Leyte's Consumate Deli Experience: Italian Market Deli

A Delicatessen to me is a place that houses cured meats, a plethora of cheeses with names unpronounceable at times, exotic oils, olives, antipasto delights; and most especially one that constructs those foot-long deli sandwiches which contains a myriad of tastes that takes my palate into a journey so ambrosial I have to write about it. 

Said experience and or place is no longer foreign to us Leyteños (and I say this with giddiness) because guess what? We now have our very own Deli here in Leyte!

The Italian Market Deli located at Brgy. 93 Bagacay, inside Villa de San Juanico Subdivision (close to THE bridge), is as ideal as it gets in the realm of delicatessens. Hand on heart I can vouch for the authenticity of this joint and even dare to opine that the Subway franchises I've been to in the Philippines lose luster when pitted next to this veritable deli in Tacloban. 

the Deli's flagship sandwich - the Spicy Italian.

Delis are gratifying and I will say Italian Market will not leave one wanting. Go ahead and sample those promising cured and seasoned meats i.e., Copicola ham, black forest ham, sausages, peppered hams, baloney, assorted salami and blocks of cheeses like Gruyère, Swiss, mozzarella, Parmesan, Cheddar and so on. Turn neither to the right or left my friends for these items are no longer stuff to wonder about for here and now, it has become tangible. It is a plus of course that the prices are friendly for items so rare in our parts. I personally like it that the owners are welcoming and are eager to share the deli experience with everyone too. 

Deli meats.

 Fromage, formaggio, queso, cheese!

Assorted sausages.

Italian Market Deli too has a cornucopia of non-perishables one can take if concocting one's own creations is preferred.

Items one will fall in love with!

flavored-olive oils and dressings

And here are ...
My deli meat and cheese going through the blades of glory.

Check out that marble-ization !

Gruyère, one of the few things that truly ages beautifully.

Tarry no longer and vamos!

The location may be away from the city center but let me say, it reminds me of those times driving on a less traveled road in a quaint beach town (say Siesta Key, FL), looking for something to eat, being non-expectant but then... Serendipity! Italian Market Deli.

The Potters of Tanauan:

Earthen colors.

The potters of Tanauan, Leyte have been with us from since way back when. It's common practice for homeowners and garden enthusiasts to head there for their gardening pot and clay cooking pot needs. This earthen-wares have been a part of our tradition hasn't it? It has been a trade, an art and a livelihood for many of them and we Leyteños ought to be good supporters and allow them not only to continue but to flourish. A knockout landscape is only 3 towns away from TC, what are we waiting for?

Classic, conventional pots, Zen garden-inspired and curvy jars, it's all there. Demand for bricks are increasing too. 

Jars, pots of all sizes.

Dilemma. This lady potter makes close to 20 per day depending on the demand. Sad to report though that since Typhoon Yolanda, the mountain-scape changed in Tanauan and the quality of the soil has decreased, they are are now filled with pebbles and other artifacts making the clay product not as pristine as I remember but the potters are doing their best.

A day in a life...

Pots drying...

Kudos to all the potters!

Living Leyte People Features: Irma M. Tan, a Taclobanon More Than Anything Else

“My roots helped shape the person that I am.”

                                            ~ Irma M. Tan

“My roots helped shape the person that I am.” These words still trail my auditory canals long after my interview with one of Tacloban’s soft spoken and loyal daughters named Irma M. Tan. As she celebrates her 50th year in life, Irma culminates the entry towards her golden years where she’s at home and where she belongs. Despite taking up residency in the United States for 26 years and working as a registered nurse in the same amount of time, one can truly feel up that Irma would rather be a Taclobanon more than anything else.

LL : What was it like when you were growing up here in Leyte?
IMT: Life was so simple then, we had a very carefree attitude, it’s just like living life; we enjoyed each day, napaka simple. But I am sure that nowadays, it’s different than when I was growing up. There are more people, streets are narrower, there are more cars definitely. You have to go out of your way to meet the people you grew up with. Everybody is busy, you have to make an appointment with them. When I come home I mostly meet up with my classmates from high school like Jo Marie, Aurorita, Gerema and some classmates from elementary and high school, cousins and family who reside locally.

LL: I remember when you were growing up in our school, you were our school’s version of Sharon Cuneta because you did resemble her.
IMT: Haha! Well that’s very flattering, I wish I had her financial success.
LL: Yeah, don’t we all?
(laughter).

