short of taking back whatever I have already written, I am giving props to the restaurant and its owner for trying. Don't get me wrong. The batchoy is not bad at all as I've made it to be. I was just expecting something better.

     And batchoy is not the restaurant's main attraction, in fact, it was hidden in the middle of the extensive menu that covers almost the entire Philippine culinary map. They have a buffet table too with dishes from adobong manok to pinakbet, and all sorts of Filipino desserts. The place which converts into a karaoke bar at night may not be what you'll call cozy but the food may compensate for it.

     I don't plan to come back and try the rest of the menu. It's not worth the drive. But it's just me and my opinion. I won't mention the restaurant's name here because most of the things I said were not-too-nice. However, if you live in the Chicagoland area and would like to try, you may drop me an e-mail.

     Speaking of food, I have long been intrigued why Filipino food could barely make it into the United States and international food scene. We have one of the best-tasting food in the world. But it is hardly mentioned in culinary books and magazines or TV shows in the U.S. like The Food Network.

     I'm taking an extended break from writing alumni-related articles by writing all about Filipino food and Filipino food in the U.S. next time. I promise it will be interesting and informative.

     Mind you, I might write about "Soup No. 5", too, the best soup I have ever tasted.

     It's not batchoy and it's way better than Ted's.

More on the 'quarters'

     From a reader, "I certainly hope that the University Medical Center's current accommodation for both interns and PGI's has improved considerably. Otherwise, the Administration should do something to correct the situation. For many many years, this type of inhumane treatment especially to junior interns has been going on and sort of accepted by our stupid subconscious mind to be a part of the "culture". I have not been in contact with any of the recent or current jr. interns. However, I sure hope that they are in a much better situation now compared to your era. Please update us on this."

     I don't know anybody personally among the recent batches of interns. A few of them are regular visitors of the site but I haven't received any e-mail from them. One thing I do know is the male interns quarters has been moved from the back of the hospital to the building in front once used as classrooms by the University of Iloilo College of Nursing. Levels of comfort are different for each person and junior interns are so used to whatever is given them that you won't ever hear complaints. I talked to a resident-friend who shares the same building with the interns and he couldn't help but swear on how hot the place is. Of course, the interns have already accepted the fact that Hell will have air-conditioning first before they do.

The thieves at St. Paul's

     Dr. Consing (Jesse Rey, 1990) sent me an e-mail recently with a link to an Inquirer news item about doctor's offices at St. Paul's Hospital in Iloilo being looted. Here's an excerpt from that news item published March 15, 2002:

     "ILOILO CITY – Police investigators are looking at an "inside job" angle and the possibility that a Manila-based syndicate was behind the theft on Sunday of medical equipment and cash from 10 offices of doctors at St. Paul's Hospital here..."

     "Stolen were some 200,000 pesos worth of hospital equipment, cash and gift checks, including two Doppler machines, which are used to detect heartbeats of babies in the mothers' wombs, ECG machines and an opthalmoscope. The clinics are located at the Pere Louis Chauvet Complex or at the new wing of the hospital, right above the new emergency room..."

     "Chief Insp. Dionisio Duco, Iloilo City Precinct 1 chief, said the heist could have happened about 7 p.m. on Sunday, despite the presence of five security guards at the hospital premises. Police investigators said they suspected that the robbers had duplicate keys and lock picks to gain entry into the clinics. Once inside, they swiped with plastic cards the door locks leading to the examination room of the physicians, the police said..."

     Somebody please explain this. St. Paul's management said there are no master keys to the doctor's offices. Two keys were given to the occupants by the management – one key for the doctor and the other for the secretary. How the thieves got a hold of the keys and swipe cards to the rooms boggles the mind. There was no apparent sign of a forced break-in. And the fact that five, count 'em, five, security guards were on duty when the heist happened boggles the mind further. The police theorized it's an 'inside job'. Screw the theory. It's an 'inside job', period. Any updates on this case, please e-mail me.

Comments regarding this week's column are welcome. Please fill up the fields below and click Send to Author. Suggestions for future column topics are also encouraged.

     The author's e-mail address is at drgarcia@wvsumedaa.com

     All views expressed on this column and any other by-lined articles on this site are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization or its members. For comments, please e-mail the author.