Philippine House Lizard Learns to Eat Rice Lightning-Fast

We all know that house lizards eat insects, and house lizards in The Philippines (known as butiki) are no exception. But there was this particular lizard that we had at the old house we used to stay in that preferred rice. We had noticed how it would linger be our table after having a meal and then right afterwards, it would scour the table for scraps of food, often rice and would grab what it can with lightning speed and then hide behind the oven toaster. It would then stealthily peek out again for another bite. It was a good thing it made a habit of waiting at the table to get his share of our meal because it was such a fascinating thing to witness.

So we thought it would be great if we could capture what it does on video and that's exactly what we did using an old Samsung digital camera. We were amazed at how the lizard, which we had named "Bart" was able to "stalk" a clump of steamed rice and grab a few grains with lightning speed. He was so fast that the frame rate of the camera was unable to capture the exact moment it bit into the rice! It was like he had the super speed of a biting snake (maybe even faster) You can watch the video and see for yourself how it played out. I hope you enjoy it.

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Alamat Ng Butiki - The Legend of the House Lizard (Modernong Alamat - Modern Legend) Paperback by Rene O. Villanueva; illustrated by Joel O. Chua

Kinamat Resto Bar Silog and Budbod Menu (Angono, Rizal)

"Fi-fi-fo-fum. I smell a hungry customer. Solve this riddle to enter..."

Kinamat Resto Bar in Angono, Rizal is a simple native eatery with a band area for guests to experience a little live music while dining or drinking with friends and family. It has a rustic ambiance with all the natural materials like wood, bamboo, and nipa, used in the building structure. Outside, traditional masks used in festival parades look out to welcome diners. One could easily pass by this restaurant without noticing it. There's just a gravel driveway where guests can park, but apart from the sign hanging from a bamboo post and what's painted on the front wall, one would think that it's not a restaurant at all, but people do frequent the place and word-of-mouth gets around. When kids hear about the shark lamp, they all want to see it with their own eyes, though it's only made of fiberglass, maybe.

Sink your teeth into this crispy Kinamat pork chop.

Kinamat Resto Bar is simple, informal, quaint, and a local favorite, which means tourists have nothing to lose by checking out the place and ordering local food favorites like budbod, which is similar to Spanish tapas but with fried meat that's heartily mixed in with rice and slivers of scrambled egg. There are different kinds of budbod available. There's Shanghai (lumpia or egg roll as it's called by Americans), Pork, Beef, and Mixed, Of course, where there's budbod, there's also likely the silog dishes which are essentially fried rice (sinangag) with ulam, which is the meat you eat with the rice, like fried beef, pork, longanisa, chicken, bangus, hotdog... all served with fried egg, tomatos and your choice of either vinegar (suka) or fish sauce (patis). It's like breakfast at any hour of the day! there's also the popular breaded pork chop that is crunchy on the outside and juicy in the inside. Most of what's in the menu would complement a bottle of cold beer, as the locals would prefer it. But just as the restaurant is simple, so are what's in the menu, but it's all good. Kinamat Resto Bar is located along 1342 Col. Guido St. near the Manila East Rd. Tricycle and jeepney drivers can tell you where it is.

Kinamat Resto Bar's Beef Budbod.

Kinamat Resto Bar's Menu. Click to read.

The Filipino Cookbook: 85 Homestyle Recipes to Delight Your Family and Friends

Sweet and Sticky Suman of the Philippines

Suman is a Philippine desssert or merienda that's made from sticky glutenous rice cooked in salted coconut milk extract (called gata) and water. It is conveniently wrapped in a cut banana leaf which makes it easy to eat like a banana. Suman is sticky and oily so one may need some napkins while eating them. Nevertheless, suman can be so delicious you may just do away with the tissue paper!

Suman starts out as rice that's cooked in coconut milk (gata) until soft and sticky. The coconut milk gives a pleasant and appetizing taste to the suman. If you want the suman to be sweet, you can add sugar to the mixture. A simple rice cooker can be used to prepare the suman. But the product wouldn't be "suman" is if isn't wrapped in banana leaves! If that's the case, that would be kakanin (local sticky sweets made of rice) similar to another Filipino delicacy called biko, which is laid on a bilao (flat woven basket) and sliced diagonally into square or diamond sections.