LL: How has living in the United States change you as a person?
IMT: Oh yes, there’s the initial shock when you get there. There is the part where you adjust with the people. I have resided in the United States for the last 26 years and it may have changed me… in terms of how I deal with poor ethics and… you know, some other things, but, my heart will always be here. That’s something I can attest to. I may have a blue passport but…
LL: Your heart has a red passport?
IMT: No, I think it’s Burgundy now.
(laughter).
IMT: Well there’s no place like Tacloban and that’s the point I always like to explain to my two sons. Because they always ask me, “Mom,why do you have to go to the Philippines every year when you can vacation to Europe or the Caribbean? I explain to them that, it’s hard for them to understand the feeling, because they didn’t establish their roots here.
LL: How old are they?
IMT: My oldest some will be turning 23 in December and my youngest is 17.
LL: None of them are married?
IMT: No.  My son just graduated last May from New York University (NYU) for Bachelors of Science in Nursing.
LL: Why did he go to NYU?
IMT: Because that’s where he got accepted. He wanted to go to UCLA but UCLA turned him down.
LL: NYU is not bad, their roster of alumni include, Angelina Jolie, Spike Lee…
IMT: Alec Baldwin, Billy Crystal…
LL: See… And your youngest son?
IMT: My youngest son will be a 12th grader, he's going to be a senior in high school.

LL: Can you talk about age comfortably?
IMT: My age?
LL: Yes.
IMT: Oh yes, I am fifty, I am proud to be fifty, so blessed to reach this age, because I know people, acquaintances who were not lucky to have reached this age.
LL: That is true.
IMT: So, I have no problem disclosing my age. At work, they kinda find it hard to believe that I am fifty. One of the surgeons asked me for my ID because he didn’t believe it. so I showed it to him, even after I did so, he still didn’t believe it.
LL: Which department do you work in? Surgery?
IMT: I work in Trauma ICU.
LL: Wow! That’s impressive. Would you say you were a born nurse? Is it your vocation?
IMT: I think that to be a nurse you should have a level of calling early on and I believe I have that calling.
LL: Well if an occupation like nursing is a vocation, people do things that are beyond...
IMT: Yes, you do beyond that what is called for. It’s a tough job, it’s not for everybody but it’s a very fulfilling job, at the end of the day, you know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life, that’s the reward you get, knowing that you have made a difference in someone else’s life.
LL: Will you always be a nurse?
IMT: I have 15 more years to continue being a nurse. Hopefully, I will get to enjoy the rewards of my retirement.

LL: If you weren’t a nurse, what would you be doing?
IMT: I wanted to be stewardess when I was young. I love to fly and go places, that was one profession that I wanted to go to. But when I finished high school that was something that kinda drifted away.

LL: What place or destination would you like to go to which you haven’t gone to yet?
IMT: Travel destination?
LL: Yes.
IMT: I’d like to go to the Fiji Islands. That’s my dream designation.
LL: Are you going to buy a house in Fiji?
IMT: No, just vacation.
LL: It would be easy for you to go to Fiji, you’re in the west coast!
IMT: Not really, it will take probably 8 - 10 hours from L.A.
LL: When will you do that you think?
IMT: You never know, may be next year.
LL: I thought that for your fiftieth you would gift yourself that?
IMT: Well, it’s just a nice feeling coming home here, to celebrate my 50th birthday and it’s a milestone, I have always planned to celebrate it here. My birthday is actually in January but the whole of 2016 is a whole year for me to celebrate turning 50! I always wanted to celebrate it here with old friends… most of my family, because in the US I pretty much just celebrate it with my immediate family and maybe a few close friends.

LL: If you could change something about your life what would it be?
IMT: Let me think…
(laughter)
IMT: I would say I wish I would have more time to spend here in Tacloban, because when you come back here, usually, your time is limited to 2 weeks. I wish I had more time to do things that allow me to give back to the Tacloban community. Although, by being active in our association, the Association of Taclobanons in Southern California, you know, I think that’s the closest that I can give back.
LL: Yes, it is a big help, for instance this Medical Mission next week on Monday and Tuesday.
IMT: Yes, this is the closest thing to giving back to the community that we can do. It’s a big legacy which the Taclobanons have created, I hope to be able to continue that legacy… Going back to the question, I always think that when I take a trip coming here, it’s not enough time and I have to pinch myself and ask, “Was I really here in Tacloban? or was it only a dream?” When you are here, the days go by so fast.
LL: What’s your average vacation time, like 2 weeks each time?
IMT: Yes, 2 weeks, there are so many places I’d like to go to like Palawan, Ilocos but I have no time. Maybe I can do that when I retire?
LL: You don’t think that from between now and when you retire you can’t take say, 6 months off?
IMT: No, that’s impossible. I will lose my job.
LL: But there are other jobs? Although if you’ve been there for long now, you have good tenure and benefits. How long have you been in this hospital?
IMT: I have been in this one health system for the last 26 years. I already have up to 4 weeks per year of vacation but because I work in a unionized hospital I cannot take all the vacation time off for one month during the season. Perhaps on a month like October where it’s not busy, maybe I can take all the 4 weeks then.
LL: Then you can have 4 days of that whole month where you don’t do anything. Just stare at the beach..
IMT: Yes, no cell phone, just take nature in.

