Ricky's Take: Cafe Escudero

A Taste of Sorsogon

Growing up in a family where food plays a key role in fostering good cheer and camaraderie amongst its family members, photographer Philip Escudero has taken the long road back from his native Sorsogon to share his hometown’s cuisine in a café situated in the heart of Quezon City’s restaurant row.

The café’s interiors evoke an outdoor feel with its exposed ceilings and radiating trellis slats.

Philip’s appreciation of good home-cooked food was instilled in him from youthful memories when he and his siblings would sit together at the dinner table and enjoy their mother’s cooking. The unique taste and flavors of Sorsogon cuisine, a staple in their household, was to become the basis of his new endeavor. Seeing the potential of offering these distinct dishes, Philip embarked on establishing a café that would offer the best of Sorsogon cuisine in a relaxed, casual setting.

Sprawling with white, black, and pink sand beaches and lush mountains, the province of Sorsogon abounds with marine life and vegetation that has greatly influenced its local cuisine. Fresh fish and shellfish as well as leaves from the taro plant are common fare and are cooked in many variations from town to town. A staple ingredient is coconut milk which is used to steep the ingredients in as well as red hot chili peppers that give the dishes that added dimension unique to Sorsogon’s regional cuisine.

Café Escudero, which opened last August 2012, offers a specialty menu of comfort food from Sorsogon. We tried a sampling of their menu choices and were pleasantly surprised by the subtle flavors of each dish. Flavors blended and complimented each other with hints of flavor from particular ingredients surfacing with each bite. Here’s what we tried.

An appetizer of fried spring rolls made of cheese sticks lined with green chili pepper. The slight heat from the green chili pepper was just enough to compliment the flavor and texture of the cheese without overwhelming it.

Sorsogon Alimasag Tapenade (foreground), Monggo Bean Cream Soup (background)

Kinilaw na Baluko - shellfish akin to scallops in vinegar brine

Crispy Baluko is served with a vinegar dipping sauce steeped in garlic and red chilies

Inihaw na Pusit is stuffed with a medley of vegetables

Top on the 'must-try' list is "Pinangat' - layers of taro leaves steeped in coconut milk and chilies. The leaves are wrapped into parcels and steamed until cooked.

All-day breakfast fare can be had with Sorsogon's famous 'Danggit' (dried, salted fish). Fish in Sorsogon is usually dried and stored to be used during the monsoon season when fishing activities are suspended.

Another all-day breakfast staple is Guinobatan Longganiza, named after the town from which it is produced

Rellenong Sorsogon Alimasag - stuffed crab served with parsley rice and vinegar dipping sauce

Not wanting to limit the cafe's food choices, Philip has expanded the menu to include hearty soups, pasta dishes, sandwiches, and other typical cafe fare.