The banana wrapper can be sourced from locally-growing banana plants. Otherwise, the leaves can be bought already prepared from grocery stores and the community market (palengke). If you want to prepare your own banana leaves. cut them into squares just big enough for your suman. The pieces are then heated over an open flame to soften them up. The leaves will turn darker over the flames but do not let them burn!

To wrap the suman, take spoonfulls and drop them into each leaf. Each should appear like paste from a tube and should be big enough to be held in one hand. After the suman rice are all wrapped, place them in a pot filled with water and allow to boil. You should then let it simmer for about 30 minutes, after which the suman should be done. You may prefer to cook your suman rice without sugar. You can just add coco jam to your cooked suman for flavor while you eat!

Learn about the Philippine sweet potato or kamote

This freeloader fork is perfect for those times when you fear there won't be enough food left for you. It's ideal for hotdogs, sausages, and suman! Click here or on the image to order this fine freeloader fork that expands up to 2 feet!

How can you grow money with GeoString?

House Gecko Lizard Eats Rice on Table in the Philippines

Here is a gecko lizard who knows how to beg for food just like a pet dog. The occupants of the house have called it Bart. He has a partner called Maggie. Their names come from the cartoon series, The Simpsons. Don't ask for an explanation; the names just suited them well. Anyway, every time dinner is set, either Bart or Maggie will come down from the ceiling and peek from under the oven toaster. It all began when Bart was seen frequently, patiently waiting under the taoster as people ate at the table. He would look at people like he's begging to be fed.

One night, a pinch of cooked rice was placed on the table in front of Bart. At first, the gecko was cautious and only took tentative bites at the clump of rice before quickly hiding under the toaster again. Night after night, rice would be left in front of the toaster at dinner time and this spunky gecko will go out and snap it up. It's the only food it prefers. Later, his companion, Maggie, also came down to eat at the table. Only one lizard begged at a time. The two are never seen eating together at the table.

Once, Bart was given plain white rice and canned tuna paella rice to choose from. He licked the flavored rice a bit, but he didn't eat it. He then went for the plain rice. He definitely knew the kind of food he likes. Some nights, Bart will not be at the table, although Maggie will be. But unlike Bart, Maggie prefers to take the rice on the table after the poeple have left the table and when no one is around. Here are pictures of how Bart, the house gecko lizard eats. The video below shows a gecko, going out of hiding to nibble at the rice.

The Philippine house gecko lizard is related to the Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) or tuko (left), a larger nocturnal lizard that largely lives in the woods and rocky areas like cliffs (it is sometimes found in houses). The tuko is considered endangered because it's hunted to be sold as medicine in many parts of Asia such as China. It is also kept as pets by some people although this practice is frowned upon and is illegal without a permit.

Watch the high-def YouTube video of Bart the house gecko "butiki"

Alamat Ng Butiki - The Legend of the House Lizard (Modernong Alamat - Modern Legend)

Slice 'N Dice Steakhouse Rice and Gravy Meals in Quezon City

Slice 'N Dice is a steakhouse in Metro Manila that's getting to be popular because of it's gravy rice meals. There's one along Kalayaan Ave. in Quezon City. People often pass by it but seldom take the time to check what it has to offer but it has its gravy rice meal that come with sirloin, pork, and chicken sliced and diced toppings mixed with the rice.

The meal comes with a generous helping of gravy, which is something that Filipinos have grown to enjoy with chicken as a dip instead of as a side to rice. The gravy with the rice meals of Slice 'N Dice is to be poured on top of the rice while it's still hot. Then, you eat! The rice meal of your choice is light yet filling and its simplicity makes is a quick meal of choice if you're in a hurry or need a quick fix to get you going. If you wish, you can order one with fried or even scrambled egg. The gravy goes well with the diced and sliced beef, pork or chicken, but some people may simply prefer it with the chicken.

  

Lundberg White Jasmine Rice, 32 Oz