Bring the Wife to Work Day

One of the blessings of being a freelance professional is having control over my schedule. Most days I am just here at home, typing away scripts and blogs and doing house chores and catching up on my book reading in between. And then some days I’d be fairly free. So to keep me away from my laptop at least for a few hours, my husband would occasionally pick me up at home and (un)officially declare “Bring the Wife to Work Day.”

My husband is a licensed veterinarian but he’s currently in sales. He works for a company that sells canine diseases test kits to vets. So a normal working day for my husband would be driving around the metro and up north visiting clinics. Yesterday, since his itinerary was just QC and he didn’t have any co-workers riding with him, he had the missus sitting on the passenger seat.

Driving around especially in this dreadful summer heat can be a pain so I could clearly see from my husband’s smile that he, like me, cherishes these moments. I don’t really do anything but just be there as his “ka-kwentuhan”; entertaining him with my random thoughts and muses on anything that my eye catches on the road. When it’s time to make a client call, I just stay in the car and patiently wait for him. On rides like this we always have our favorite ‘90s rock music lined up. Then we would reminisce our rollicking teen years growing up to these songs. It’s really a blessing to be married to someone who shares your interests. He’s not only my husband but more than anything he’s my best friend. And hubby knows very well that I like eating at unique spots so for lunch he took me to his client’s restaurant.



PLACES (Pet Lovers Animal Clinic and Emergency Services) is actually a veterinarian clinic that has an Ilocano Specialty carinderia on the side called “Kainan nila Doktora”. Amusingly, the eatery earns more than the clinic. Hahaha. Well, it’s not surprising since this place, as my husband told me, has become a landmark on Visayas Avenue. Veterinarians from other clinics and Ilocano food lovers go to eat there for lunch or dinner. My father’s family is actually Ilocano. They only moved to Davao sometime in the ‘50s. So I also grew up on my grandfather’s home cooked Papaitang Kambing (To my foreign readers: it’s a stew made from intestines and other innards of the goat.)



Yesterday, Joseph and I tried their Adobong Baboy Damo and Tapang Usa. (Pardon me, my vegan & animal rights activists readers) The baboy damo meat was so soft and you know what it doesn’t taste like pork at all. And I noticed that its bones were very small. My husband explained that wild boars are actually small because they’re not farm-fattened like the ones we usually get from the market. If you’re craving Ilocano food then you should really go down to this place. Big thumbs up for the food! I love it when my husband gets to have a 2nd cup of rice because believe it or not my husband for a guy eats like a cat. I grew up in a family where eating is an Olympic game. My male cousins and brothers are all huge so I get embarrassed when I realized that I have eaten more than my husband. These days I make sure that he eats more than me.



After the hearty exotic lunch, Joseph went to the clinic to make a client call on Doc Mae the veterinarian slash restaurateur. By the way don’t worry they don’t serve any Azucena (dog dish) in her restaurant. And then we went back on the road and headed to the next clinic. I definitely love “Bring the Wife to Work” days. I can’t wait for the next. :-)

Classic Davao... My Fave Childhood Restos

To be honest, I hardly know Davao City any more. Well it’s my fault. I left my hometown back in 1995 to pursue a college degree in UP Diliman. Later on Metro Manila inevitably became my new permanent residence after I graduated. During my recent visit last March I was overwhelmed by the dramatic make-over that my former humble and simple town underwent. I always visit Davao every year but it was only then I really took notice of its metamorphosis.

As of date 3 new malls are being constructed, coffee shops are found at practically every street corner, the restaurant industry is booming, the increasing number of international flights, traffic is much heavier, etc etc… One clear indicator for me that I’m already a stranger in my own land is when I don’t recognize even one person on the plane home any more. I’ve been experiencing that ever since the turn of the century.

I remember that I used to dream of a developing Davao in one of my feature articles on our High School Newspaper back in the very early ‘90s. I even had an interview with Mayor Duterte for that cover story and he was able to share to me the city government’s plan to construct a flyover across Buhangin and Bajada. And now it’s been there for years. I feel a tingle of pride knowing that I was one of those privileged few to learn about the infrastructure project beforehand.

