Aling Cely’s Kinalasan

As they say around here, “Another day, another bowl of kinalas.”

Yep, no such thing. Made that one up just now haha. Lately, I’ve been struggling for lack of better words and then there’s lack of energy left after doing other stuff (like my day job). Thing is, I have another kinalas story to tell because, well, I live in Naga anyway where it is hands down the most famous delicacy.

This time, we tried the locally famous Aling Cely’s Kinalasan in Dimasalang St, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Naga City, it is located very near Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. The place is very simple and basic, just like every other local eatery, but people are drawn like moths to the flame.

People come to Cely’s for their famous kinalas, of course. For those who are not familiar with this local delicacy, that is what Bicolanos call this bowl of goodness. It is a noodle dish with thick rich broth, pork or beef, topped with onion chives and boiled egg (by request). For a more detailed description, you can read my previous post on kinalas.

There are also those who prefer to eat Loglog (just noodles and broth, no meat and eggs). It costs less and parents often order this for their small kids.

When Naguenos think of this dish, they almost always think of Cely’s Kinalasan. Yoy said it is because many students frequently eat there as it is close to UNC and Universidad de Sta Isabel. Even he himself frequently ate the dish at Cely’s along with his closest friends so he’s got a lot of good memories associated with the place. He always ate kinalas paired with baduya (fried bananas).

Julienne herself has become partial to eating kinalas. The Sorsoganon in me though prefers to eat stuff like a lot of dried fish, dried squid, mud crabs and balaw (fermented shrimp). So, kinalas is not my all-time favorite, but it is a yummy Nagueno delicacy that is a must-try when in Bicol, particularly in Naga City.

By the way, if you notice, sometimes the quality of my photos are different with every post. When my photos are really nice and clear, it means I used my digital camera but when the pictures are somewhat pixelated like in this post, it’s because I used my phone to take the photos.

Thank you for reading! See you again soon! ❤

 

 

 

Kinalas at Mister Sabaw

Last Sunday was market day for us. We bought our pork cutlets and buto-buto (for sinigang) at Lehman’s in Magsaysay Avenue then we went to Robinson’s Supermarket along Diversion Road for our groceries. After that, we went to Centro to try to buy aranghita or dalandan (local citrus fruit resembling ponkan oranges but green even when ripe). Unfortunately, we did not find any aranghita to buy that time.

After all our errands,  Yoy, Julienne and I were so hungry that we went to Cely’s Kinalasan only to find it closed. We then went to Dayangdang and came across this attractive little eatery called Mister Sabaw (Bulalo-Kinalas). 

I wanted to try the Lechon Kinalas (Php 65.00) but it was not available that time, so that’s a shame. Yoy and I each had the Pork Kinalas. My fast verdict: The soup was savory and satisfying but the pork bits still needed more cooking time. 

A little info guys, according to Wikipedia, “Kinalas is a Bicol dish created by cooking noodle garnished by scraped meat from pork or beef’s head and other parts, enhanced with a thick deep-brown sauce coming from the brains of a cow or pig. The dish is further flavored with spices and served in hot broth. Boiled egg added is optional.”

As to how attractive that sounds, I just don’t know. Actually, prior to this writing, I didn’t know that the sauce came from the brains of cows and pigs. How was I eating this stuff and never knew about this? Anyway, looking at the dish, there was just no telling that all those gory details had to transpire in order for me to enjoy this Nagueno delicacy lol.

Kinalas is paired best with these condiments – ground pepper and red chili oil.

Julienne had the Loglog (just noodles and soup, no meat) for Php20.00 only and her favorite soda pop (any drink is her favorite as long as it’s carbonated).

It was our first time to eat at Mister Sabaw and I hope to try their Bulalo (bone marrow soup) next time.

Thanks for reading! =)

GINATAANG LANGKA (Young Jackfruit Cooked in Coconut Milk)

Hello everyone! It is Saturday and I am so relieved to be at home instead of slaving away in front of the computer at the office. I was so looking forward to this long weekend (Monday is Independence Day here in the Phil!). Yesterday, as I ever so melodramatically declared to my friend and equally “slave driven” co-worker Rovi, I swore I would try to fatten up like it’s some kind of a life mission. So I will make an extra effort to pig out more and think less of work this weekend. (BTW, you can check out her blog at Rovi Diaries).

Anyway, I’m no cook so it’s Yoy who really cooked this one Bicolano dish that we usually have every other weekends. It is called Ginataang Langka which means young jackfruit strips cooked in coconut milk (gata). If there is one thing the Bicolanos love as much as sili (chili peppers), it would have to be dishes cooked in gata (coconut milk).

The ingredients are the following: 3 cloves garlic, half of a medium sized ginger, 1 small onion, 1 small tomato, 2 cups coconut milk, half kilo young jackfruit strips (available in the Philippine/Asian markets), half kilo freshwater shrimps (you can also use half kilo small sized crabs instead), 1/2 teaspoon sugar, salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Basically, the first thing is to chop your onions, garlic, tomato and ginger. Then bring the coconut milk to a boil, stirring occasionally. Yoy likes to use our medium sized wok for this, although you may also use a pot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, salt and the young jackfruit strips. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or until the jackfruit strips are cooked (should be soft). 

Then add the shrimps and cook for another 5 minutes or until shrimps have turned bright orange. Add more salt, a little sugar, ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with green and red peppers and simmer for 2 more minutes. And you’re done!

Enjoy it with a steaming bowl of rice and fried fish with soy sauce and calamansi (local lime) as dipping sauce for those truly satisfying Bicolano flavors. For me, it tastes of home. Nothing says Welcome to Bicol better than an incredibly spicy chili-based dish like the Bicol Express or the creamy, coco-nutty flavors of the local dishes such as Laing and Ginataang Langka.