When it comes to food, Quezon always provides a hero's welcome, especially at MDT Farm
Calabarzon is among the most intriguing regions of the Philippines. Rich in history, the southern Tagalog mainland is where we first declared independence from Spain in 1898. It was the breeding ground for heroes like Jose Rizal from Laguna, Emilio Aguinaldo from Cavite, as well as Apolinario Mabini and Miguel Malvar from Batangas, among others.
It is also a go-to travel destination, abundant with beautiful beaches, dive spots, hotsprings, waterfalls, and mountains. Laguna de Bay, the largest freshwater lake in the country, and Taal, the world’s smallest active volcano, are found here.
Beyond its historical and topographical significance, Region IV-A is a culinary center tourists flock to for its cornucopia of dishes. Melvin de Castro Tanyag, a seasoned cook, whom Manila Bulletin Lifestyle has had the pleasure of meeting at his farm in Quezon province, creates authentic Tagalog dishes that, though straightforward, rouse diners to eat non-stop.
Since his childhood, Melvin has always been a foodie. Today he is considered a champion of traditional Tiaong cuisine, best described as a marriage between Batangas and Quezon delicacies. Food has been his gateway to MDT Farm, a retreat and food paradise he has acquired at Tagbakin, Tiaong, Quezon Province, some 96 kilometers southeast of Manila.
The self-taught cuisinier has been working in the food industry since 1997. He had no formal training in the kitchen, but he would go around restaurants in Manila and abroad to study unfamiliar dishes and chefs, improving the techniques and flavors and incorporating them into his own Tagalog cooking.
In 2009, he established his own roadside stall serving Tagalog fare in Taguig, then called Melvin Carinderia, later renamed MDT Eatery in 2017. At face value, his dishes look plain, nothing special, but the control of flavor makes it so that each bite has one hankering for another. In 2019, thanks to his earnings from his humble carinderia and with the help of patrons, Melvin was able to establish MDT Farm.
Joining me and lifestyle editor AA Patawaran on the brief but productive weekend getaway were Linamnam chef Don Baldosano and food chronicler Angelo Comsti, close friends and celebrated names in the local culinary scene.
Our lunch, breakfast, and dinner all took place under the shade of an ancient mango tree, lush and gigantic. Immediately next to it is an open kitchen where we watched Melvin work his magic.
Among the most unforgettable dishes served to us in the provincial sanctuary was the tinunis, a bopis-like sizzling plate with minced pork lungs and heart minus the vegetables carrots and radish. It has a faint tang and meatiness that trigger compulsive eating. A great match to beer or rice, or both.
This bopis-like sizzling plate with minced pork lungs and heart minus the carrots and radish has a faint tang and meatiness that trigger compulsive eating. A great match to beer or rice, or both.
In terms of appearance, the tindág or skewered meat is impressive. Think giant barbecue stick with pork meat, fat, and innards. As he served us tindág, Melvin went into the details of Quezon’s old culinary practices. As their province was home to colorful festivals, the people of Quezon had to find a way to preserve their leftovers after each occasion.
Melvin recalls that back in the day, meat in Tiaong was preserved via smoking, reminiscent of how the indigenous people of the Mountain Province would keep their meat unspoiled. The process is called sinuksok, where food is hung in the kitchen over flames that were kept burning 24/7, effectively smoking the leftovers. The fire would also be used to reheat food to further prolong its life. The smoke, meanwhile, doubled as an insect repellent, warding off other pests.
Another unique preservation method in Tiaong can be seen through the adobong pasko. Simple adobo cooked only in vinegar and salt is kept in a clay pot or palayok, sometimes buried beneath the earth. To keep the adobo fresh, it is reheated once a day. Unfortunately, we were unable to try the fabled dish.
While Melvin specializes in traditional staples, he also plays around with his dishes, like in his “overloaded” version of the Lucban pancit habhab, which has the usual miki Lucban, pepper, pork, semi-fried shrimp, soy sauce, and sayote, but topped with a very generous amount of fish ball, kikiam, as well as red and spring onions. Consumed on a banana leaf, add a dash of vinegar before pushing it in your mouth. Another subtle but addictive meal.
Melvin also prepared suam na patola, a soup that uses silk squash cooked a la pancit molo. Hugas bigas, the water used to rinse rice, was used to give the broth more color, savor, and aroma. The flavors, as in the other dishes, were subdued, but our bowl of soup proved hearty nonetheless. Pinalabuan with labong, similar to dinuguan, was also served along with the soup. All these dishes were made to please the palate enough to keep going.
While we were able to try the sinaing na tulingan, a favorite of Melvin, what we had was only bought from the Candelaria public market. In Quezon, the tulingan is cut, pressed, and cooked with water, pepper, and dried kamias or sampaloc, until it reduces and forms the sauce called patis. It was very good either way, but Don attests that Melvin’s version is even better with a more intense but fishiness.
The coffee too was extraordinary, with a flavor as pure, mellow, and gentle as the highland breeze. Every after meal, Melvin would brew us wild beans sourced from Tiaong. It had mild earthy and chocolatey notes, and little to no acidity, allowing us to guzzle the drink as if it was water.
Melvin’s mastery of traditional Tagalog cuisine is enough to warrant him the title “carinderia king of Tiaong.” If you happen to pass by 01 Balatong St. Western Bicutan, Taguig City, pay MDT Eatery a visit to try the authentic and delectable dishes of Tiaong. Food costs ₱30 for vegetables, ₱50 for pork, ₱60 for fish, and ₱70 for beef.
MDT Farm is in Tiaong, province of Quezon. To get there, find Paiisa National High School then turn left, from which a road leading to the MDT would serve as a guide to locate the farm.