LL: OK, this is the last question I have. Who is the person history that you’d like to meet and talk to whether living or deceased?
(pause…)
LL: I know who it is, Michael Jackson?
(laughter)
IMT: Let me think… I would pick JFK (President John Fitzgerald Kennedy).
LL: JFK, that’s a good choice. Why JFK?
IMT: Because he is an iconic president and it’s so sad that his life was cut short at the time when the situation of the world’s peace was in a balance. He continues to amaze me. Whenever I get a chance, they show documentaries about him, I make it a point to watch, he’s been dead about 53 years now. 
LL: Yes, in 1963. Who do you think killed him?
IMT: There are a lot of theories, as a matter of fact, my son who loves to discuss about JFK with me, told me that in 2018, all the classified records will be disclosed about his death.  They already revealed some with the Warren Commission.
LL: I can see the fascination because his death remains unsolved, here he is, a president of the United States yet the reason behind his assassination is still a mystery.
IMT: And Lyndon Johnson taking oath in the place right away, that’s kinda fishy to me.  
LL: Where did you get this information that said records will be disclosed?
IMT: There was an official statement. It’s a mystery because many people who were alive during that time were killed or are dead already. It’s like a mystery movie. I am also a fan of Matt Damon you see, Jason Bourne. I like movies like that.
LL: I personally think that it’s not just one organization that did him in because the decisions that he was making during that time would have changed the landscape of the entire world.
IMT: Yes, and it would have an effect on all the future generations.

LL: Is there anything you think I forgot to ask you?
IMT: It’s always good to be here, to come back. Each and every time I come home, I feel like it’s the first time. I come home every year, it’s always the same feeling when you come down the plane on the tarmac, it always feels good to me when my feet touches the ground of Tacloban soil. When the pilot announces that final descent, it’s exciting. Last year when I came home, it was the first time I’ve been back since Yolanda, I videoed it in my phone - that descent (to Tacloban), and when I get home sick I play it on my phone. I have heard some people say, “Oh, there’s nothing new there (in Tacloban), but for me, I feel like it’s always my first time every time I come home.”
LL: Wow. You really are a true daughter of Tacloban, of Leyte.
IMT, Yes. Even if we don’t have a house here anymore, I still feel this is my home. I have taught my children to “mag a-amin,” they call older people “tito,” “tita.” They know a lot of Filipino values. My roots helped shape the person that I am.

When I met up with Irma at Rosevenil’s restaurant in Burgos St. during breakfast I saw a familiar face that put a smile to my face. Admittedly, she is no stranger to me as she is a very close friend of my sister. While I have always found her to be genial, our conversation during the interview revealed more than just the good friend my sister has; this time, I found this woman stripped of the frivolities of life, filled with insight and quite the woman in full who is the very definition of a beautiful Leyteña inside and out. 

Don't forget to check out 10 Questions W/ Irma at You tube! 

 

Thanks!

Old School Leyte: WWII Guerilla Captain Nieves Fernandez, No Shrinking Violet

No shrinking violet... Capt. Nieves Fernandez with an M1 Garand on the right shoulder and her weapon of choice - the Machete (Bolo or Sundang).

Discovered this provocative photo of the only known female guerrilla fighter named Captain Nieves Fernandez, a Leyteña, during WWII. With this, that epithet of the Warays being “ma-isog” (fearless) came to the forefront of my brain once again.

The photo ca. 1944 taken by a photographer named Stanley Troutman, shows Captain Fernandez demonstrating to an American GI how she eliminated Japanese soldiers with the aid of a machete during the occupation. Fernandez was also a school teacher and fought south of the Tacloban area. Reports indicate she lead a guerrilla troop of 110 and their kill claims were at 200. It was said that she had a method to her assassinations that was sure and swift, she aimed for the carotid artery and inner jugular vein which are main blood suppliers to the brain; the enemy would have felt pain at first but death came almost instantaneously, a sort of merciful killing (if there is such a thing). She fastidiously trained her troop in hand to hand combat, makeshift weaponry and helped barrios and was instrumental in freeing comfort women to safety. Wow. That is bad A.

