12/19/2009
It's less than a week before Christmas!
chicken tenders
At this time, I'm pretty sure that most of us are having their share of happy reunions and parties that allow us to spread some cheer and goodwill to our family and friends. Lately, I have been doing the rounds around the Metro as well, attending to reunions organized by my various groups of friends. A group of friends, which are classmates from way back in high school, called me up for a nice class lunch at the Bonifacio High Street. Of course, I attended ---knowing that it was another opportunity to catch up and savor some great food.
We went to Clawdaddy's, an American-style seafood restaurant that also had a branch at the EDSA Shangri-la. Unfortunately, being allergic to seafood (except fish and shellfish), I could not really sample the full possibilities of their wide menu. Nonetheless, the few dishes I had were enough to give me an idea on their cooking.
As this was a class lunch, we certainly outdid each other in defining the word "unhurried". From an original plan of just staying for lunch, we stayed well into the afternoon, and shared our stories amidst good food and drink.
smoked salmon salad
Clawdaddy, as a restaurant, really did their food well, but we had our own favorites during our class lunch. A classmate of mine, being such a boy at heart, had chicken tenders, which was breaded in cornflakes and served in a box that looked like a Cadillac. As we relived the good-natured teasing so common with high school classmates, we ordered and waited for our own --- which was a smoked salmon salad. It was really a standout, with mesclun greens graced by a nice, sweet-sour passion fruit vinaigrette. The sweet crunch of the caramelized walnuts, coupled by the smoky taste of the salmon, was such a great combination. It was already a feast, and we were not having main course yet!
Clawdaddy's clammy spaghetti
My classmates, being thoughtful people (thank you and sorry for the inconvenience), decided against ordering crab or other seafood so we can share. So, for our main course, we had some clammy spaghetti, which was spaghetti with an olive oil, white wine and Manila clam broth. It looked so deceptively simple, but it was heaven! The simplicity of the flavors, coupled with some warm, toasty bread, was enough to lift your spirits. Of course, with some of us being incorrigible, unrepentant carnivores, we also had spaghetti with meatballs. The spaghetti was just huge, having two quarter-pound meatballs in a nice tomato sauce. We ended up sharing pasta among ourselves, and ordering extra servings because of their great taste.
Oysters Rockefeller
Of course, we also had some Oysters Rockefeller (an all-time favorite), which was oysters with spinach, bacon, cream and cheese. Just having one is already an indulgence, and I would rank Clawdaddy's version as one of the best I ever had, comparable to Via Mare's, which served their oysters in a bed of rock salt. We also had some ribs for main course, which was served in a nice wooden plate, coupled with a generous serving of mashed potatoes (with some skin on).
ribs and mashed potatoes
Indeed, our lunch at Clawdaddy's became such a great feast. With the excellent food and thoughtful staff, having a great time was just so easy. We ended up reminiscing on good times (and our loser moments) in high school, when our lives were less complicated --- our concerns centering on getting homework done, the latest gossip, and planning the next day out with our limited budgets. We laughed over our juvenile antics and jokes, and we exchanged stories about our own plans and dreams, now being twenty-somethings who are now a bit older and hopefully wiser.
Of course, we had some big news, since a classmate just announced that he's getting married next year. That sounds like another reunion for me, and I would be looking forward to the next one!
For the meantime, merry Christmas everyone!
(Clawdaddy can be found at the Bonifacio High Street at The Fort, Taguig City. You can call 856 4326 or 856 4785 for your reservations. Another Clawdaddy branch could be found at the 6/F, The Ledge of the EDSA Shangri-La Mall.)
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