We’re just taters about ‘em! Potatoes are probably the only vegetables that children will eat without resistance, just take them to McDonald’s. Although it’s 80% water and only 20% solid, there’s enough sugar in every potato that can change its taste and smell. Just be careful in putting them in the fridge; the longer a potato is in cold storage, the shorter its shelf life because the cold causes the sugar to decrease thus changing the taste of potato.

At the recently held Thanksgiving Dinner by the United States Dept of Agriculture Potato Board at the Restaurant 9501 (Restaurant 9501, 14th Floor, ELJ Center Cor. Mo. Ignacia & Sct. Albano Avenue, Quezon City, Telephone nos. 415-2272 loc. 2331), I was completely bowled over with Chef Myrna Seguismundo’s brilliant version of the traditional American stuffed turkey. I never liked turkey until I tried this one. Chef Myrna is indeed a Godsend to the Philippine dining public. She introduced my palate to the turkey that I would have normally frowned upon.

Everything in this dinner had potatoes in them, but they didn’t serve us French Fries. It was a grand potato dinner from starters to desserts.

The image you see above is not made of potatoes. It’s Adobo Pate. An innovative creation by Chef Myrna. I loved this with the potato bread. After this, came the soup.

This is Truffled Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Mushroon Froth. First sip and I saw fireworks. I love the taste of truffles with anything savory. I love the way it was served and how warm it stayed in my cup. Yung sa katabi ko hindi nya maubos, parang gusto kong hingiin, di ko lang sya kilala, hehehe.

Wasting no time to get to the heart of the matter is the Roast US Tom Turkey with bread and nut stuffing, minted orange-cranberry relish, creamed spinach, candied crinkle-cut potatoes all generously poured with Giblet Gravy. Un-be-lieve-able.

The turkey meat was so soft and tasty it tasted like dark chicken meat! It was juicy and so tender. If all turkey meat were THIS good, I’d start eating turkey everyday. Incidentally, turkey has been known to be healthy with more protein and lesser fat than chicken.

For dessert, they served poached pears and grapes on top mashed potato crepes and Vodka Sabayon. To hell with my diabetes, I devoured this one like my blood sugar was better than fine.

I don’t know if they serve this regularly at Restaurant 9501, I think this is a special menu for the USDA Potato Board Thanksgiving Dinner. I hope they invite me again next year. What potato wonders await me then!

That’s Chef Laudico speaking to a small group of food enthusiasts. Thanks to Orbit Gum, I was able to have a sample of the great food at Bistro Filipino. I did ask the good chef if I could dine at his restaurant if I only had P500 (US$10) to which he answered with an emphatic “yes!”

The first of the three appetizers. Seen here is the Spicy Sisig Basket in Mini Crispy Rice Baskets with Quail’s Egg and Crispy Pork Rind. Wow, quite a mouthful. It’s sisig like you’ve never had before. A must!

This is the Crunchy Smoked Milk Fish Balls Stuffed with Fresh Mozzarella. This one melts in your mouth and I almost couldn’t believe it was Bangus they put in with the cheese. Heavenly!

This one’s the Crispy Lumpia Cone filled with Chorizo, Prawns and Heart of Palm Topped with Spicy Sinamak Sorbet. Sinamak is a kind of spiced vinegar native to the province of Iloilo, Philippines. It is much better than ordinary vinegar, way better.

Next came the soups. We were served a sampler that contained three kinds of soups. On the left is Adobo Shiitake Mushroom Puree Topped with Creamy Garlic Foam Drizzled with White Truffle Oil. The second is Oven Roasted Pumpkin and Eggplant Puree garnished with Crispy Okra and a Dollop of Shrimp Paste Cream. Lastly, the one on the right is Beef Consomme Garnished with Fresh Corn, Carrots and Potato Croquette Stuffed with Beef and Cabbage. I love the beef consomme and the adobo shiitake mushroom puree!

This salad was quite a delightful surprise. It is Mesclun Salad Tossed in Dijon Shrimp Paste Vinaigrette topped with Dried, Green & Ripe Mangoes, Tomatoes and Cashew Crusted Kesong Puti.

Yes, you read it right. Cashew-crusted kesong puti. The minute I out it in my mouth, the kesong puti melted exploded with all the goodness of cheese.

The seafood course came first. Seen here is the Lapu-lapu and Prawns in Coco-Lambanog Sauce Coriander, Asparagus and Fennel Cherry Tomato Sofrito Brown Rice with sun-Dried Mangoes.

The fish was very soft and the prawn was fresh. The sauce had a tangy taste and was a real delight to the palate.

The meat dish had no less than Wagyu beef! It was Crusted Wagyu Beef Fillet Cashew-Humba Sauce with Vegetable Barbecue and Sweet Potato Mash.

I think it was a perfect balance of sweet and salty. A runaway hit, no doubt.

A cheese course was served to prepare the palate for the dessert. This one is called Kesong Puti with Guava Confit and Galletas. Kesong Puti or white cheese is a Filipino cottage cheese made from unskimmed carabao’s milk, salt and rennet. The Galletas, on the other hand, are like thin crackers that are very creamy when masticated. These Galletas were flown in from Iloilo City’s famous Panaderia De Molo.

The dessert came as Pili Sansrival and Mango Canonigo.

Loved the sansrival!

That’s Chef Jill Sandico on the far left and Chef Myrna Seguismundo to the right. Two brilliant chefs who collaborated with Chef Laudico to showcase Bistro Filipino’s best.

Again, a million thanks to Orbit for another wonderful food adventure!

Bistro Filipino, Net One Building, The Fort
Taguig City, Metro Manila
(02) 856-0634