I was going to be brave.
I went to Abe’s Farm with a strong resolve to eat kamaru (rice field crickets) and betute (stuffed frog). I was a damn self-proclaimed foodie. I will not back away from eating such things. After all, I’ve already eaten alligator legs and turtle soup in New Orleans and buffalo chorizo quesadilla and elk stew in Moab, Utah. I eat balut! There was no reason why I should shy away from eating crickets and frogs, right?
But it was not meant to be. The season wasn’t right. Crickets and frogs were out and about during the rainy season, which it currently isn’t. To my surprise, I actually felt disappointed. Hubby and I drove all the way from Manila so we can have a culinary adventure.
We ended up ordering Bamboo Rice, Crispy Tadyang, Spicy Sizzling Sisig Pampanga with Paco Fern & Tomato Salad. Not as extraordinary as crickets and frogs, but oh well.
The Paco Fern & Tomato Salad had young rain forest fern with tomato and salted egg in a light dressing. I love how vibrant the colors were, then loved it some more after eating it! I guess we can count fern as an unfamiliar ingredient.
The next thing that charmed us? Bamboo Rice. Mountain rice is cooked with shrimps, wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots, then steamed in a bamboo shell. Our server tapped the shell open and voilà! Delicious rice for the eating.
Sisig traces its roots to Kapampangan cuisine. It is made of chopped pig’s head and liver, then seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers. Since we were in Pampanga, we deemed it appropriate to order it. This dish had minced pork jowl and chicken livers sauteed in garlic, spices and chilies.
Crispy Tadyang (“Crispy Beef Ribs”) is simply marinated and deep-fried beef ribs.
Our dessert was called Sikreto ni Maria (“Maria’s Secret”). I won’t ruin it for you what the secret is, but you can bet it’s a sweet one. 🙂
Verdict: Abe’s Farm is a hidden gem at the base of Mount Arayat, definitely worth the drive. Like Balay Dako (see my post here), Abe’s Farm feels like a family home in the province. It’s like an airy resthouse surrounded by greenery and decorated with antique furniture, balustrades and capiz shell sliding windows.
There’s plenty of parking space. No reservations are required. Even better, they allowed us to bring in our little dog (who was in a stroller), so he’s not left in the car, although we were seated in the back of the restaurant.
If you love nature, then this is the place for you. Ambiance? Check! It’s a perfect weekend getaway, quiet and relaxing. We didn’t get to tour the place, but that’s absolutely something we can do the next time we visit.
UPDATE: For the curious, we did go back to Abe’s Farm and I tried their kamaru (rice field crickets) dish. Sadly, it is not a dish I will eat again…or maybe if it’s deep-fried.
Address:
Abe’s Farm
Barangay Ayala, Magalang
Pampanga, Philippines