It is normal for a foodie to go offroad when it comes to food
hunting. Besides eating the regular
offering you see in restaurants, you then try out those being offered located
either in the nooks and crannies of the city or those in really old nearly
forgotten establishments. Such was the
case during my stay in Ozamiz.
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| Php 2 per stick pork barbecue |
One food item that is a must to
try is the Php 2 worth a piece of pork barbecue. You will find it nearly everywhere in Ozamiz
but the best tasting and consistent in terms of meat softness can only be found
at Aguada. Look for Johann’s Grill and
Restaurant or simply Johann’s Cuisine.
Located right besides Adriana’s Pension House, this hole in the wall
type of establishment may be small in size compared to its neighboring food
place but people do go here for its food.
Johann’s barbecue is so tasty that going through a handful of this
barbecue is such a breeze. One stick of
pork barbecue is a good bite and a half or one if you are a biter indeed. It is soft, juicy, and flavored right. You can order a barbecue bouquet and simply
munch on it a stick at a time.
The kilawin in Ozamiz is far different from what is common in Manila.
Not because of the fish. Not because of the how it is served. It is how it is made. Kilawin
as we know it is fish meat cooked in vinegar and then seasoned to taste with
onions, salt and pepper. Theirs is
cooked not 100% with vinegar but with biasong, this local lime is so rich
in flavor that you will enjoy eating each dish you get to encounter with this
fruit as an ingredient.
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| The slices that you see is biasong |
The dragon fruit of Ozamiz is
far different from what we are familiar with in the north. Instead of a milky white interior, what you
have is rich magenta like color of the meat.
Unlike its northern counterpart, the dragon fruit of the south is much
juicier, thus richer in flavor. During
harvest season, this fruit literally covers the street by those who peddle it.
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| Kinny's Torta |
I have tasted the torta of Cebu. When compared to the torta
creation of Kinny’s Bakeshop, man doesn’t it goes down in shame. This local pastry version of the south is so
soft that is comparable to a nicely made chiffon. It has a springy top, meaning it has the
right air inside and was cooked at the right temperature. It is not that sweet or sticky to the hand. You have to find and try this torta creation of Kinny’s Bakeshop in
Ozamiz. Kinny’s Bakeshop is along Kaamino
St, across China Bank. You know they are
good for their morning pandesal goes
poof before the clock hits 7.
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| Kinny's Pandesal |
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| Remy's Francis/Frances |
Speaking of pandesal, did you know that in Ozamiz, they have what they call the
Father of Pandesal? Yes they do and they call it Francis
or Frances! This bread creation is daunting in size but
when you get to sink your teeth into it, you would understand why it is related
to the pandesal. The size of this bread creation is about ¾ of
a regular hotdog bun and it is priced at Php5 a piece. There are two local and old bakeshops in
Ozamiz that makes good version of this bread; Kinny’s Bakeshop is one and the
other is Remy’s Bakeshop (located near the public market). Old they may be but they sure do know their
bread craft.
Two kakanin which I have “discovered” by chance were kiping
and their version of a bbq’d saba. It was a worthy discovery!
It was a Saturday morning, I
along with a friend, decided to feel the morning rays of Ozamiz. So we were seated outside the café which was
part of the pension house where we were staying when I saw a middle aged lady
carrying a big tub on her head. The tub
was covered in plastic and there was something in it that she was peddling. She passed by our spot when curiosity as to
what she has truly bit me and I have to call her back. That was my first meeting with kiping.
Initially I thought it was called tipig,
then a companion corrected me and it was tupig,
then our local host told us that it is kiping. This thin flat crispy snack is made out of kamoteng kahoy finely grounded then
dried before being cooked. When served
to you, they will pour in syrup made from latik. A must try! This is one light snack that you
can also share with a friend.
Barbecued (bbq’d) saba is
common in the area of Quezon and in some parts of Laguna. The version that I have encountered in Ozamiz
is similar and different at the same time.
This bbq’d saba experience was made when I took a trip to the spring
pool of Regina’s. Similar because the
saba is pierced by a stick then grilled.
Different because what happens after grilling is something that will
either boggle your logical mind or make your foodie side try it out. After stating your interest of purchasing a
stick of saba (2pcs per stick), they will still grill it a bit and then brush
margarine on it. That margarine will
serve as an adhesive to the white sugar that they will roll or sprinkle on your
saba. Another purpose of the margarine
is to give added juice to the fruit since it is not the nearly ripe type that
they use. Take a bite and you will have
the crunch from the sugar granules, the taste of the saba and that slight mix
flavor of saba and margarine. It is a
good snack for Php 5 a stick.
Common this may be but when you
get to taste it, you would say it is different!
The soy and pearls are same to the one we have here in the greater metro. It is the syrup that is different; it is made
of latik. You taste that latik flavor once you take your first sip and make that breakfast
treat a truly South. True to say that the syrup truly makes or breaks a taho.
One thing that captured my taste
bud and brought back good memories was the viands served at Johann’s. Their version of bolinao and humba
are similar to the one that I grew up with that it simply brings back good
memories. Bolinao are your fresh
anchovies, floured and then fried till crunchy; good for munching or as a
viand. I have tasted humba
that was made by a kapampangan, a bicolana and even by a tubong Manileno but nothing beats the
one with a thick sauce and tender meat served still at Johann’s. Because my father is Visayan, somehow the
humba
I grew-up too is similar to the one in Ozamiz.
Good food, good memories! By the
way, the kinilaw that I mentioned earlier is also found at Johann’s
Grill / Johann’s Cuisine – located at Aguada, besides Adriana’s Pension
House.
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| Bolinao |
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| Humba |
There are other food
establishments worth mentioning in Ozamiz but they deserve to be posted separately. For now, I hope you get to salivate and enjoy
some food goodies I found in this quiet but dynamic place called Ozamiz.
