Inasalan sa Tubang Doktors

The sidewalk of UP Visayas fronting Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital is just a mere sidewalk when the sun shines. But as the sun falls to sleep, this sidewalk becomes a barbecue land.

It has been almost two years that I’ve been here in Iloilo City. I can still remember the day that I arrived at Fort San Pedro. I was bringing that time a stick of barbecue I ordered at the Superferry. (I remember then that I was deceived by s taxi driver I rode to UPV. Hehe.)

Here in Iloilo City, they call barbecue as “Inasal”, but in our place in Zamboanga Sibugay, we call it “Barbekyu”. It is my favorite viand. There are barbecue stands in our place but they’re far different from those here in Iloilo City. We only have small barbekyu stands compared to the Iloilo inasal stands which are mostly on carts and wheels and are on big display. They only sell few like pork and chicken barbecue, hotdog and chorizo. And also, there are times that we make our own home-made barbekyu.

I stayed at the UPV Dormitory for almost a year. In my first night at the dorm, I wasn’t able to have my dinner. I didn’t really know where to go. The dormitory staff said that I can eat at Nang Lalaine’s Carinderia because it’s very near the dorm or I can just go outside the UP Campus and buy barbecue. “Makabakal ka man da panyapun mo ah. Dira lang bala hu sa Tubang Doktors!” After all, I was still hesitant to go outside the dorm.

A year has passed. Now it’s almost every night that I buy my dinner at Tubang Doktors.

Inasal is indeed delicious and inasalan is very dominant in the city, wherein Mang Inasal and Jo’s Inato (although it is not Ilonggo) are two of the biggest and most popular, yet majority of those inasalan are found along the street. Examples of which are those along E. Lopez Street near West Visayas State University (WVSU) Hospital, along Gen. Luna Street near St. Paul’s Hospital and the “Tubang Doktors”.

“Mmmmm . . . . Manamit guid ya gale! Especially the sinamak and the juice inside.” This is my reaction when I first ate inasal I bought from Tubang Doktors.

I also tried eating at the inasalan near the WVSU Hospital, at Mang Inasal and at the ‘fonts’ (the tinda at the UPV gate along Ybiernas Street). They are all delicious. The differences are the prices, and perhaps the kind of taste they have. I can distinguish one from another, but I found it hard to give an explicit description of the differences of those inasals. What really caught my attention is the Tubang Doktors. It is not just because it’s the nearest or the most affordable, but because it is where I ate Ilonggo Inasal the first time. This research paper gave me the opportunity to know more about inasal at Tubang Doktors.

Friday was a very hot day. I was happy then since my interviewees’ house is just at Infante. Manong Steve Valderama is the owner of “Steve’s Bar-B-Q-Han”, together with his wife, Nang Annabel. They usually purchase meat at the Iloilo Central Market. They sell almost eight kilos of meat a night. With the help of his hinablos  Junjun, Nonoy and Ronald, the meat are then sliced and marinated. The secret is in the marinade. They just put some spices (onion, ahos and patis), banana catsup and Sprite. They will marinate the meat the whole afternoon. They will now wait for the clock to hit 5:45 pm for them to set up their stand there.

They serve Tocino, Baticolon, Tinae (isaw), Porkchop, Liempo, Chicken, Chorizo, Bangrus (Milk Fish) and also rice. Tocino barbecue is the most mabenta to the customers. “Ikaw man bala indi mabakal. Pito lang bala mu!” says Christine, a CM First Year Student. Yes! You read it right. Tocino barbecue is only Php20 for 7 sticks or just Php3 each. Affordable, and rest assured, delicious! Steve Bar-B-Q-Han makes their own tocino.

Every night, their stand is crowded with their loyal customers except when rainy seasons that only few are going there to buy. But who would not loyal? To such affordable yet delicious inasal?

Steve Bar-B-Q-Han has been helping Manong Steve and Manang Annabel in providing their family’s need, most especially that of the education of their children. Because of the inasalan, they have sent their children to school. They have children now studying at the IDC and at the University of San Agustin.

Almost eight years have passed since they started their business. During the early years of their operations, they were eight stands at Tubang Doktors wherein five of which are inasalan. They are also kapehan, carinderia and sari-sari stores. Long before, at night, they even put their tables on the street sides because there were fewer vehicles that time. But, they were prohibited to do so for some traffic reasons.

As years gone by, the number of stands selling at Tubang Doktors has been slowly decreasing. This is because of the great competition among them, wherein some stands have more customers than others, thus making those inferior stands close and leave the Tubang Doktors. At present time, there are already seven stands at Tubang Doktors  three of which are inasalan.

The couple is very thankful to God because of the inasalan which has brought them graces. “Thanks guid sa Ginoo, sa inasalan, sa mga customers kag sa manumit namon nga inasal.” says Nang Annabel. (Steve Bar-B-Q-Han also accepts orders. You can contact them at 09207889583.)

So, I invite you to buy a dinner. Kitakitz ah! Ti kay basi makit-anay man kita sa Tubang Doktors.

About the Author

Joy James A. Saguino is a second year BS Accountancy student currently studying at University of the Philippines Visayas, Iloilo City. As for the name, he doesn’t want to be called ‘Joy’ for it sounds feminine. Following the advice of his family, he took up BS Accountancy even though writing is his passion and journalism will always be in his heart.

Currently, he doesn’t stop reading books for personality development and self-improvement to enhance his skill for writing and to continue his growth as an individual.

He is a man molded by time through trials and hardships and have achieved it all because of perseverance.

You can reach Jj through:

Blog site:
http://www.jamesisnotjames.blogspot.com

Friendster:
http://www.friendster.com/upiskolarngbayan

Email:
james@upvcmbatch2007.7p.com
jj_sa_upvisayas@rocketmail.com

Mobile:
092x73x04x7
09265x89x2x