I’ve gained a whole new respect for food fights.
I’m talking about a Filipino “boodle fight.”
Never heard of it? Neither had I, until I got an invitation to one hosted by the Golden Lotus Foundation, an organization whose mission is to educate non-Asians about the Asian culture and traditions.
When we arrived at Back on the Boulevard, where the event was being held, Lang Netzler, a co-owner of the eatery, was preparing the feast. A very long table that would seat the 24 attendees was covered in banana leaves. Twelve chairs were lined up on each side of the table so diners would be seated across from each other.
Netzler brought out huge hotel pans full of food and proceeded to line up rows of food next to each other — grilled eggplant, fried egg rolls, steamed bok choy, steamed corn on the cob and whole fried okra, in that order. The food lines were repeated to make eight more groupings of identical lines of food down the table.
Then Netzler returned to the kitchen and brought out pans of grilled pork chops, which she piled on top of the eggplant at each station. Next, steamed shrimp were brought out and added to each pile of food. Then slices of mango and watermelon were added.
The pièce de resistance — for me, at least — was the lightly breaded, crispy, fried cod fillets, some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Last but not least, cups of hot rice were added at each food station.
It was a jaw-dropping, beautiful presentation and so much food to be eaten. After watching the process and smelling the delicious flavors, we were ready to dig in.
Before we did, Florian De Castro, a member of the group who had suggested the event, spoke about the feast.
“It’s a Filipino military tradition,” he said, “usually in a mess hall where every hungry soldier stands around the table and eats with their hands, symbolizing the camaraderie, brotherhood and equality in the military.”
He said the term may have been derived from “kit and caboodle.” Caboodle is further derived from boodle or booty. The “fight” in the name refers to the soldier’s act of grabbing and eating as much food as possible before others could get their hands on it — otherwise, they wouldn’t get any food.
“It’s like a Hawaiian luau,” De Castro said, adding that he and his wife, Lenie, plan these meals for special occasions, like for her recent birthday. Lenie helped Netzler plan the menu and prepare the food for this event.
Another Filipino attendee added, “It used to be a community event where families came together with dishes to put on the table and eat together. We did this when I was growing up.”
For those not into the idea of eating with their hands, there were forks available. But even with utensils and being seated at a table, things got messy — after we were done enjoying this fun experience, the table looked like a bunch of 2-year-olds had had their way with the food. So it was good that loads of napkins had been set out.
At the end of the feast, there was still plenty of food for those who wanted to-go boxes.
My only regret is that Netzler doesn’t regularly cook, or I’d be back in a heartbeat to enjoy many of the foods she had prepared.
If you hear about a boodle fight happening near you, you should check it out. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Bring your camera!
Contact the writer: 636-0271.
This content was originally published here.
