WE went up and down the street, asked the vendors at a sari-sari store, went around the block again, and could not find the restaurant. I called The Source for directions to the secret restaurant but he gave me a phone number instead. The chusi (Mandarin for “cook”) cum owner answered and could not understand a word I said in English. He passed the phone on to a woman who spoke Filipino. Finally, a street name, and she offered to stand outside the restaurant and wait for us.

As we drove down the street, we noticed a lady standing in front of an apartment door. Approaching her, I felt funny opening the car window, like I was about to purchase drugs or something. “Restaurant?” I said. She smiled and told us to park across the street.

The restaurant has no name. It’s an apartment that functions as a restaurant and thrives on customers who discover the place by word of mouth. They are predominantly Chinese, making you feel like you’ve left the Philippines as you enter the restaurant doors.

The Source said that in the past, the husband and wife team did everything: cook, serve, wait on tables. There was no menu and because neither spoke English nor Filipino, you would have to go to their desktop at one end of the restaurant and point to the pictures in the computer to choose what you wanted to eat. If you looked fancy, they would turn on the air conditioner. Otherwise, you would have to enjoy the hot food in an even hotter apartment!

By this time, while there is still no menu, the photos have been printed out, with English translations at the bottom of each photo. I called The Source to ask for recommendations. “My friend will MMS you.” MMS? Why not just text? The MMS showed me why: it was a picture of what they ordered during their last visit... written in Chinese characters!

Cracking up on these details, I realized that while love is the universal language, love for food is a universal dialect. I don’t know about science but as the cook nodded in enthusiasm when we showed what we wanted to order and as we nodded in appreciation as our orders arrived, it is safe to conclude that our endorphins both got rolling as we exchanged pleasantries in discussing our drug of choice, i.e., good cooking.

The food that is served is not for the faint of tongue, though, because unless you specifically ask that the spice be taken out (baduy!), even their “mild” spicy is very spicy. And it is spicy in a ninja kind of way; gentle at first bite then the spice wraps itself around your tongue to a slow crescendo until you can’t take it anymore you need to dunk your tongue into water or rice.

Apparently this is really characteristic of Hunan cuisine, a cuisine that dates back to the 4th century, and is known for its spicy flavors and soft textures achieved through stewing and braising. (Hunan cooking is compared to the more known Szechuan cuisine.)

Best on the menu are the hotpots. These range from duck to chicken (native) to eel to pork to intestines. While it would be easy to overlook the flavors of the meat because of the spices, the dark meat of the duck in this dish is outstanding. The Gong-bao chicken is another favorite. The very tender chicken is chopped and served over peanuts. The “mapo dofu” (as described by the cook) or spicy tofu is a great appetizer and breaker between dishes.

If you cannot handle spicy, order the cold beef, which is cut into very thin strips but is very flavorful or the twice-cooked pork with tofu. Apparently even the Hunan province in China has a version of tokwa’t baboy, but theirs comes without vinegar or onions. Fish does not appear to be their specialty though. While we were told that the Boiled Fish is frequently ordered, one would wonder why, because it is quite devoid of flavor, especially when contrasted with the other dishes where the flavors of the pork and beef ooze and are highlighted even more by the spices.

The bill will come in Chinese characters so don’t hesitate to ask the waitress (they have two now) which item is which. I guess they don’t feel the need to write it in English because when you look around, you will see that all their customers are Chinese (well they could be Korean but they look Chinese). Even the TV on the wall shows Chinese variety shows – without subtitles!
Well, at least when your friends ask for recommended dishes, you will easily be able to take a picture on your phone and MMS it! •
Hunan Lutong Bahay. 6404 Camia St., Makati (behind Rockwell, near Metro Club). Tel. 0915-4252972. Cash basis only. Wheelchair accessible. Approx. P200-P300 per dish, big enough to share.