The Magnificent Atty. Perez

“O sweet treasures, discovered to my sorrow.
When I stand and contemplate my fate
and see the path along which you have led me,
I reach my end, for artless I surrendered to one
who is my undoing and my end”

This stanza written by the fictional Don Garcilaso de la Vega from the book “Of Love and Other Demons” by the immortal Gabriel Garcia Marquez, are the words that come to mind when reflecting upon the starchy happiness that is ngohiong.

Ah, ngohiong…. you with the camote starch -based wrapper, drenched in days old cooking oil. You that come with the mystery meat, and the camoteng-kahoy leaves, wrapped in carbohydrate goodness and dunked in the combined powers of brown sweet sauce and 5-spice sauce. You crunchy, salty dumpling… you with the earthy undertones of camote that swirl and crunch about in my mouth…

Thou who art a meal of only P3.00 per chunky ngohiong stick…. ah yes… sweet treasures of my youth, the sweet starchy memory of my Accountancy days shared among Chipmunk friends, and the unforgettable meal with cousin Carlo Arquillano and friend Gavin Aninon… friend Gavin who lost his appetite when he realized that he was eating a chicken’s head and the eye’s liquids came spurting down his mouth.

What can I say? I love ngohiong, and crown prince of all the ngohiong kingdom would be Chinese Ngohiong near my alma mater, USC Main. For P20.00 you can already have a meal of three ngohiongs, two puso, and a bottle of Mountain Dew. I only go there for the ngohiong, but friends who tag along with me often order the skinless chorizo, and the fried chicken, which friend Gavin discovered to his behest.

Chinese Ngohiong used to be just a small stall, but judging from the popularity and patronage of USC students as well as other loyal fans, the Chinese Ngohiong stall quickly grew over the years until it could rightfully call itself a restaurant. Blessed with an earthy ambiance that could only be captured by soft rock hits piped out through the stereo, what better way can you enjoy your starchy goodness than with “Oooooo Love Hurts!!!” blasting in your eardrums courtesy of the band Nazareth? And nothing beats the entertainment one gets out of observing the clothes-washing habits of the nearby Chinese Ngohiong neighbors who save Mother Earth by taking a bath out of their laundry water at the same time.

No plastic is given out, by all means, you are encouraged to enjoy your meal without washing your hands (which I often do!), but for the picky and the hygiene-conscious, there are numerous faucets for you to indulge in your germ-free predilections. Just don’t mind the dust and smoke being belched out by the nearby road.

Much thanks to thecapricornbeartakeshi for the pictures and the Chinese Ngohiong memories. Chinese Ngohiong folks! Da Besht!

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As requested by my good friend, Father Time.