I am certain that Kapitana didn't start off as a macehete-weilding lass in Leyte and given the choice, I bet, she would have just been gratified simply with imparting education to the younglings but alas, desperate times… Her notoriety was borne out of dire circumstances and the Japanese issued a bounty for her head to the tune of P10,000, I am of the opinion that her "isog-ness" wasn't misapplied.

Would post script with this though: the Waray’s fearlessness works best in pertinent matters, when the need is for the many but not for one’s own self-interest and certainly not for insolence's sake. May we all take that to heart.

Highside Restaurant: This Is a Man's World...

Walking into Highside Restaurant is like walking into a lair of testosterone where the James Brown classic “This is a Man’s World” comes to mind and the whole thing is unabashed about it. The set up is quite the sports bar du jour with the modern and vintage motorbikes, crude oil drams fitted as chairs, helmets, surf boards, skateboards, hubcaps, semi-monster tires, vintage license plates and NBA games streaming through the two flat screens mounted on the wall. 

Surely in a place like this, masculine aphorisms with a mild touch of mischief wouldn’t be wanting, just check out these tongue-in-cheek signages that will subconsciously make one chuckle until you psychoanalyze it. 

As the only girl inside this milieu at this time, I order what I deem as the manliest but proverbial dish in the menu and that would be a straightforward hamburger, the Burnout Burger to be exact. This burger has a mixture of beef and pork meat and it comes with complimentary thin fries and the default FF dip of the Philippines, the thousand island dressing. The dish arrives and I gobble it up to an acoustic rendition of Alice Cooper’s “I’ll Never Cry” blasting through their fireball surround sound. 

The burger happily doesn’t make me cry, as it in fact is tasty with good grilling flavors but it doesn’t burn me out either. It could be bigger, like the fist of an MMA fighter perhaps and the meat is not cooked through. We can play around with the done-ness of beef, but I don't we can do the same with pork, unless it’s a veritable sushi. The other items on the menu must be better as I hear that the chef is an award-winning import from a touristy island south of here. The staff members are easygoing and sophomoric in appearance and as for the internet habitué, sorry, this here is Wifi-free because they want us to party like it’s 1995. 

As I conclude my circumspection and my time at Highside, I look at the other side of the coin. I realize the intention of the owners with the decor, the ambience, and the reasonably-priced fare of roughly P35 - P300; Tacloban is yet to have a consummate sports bar where the guys coming from all walks of life can just be guys, talk, drink and munch on nuts and trail mixes like they do and perhaps go full boar in a spot that reminds them of a man cave. Highside is that right now; that or at the very least this joint is grazing the trail for more of it’s kind to come.

Baybay: It’s Not Just the Place, It’s the People Too

Population: 102,841.
Land Area: 180 square miles.
Bay Area: Stunning as they come.
Rubbish Content: Discordant for a developing country.  

For all intents and purposes, Baybay is still untapped. I hope it stays this way forever and a day. And if it does bloom, here’s wishing it won’t change the inhabitants for her allure isn't just the awe-inspiring sunsets, the old-world ambience or that idyllic island stride of the day, but more so because people embrace you with their smiles and sense of rectitude. 

 

In the “smile” meter, we (Taclobanons) can learn from Baybayanons, I waved to an unknown gentleman sitting on the side road while passing through and he stood up not just to wave back but also to tip his hat off, so to speak, is this not a breath of fresh air? They do not have Tacloban’s razzmatazz but on my word, that air of courtesy is one I would trade in half of a heartbeat. 

Baybay has a spectacular nature scene, if you have the majestic mountains to your back the deep blue sea is to your front and the carbon by-products are certainly kept to a minimum. An established university named VSU is also here, the university itself is secluded near the mountains and appears to be serious with education, now this part I am hoping will get more favor with funding so it may be developed as one of the country’s premier universities because the potential already exists. 

And on to the streets, where is the rubbish? Yes there is a stray wrapper here and there but certainly not mounds of it like in Tacloban and other major cities. I have not checked Baybay’s footing in terms of politics but this will make one curious, could good governance and enforcement of the law be the reason for the impression of their orderly locale? For certain, if people live in a milieu of peace and order, courtesy and warmth is a sequelae. 

If I could wish some things for Baybay, it would be for a culinary revolution and a bona fide library or bookstore. The street barbecues are heralded as one of the best in our region and 2 coffee shops are in business here but it could use more. The coffee shop named "Ciudad" is the one that stands out as it is located foremost by the bay with coffee and tea to be enjoyed both indoors or al fresco. Other than that, it is as revitalizing as far as island living goes.

