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Guest Chef - Mabuhay Gardens
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE - JULY 2003
Guest Chef - Mabuhay Gardens
A Filipino welcome with a Spanish touch
Nassau is blessed with a variety of Asian eateries: Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Filipino.
One Asian fusion bistro that is attracting an increasing number of locals as well as cruise ship crews and passengers, is Mabuhay Gardens Oriental Restaurant, just a step or two away from Nassau?s epicentre, Rawson Square.
Mabuhay, which means welcome, long life or aloha in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, exudes the subtle Spanish influence that sets Filipino food apart from other Oriental cuisine, which they also serve. The islands, after all, were named after King Philip II of Spain, and the small island of Limasawa was visited by Magellan in 1521. The capital city of Manila was founded by the Spanish in 1571.
The architects of Mabuhay?s cuisine are cousins Jessie Vista, 47, and Zaldy Arca, 39, whose wife, Solly Itong-Arca has managed the 50-seat East St eatery since it opened in 2001.
The two chefs, together or separately, have worked in nearly every Oriental restaurant in Nassau.
Arca left a position as Oriental chef at the President Hotel in Manila when he arrived here in 1990. He has since created Asian dishes at the Double Dragon, House of Wong, Oriental Express and Montagu Beach Restaurant.
Vista spent three years in the Oriental Palace Restaurant at the Carnival?s Crystal Palace Resort and Casino on Cable Beach. He also opened the kitchen at Mandarin Court on Marlborough St.
The difference between Filipino food and other Oriental cuisine, according to Arca, is mainly the Spanish influence. ?It?s really simple cooking, using simple ingredients,? explains Itong-Arca. ?The staples of Filipino cooking are garlic, soy sauce and black pepper. The main meats we use are chicken, pork, beef and seafoods.?
The friendly staff will help you decipher the unpronounceable menu items and a chili-pepper guide on the menu tells you what?s hot and what?s not.
Here?s a sampling of Oriental fare from Mabuhay Gardens.
Thai shrimp rolls
(serves 1)
1 fresh chili pepper, crushed
1 tsp honey
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1?2 tsp red curry paste
3 wonton wrappers
3 medium-sized shrimps, peeled, deveined with tails intact
1 egg
Vegetable oil for frying
Mix together chili pepper, honey and soy sauce. Set aside.
Separate egg white from the yolk. Set aside. Place parsley, garlic and red curry paste in bowl and mix thoroughly. Brush one side of each wonton wrapper with egg white. Place a thin strip of the paste mixture on the centre of each wonton wrapper, about the length of the shrimp. Place one shrimp on top of the mixture and roll the wonton to wrap the shrimp, making sure the tail sticks out of the roll. Use the egg yolk to seal each roll. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve with honey-soy sauce mixture as a dipping sauce.
Fish Sarciado
(serves 1)
1 medium-sized milkfish or snapper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet pepper, julienned
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stems spring onions, chopped
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped
2 tbsp ginger, julienned
Vegetable or soya oil
Flour
1?2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1?2 cup water mixed with 1tbsp cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Dip into bowl of flour enough to cover fish. Remove excess flour. Deep-fry until golden brown. Place in a serving dish and set aside.
Sauté garlic in oil. Add the ginger, onion, tomato, sweet pepper and chicken or vegetable stock. Season with salt and black pepper and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour the cornstarch mixture slowly while stirring constantly until the desired thickness is achieved. Simmer for a minute. Remove from heat and pour thick sauce on top of the fish. Garnish with spring onions and serve.
Tom Yum Kung soup
(serves 2)
2 cups water
2 tsp Tom Yum Paste
4 medium-sized shrimps, peeled and deveined.
2 tbsp sliced mushrooms
Lime juice
Fish sauce to taste
Boil water. Add Tom Yum paste, shrimps and mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes. Add lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Serve hot.
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