A scent, a song, a sight, a movie and that plaintive music [they] can send us back to the past. So can the taste of good food and drinks.
The first siomai I ever loved was the one from Wah Yuen Restaurant along Escolta near Lyric Theater. When I was in grade school, Sunday was movie day for my family of origin. We would go to King’s Theater in Chinatown for action Chinese movies, to East Cinema for Chinese drama and romcoms, then we would usually have dinner at New Nation Restaurant, but other restaurants were also tried and visited regularly – Ling Nam Restaurant and Wah Yuen among them.
Later on, I had a taste of another heavenly (or deadly if you have clogged arteries) siomai from a restaurant along Ongpin Street called Maxim’s Tea House. Maxim’s later became MXT but is now known as Mei Sum. The name changed but the location remains the same. There was a time Maxim’s could be found in SM supermall food courts. To this day, Maxim’s/Mei Sum’s pork siomai is my favorite siomai. David’s Tea House, President, Causeway, even Chowking, also have great-tasting siomai.
When I was young, I never liked the appearance of hamburgers so I avoided eating them. One movie night with my favorite aunt changed that. Auntie Lolly bought Cindys burgers for us to eat while watching a movie along Avenida, Manila.
When I first tasted that utterly delectable Cindys burger, I knew I would be loving burgers until I get a heart attack or until the day I die, whichever comes first.
I remember developing hyperacidity when I was a teenager. Of the many cola brands, I mostly drank Coke in my teens.
I was sipping Coke while nursing a broken heart. It felt like Coke’s ribbon logo tied a knot in my heart that wanted to kill me. That probably started my tummy’s strong hyperacidity when drinking Coke and other soft drinks, especially dark-colored ones like Coke.
I do not drink soda as often as I used to, but when I do, I relish the taste of young love and acid going up my throat. Coke is it!
There are many great-tasting pizzas nowadays. It’s difficult to choose which one tastes better. One pizza, however, stands out for me apparently because of its association with my childhood.
When I was a child, one of my older siblings would bring me to Shakey’s. There was no Pizza Hut then, no Papa John’s, no Yellow Cab, etc. Of the vehicles we had, from Mercedes Benz to 18-wheeler trucks, my sibling preferred to drive the Willys Jeep and the owner-type jeep on our way to Shakey’s.
I’d learned to look forward to eating other pizza brands later in life because of Shakey’s. The stark contrast between bell peppers and bruises got stuck in the emporium of my gustatory memories. Shakey’s somehow provided a taste of hope in an oftentimes dark world. In my young mind, the song “Someone’s Waiting for You” from the Disney film The Rescuers teamed up with Shakey’s – a song of longing and a taste of belonging.
To recap: Siomai, hamburger, Coke, and pizza – the unnecessary use of these products may be dangerous to your health.
There will be other fluids and food recipes to taste. I doubt that I have tried or shall be able to try them all. These days, I regularly get food gifts from patients that I sometimes feel like a pig for slaughter. I always appreciate the food gifts, though, and never fail to share savory meals with colleagues.
Aging limits the kind of food we can and should eat. But, it has never stopped me from gratifying my taste buds. There’s really not much to do in my golden years except to go on trips down memory lane… with a Coke and a smile, enjoying life’s variant flavors.
Thank you for your indulgence.
