LUNCH AT DENLIM’S KITCHEN IN PAMPANGA, PHILIPPINES

The other week in the Philippines, I was persuaded by my friend Tats to drive two hours out of Manila to have lunch at a restaurant called Denlim’s Kitchen. This restaurant is in the town of Pampanga. The whole area is a culinary destination for local foodies and there are many interesting restaurants and innovative chefs cooking local specialties here.

Dennis Lim, who owns Denlim’s Kitchen, is one of the culinary stars of Pampanga. He runs a quirky but stylish restaurant with a canteen atmosphere, surrounded by dozens of baskets, jars and cooking utensils. You really get the feeling that you are eating in his artsy kitchen.

HOW TO RESERVE FOR DENLIM’S KITCHEN

Interestingly, Denlim’s Kitchen has a very long waiting list especially for weekends. In fact, I dislike long drives in general, but I decided to brave the traffic and drive to Pampanga after Tats, who invited me to join her family for lunch, said: “My mom waited about eight months to get this reservation.”

That certainly made me decide to join them for lunch at Denlim’s Kitchen in Pampanga one Sunday.

HOW TO GET TO DENLIM’S KITCHEN

The restaurant itself is hard to find as it’s way inside a neighbourhood off the national highway, so you’ll need to use Waze to get here. Also, unless you happen to know Dennis Lim’s best friend or his neighbour, you’d better start planning your 2020 Sunday lunch now. It’s not a walk-in restaurant so you should have your confirmed reservations before you go.

As for the food, it was very nice and home-grown. He’s self-taught and this is the Philippines, so everything was delicious but some of it was very unhealthy. But then, as most doctors like to say, “If it’s good, it’s probably bad for you.”

We began with salads and all kinds of appetisers. The dishes were all plated nicely and they were delicious. This was the healthy part.

SISIG IN A SPAGHETTI

Of course my favourites were the ones likely to give diners a heart attack. I liked the sisig spaghetti because it was something new. It really was pasta with a big dose of sisig over it. And sisig just happens to be one of my favorite foods in the world.

I also thought the roasted pork (lechon) served with fermented rice and a local gourd called ampalaya was excellent. We were told to place a slice of pork with crispy skin and a dab of fermented rice on a slice of ampalaya, and eat it in one go.

It was wonderful. In fact, I probably ate most of it as everyone else was very full by that time.

ABOUT THE CHEF OF DEN’S KITCHEN

Dennis himself is very personable and he prepared most of the dishes right by our long table of diners. Everything was very relaxed and after all the food I ate, I felt like walking back to Manila.

REVIEWS ON DENLIM’S

“Is it really that good?” Someone asked me afterwards. I’d posted some photos on Facebook, you see. Well, don’t expect gourmet food or fine dining. But the dishes he served that day for lunch were innovative, pleasing to the eyes, and a joy to the palate. These were a mix of Philippine dishes and original dishes with an international flair.

Driving to Denlim’s in Pampanga for lunch is definitely a nice foodie thing to do on a Sunday in Manila. That is, if you can get a table.

Read more about the best restaurants in the Philippines in Travelife Magazine.

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There are limited group packages available. These offer the best value for Toast Martinborough tickets.

ABOUT THE TOAST MARTINBOROUGH FESTIVAL

Martinborough is just over an hour’s drive or train ride from Wellington. It’s located in the Wairarapa region, home to over 20 boutique vineyards all located near each other. Visitors can walk, bike or take a local shuttle between the vineyards.

Once a year the village celebrates its wines, wine-makers and stunning fresh produce with the Toast Martinborough festival. So this event has developed a history and a magic. These are the reasons why it has been attracting people from around New Zealand and the world for more than twenty years.

Toast is unique because its multi-site celebration allows festival-goers to easily walk or ride on the free shuttles operating between each vineyard. Like last year, this year’s organizers are issuing a shatterproof stemless wineglass and a cashless wristband payment system. to festival goers.

A WINE FESTIVAL APP AND FESTIVAL TICKETS

They will also have access to the Toast Martinborough app. This is a one-stop-shop for all essential information. Group bookings for six or more are on sale now through Ticketek New Zealand.

The 2018 Toast Martinborough programme will be released later this year. Read more articles about New Zealand in Travelife Magazine.

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This post is about our visit to the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, one of the most famous food markets in Israel and a must-visit destination for foodies.

The Machane Yehuda is one of Jerusalem’s most authentic markets. It’s the best place to literally get a taste of Middle Eastern flavors and Middle Eastern life. It’s a very local market full of color, life, sounds, and, of course, tastes.

Many of the shops have been around for at least a hundred years, if not more. This is Jerusalem, after all, one of the oldest cities in the world.

I visited late in the afternoon, but the market was still alive with shopkeepers trying to sell off as much of their fresh foods as possible, and with locals buying ingredients for dinner — plus tourists like me snapping away at all the exotic and interesting foods on offer.

This market is literally eye candy for the adventurous foodie. And for Orthodox Jews, it’s seventh heaven as everything sold here is kosher. I even found some stalls selling the clothing worn by Orthodox Jews — including the white inner vests and the black caps.

Most people were very friendly, and I kept getting offered all kinds of food including nuts and fruits, and even cooked meals like little plates of rice topped with nuts and raisings.

“HAVE SOME…”

I was quite full from lunch and determined to keep to some kind of diet during my trip. But I couldn’t very well refuse all these offers coming at me as I walked through the market’s “street.”

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