A Gastronomic Weekend Delight

The Salcedo Saturday Market on Tordesillas Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City has come a long from its birth 4 years ago. From mere 27 vendors in June 2004, it now boasts of 145 market sellers.

And today there is an average of five new applicants received each day for a slot in the marketplace, with about 350 pending applications, said Marcos Calo Medina, market manager

Word of mouth has brought more and more people to come in droves to trade there—from Bulacan, Novaliches, Cavite, Ayala Alabang, and even visitors from abroad who stumbled upon the Salcedo Saturday Market in blogs.

Stalls range from A-Z, from offering hot Thai cuisine and spicy Indian food compete with those offering Frenchman's crepe, Chinese food cooked on the spot, and German sausages, rib shack, monster burgers, to Ilocano specialties while still another cooks cherished family recipes.

"We showcase the best of Filipino dishes, distinct regional cuisines and old family recipes that you cannot find anywhere but here," said Medina. "We also have international cuisines that are as authentic as they can get."

Soi 9, which opened just recently, features the culinary skills of Thai chef Chariya Thaikupt, who was convinced by well-known chef Sau del Rosario, to work in the country. On its first day alone it sold out trays upon trays of thaku, a famous Thai dessert similar to the Filipino maja blanca. Impressive, considering the delicacy comes in small squares of about two inches and are priced at P25 per square.

But this is the Salcedo Saturday Market, where people fork out $50/kg on lobsters, or snap up ensaymadas at P190 each.

When Frenchman Gilber Rault first came to the country, he found the local crepes nowhere near how they are prepared in France. In the business of crepe-making for more than a decade now, the frustrated Frenchman decided to set up his stall, Gigi la Crepe, with real French crepes (P35-P90) and galettes de sarrazin (P40-P100).

Another new kid on the block is Wen Manong, operated by young entrepreneur Alfonso Araneta, son of Irene Marcos Araneta. Supported by Ilocos Norte provincial tourism officer Rene Guatlo, the stall sells Laoag longganisa, bagnet sliced to slivers akin to bacons, Ilocano vinegar, Batac specialities and other Ilocano food rice meals (P60-P80).

Ely Teehankee's place features Chinese food cooked on the spot. Margie de la Rama showcases family recipes from Malolos, Bulacan.

Ike and Narda Miranda offer coffee from Cavite and family recipes from Bais, Negros Oriental. Beth Menge sells German sausages made by her husband who works with chef Gandler at the cooking school Ischam.

Meanwhile, La Salle buddies Paolo del Rosario, James da Costa and Richie Galvez sell honey- and coffee-glazed barbecue ribs as well as truffle-mashed potatoes and angus beef tapa.

New vendors are usually located on the left side of the market from the entrance. Toward the center are the regional buffet spreads from Tuguegarao, Cagayan; Bicol region, Batangas, Bulacan, Ilocos, and Pampanga, which retail anything from grilled tilapia to pritchon and sinaing na tawilis.

There are large selections of Baguio and organic veggies (Rizal Farms and Herbana Farms), Cordillera mountain rice, and Sagada fruits.

The wet market, on the right side from the entrance, have crabs and prawns flown in from Roxas City.

Darwesa Fish & Fresh Seafood sells fresh sea bass, locally known as apahap, at P280/kg.

Pizza di Grazzia offers local wagyu beef (P550-P2,900) aside from its thermal-brick-baked pizzas.

Viger Trading sells the imported wagyu beef, from P500 to P4,200.

Old family recipes are offered at La Cucina de Tita Moning (Legarda family), whose top-sellers include the queso de bola spread (P220-P300 per bottle).

Vargas Kitchen offers its Vargas butter cake (P150-P800).

One spread sells Pampanga ensaymadas from the Rodriguez and the Alejandrino-Medina families, as well as western- and Spanish-style dishes by Ope Ledesma from the Lopez family.

Husband-and-wife Jean and Michele d'Orival offer authentic French cuisine. Starting with just two dishes, the couple now offers 20 varieties of French food, from quiches to patés and macaroons. They also cater for the homes of who's who in the Manila social scene, including the diplomatic corps.

Traditional Spanish tortillas, fabadas, salpicaos, croquettes, casseroles are available at the Mantequilla.

Saint Mary Dairy offers fresh yogurt, a winner among health buffs.

Ru de Pain, known for artisan French baking, sells brick-baked breads from P150-P250 per loaf.

Spices 'N Flavors by Claudine Mangasing features spices sourced from around the globe, including Turkey and Syria, and has an assortment of oils, too, such as extra virgin oils and truffle oils.

Katrina Enrile and Chef Ed Quimson's Delimondo holds free cooking demonstrations every second Saturday of the month, with the chef himself doing the demo.