Pleasures of the Table: By Chef Gene R. Gonzalez
I have been an avid Dagupeña diner since I can remember driving and making my choices of detours when I came from Baguio or the beach areas in Pangasinan.
The Dagupeña restaurant, which dates back to 1928, was known in the old days as Carinderia Dagupeña y Salon de Refreseas. It recently moved to its new location in Calasiao, Pangasinan, to a location which still has an antiquated feel, but with bigger and brighter surroundings. This
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Sinigang na Baboy | | restaurant, which was founded by Inacia Bernal (Bai Inacia), still serves simple fare, such as Sinigang, Daing, Relleno, and Adobo, but their use of good quality ingredients has kept my spirit and body longing for their food every time I am in town. The varied clientele ranges from politicians, media personalities, bus drivers, balikbayans, tourists, and locals, all craving Dagupeña’s Bonuan bangus in particular.
Now, let’s discuss the reasons why this is the preferred bangus. The Bonuan bangus is milkfish cultivated in shallow ponds for it to fatten on the bottom algae that gives it its characteristic mild flavor, something the Europeans describe in freshwater fish as a "sweet-water taste". Bonuan bangus are hunchbacked because they always push to gather the algae at the bottom of the pond. This is also why the lower tail is shorter: because of the constant abrasion it goes through when feeding. This is why some unscrupulous sellers of other types of bangus go to the extent of cutting or snipping the lower end of the tail of non-Bonuan bangus. The ideal size is about 11 to 12 inches.
The daing na bangus of Dagupeña secretes precious tasty oils, just like duck or pork fattened for good eating. One eating habit of mine is to have a side order of their buro, which is very mildly fermented and cooked and fragranced with annatto or achuete oil. I thought this Pangasinan version was a delight, being a buro fancier. Partnered with sinigang whose broth preserves the recipe of Bai Inacia, and fired over a rice hull stove, this is truly comfort cuisine.
The second generation, Bai Inacia’s daughter Emma, has some must-try specialties. The crispy yet melt-in-the-mouth Binagoongang Pata and the sweet spicy eggplant are her innovations to the menu. Third generation innovations are contributed by Emma’s daughter An-an Castro, who is a U.S. schooled chef. I particularly fancy the sabaw ni Judge, a soup made by An-an for her father using hito meat, vinegar, and alugbati. She will soon introduce Grilled West Pangasinan oysters to their list of oyster specialties, which include inadobo and kilawin. An-an presently supplies certain stores with choice bangus cuts in classic pesto and teriyaki flavors.
For dessert, instead of choosing their classic halo-halo which I’ve had each visit for the past decade or so, I made the good decision to have their Sansrival Ice Cream Cake and frozen banana mousse.
Since I always have an ice chest ready at the back of my car—which I fill with items ranging from longaniza to suckling pig—I decided to extend my gustatorial delights by packing some Bonuan Bangus and bringing it home.
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