Zoy's Top 5: 2020 Dishes and Meals
2020 has been a tough year for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected billions of lives across the globe. Many have lost their lives or their livelihood. I’m just grateful to God that me and my family made it through the year.
Like many content creators, I struggled coming up with new articles due to lack of ideas. Since domestic and international travel were disrupted, lockdown was imposed for a few months, and staying home was encouraged, I was only able to do a few foodventures.
But I found ways to try dishes for the first time. I availed of food deliveries and went out to eat at times. So on this article, as I usually do every start of the year, I’m listing down my top 5 dishes and meals for 2020. These are food that I have tried for the first time.
As I always do, my selection is done methodically (I feel smart using this word! LOL.). I have an objective and a subjective criteria. Objectively, the dish or meal has to be flavorful (meaning, it has different flavors) and has a variety of textures. They are the ones I refer to as “a world of flavors and textures.” But I will make a few exceptions to those that blew my mind away in spite of the lack thereof.
Subjectively, the dish or meal has to be enjoyable, something that is forever etched in my memory and making me want to have more of it. Well, it wouldn’t make this list if I didn’t enjoy it.
But before I proceed, here’s a disclaimer: The prices of the dishes might be different now due to the pandemic. The addresses and/or operating hours of the food spots may have changed as well. And hopefully, they’re all still open.
So starting with Top 5…
5. Barbecue at Nanay Rebecca’s Halal BBQ & Restaurant (Davao City)
Here’s a quick background first. I was supposed to go to Hong Kong back last February. But the government banned travel to China’s Special Administrative Region or S.A.R. due to rising COVID-19 cases in the mainland. So I decided to travel locally and went to Davao City, a city in Southern Philippines. Obviously, the durian capital is my only travel destination in 2020. I’m very thankful to have travelled still, as it will be the last one in a long time.
Davao City is an amazing food destination and home to food institutions, including Nanay Rebecca’s Halal BBQ & Restaurant. Literally “Mother Rebecca”, this food spot is known for their halal chicken barbecue, grilled tuna, and its secret barbecue sauce (more on this later!). But the most impressive is the chicken, which is available in 2 kinds of: Regular and Native. While the latter is more flavorful, it’s has a tougher meat. Since I don’t want to compromise on tenderness, I got the regular instead. It is basted with the secret sauce and is indeed juicy and tender.
Regular Chicken Barbecue (Leg: P100), Chicken Heart (P20), and Chicken Liver (P20)
Let’s not forget the barbecue sauce, which has a nice caramel flavor. I would describe this concoction as magical!
The Magical Secret Barbecue Sauce of Nanay Rebecca’s
Aside from Nanay Rebecca’s, I also visited 2 other halal food spots in the city. Check them here.
For address and operating hours, check out their Facebook page.
4. Tuna Panga at Dod’s Ihaw-Ihaw Grill (Davao City)
Panga (literally jaw or jowl) is probably the most popular tuna part in Davao food spots. While it can be cooked in different ways such as sinigang sa miso (sour soup with miso or soybean paste), it’s commonly inihaw or sinugba (grilled). The best place to have grilled tuna panga is at Dod’s Ihaw-Ihaw Grill (some spell it as Dood’s). Helmed by Ranilo "Doods" Felix, this food spot ranked 46 in Top 50 World Street Food Masters by the World Street Food Congress. You know right away that the food will be good!
Inihaw na (Grilled) Tuna Panga (I got the smallest portion available, which is P180)
While others use Yellowfin Tuna, Dod’s uses Big Eye Tuna because it’s juicier. Man, they’re right! Also, the tuna flesh is firm on the outside. But as I dug deeper into the layers, I discovered incredible succulence and tenderness. Flavor-wise, it’s nice and smoky, with a nice sweetness coming from their secret marinade.
Look at that juicy tuna! Glorious!
I tried tuna panga from 2 other places and I declare that Dod’s has the best one. In fact, it’s inihaw na panga is the best grilled tuna I have ever tried in Davao and even in my entire life! So this place is a must visit in any Davao food trip or in any Davao vacation for that matter.
Aside from panga, I tried other tuna dishes. Check them out here.
