Happy Foodies

Showing posts with label Zamboanga City. Show all posts

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><img alt="Chicken and Beef Satti at Jimmys" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3238338009_0df0be0565_o.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chicken and Beef Satti at Jimmy's</figcaption></figure> Pardon our take on Dickens’ “Tale of Two Cities” for the title but we beg to ask, a satti is a satti is a satti, right? A visit to Zamboanga City and Bongao, Tawi Tawi became a journey of discovery with regards to the answer to this query. But first things first – what is a satti? A popular breakfast fare in the south, satti is grilled beef or chicken on a stick served with tamuh (rice) in a spicy curry sauce. The description reads like a simple dish to prepare so you might be inclined to say how different can sattis be? We had the opportunity to sample the satti at Jimmy’s, the pride of Zamboanga and Sulu, and at the Bongao Coffee Shop to look for answers.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><img alt="Hai Sain Grilled Tiger Prawns on Lemon and Butter" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3177821859_4c77ce40e5_b.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hai Sain Grilled Tiger Prawns on Lemon and Butter</figcaption></figure> Our flight schedule to Zamboanga City fell on Christmas day so it was imperative that happyfoodies should have a good Christmas dinner away from our respective homes. But we want something else other than the usual hamon and other holiday foods so at the suggestion of our tricycle driver, we ended up in Hai San Seafood Market and Restaurant. Was the meal worthy of a holiday dinner? Was the food delicious as it was filling? Happyfoodies would soon find out.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><img alt="Curacha with Alavars Sauce (large Ph 745)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/3190342739_e84f8af7bd_o.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Curacha with Alavar's Sauce (large Php 745)</figcaption></figure> Visit Zamboanga City and almost everyone tells you not to miss tasting the famous Curacha, a hybrid crustacean that bears resemblance to the sea crab and a spiny lobster. The name means “cockroach” in Chavacano, maybe because of its appearance. But don’t let that unappetizing translation dissuade you from sampling this tasty crustacean, which is caught only in the seas of Zamboanga and Sulu. Short of buying a live one from the market and cooking it yourself, the best way to enjoy this treat is to eat at Alavar’s Seafood House, which is just a short tricycle ride from downtown. First item on the agenda is of course, Curacha. But happyfoodies got some welcome surprises from other items in the menu.