The morning brought rain and high humidity, and the factory manager was eager to show off the new UHT (ultra high temperature) processor that pasteurizes coconut milk. The compounded heat made my shirt ready to be burned by 9:00 am, but I wasn’t alone, and we got back into air conditioning as soon as the factory work was done. The owner walked into the conference room with water for us, and I recognized him from when we met at his banana chip factory about six years ago. We started to catch up on companies and people in the food industry, when Rory suggested continuing the discussion over lunch.
“I want to take you to my favorite restaurant, David. It’s not fancy, but for regular people.”
“Then I’ll fit right in,” I assured him.
It was a fishmonger with a small kitchen. You could buy a freshly caught talapia or redfish and take it home, or let them cook it any way you would like. I told Rory that I preferred redfish, and asked him to have the kitchen prepare it how he liked it.
The Philippines loves NBA basketball, and the Olympic trial games were on the TV, and the handful of small tables were turned toward the TV on the wall. Rory explained that most Filipinos that emigrate to the US live in L.A., so the Philippines strongly follows the Lakers. We opened San Miguel beer and watched the US thump Great Britain.
The house appetizer of shrimp with a ketchup/mayo mix for dipping came and disappeared in short order. Baked calamari arrived next in a sauce of soy, lime and red chilis. We talked about the growth of Asian ingredients and cooking in the West, and he was amazed at the description of the sophistication of the Asian grocery stores in Kansas City.
The redfish arrived, transformed into a delectable feast. It was stuffed with red and green peppers, battered, flesh scored, deep-fried and brushed with sweet and sour sauce. Conversation was over for the next ten minutes. Another bottle of San Miguel. Shaved coconut in coconut milk and mango for dessert. Finally, we continued and concluded our business discussion, and set up logistical contingencies for our project. I thanked Rory for sharing his favorite spot with me as he dropped me off to work in my room for a few hours which, frankly, included a nice nap.
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