Address: Roxas Ave. (by the rotunda), Poblacion District, Davao City
3. Beef Massaman Curry by Samyan Thai Street Food (Makati City)
Rendang, a Malay dish consisting of a protein stewed in coconut milk and spices, is one of my favorite curries or stews in the world (a rendang will come up later in the list). But I found a worthy match for this dish—the Massaman Curry of Thailand.
Massaman curry is a dish made of protein, typically beef or chicken, stewed in coconut milk and a blend of spices. It’s said to be a fusion dish, combining Middle Eastern or South Asian spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and cumin, and local ingredients like galangal and lemongrass. While I find rendang and massaman curry similar, I think they differ in that the latter has potatoes and peanuts.
Beef Massaman Curry (P360)
I got to taste this at Samyan Thai Street Food, a stall at The Grid Food Market (Power Plant Mall, Rockwell) and a concept by a Thai chef who owns Michelin-recognized restaurants in Bangkok. Their beef massaman curry has ultra-tender chunks of beef swimming in a cumin-y and peanut-y gravy. There are peanuts, potatoes, and shallots, adding texture.
Address: The Grid Food Market, R2 Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Poblacion, Makati City | Operating Hours: Monday-Friday, 11AM-9PM; Saturday & Sunday, 10AM-10PM | Facebook | Instagram
2. Malaysian (and Singaporean) Food by PappaRam Malaysian Kitchen (Marikina City)
Okay, I’ll be a bit biased here.
Last year, I started several businesses on the side (and no, it didn’t make me rich; it’s just due to trial and error). One of them is delivering Malaysian and Singaporean food in Makati and nearby areas. Zoy To The World started a collaboration with PappaRam Malaysian Kitchen in Marikina, a takeaway hawker stall helmed by a Malaysian chef. They used to operate in Makati’s business district and cater to groups prior to the pandemic.
For transparency, I have already tried many dishes of PappaRam since 2017. But it’s only when I started delivering that I got to try other dishes for the first time. These include Curry Laksa (noodle dish with coconut milk-based broth), Malaysian Chicken Curry, and Nasi Biryani (the Malaysian version of biryani rice). All of them are authentic and flavorful!
Mee Goreng Mamak/Indian Muslim Stir-Fried Noodles (left), Nasi Biryani Ayam/Chicken Biryani Rice (right), and Bandung/Rose Syrup Drink (upper middle)
But my new favorite is their Beef Rendang. The pieces of beef are tender and the gravy is rich and flavorful, begging for 2-3 cups of rice! I also love it because it’s the wet version. Some rendang, specifically the Indonesian (or Minangkabau) variety, is on the dry side.
Want to try Malaysian food at home? Follow my new business, Street Food at Home MNL, on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on delivery dates.
1. Super Chashu Ramen by Mendokoro Ramenba (Various Locations)
Mendokoro Ramenba and its sister company Ramen Yushoken are considered to be the best ramen joints in the Metro and probably in the entire country. During the lockdown, they released do-it-yourself ramen kits and this made me crave for their ramen. I planned to try their kits and make a review of it. But this didn’t happen…because I opted to visit their shops instead.
In my first visit after a long time, I tried their Super Chashu Ramen. It has a bigger portion of chashu (Japanese braised pork belly), which is double marinated and weighs 150 grams! I’ve never heard of this variety before, although it’s said to be available long ago off the menu.
Super Chashu Ramen (P560)
And I’ll say it right away: It’s phenomenal! Like other Mendokoro ramen, the broth is rich and flavorful and the noodles are perfectly chewy. But what stood out, quite obviously, is the massive piece of chashu, which is tasty and ultra tender. In fact, it disintegrates with a few chopstick presses! I guess it’s called “super” not only because of its size but also of its quality!
Because of this return to Mendokoro, I began a series of visits to try the other exclusives of the Salcedo branch. I even travelled south to try Yushoken. In other words, an article is coming up!
See the branches and operating times of Mendokoro Ramenba here: Facebook/Instagram, and Ramen Yushoken here: Facebook/ Instagram
What dish or meal would like to try soon? What’s your top 5 dishes and meals for 2020? Comment them below!