Chicharon Manok (Chicken Skin Crackling)

Comparing same product from two different source of different packaging can be very tricky. For the sole purpose of making a honest comparison, I used my digital weighing scale to see which among the two chicharon manok weighs heavier. After the comparison of weight, then will proceed to compare the quality.

Picture 2

Picture 1

Picture 1 shows that chicharon manok packaged on a small plastic cup that is sold on the corner of España-Maceda St. that weighs exactly 27g for P10.00(the 3g weight of the plastic cup is already deducted). However, Picture 2, which is, the chicharon manok sold along Blumentrit near España is 21g for P5.00.

Personally, I like the chicharon manok sold at Blumentrit corner España Boulevard. It taste much better and the crunchiness of each chicken skin is consistent due to thick breading. The only thing that lead me to disfavor the chicharon manok from España-Maceda St., though it's quite heavier in weight, is the inconsistency of crunchiness due to thin breading of each chicken skin plus the uneven brown to dark color on it.(see the picture below). I'm not sure if the dark color of the chicken skin is due to overcooking.

(Left side of the plate) Chicharon Manok at Blumentrit (Right side of the plate) Chicharon Manok at España-Maceda

Lechon Kawali (Bagnet)

Call your cardiologist after experiencing sudden chest pain and difficulty of breathing after eating almost 3/4 kilo of deep fried pork neck for P120. I'm just kidding. Perhaps, heart problem won't be so sudden after eating the food that I featured today. Seriously though, eating a handful of this everyday would make your heart weak or weaker if you have an existing heart problem.

Almost 1 kilo of Lechon kawali bundled with a Ilocos Vinegar and gravy.

I went beyond the boundaries of my neighborhood to check one of the most talked about food stand along P.Florentino between Metrica St. and Craig St. that sells 'Bagnet' or Lechon Kawali (deep fried pork meat and fat) starting at 5PM daily. I was amazed how customer's would literally fall in line to wait for 10 to 20min to get their Lechon Kawali fried and chopped into pieces.

Forget Andoks and Baliwag. The Lechon Kawali at P.Florentino St. is much cheaper and bigger in portions for the price of P80 to P150. The 1 1/2 inch of skin, fat and meat layer is so gorgeous and crunchy inside out. The taste is exceptional and never picked up a taste of recycled oil. They never or rarely have left overs of Lechon Kawali. That itself is an assurance that they serve the meat fresh.

Inihaw na Mais (Roasted Corn)

I had my roasted corn last 2008 when I traveled to La Union. It is sold on every bus station and along national highway of Pangasinan, Tarlac and La Union especially if it's in season. The way I discovered roasted corn sold between street of Blumentrit and España is a bit of coincidence. Here's what happened. I passed by Blumentrit corner España Boulevard one day when I saw a customer ordered a raw corn and asked the vendor to roast it for him. The fruit stand vendor peeled the corn clean then slipped out a small pot filled with hot charcoal underneath the fruit stand. From there, the vendor slowly roasted the corn in less than ten minutes. I was really amazed knowing that there's such fruit stand that can literally roast your corn on the spot. After a quick observation from the previous customer, I duplicated the same step of ordering the corn. 

The roasted corn on the picture above is a Japanese Sweet Corn variety.  Local corn variety turns tough or quite dry when roasted but Japanese Sweet Corn retains a measure of moisture even if it's roasted for more or less than 10 minutes. The taste is sweet with combination of smoky flavor. An eight and a half inches of roasted Japanese Sweet Corn sold between España and Blumentrit is a healthy alternative snack for P20.00 per piece.

Turon

A lot of information in the internet would tell you what Turon is. It refers to a snack with sliced bananas and brown sugar  wrapped in  lumpia wrapper then deep fried. Let us see which among the Turon sold at Blumentrit and Josefina St offers the best value for your money.

Picture 1: (Top) Turon sold at Blumentrit corner P.Florentino St. (Bottom) Turon sold at Josefina St. corner P. Florentino St.

The sample I bought at Blumentrit is literally coated with hardened brown sugar caramel. It's a premium deal if you ask me for P10.00 per piece. Your taste buds can pick up occasional taste of  sweetened langka (jackfruit) while chewing.  Picture 2 shows exactly how the lumpia wrapper was wrapped three times making it extra crispy.

Picture 2: Turon sold at Blumentrit: The entire Turon is almost one and a half inches in width. The thin banana slices is evenly distributed on both ends.

A minimalist approach in preparing Turon is found along Josefina St corner P. Florentino St. for P6.00.  The sample I bought at this place is not as sweet as the ones that I bought at Blumentrit. It has the same length just like the previous sample but the banana slices is placed right at the middle. Here's something amazing. They sprinkled white sugar on the banana slices before wrapping it up. No wonder there's no trace of sugar caramel around the lumpia wrapper. The crunchiness is average.  It's obvious that the slices of banana is wrapped just once on a single piece of lumpia wrapper. (see Picture 3)

Picture 3: Turon sold at Josefina St: The banana slices is quite thicker but not as sweet.