As much as I am impressed with the growth spurt of the municipality, I can’t help but be all sappy and nostalgic about the Davao that I know back in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. The cityscape has certainly changed. While some of the iconic Davao establishments are still there, most are already gone. Let me just drive down memory lane and reminisce about the places that were uniquely Davao during my childhood. Let me start this list with my favorite thing: FOOD!

MY FAVORITE CLASSIC DAVAO RESTAURANTS
Some of my family’s favorite restaurants still exist and it’s quite a delight to know that these Davao Classics are still alive. They may have refurbished their restaurants to keep with the times and improved their menu but nothing beats the good ol’ days…

1. MERCO (Bolton St/227-4435)– Owned by the Ferrazinis, this café/restaurant/bakeshop which was originally just an ice cream parlor is truly a Davao Icon since 1946!!! Right now I’m not sure how many branches they already have but the one I have fondest memories of is its mother branch on Bolton corner Rizal Sts. How can you ever forget their posters that said “Share a Seat, Win a Friend”? And oh, did I mention their banana split… classic Merco rolls… and Durian shake? Yummy!!! Haaay… nakaka-miss.

2. HARANA (Torres St/ 227-3937)– This is the place to go to whenever an occasion calls for a nice dinner celebration. The cuisine is All-Filipino. Dining is al fresco. The best time to go is always in the evening. I love their sinigang na baboy and the grilled tuna. But of course as a kid, food was secondary for me when we have a family date at Harana. The best thing about this place is its PLAYGROUND! This is the only restaurant I know that has that classic steel monkey bars, old tire swings, and giant slides made of marble stones! Child safety was certainly still unheard of at that time. And true enough, one of us always had to go home with a bump on his head or a scratch on his knee after a visit to Harana. The old Harana in Matina Street has long been gone. There’s still another one at F. Torres Street but I’m not sure if they still have those marble slides.

3. CHICKIES N’ PATTIES (Bonifacio St/ 227-4918) – I think this restaurant was more famous for its jingle than for its chicken! Hahaha! If you were a kid growing up in Davao City, you probably at some point in your childhood memorized the lyrics to the Chickies & Patties jingle. Okay, let me see if I still remember them… “Come all friends! Come to Chickies & Patties, where the chickies are always the best! Taste is different at Chickies & Patties, once you bite you will never go for less. Prices are right at Chickies & Patties. Quality. Specialty for you and for me like na na na na na na and yummy sandwiches, cheesy chickie burgers and many many more. Plus quality service from Chickies & Patties!!!” ... Need I say more? Hahaha. I forgot some of the lyrics. Anybody?

4. DENCIAS (Gen. Luna St/ 227-6777) – We go to Dencias for one thing only – lugaw and tokwa’t baboy! And they have been serving this comfort food for 70 years now. What is even amazing is that it has stayed on its original location all this time. I remember back in the ‘80s, the restaurant had two areas – the main dining hall where customers order the typical Chinese ala carte dishes and then there’s the smaller “lugaw” room as I call it. They serve nothing else but lugaw in that room and the people don’t mind. Once you enter the room, no need to tell the waitresses what you need. Just take your seat and for sure a bowl of steaming hot lugaw will appear right under your nose before you know it.

5. CECIL’S SNACK INN (Anda St/227-5305) – When I was a kid, I loved going to the dentist not only because my dentist was a nice sweet old lady who gave me lollipops after each tooth extraction (kinda ironic, huh?) but because right across her clinic on Anda Street is Cecil’s Snack Inn – home of the best Luglug (palabok in Tagalog) in town, if not in the entire Philippines! A visit to the dentist was always followed with a merienda at Cecil’s. I think another reason why my mom and I always frequented the place was because the owner was an old classmate of hers or something like that.

