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Alam mo…

The phrase alam mo literally means “you know” in the Filipino language and is used as an informal introduction to stories (usually gossip) told verbally to friends. Often times, the phrase is said when the person telling the story is excited to tell it. So, I start this story by saying alam mo…

When Boktor and I arrived in Legazpi, Mr. Ketel told us that he made reservations at a popular restaurant for lunch.   According to Mr. Ketel, this restaurant is usually full and we cannot get seats without reservations.   So, I turned around and excitedly told Boktor that we were going to a restaurant that not everyone gets to go to.  Then, I asked Mr. Ketel the name of the restaurant but he could not remember what it was called.  I was intrigued.

On our way there, Mr. Ketel told us that the restaurant was actually an eatery in a house.  Boktor later told me that when he heard that the restaurant was in a house, he assumed that  the place we were going to was like a Sonia’s garden or that house in Urdaneta where Chef Laudico serves gourmet food.

As we got closer to the restaurant, Mr. Ketel informed us that the owners of the house were the cooks and waiters. When I asked him what kind of food was served, Mr. Ketel said that the food is lutong bahay (home cooked food).  After hearing this, I had a strange feeling that this restaurant was not at all what Boktor expected it to be.

After a few minutes of driving through narrow one-way lanes, our driver stopped at a non-descript area full of small houses built side-by-side like jigsaw puzzles. Mr. Ketel then led us through a narrow alleyway, and before the dead-end, he pointed to a door to the right that had a sign that read “Alamo’s Eatery Please Come In”.

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