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The 30 mile Lunch

I was able to go Snowboarding on a work day because this guy at work hooked me up. I don't want to give away our secret so let's just say we found creative ways to divert peoples attention at work. He is also partly responsible for getting me hired at my current position that is so replete with perks-- thanks dude! As a token of my appreciation for the so-called snowboard hookup, i offered to get him lunch along with some of our other friends at work...

When i came in to work in the morning i reminded him i would be picking up lunch. I thought he was nuts because he suggested Filipino Food. See we work in Moorpark, about 35 miles North East of North Hollywood, that makes the closest Filipino Restaurant about, well 30 miles away. I didn't think he was serious at first mainly because of he distance but soon enough i couldn't get my mind out of the Filipino food idea, i had to have it (he seems to have a knack for anomalous ideas)... It's like asking a girl to move in with you-- you know what i mean? You can not joke about that stuff because the chances of being taken seriously is very likely no matter how ridiculous the girl might think the idea is. A crazy idea but a very serious proposition all the same, just like the Filipino Food idea... So we get in the Honda Civic and drove 30 miles East to Panorama City just to satisfy our hungry Filipino tummies. To make this journey even more serious we had to order something for two White Guys we work with who are very specific with their food. One guy for instance only eats boneless and skinless Chicken while the other eats no Sea Food whatsoever and thinks Planter Seeds is a good substitute for cereal in the morning. The Mexican guy however i wasn't too worried about frankly because he is Mexican and not picky, i mean we hung out in Mexico together eating Lobster and Fish Tacos... Plus i seen him eat Chicharones like they're Lay's Potato Chips or something...

So for the Non-Filipino and Mexicans, we got the least complicated stuff, Beef Steak, Adobo, pancit and the like. For me is all Pork all the way, Lechon Kawale and Tokwat Baboy. My Filipino friend on the other hand ordered some pretty serious stuff like Bicol Express which he said was suppose to be Red instead of White (i don't know what part of the Philippines have Red Bicol Express). He got over the Color rather quickly though lol... Bicol Express is a concoction of Sea Foods, Pork, and coconut sap, a very original Filipino culinary invention that is probably not for the weak of stomachs. Imagine eating shrimp, squid, fish, pork, jalapeños, and coconut sap served as a soup only it's not a soup-- it's not very tasty looking either. Its like a thick stew of stuff that shouldn't be stewed together, or like bad Gumbo of fermented Sea Foods... Well okay, what probably best describes this Filipino concoction is like Thai Sea Food in Coconut soup only thicker without all the exotic herbs and spices, and again it isn't exactly a soup, sure you could sip it like soup but you would probably Yak. Anyway, to its defense i think it taste great, or maybe it's just the Filipino in me...

"We just drove 30 miles to get Lunch" i said in disbelief as we walked out of the store our hands filled with bags of Food, "F'ck it" says my Ghetto Fabulous Filipino friend -- you should Snowboard more often...

You know what-- i just might take him up on that offer!!!

Posted by: Marc Gabay
Thursday, December 14, 2006