june-2012

EAT BEAT
CLOCKWISE FROM MAIN:
Diners enjoying local fare at
Apag Marangle; buro; grilled
catfish; Aling Pauling’s puto
shop; Gill’s Buko Sherbet
052
Looking for something cool,
refreshing and sweet after that
meal? Walk over to the nearby
Nepo Mart. What used to be
a popular shopping spot for
imported goods and apparel is
now home to several eateries.
Find Gill’s Buko Sherbet, a locally
owned frozen dessert store
popular not only in the city but
also in neighbouring provinces.
Order a cup of Buko lychee
sherbet and delight in its smooth,
shaved coconut ice and tangy fruit
fl avour with added creaminess
from its secret ingredient — coff ee
creamer. Then bite into the fresh
bits of fruits of the cheese Buko
langka (jackfruit) ice cream.
At a stall next door, order the
special puto (rice cakes) from
89-year-old Aling Pauling, made
from a recipe dating back to the
post-second world war era. Anise
gives the rice cakes a distinct
sourness Angeleños love. The
recipe has remained unchanged
in the 39 years that Aling Pauling
has been selling her rice cakes.
You can also head over to
Rosing’s Candy Store and buy
pastillas (a milk and sugar
concoction boiled, then shaped
into small logs) and other treats
made from pure carabao’s milk.
This candy store has been making
delicacies the old-fashioned way
for more than 40 years using
natural and locally sourced
ingredients with recipes created by
its owner, Rosita Ayson Siopangco.
Leaving Angeles City by road,
it’s impossible to miss the Marquee
Mall, which houses Kapampangan
food outlets like Apag Marangle.
This restaurant serves the staple
buro (fermented rice with shrimp).
Pair it with the steamed vegetables
Jetstar has great low fares to Manila. Visit
Jetstar.com to book.
TAKE ME THERE
TING’S CANTEEN
815 Nepomuceno St
11am to 4pm (Mon – Sat)
GILL’S BUKO SHERBET
32-32 P Narcisus, Nepo Mart,
tel: +63 (45) 322 9073
ROSING’S CANDY STORE
34 Hilda St, Nepo Mart,
tel: +63 (45) 323 5128
APAG MARANGLE
Lvl 1, Marquee Park, Marquee Mall
(usually eggplant or okra) or
grilled fi sh. The usual tinolang
manok (chicken ginger stew) gets
a Kapampangan twist with the
addition of tanglad (lemongrass)
to the mix, making the broth extra
soothing and the meat a lot
more fl avourful.
The interior of Apag Marangle
celebrates the spirit of Filipino
dining with its bamboo-made
fi xtures, pseudo stilt-house area
complete with a traditional hand
washing area using a tapayan
or earthen jar fi tted with a tap. I
was pleased to see many tables
of diners eagerly enjoying the
local fare. Amid a multi-cultural
food landscape, it’s good to
know Kapampangan cuisine
is very much alive and well in
cosmopolitan Angeles City.