So Pinoy, So Bicolano Lunch Buffet at Eat All Be Cool

usual fare...beef kaldereta

bukayo

The anti-thesis of this writing is beginning with the end…because the most remarkable thing I could start about was the desserts served. Here is one resto so unpretentious yet so noteworthy with its sweet offerings one could find in a Bicolano home: panutsa, mazapan de pili, palitaw and bukayo. I was even half-expecting there would be belekoy, that grainy-sugar coated brown taffy made of glucose with sour fruit extracts perhaps, or bomba, those little round tamarind candies rolled in white sugar as well. These are delicacies so reminiscent of our childhood.

I used to coax mom and dad to spare me some coins so I could run to the sari-sari store. They used to remark that these stuffs are nothing but junk. For the gourmand, I don’t think so. As long as one can say something glorious about a food, it becomes a treasure.

Wondering what Panutsa is? According to the Philippines Board Forum, “it’s a home town product of Taal, Batangas made of hardened brown sugar and peanuts”. Perhaps the Bicolano version is that about a tablespoon is dropped on banana leaves to flatten like patties. As they harden these are cooled then served on a platter, whole mounds of peanuts marvelously seen underneath the silky smoothness of the firm caramel. I singled this out because I have never encountered any other restaurant, gourmet or not, that serves it. Panutsa is considered to be sold only in the neighborhood store.

beloved bicol express

I have mentioned Bukayo. In some remote towns, they call  it “Conserva”, pronounced with the hard rural accent “konserba”. As a school-aged child, I could vividly remember that I used to sniff the exquisite aroma of the roasted coconut strips, slathered with brown sugar caramel, before taking a bite. I would be reprimanded as I was caught nibbling on it, with the constant “Mawawalan ka ng ganang kumain!” [You’ll lose appetite for the main meals!]. Of course, the folks’ major concern is having us kids eat the nutritious lunch or dinner and not those junkfoods.

who wouldn't love PILIs?!

It was a Tuesday and while BabyClyde and I were waiting for our children’s half-day school to be over, we decided to try EABC…my contracted form of Eat All Be Cool. Clearly, what the restaurant drives at is the cuisine predominantly being Bicol, as in the words “Be Cool”. Its location is perfectly situated at the airport road’s end; it’s as if all roads lead to their gate. EABC is along the main thoroughfare, Washington Drive and just a few walks away from Legaspi City airport and so its visibility is grand.

luscious mazapan de pili

As we went in, we were greeted by the warmth of the invitingly pleasant eating place. It’s like walking inside a friend’s abode, welcoming you with the aroma of home-cooked meals, spic and span walls and floors, woodsy furniture, mementos properly displayed in corners that bespeaks of the owners’ family dynamics.

panutsa

Dining staff in uniforms were so attentive to all customers; one instructed us politely as we queried how to go about the buffet. We were to pay first at the counter to get our spoons and forks before we could line up and fill our ivory plates with the glorious goodness of their cookery. I admire this technique: nobody can ever run away from their bill because they cannot eat without the spoon and fork which one cannot get if he hasn’t paid first. Now I’m thinking…maybe I could also make my clients pay at the counter first before going inside the cubicle to have a massage at Greenthumb. That’s an assurance that anyone who walks out has paid.

those colorful luscious drinks in pitchers

The buffet spread was bountiful. For P199 per person, there were the truly Pinoy viands like Escabeche [sweet and sour fish], Pinakbet [sautéed vegetables with bagoong or shrimp paste], the perpetual Bicol Express and more that I could not recall. Rice was of two kinds: Shanghai fried or the plain steamed. Then there are pitchers of coolers like iced tea, buko pandan and mangoes and cream sold at P75 per jug. What’s splendid about the carafes is that each is loaded with ice and lemon slices as garnish for the iced tea, or in the case of fruit varieties there were bits and chunks of the fleshy pulp that truly makes a glass rich in flavor.

Water is “serve yourself” style. There is a dispenser at a corner to fetch as you need it. No water jugs. For me and hubby who are movers, we don’t mind refilling and standing every time. But for diners who prefer a pitcher by their side, it would be an inconvenience.

shanghai rice

EABC is fully airconditioned. Windows are of clear-glass with the vivid view of the outside. One can see who’s coming in and going out. What’s so great about this resto is that the room is never over-crowded; when some goes out, another batch comes in. it’s like an eternal refilling of the tables being seated in. so amazing! They seem not to run out of lunch goers. I wonder if at any time of the day it would still be like this. We were there from 11am to 12:30 noon.

Parking is not a problem. Their lawn is spacious that you could be assured of your car’s safety. There is a security guard on duty to watch over the patrons’ autos. Outside the main hall is an al fresco dining portion with narra tables that seem to cater to smokers. But the guard steadfastly said “Sorry po, but strictly no smoking talaga po dito.” Good news for us health buffs!

For the ravenous, Eat All Be Cool will give you a satiety you’d be thanking the heavens for. Simple Pinoy dishes, not much with high twists, just the usual fare, but cooked lovingly in an ambiance perfectly described as a buddy’s warm and welcoming home. And desserts given to you with a nostalgic serving, reminding you about your Bicolano heritage…of coconuts, gata, brown sugar and peanuts.