Other noteworthy of being named as part of the Davao Classic List are the following:

6. JALTAN FOOD CENTRUM which started as a small canteen right beside the family’s Jaltan Drugstore in the ‘60s and has been the go-to place for its bestseller merienda fares: fresh lumpia, maruya, and other native delicacies… (City Hall Drive/227-3477)

7. TAPS for its (you guess it) variety of student-friendly tapsilog meals. I remember back in High School, we would sneak out of the campus during lunch time just so we could eat here… (Duterte St)


8. HONEYBEAR CHICKEN HOUSE, which already closed down several years ago and now is back… (Quirino Ave/226-8288)

9. MOLAVE for its greaseless chicken and for being one of the “fine dining” places in Davao BACK THEN… (Jacinto St/227-6522)

10. COLASA'S for its world-famous chicken barbeque… (Magallanes St/224-0098)

11. LUZ KINILAW for being one of the Mayor’s favorite seaside dining places; also where you can savor seafood at its best for coastal cheap prices for 40 years now… (Quezon Blvd/226-4612)

12. ZED PIZZA for their famous and Davao’s first square pizza… (Bonifacio St/221-0958)

And though it doesn’t exist anymore I’m sure fellow Ateneans could remember:
13. DELIHOUSE, the burger & hotdog kiosk right outside the Ateneo Grade School gate which serves a mouth-watering bacon-cheesedog. Oh my! I think that was when I started becoming chubby in Grade 5.

If you’re visiting Davao City anytime soon, get on a Food Trip and experience the same Davao I had when I was growing up. The Area Code for the phone numbers I provided is 82.

Check out my next blog on Classic Davao Shopping & Lifestyle! :-)

Davao City’s Best Siopao: Kuilan's

I never leave Davao without a box of my all-time favorite KUILAN’S SIOPAO! So when I went back to Manila yesterday, I just had to get a box. I swear once you go Kuilan’s, you’ll never even dare eat another brand of siopao. Made fresh every day, Kuilan’s Siopao is probably the most filling siopao I have ever tasted. The size is just right and you definitely won’t feel cheated once you take a bite. Unlike most siopao’s, Kuilan’s is smaller in size but bigger in the filling. I like siopaos that have an egg inside and Kuilan’s boiled egg is definitely freshly cooked. Definitely no air pockets inside, Kuilan’s is overstuffed to your heart’s content for only 9.00 pesos apiece. It’s so good by itself that’s why it doesn’t need any of those sauces that other regular siopaos come with. So if ever you’re in Davao City, skip the usual Durian Candy and explore other culinary delights that the city has to offer. Kuilan’s Siopao is also one pasalubong that’s uniquely Davao.

By the way, they're closed on Sundays.

Kuilan Foodhaus(Main Branch)
Dacudao Avenue near Opal St. Agdao, Davao City
Tel No: (082) 227-6416, 226-8320, 221-8511

Kuilan Branch
#24 Acacia St., Juna Subd, Matina, Davao City
Tel No: (082)297-1770

Davao Diary: Day 3

I’m not much of sight-seeing kind of a tourist. I’m more like a traveling gourmand. When visiting a new place, the first thing I check out is the FOOD! Sorry but I really love to eat. Hehe. Eating with gusto runs in our family (in the mother’s side).

Anyway, so on my 3rd day right after I had my wrist treatment at the East Asia Orthopedic & Rehabilitation Institute (see separate blog on this), I met up with my Tita Sally (my mom’s 2nd to last sister, who’s only 9 yrs older than me) and my sister Marla for lunch. Tita took us to her friend’s café Tata Benito’s A WholeLATTEloveCOFFEESHOP at the Paseo de Legaspi compound in Legaspi St. Davao City.



It was quaint and it has free Wi-Fi :-) Great for Internet Addicts like me. Their menu is typical of any coffee shop except that you have everything much cheaper here compared to Manila. At their Paseo de Legaspi branch, you can also find a tiny chic boutique also by the café’s owner, who we found out, was my sister’s old classmate back in grade school.

And then after our lunch, we went to our Tita Raquel's salon and dress shop (the one who made my wedding gown and entourage dresses). We did the usual girly stuff – trying on the newest dresses on the rack and then foot spa, pedicure, hot oil… I also had a blazer and pants set tailored for me.



