Batangas Dishes Showcased in Batangas Food Festival

If you want to discover new food, sometimes you have to look for them. In my case, I had to travel two hours (or more) to Matanbungkay Beach Hotel (see a brief review on the hotel here) in Lian, Batangas to taste two of their limited-offer-dishes this November 2012.

This month, Matabungkay is offering guests two native Batangas dishes with twists especially concocted by two Junior Master Chef finalists – Jobim Jalbuena (Binarakong Baka) and Tricia Baylosis (Kalderetang Kambing with Couscous rice).

In the Batangas Food Festival event held November 3-4, the two Pinoy Junior Master Chef Finalists showed the hotel guests how Batangas popular dishes can be “reinvented.”

BINARAKONG BAKA

Jobim Jalbuena prepared binarakong baka. A main-course meal showcasing beef simmered in caramelized Batangas coffee . Jobim said that only authentic “kapeng barako” can bring out that unique taste in the dish. The caramelized sauce has small tapioca pearls to add twist to the flavor and look of the dish.

The mix of bitter sweet taste of the beef and the chilli-sour blend of kimchi make the whole “Binarakong Baka” a unique experience for my taste buds. Anyone, even the non-coffee lovers would definitely like the dish. One word for this dish – FANTASTIC

The tenderness of the beef makes it easy for anyone to eat.

KALDERETANG KAMBING w/ COUSCOUS RICE

Tricia Baylosis made her own version of kalderetang kambing (goat). The Batangas kaldereta is different kaldereta from other Philippine versions. The native Batangas kaldereta only uses onions – compared to the usual kaldereta with potato, carrots, and sometimes with bell pepper.

The blend of sauce and cheese made the kaldereta really taste wonderful. I didn’t even feel, taste the “anggo” or goat scent in the dish. Plus, I didn’t even tasted the strength of the large quantity of onion mixed into the kaldereta.

And though, according to Ms. Charley Leviste-Antonio of Matabungkay Beach Hotel (as of November 4) didn’t have the exact price for the dishes yet, DEFINITELY the two dishes are worth the travel and money to try.

If I had not seen how the two kids prepared the dishes, I would have to say, that they were made by professional chefs in a top-class hotel and restaurant. That even made my whole food experience wonderful.

To add to the main dishes, Jobim and Tricia prepared desserts Lechitin de Kape and Coffee Creme Brulee.

Also,, Matabungkay Beach Resort and Hotel also offers EXCLUSIVE desserts in partnership with Magnolia, demonstrated by Chef Manny – the Matabungkay Sizzling and Fried Ice Cream.

The sizzling ice cream is sizzled with Batangas’ lambanog and caramel. Though, the lambanog is optional, but for the sake of the theme Batangas Food Festival, Chef Manny opted to put a twist of “Batangueno” into the sizzling ice cream and… Viola! A fantastic innovation to a scoop of Magnolia Ice Cream.

Imagine your fave ice cream flavor served to you in a sizzling platter? Better try it and you’ll be surprised of how it tastes like.

The Matabungkay Fried Ice Cream is another must try for people with sweet tooth like me. The combination of the deep-fried breaded outer layer, giving that crunchy feel when you bite before a soft cold ice cream inside is really great. It has a different twist to just eating a regular ice cream in a cone or a cup.

So, if you’re wondering where could be your next food adventure, you might want to try the Matabungkay Beach Hotel’s specials. Make sure to hurry for their month-long exclusives, including local delicacies and Matabungkay Beach Hotel’s very own malunggay polvoron.