Baybay.
Population: 102,841 today, soon to be 102, 843?

Rustic Coffee

Rustic's logo was a collaboration I really liked being a part of.

Rustic Coffee, that coffee shop in Burgos St. across Asian Dev't. College.

I didn't tell about it before but in the past year, I ran a coffee shop called Rustic Coffee here in Tacloban City. The concept for Rustic was simple. Dishes were from our kitchen (mine and my husband’s), drinks were like how we wanted it, prime coffee and the decor was a mix between rustic, minimalist and Scandinavian which is my current mood and our whole idea was not to compromise with the flavors at all. I wanted for the atmosphere to be relaxed and one where if you went, you'd feel as though you were on a quest for something original. For example, we wanted to serve a Marinara sauce that wasn’t sweet or that contained ketchup; we wanted to serve a white sauce that had all sorts of herbs and aged cheese more than the Béchamel-y type which is the usual here in the Philippines. 

The chalk art in Rustic was a nod to the coffee shops I truly admired in cities like NY and London.

Personally, my dream was to enhance the coffee culture in our city. The part where coffee or tea is like an extension of your arm and for you to come over and feel that you are in a place of it’s own league when you walked in - not in a high brow sort of way, don't get me wrong but only something sincerely unique. If this  approach meant alienating particular demographic(s), it wasn’t our intention, but sometimes I think one has to just do what one has to for the sake of expansion, palate-wise and in the realm of cuisine in general.

Here are examples of our fare:

I always enjoyed introducing new blends from other places where premium coffee were grown and blended.

At Rustic we made our own entrées, we mixed up our own red and white sauces
for the pizzas, pastas and the panninis .
 
Our initial plan was only to serve coffee, tea and boulangerie items which we did at first but when we served our pizza as a temporary special, many people requested for it that we did a whole section of pizza too. The same happened with the pasta dishes. Some dishes though picked up and some didn’t. I found this to be true with the Quiche which I was happy to introduce because it is such a complete meal of it's own, but it appears, nothing still beats the 3x daily dose of rice for most.  

Of the clients I liked best were the ones who were sincere about their quest for new cuisine. One time a person came in and said he never had quiche before and that he did not know what it was, he was on a student's budget so we gave him his drinks for free. I wanted that spirit and I wished there were more of those that came in, even if it meant giving drinks for free.  I liked the clientele we gained despite not having a conventional media blitz, grand opening or even a big sign, just pure word of mouth and sojourners who found us by chance and I was happy for most that walked in. We literally had people from all walks of life - students from the nearby schools, employees, US and European expats, international volunteers from NGOs and tourists. We even had bakery shop owners come check our rustic breads and sandwiches which was quite heartwarming for me. 

Our Interior:

An honest review: 
"Came across this place by chance and very glad I did. More like an inner city Sydney cafe then any other place I've been to in Phil.
Had an excellent veggie panini, coffee was okay but not great, which is about the best you can expect in the Philippines where American-style childish, sweet concoctions are everywhere.
Good atmosphere and music, very quiet when I was there, I hope it succeeds."
               -- David Sanderson, from Sydney, Australia.

Another:
I recommend everyone to try this place. Word Class menu. I got new fave desserts.
  -- Kaye Valle 

Having Rustic Coffee was rewarding, however, it did take up a lot of my time. It was a joy having this fantasy/bucket list realized but I am a rolling stone after all even if I love the patina that comes from moss. Would I do it again? Yes, but perhaps in another place and in another time. 

One other aspect of Rustic I liked was my staff, all the growing pains we had, from the first bunch namely, Melca, Aiza and Eva, then as things moved on we gained Jeffrey, Daniel, Ian, Dianne, Jorell and Anabelle. The hodgepodge of all the personalities I dealt with and encountered was an experience I would not trade. Yes, we were not all perfect but we sure did have fun, heaps of it, all replete with laughter, trials, errors, successes, failures and certainly with hope. 

Rustic Coffee for me was an experience for my life's book, I did it and was happy for it, more filled than when I began. God is good to me no doubt, to have indulged me with a bonus, thank you Lord. Rustic was not without my husband, that most instrumental man I sometimes call JAT, treks upward like these are indelible in my life because of this person. And then there are those who came and made Rustic Coffee Rustic Coffee, YOU.

 Thank you to YOU, you know who YOU are, all that came to Rustic Coffee. It was cool to have you.