The Last Supper

I went with my work family to dinner last Friday night. It was a sort-of unplanned get-together that was a success exactly because it wasn't obsessively planned. Not to shoot down the feelings of the faithful few of our web who work tirelessly to organize our shenanigans :) (really, I'm in awe of their endless well of patience), but, there's much to be said about just going out there and doing it. *strike Maito Gai pose*

Anyway, the point of this entry was not about our awesomeness (yeah, especially me, wink, wink), but about... the dinner experience. Oh my. Simply... divine. Three days later and I still sigh over the memory. Okay, I'm crap with food names and titles, so I'll just describe what we ate. (It is advisable at this point to move back a little from your computer screen to avoid having drool drip in the middle of your keyboard.)

There was calamari - fried to a delicious, golden crisp, there was luscious shrimp swimming in this yummy, brown, salty-sweet sauce (it kinda reminded me of adobo sauce except thicker and sweeter; maybe teriyaki sauce, but thinner?), there was crab with thick, juicy meat - the kind that had you desperately tearing through its shell heedless of torn fingernails in search of the succulent meat, there was tahong (this one I gave a pass after tasting one - just me, I guess, since the others were plowing through the heap at an alarming rate), and sinigang na isda - the fish was some kind of pink-skinned monstrosity with teeth that looked uneasily like human ones... but the soup was wonderful. Mmmmm, yes.

It was a testament to how hungry we were that the first few minutes after the food was served there was practically no sound at our table save for the clinking of utensils that were soon enough discarded as everyone dove into the food with bare fingers. I could just feel the barely restrained impatience as arms crossed over one another and platters flew left and right, over and under. If you weren't quick, your arm could get dripped on as somebody reached across your outstretched arm and dipped their morsel into some sauce. And I swear I'm not exaggerating when I say we literally plowed through the dishes, seafood allergies be damned. I quickly felt myself getting full and fretted about not getting my fair share of everything in sight, until somebody helpfully told me to leave off the rice. Turned out to be an excellent suggestion - more room for the delightful cuisine.

Half an hour later, you could tell the urgency had faded by the way everyone was now talking to one another - as opposed to the monosyllabic words that passed for conversation during the first half hour, like "Shrimp!" and "Crab!" and "RIIIIIIIIICE!!!". The initial hunger faded, chatter had permeated the dinner table, allowing everyone to get their second wind. And yes, there would be a second wind, judging by the speculative looks cast on the remaining food on the table.

When we finally declared ourselves finished, wonder of wonders! There was still some food left on the table! It was the calamari - which makes sense since, as everyone put it (and quite scornfully, I might add): there was plenty of it being served in the food parks near our workplace. So in the face of novelty, good ol' calamari went ignored. Well, what could I do? There's only so much food I can put away (and the shrimp was sooooo yummy).

Ironic - that when my friends first bought the raw materials they worried if we'd be able to finish them all. Turns out their fears were unfounded; to quote one of my dinner mates: we all ate like we were death row inmates given a feast for our last supper. (Lucky thing there were only 12 of us, not 13, and none named Judas.) It was quite funny actually - that supper. And fun. Been a long time since we laughed like that; well, it's been a long time since we got together like that. Ahhhh... Food for the stomach and laughter = food for the heart. Can't complain, really.

Oh, and Dampa @Macapagal? I will be back.