Then I met up with two of my high school close friends for dinner. Connie came with her husband Julius while Pyrite came alone. Her hubby was home taking care of their 1 year old. Toink. Anyway, my sister and Tita Sally recommended this “secret” restaurant owned by one of her friends, Richie Ferrazzini, heir to the Davao Merco food dynasty. It used to be casually called “Brother’s Kitchen” for the lack of a real name actually but now Richie officially calls it “Belito’s”.

It’s not “really” a restaurant. In fact, it is actually just an outdoor patio of the owner’s residence, who by the way cooks the food himself (most of the time). Going there could be tricky if you’re planning to go at night. The place doesn’t really have a sign and the subdivision where it’s situated in is a bit starkly lit. From Bajada, you have to enter Palm Drive. The most conspicuous marker would have to the Buzz Café. Once on Palm Drive, count 4 “kantos” or street corners to your left. Turn left on the 4th. It’s a dead end but it is here where you will find the Davao’s best kept secret.

Paella Negra

Though they welcome walk-ins, it’s better if you can make reservations with the owner himself. He would then ask you your initial orders. It’s actually very convenient because it saves up on waiting time. My sister advised me to order their famous Paella Negra and Steamed Pampano. And boy oh boy, it was delish!!! It was worth getting lost going there. Hehe. Then we also tried their Crispy Spare Ribs and Sinigang na Isda, which I forgot to take pictures of ‘coz we were already caught up in our conversations and gluttony. Haha.

Steamed Pampano

For 4 entrees, we only paid 900 pesos. Welcome to Davao City indeed! So if ever you’re in Davao City, don’t miss the opportunity to try Richie Ferrazzini’s backyard restaurant “Belito’s”. You may text/call him at 09065721188.

Buffet Highlights from my Hubby's BDay

The recipes below are quite familiar, I just experimented a bit.

TEBASAKI
(Japanese Fried Chicken Wings)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 hoisin sauce
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tsp ginger tea powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• vegetable oil for frying
• flour for coating the chicken
• 1 kilo chicken wings, separated at the joint
• 1 tbsp, toasted sesame seeds
• chopped cilantro
  

Procedure:

• Pat the chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper and steam until cooked
• Coat the chicken in flour and fry until golden brown. Drain oil.
• In a blender or food processor, puree chicken broth, garlic, hoisin sauce, ginger (fresh & powder), honey and pepper.
• Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer.
• Add fried chicken. Coat the chicken with the thick sauce.
• Turn off the heat. Add chopped cilantro.

Cream Dory Fillet in Saigon Sauce

Ingredients:

• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 red chili, seeded and minced
  
• 6 tbsp fish sauce
• 6 cloves of garlic, crushed, chopped
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 pieces of Cream Dory Fillet (cut into halves)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure:

• In a mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, pepper
• Stir until sugar is dissolved. Season with pepper.
• Taste and adjust the mixture until you get that sweet, sour, salty and pungent-spicy taste
• Marinate the fish in the mixture for 30 minutes.
• Drain fish and reserve marinade
• Over medium fire, heat oil and cook fish fillets until both sides are golden brown. Set aside.
• In the same pan, cook reserved marinade until golden or syrupy.
• Place the fish fillets, in a platter and drizzle with the caramelized sauce.
• Garnish with cilantro, red chilies, lemon... (if you like)

Ham & Cheese Mini-Rolls

Here's another favorite in my humble household. This recipe is easy to do plus the rolling pin exercise is good for your biceps hahaha! :-) Again, you can experiment with the filling.

