There was a thunderstorm brewing and I was suddenly taken back to my childhood memory as we drove around The Fort. Still not over the story behind how chef Bruce's childhood shaped who he is now, after having hyped up with voluptuous fodder at Hyphy's . Waiting eagerly for the green light on the street ahead, I envision my Papa roasting chicken (the "Pinaupo" way, where the dressed chicken being roasted is sat on a grill over heaping fiery red charcoals.) My Mama, making Arroz Ala Valenciana for 30 or more guests, as we scatter sliced boiled eggs over a bed of the soothing dish. And my Lola Vita, cooking our regular Kaldereta for lunch.
Happy childhood memories are few for me and they almost all seem to revolve around food in some way. No wonder really, as food is comforting in itself. It fools you into believing that all is right with the world, well for that moment at least; and later on, if need be, the memory of it can soothe an unpleasant moment in time. Unpleasant as it may seem, but the thought of the indulgence that will soon manifest as we were closing in at none the less, Chef Bruce Lim's Chef's Table.
