‘Sisig’ titbit hints good feast

Purists — and closet sisig lovers — can swear by “authenticity” and pledge allegiance to crispy strips of pig jowls and ears hissing on a scalding plate, and prepared by way of the doyenne of Kapampangan cooking, Lucia Cunanan of Angeles, billed as the country’s Sisig Queen.

There have been semi-smackdowns over authenticity; some argue that it’s not “authentic” sisig when it’s devoid of that carbon zing off the grill and tossed in mayo. Add pig brain to the concoction, the sisig becomes dinakdakan.

Sisig is the tofu of inventive Filipino cooking, the original recipe becoming a relic of the distant past.

There have been many expeditions in search of the perfect recipe: all roads lead to Pampanga, or the thin slice of it in Tagaytay: Binulo, where the savory appetizer, a labor of trademark passion, holds on to an old Kapampangan method and unadulterated cooking tradition.

At a luncheon of many courses recently at Binulo Tagaytay, sisig is a mere appetizer and champorado (tsokolate’t duman) dessert, enjoyed only like wine and whisky in tasting menus in serious degustation.

If at all experiences are remarkable in the way they start and end.

I surmise the idea of small portions is that the sisig at Binulo is a sin, and counts among the small list of things that are so good they are prohibited; one would much rather, if he must pile up on the sisig, prefer to enjoy it in secrecy and behind closed doors.

Every restaurant worth its swagger in this gastropolis has a unique selling proposition.

In Tagaytay’s hothouse of Kapampangan haute-cuisine, what gets yelp reviews is the binulo rice feast plumped up by seasonal edibles hard to come by even in this part of town, such as batute (deep-fried stuffed frog), kamaro (fried exotic mole crickets), tidtad (Pampanga blood stew) and kalderetang kambing.

Binulo Tagaytay’s menu is a proud showcase of familiar dishes, including signature fares such as pititian (chicharron), kare-kare, morcon, tibuk-tibuk (maja blanca), and pangat na ulang (river prawn soup binulo style).

Binulo is a method of cooking in bamboo, a nod to the culinary traditions of the indigenous Aetas in Pampanga. It pays homage to the Aeta land, their sustainable way of life, and their ability to use natural resources in many ingenious ways.

Binulo is located at Station House, Silang Junction South, Tagaytay City.

Book table reservations at +63 905 841 8515 and binulo.cs@gmail.com. Visit www.binulo.com and follow Binuoo on Instagram: @BinuloTagaytay and Facebook: fb.com/Binulo.