Ingredients:

• White loaf bread
• Miracle whip
• Cheddar cheese, cut into strips
• Sweet ham, cut into thin strips
• Flour
• Scrambled eggs
• Japanese bread crumbs mixed with dried basil
  

Directions:
1. Trim edges of white bread & flatten w/ rolling pin
2. Spread miracle whip
3. Put strips of ham & cheese on flattened bread
4. Roll carefully and snugly
5. Dredge in Flour, Eggs, Breadcrumbs
6. Refrigerate overnight
7. The next day, fry in vegetable oil until golden brown
8. Let cool and cut into small rolls

Chicken in Rum & Garlic w/ Mango Salsa

Chicken Ingredients:

• 300 grams chicken breast fillet, cut into medium chunks
• 2 tbsps garlic, minced
• 3 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsps soy sauce
• ½ tbsps ground black pepper
• 2 tbsps white rum or whiskey
• 1 pinch of paprika
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Dried chili flakes

Salad Ingredients:

• ¾ cup ripe mango, chopped
• 1 green chili, sliced
• 1 red tomato, seeded and diced
• Juice of half of a lemon
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• Cilantro
• a pinch of muscovado sugar

Directions:
1. In a bowl, season chicken w/ garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, white rum or whiskey, and paprika. Mix together. Let the chicken absorb all the liquid before adding the olive oil. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. On a very hot non-stick pan, cook chicken for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the butter and chili flakes.
3. Make the salad: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside in the freezer for 1 hour.
4. Serve chicken while warm w/ mango salsa

No-Recipe Asian Noodles

Actually, this recipe started out as a Non-Recipe dish. One day I just had all these ingredients in my kitchen and based on what I've seen and tasted, I whipped up my own Asian stir-fry noodles. You can change the vegetables according to your preferences. For the oyster sauce mixture, it really all depends on your tastebuds. Sometimes, I add a bit of muscovado sugar to balance the saltiness of the oyster-fish sauce combo with the spiciness of the Thai seasoning or dried chili flakes. You can make the dish more spicy by adding more chili flakes.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of Hofan Noodles
• ½ kilo shrimps, shelled
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, sliced as strips
  
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cake tofu, deep-fried & sliced into thick strips
• 2 eggs beaten
• 6 tbsps oyster sauce (dilute in a 1 tbsp water)
  
• 2 tbsps fish sauce
• juice of 1 lemon
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• celery leaves sliced 2 inches long (add it last after fire is off)
• Thai seasoning or dried chili flakes
  

Directions:

1. Cook hofan noodles according to package directions. Drain and mix 2 tbsps oil to prevent noodles from sticking
2. Sauté shrimps and red bell pepper in a bit of oil. When shrimps are almost cooked, add carrots. Then add fried bean curd.
3. Pour in beaten eggs. Wait until egg sets before mixing in.
4. In a separate bowl, mix oyster sauce with fish sauce, lemon juice and a dash of Thai seasoning.
5. Add the oyster sauce mixture into the shrimp mixture and season w/ salt & pepper. Mix in celery leaves & fold into hofan noodles. Serve hot.

ChiNoy Maki

Here's another one of my kitchen "inventions" made for Christmas 2008 :-) I called it ChiNoy Maki because it's typically a handmade sushi roll but instead of using Nori (seaweed paper) I replaced it with lumpia wrapper. Hence making it Filipino Chinese in a way. Hahaha.

For the filling, this recipe uses corned beef and Spanish sardines but you can experiment with anything that you like.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked Vietnames or Thai Jasmine rice (or Japanese rice); any variety that's sticky
  
• ½ cup All Purpose Cream
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• thin slices of Spanish sardines
• corned beef
• thin slices of ripe mango
  
• Cilantro
• lumpia wrapper
• Cooking oil

Directions:
1. Combine rice, cream, sugar and sesame seeds. Spread about ½ -- ¾ cup of prepared cook rice on a lumpia wrapper
2. Fill rice w/ slices of mango and sardines or corned beef. Use sardines and corned beef alternately. Then roll into a log. Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
3. Pan fry the rice rolls until golden brown on all sides. Dust w/ sugar while roll is still hot. Let cool before slicing into small rolls.

Corned Beef Casserole

Here's another personal quick & easy comfort food recipe that I would like to share. Good to bring to a potluck party. This recipe yields 25 servings. Just adjust proportions accordingly.





