Lutong Kapitbahay

Lutong Kapitbahay - Featuring the Food of our Neighbours

The Hellish Year 2020

We all know 2020 was a terrible year for everyone. Businesses closed, jobs were lost, and we could no longer eat out. Gone were the days where we could enjoy food from different restaurants. However, innovative minds persevered to survive, and thus, the Online Buy and Sell in my village was born. 

But, what is the Online Buy and Sell exactly? Why is it so innovative? Well, to start off, the pandemic hit the world really hard. We're all stuck at home doing nothing and we're not allowed to go out unless it's really important. 

Innovating in a Crisis

Given these circumstances, society had to adjust. Thus, leading to a reliance on online stores and resources. That's what the Online Buy and Sell is: an online market where sellers can post their products, and buyers can choose what to buy. 

A lot of these sellers sell food coming from their very own kitchens and they deliver right to your doorstep. Most of these individuals had lost their jobs due to the closure of businesses and they found a way to have a livelihood despite quarantine restrictions and despite losing their source of income. 

International Cuisine Within My Neighbourhood

In my village, there are multiple choices when it comes to buying food online. You can stay within your comfort zone and order Filipino food, or you can venture outside the country and order other Asian foods like: Thai, Japanese, Korean, and Indonesian. If you want to go further, there's also Italian, French, and American. 

Here are some of my favourites in no particular order:

Sushi Bake with three flavours!

Sushi bake has become very popular in the pandemic, with people selling sushi bake or making their own at home. The good thing about ordering sushi bake from my neighbours is that the price is cut down to half of the usual restaurant price when you order. 

Korean Barbecue

The best thing about eating out in a Korean restaurant is the experience of grilling your food on the table. Right now, we can't exactly do that. But in my village, you can order pre-marinated meat, side dishes, vegetables, and paste. The seller even lets you borrow their griller and they clean it themselves after use as a part of their service. 

Chicken wings!

 

What's more heartwarming than a box of chicken wings? 4 boxes of chicken wings in 4 different flavours! And all for 589 pesos. Some flavour choices are: Caramelised Patis, Spicy Shrimp Salt, Organic Salted Egg, Jack Daniels (Yes, the alcohol), Snow Cheese, Taiwanese Five Spice, Mexican Red Hot, and many more.

Mini burgers

These mini burgers that are not actually mini, in attractive colourful buns, are not only pretty to look at, but also taste amazing. And all this for 130 pesos for a box of 6 pieces. 

Chocolate Truffles

These little guys that are shaped like truffles, are chocolatey goodness. 

Beef Rendang

Down the road from our house, is an owner of an Indonesian restaurant that closed down. He's now selling his food in the neighbourhood. Our favourite dish from him is the Beef Rendang. Melt-in-your-mouth goodness with all the spices and herbs settling in your mouth is heavenly. 

Spinach Pasta

Breaking away from the sweet Filipino style spaghetti (That I'm not very fond of), is this Italian cream-based Spinach Pasta. Delizioso! 

Spicy Tuna Pasta

This mouth-burning yet delectable pasta is a fusion of tomato-based Italian pasta and the Filipino ever reliable canned tuna. 

Ube Cheese Pandesal

Chicken Asado Pandesal

Our daily breakfast is almost always Ube Cheese Pandesal or Chicken Asado Pandesal. Delivered promptly at 7 in the morning. 

Milky Roll

This roll of bread is incredibly milky. It smells milky. It tastes milky. It looks milky. It's like drinking fresh milk but in the form of bread. 

Pancit Bilao

The picture says it all. Homecooked Pancit in a Bilao. A complete meal by itself. This dish is very filling and also hard to stop eating. 

Classic and Ube Palitaw

What goes well with afternoon tea is a good serving of Palitaw. Even if I can cook this myself, I still prefer ordering from my neighbour because they have different flavours. Not included in the picture is the Jackfruit flavoured palitaw. 

Puto Bao

Each time Puto Bao is available on the Online Buy and Sell, the whole family gets excited because this is a delightful delicacy that originated from the Quezon province. 

Safety in Eating

With all this ordering of food and coming and going of different people, it is important to keep safety in mind. 

Everyone in the family has a role in accepting deliveries. My sister makes the orders, my dad provides the money, I'm in charge of disinfection of the packaging, and my mother handles the food. 

Once we receive the food she recooks or reheats before serving. Reheating kills any microorganism that is possibly present, so this step in food handling is essential. Lastly, my mom also disposes of the packaging. 

However, ordering food isn't always pleasant for the delivery guys. You see, I have a dog who hates everything. 

She attacks everything that moves including flies and mosquitoes. We don't open the gate so she doesn't get out. Instead, the food and other packages are handed over the gate. My mom has to issue a warning prior to every delivery just to prevent anyone from having a heart attack at our front door.

Supporting Local Businesses

It's very enjoyable to taste these different foods from my neighbours, but the most important aspect is the impact to the economy of our small community. We are able to buy surprisingly good food at low prices and give a boost to these small businesses at the same time. 

Not only does this help out those who lost their jobs, it also brings other established businesses into the spotlight. Plus, it showcases the culinary talents of those living here. 

The Joy of Eating Local

During special occasions like: Easter, Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day, our neighbours, while celebrating these events themselves, are also actively sharing what they are preparing at home. While we are partaking of the food in each of our homes, we are one in our celebration. 

To conclude, one positive thing brought by the pandemic is the joy of eating local food. This pandemic made me realise that I don't have to go out to have fun. I don't have to eat at expensive restaurants. I can have the warmth and the comfort of being at home with my family while still enjoying a variety of restaurant quality food.