Cycle 5 – Item 157

11 (Wed) June 2014

Angulas a la Vasca

2.5

at Cirkulo

-San Lorenzo, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines-

with various Korean WPRO staff and Korean delegates from the NCD Knowledge Management Workshop

Cirkulo is a Spanish restaurant.  Founded in 1995.  Upscale.

Angulas a la Vasca is a Spanish dish.  Consists of angulas (baby eels) – each about 5 cm in length, about as thick as spaghettini – sautéed in olive oil with garlic, sometimes chilies.  Originated in Vasca (Basque), among fisherman.  A popular tapa, though increased demand across the world for the eels have resulted in skyrocketing prices and concerns about sustainability.

Overall, the food was perhaps the best that I’ve ever had in the Philippines.  The dishes were carefully selected by our esteemed Regional Director, a consummate gourmand who’s been to Cirkulo on many previous occasions and so knows what’s good.  Although I didn’t like the texture of the argulas, felt like slimy noodles, the olive oil base was perfectly seasoned, excellent for dipping bread.  The other dishes were fantastic, especially the Slow Roasted U.S. Beef Belly, but I’ll save comment for a future post.  Without question, I’ll be back.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN PHILIPPINES)