You will need:

• 500 grams cooked fettuccine
• 3 cans (250-300g) cream of mushroom soup
• 3 cans (250g) corned beef, sauteed w/ garlic & onion
• 500g cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1/2 block)
• OPTIONAL: 1 can (250g) of either of the following:
• green peas, cream-style corn, or button mushrooms

How to:

• Preheat oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit
• Spoon half of the cream of mushroom into an oven-safe baking pan, about 9x14 inches
• Place half of the cooked pasta on top of that
• Pour half of the sauteed corned beef on the layered pasta and cream of mushroom
• Cover the top of the layers with optional ingredient: green peas, corn or mushrooms.
• Pour the remaining cream of mushroom on top of the layer
• Followed by the remaining corned beef
• Then cover the entire bed with grated cheese
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs
• And dot some areas with butter for extra flavor
• Slide the casserole into the oven and bake for 30 minutes
• Serve warm. Best w/ garlic or toasted bread

Pesto ala Palarca

My husband loves pesto and after using some ready to use pesto sauces in jars and sometimes the instant McCormick kind, I finally have my own Homemade Pesto Recipe. Most Pesto sauce recipes use pine nuts but since it's so darn hard to find them in our local grocery store, I'm using almonds instead. :-) cheaper and always available.

Word of advice: If you don't have a food processor or atleast a blender, I suggest get one first before making this recipe. Hehe. :-)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves (chopped, minced) choose the sweet kind
1 cup EVOO or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Almonds, lightly toasted
dash of salt of pepper (adjust according to taste)

In a food processor, mix everything together while adding the EVOO gradually. If you're using a blender, this can be tricky so make sure you pause to scrape the mixture with a spatula.

This sauce can last in the fridge for 2-3 days. Thaw first before adding to the pasta.

More tips:
> Chicken goes well with pasta and pasta. So cook cubed chicken breast fillet in some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then when chicken is already cooked, add the homemade pasta sauce. Stir for a few seconds then pour over pasta!

> This pesto sauce is also great for PIZZA! Just buy one of those ready to bake pizza crusts. I prefer the thin crust. Spread the pesto sauce over it, top pesto pizza with boiled shrimp slices, or chicken breasts, tomatoes, and lots of mozzarella cheese!

Simply Put-Oh!

This is a Puto recipe that I "inherited" from my maternal grandma. I used to sell these when I was in High School (yup inside the classroom and during class! haha). By the way, I still sell them, so order anytime. :-)





Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Cake Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 3 tbsps Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Iodized Salt
• 1 medium size Egg
• 1 tbsp Margarine
• 1/2 cup Fresh Milk or Evaporated Milk
• 2 cups Water
• Cheddar Cheese cut into 1 inch squares

Instructions:

• Sift all dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt)
• In a separate bowl, beat egg with milk and margarine.
• With an electric mixer, mix the dry and wet ingredients together.
• Add the water gradually.
• Mix until the batter is smooth and without lumps.
• Lightly grease muffin pans or any mold you want to use with lmargarine.
• Use an ice cream scooper to pour batter into the molds.
• Make sure you leave about 1/3 space at the top to allow the puto to expand.
• Top each one with a slice of cheese.
• Place in steamer and steam for about 30 minutes or until cake is firm.

Spicy Chicken Wings

Here's one of the easiest recipes I always use for no-time-to-prepare parties.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo Chicken Wings
• Salt
• Pepper
• All Purpose Flour
• Vegetable Oil

Sauce:

• 100ml packet of Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp Korean Hot Pepper Sauce (add more or less according to your spice preference)
• a dash of the ff spices:

Dried Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Sage
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Spanish Paprika

• A handful of chopped Cilantro

Instructions:
Pat the chicken dry and season with Salt & Pepper.
Cook in steamer for 30 minutes.
After Chicken is cooked in steamer, dredge in flour.
Deep fry in vegetable oil until chicken is lightly golden.
Drain & Set aside.

In a saucepan, mix the tomato sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce, and all the spices with a whisk.
Simmer until sugar is dissolved.
Add the chopped cilantro.
Add the fried chicken and coat with the sauce mixture.