 |
Road Trip
Sisig Nirvana
Isuzu graciously lent us a red Sportivo with plenty of electronic garnishings. What better trip to take than to search for the perfect red sili with sisig accessories?
Words by Drew Asuncion; Photography by Chino Acosta
What is bliss? The answer would depend on the person you're asking. For some, it could be the ever-dependable reply: world peace. For others, bliss could be a long, long weekend at a beach. To others still, it could be a chance for deep slumber for more than eight hours.
But for your cholesterol-addled servants here at Top Gear, bliss would be best described as a large, aromatic plate of sizzling sisig, paired with a cup (make that a bowl) of garlic rice and ice-cold beer.
But when we did our Batangas bulalo run last month, we realized that we had done sisig, our prince of foods, an injustice. So to make up for that oversight, we immediately planned a pilgrimage to the Philippines' own porcine wonderland, Pampanga.
Pampanga used to be known primarily for the two US military installations that dominated the area: Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Base. Their turnover to the Philippine government and the US military's subsequent departure (punctuated by Mount Pinatubo's massive eruption) took with it the old Far Eastern Network (remember the huge antennas rich folks used to pick it up?) and the PX goods that proliferated in the area. Now, Pampanga's better known as a good vacation spot, due to the bases' commercial conversion.
But more importantly, it's also known as a place that specializes in the preparation of pork, in all its forms. Hey, the term 'Pampanga's Best' isn't all conjecture, you know. Even the 'surplus' parts, like the ears and snout, are not spared, which gave rise to the sisig we all know and love.
So on a bright and sunny Sunday morning, staff writer Dinzo Tabamo, photog Chino Acosta and yours truly took a practically new Isuzu Sportivo (only 6,000-plus km on the clock) on a journey that guaranteed satisfied appetites and soaring blood pressures.
We tanked up at Total's Greenhills station along Ortigas Avenue Extension. And after resetting the trip meter, away we went.
Now it has to be said: the Sportivo is very good at what it's meant to do, and that's to be a people-mover. All three of us, including the driver, are coddled in very comfortable leather seats that adjust almost every which way.
The airconditioning is quite capable, even in the scorching summer heat, and the audio-visual entertainment system is top-notch.
But if you're looking for car-like performance, this isn't the ride for you. The 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine's 83.84 horsepower and 185.41 Newton-meters of torque could only catapult us to a top speed of 120kph, and the vehicle was easily upset with quick lane changes.
Then again, the Crosswind might have been grossly overloaded with us in it...
Upon taking the Angeles exit of the NLEX (around 55km from the Balintawak toll plaza), we hung a right going to Barangay Balibago, heading toward Angeles City. A quick right at the main road and a U-turn at the roundabout in the Clark area, and we were on our way to sisig heaven.
Heaven, as it turned out, was a strip of carinderias in an area the locals referred to as ‘the crossing,' approximately 15km from the Angeles exit.
Now before you think we're going M. Night Shyamalan on you, they are simply being literal; ‘the crossing' is the junction between the main road, going to San Fernando and Dau, and the road going to the Angeles city proper. These carinderias usually open in the late afternoon or evening, with plastic chairs and tables placed on the street and the bittersweet strains of wannabe vocalists on videoke machines filling the air.
Upon finding an open carinderia for lunch, we immediately sat down and ordered two plates of sisig and some garlic rice. We passed on the beer, since technically we were at work (besides, the day was too hot for a drinking session).
The first thing we noticed upon delivery of our orders was the heaping amount of pork on each plate. They took ‘generous servings' to a whole new level, which pleased the three of us immensely.
Pampanga's version of sisig is not crunchy; it's soft and flavorful, with lots of onion and pepper for a sharp, tangy taste. Coupled with garlic rice, it is a veritable event in itself. And heaven, in this case, comes cheap: The whole bill was less than P200!
Of course, after a good meal comes dessert. We were planning to search for the original Razon's in Guagua, Pampanga, famous for its halo-halo. But upon learning that they had a branch five minutes away from the crossing, we opted for the easy drive. Four kilometers later, we were enjoying their excellent halo-halo, to the tune of P50 each.
After stuffing ourselves silly, we went over to the area's most distinctive landmark, the Nepo Mart. Or at least we tried; the traffic downtown was horrible, reminiscent of Quiapo during rush hour. After about an hour in snail-like traffic, we finally turned back.
All that eating did take a toll, and I was quick to ask Dinzo to drive the rest of the way home, back to reality and the plain old burnt, undersized sisig we had all been used to.
At least now we know heaven isn't too far away; it's just around 75km, to be exact. (Which we covered, by the way, using just 6.94 liters of diesel, the Crosswind yielding a 10.8-kilometer-to-a-liter mileage. Now that's cheaper than the sisig.)
Post your opinion in our Top Gear Forum!
Top Gear Philippines - August 2006
|
|
Top Gear's informative, entertaining and readable
guide to every new car on
sale. Search Car
Download these wallpapers
right to your desktop.
Download
|
|
