It’s all a trick

It’s almost Halloween and the candies will have to either leave or enter the house. My stash will have to leave as, ALAS, I am too old to go knocking on your doors. I will still wear my cop costume though, in hopes to reprieve my lost youth.

Yes, we do not have Halloween in the Philippines. We had All Saint’s Day on the 1st of November and All Soul’s Day on the 2nd. No one bought costumes or candy, and trick or treat was not the “in” thing to do for kids.

The day before, all of the food would be pre-cooked and readied for the feasting on the 1st. My mom and dad wake up early each year and cook whatever needs to be, packed, and dragged our asses out of bed for a whole day affair at the cemetery. We unfold portable beds, lay out tables, put on top “tupperwares” of food. Pakbet (a local vegetable dish with a Bagoong base), chicken pastel, pork adobo, fried or grilled fish, and plenty of steamed white rice. Now the desserts come, turon, suman, bibingka, sapin-sapin, and fruit salad (fruit cocktail with cream-based sauce).

It takes weeks of preparation for one day of vigil. After the rosary and the novena, after the long talks with relatives, after the belly filled with food, we pack up again, go home and await 364 more days ’til our next trip back.

These are home-cooking dishes and events I truly miss. Although, LA has been bombarded with Filipino cooks and eateries, there is still that little bit of taste of home that makes the difference. Who cares if it happens to be my mom or dad’s sweat, it makes the food theirs and theirs alone. Ugh, home. I mean, they do serve a mean sisig here but it’s not the same. It’s just all a trick to me, really.

Savoy Kitchen, Alhambra

Full house. There’s about 5 or so names written on that stand outside the door. No maitre de, no hostess, no welcoming smiles. Paper without even lines on it. Write your name, how many in your party, and wait. Savoy Kitchen in Alhambra may not have the biggest dining room, or the most posh of furniture, or the most elaborate menu. But, since 1982, Savoy has been serving the best Hainan Chicken Rice you will ever find in anywhere (at least for now).

The place is small, with only a bar with limited stools, a dining area and a patio to assist the crowd that may form outside, especially during lunch time. The service is fast and efficient, with food coming out of the kitchen after a few minutes of ordering. They serve free pizza bread that can get you addicted if not careful. The sweet iced tea is unlimited, so are the condiments that come if you order their chicken, and you should.

The menu is full of enticing appetizers and entrees. Their baked escargot with herb butter is glistening with indulgence. Their pizzas are made with original potato dough made fresh daily, and comes with toppings such as butter herb shrimp, smoked beef, and smoked duck. Their pastas are also as unique, with pairings like conch and prosciutto mixed with fettuccine and your choice of tomato or garlic (garlic, white wine, olive oil, and butter) sauce. They’re also famous for their curry; Malaysian style with herbs, spices, coconut milk, and a dozen different fruits and vegetables. Pick your meat of choice; chicken, beef stew, pork chop, fish, tofu, and more.

But this place is Hainan chicken rice heaven. When people tell you to get the Hainan chicken, when Yelpers tells you it’s famous and it’s HIGHLY recommended, or when you see almost everyone inside eating the Hainan chicken, THEN for crying out loud GET THE HAINAN CHICKEN. It is cheap heaven on a plate. For $6.75 (plus $2 for dark meat) you get this huge plate of addiction. The chicken has been poaching in their special broth until it is just fall off the bone tender and infused with such amazing flavor. Dip it in ginger and chili sauce and it is elevated to another level. I mean it is something so simple on a plate. It looks just as plain as chicken and rice, but do not underestimate my friends. This plate is love inside your mouth. Simple yet so complex in flavor, a wave of warmth and comfort on your palate: sweet, salty, savory (SSS-triple threat). And of course, let us not forget the rice. The same poaching liquid for the chicken is used as the cooking liquid, lending such a light, savory flavor to the fluffy rice. I just can’t get over it. Uhuh.

Unfortunately, it is CASH only so come prepared. I would like to try the curry; it comes highly recommended. But when people tell you to get Hainan Chicken Rice…what do you do??? This foodie will not be told twice…this foodie WILL get Hainan Chicken Rice.