Good Food Guaranteed: Engallado's Farm is a haven for organic consumers who are keeping a healthy lifestyle and only settles for premium produce since rice king Nicasio "Nick" F. Engallado personally runs the farm and ensures safe operations from rice production to making pastry products.
A day before celebrating this month’s Rice Awareness Month in Valencia, Bukidnon, we were privileged enough to enjoy a meal with the Engallados at their Rescuer’s Stop. Rescuer’s Stop is a one-stop shop and food hub rolled into one to cater rice-based products to patrons on the go and foodie on the road conceptualized and managed by Nick Jay Arr Engallado (son of rice king Nicasio "Nick" F. Engallado) of Engallado’s Nature Farm.
Inspired by Nick Jay Arr's travels abroad specially in Cambodia, Rescuer’s Stop was established with the idea in mind that it will offer respite to tired, hungry and weary backpackers. So when we arrived with our tummies mumbling for something filling (and fulfilling), there were two house specialities available which is their Batchoy and Arroz Caldo. I ordered Arroz Caldo and it turned out it is served in Grande, Extreme, Amare, and Felix.
Of course, I went for Felix since it has all the goodies mixed in one enormous bowl! I can’t believe at first that such size of a steaming hot rice porridge existed, topped with a generous helping of pork cracklings and chopped leeks let alone scooping a whole egg, a well done liver and a huge tender chicken meat at the mercy of my appetite!
Sensing that the big bowl of Arroz is something surreal and not that ordinary, I learned from their cook that one of the ingredients is turmeric which was finely chopped and ground along with a miscellany of home grown spices.
I feel like giving the bowl of a treat a Gastronomica Award or something because it made me happy and filled (and fulfilled) but most of all, it packs a considerable amount of “ulam” or “sud-an” on it that you don’t want to take the next meal. Talk about a real deal combo meal!
Several chit chats later, dinner came and the Arroz I had was about to shoot out from my nostrils.
The Rescuer’s Stop is located along Mabini Street in Valencia, Bukidnon. I intend to bring my family of foodies (my nephews and nieces specially) here on our next road trip---to see if they are up for the challenge of downing a drumload of Arroz Caldo. Syaro!