What do you miss most on the food/drink front when you are away from the Philippines or haven’t been back for a while?

Mangoes, definitely mangoes. Every mango-producing country in the world claims to have the best mangoes. I’ve tried Indian, Kenyan, South African, Puerto Rican, Thai, and Mexican mangoes, and hands down, nothing quite approximates that perfect blend of sweet and tart like Philippine mangoes. I love langka, too.

And Choc-Nut, too—that bizarre concoction of questionable nutritional value, cocoa powder processed to death with sugar and nostalgia… there’s a food store a few blocks from where I live in Norwich called Spiceland that stocks Asian and Middle Eastern ingredients and speciality foods. There’s bagoong, Datu Puti, Boy Bawang and Mama Sita, but no Choc-Nut!

What is the first dish you want to eat when you return, and where do you go for it?

Nilagang baka, as prepared by my cook, Helen. That is my go-to comfort food. She sometimes does it with Wagyu, which is divine, but then is it nilaga without the bulalo?

See also: A Taste of Home: Selina Ocampo’s Must-Try Dishes From A Mano, Kai, and More

Do you have a favourite restaurant in the Philippines? For fine dining and for more casual experiences?

I must confess that I am partial to Manila House, for obvious reasons. When the weather is sunny I love being on the Avenue Deck, and the cabanas give it a relaxed, tropical feel. And of course, there’s that incomparable view of BGC. For more formal dining, our Rizal Room is quite stunning.

I do also go to restaurants outside Manila House! M Dining, Tsukiji, Blackbird, A Mano, and The Loggia at Palacio de Memoria are some of what I’d call my old reliables. And Isogi, Gourmet Corner, and Kashmir are our friendly neighbourhood pit-stops for takeaway.

If you have visitors/guests with you, where do you go to give them a real taste of the Philippines?

Manila House is a good entry point for people who might want a gentle introduction to Filipino food served amidst an elegant setting. I always recommend the gising gising, chicken inasal, and the chicharon bulaklak, which are my personal favourites from the menu.

For a more casual experience, I like taking guests to Manam and Milky Way Cafe, and sometimes Grace Park. That said, nothing beats home-cooked Filipino food. Whenever we would have family visiting from Spain, my mother—who was an amazing cook herself—would do the whole spread on banana leaves: chicken, pork, sugpo and squid inihaw, kangkong, itlog na maalat, rellenong bangus, manggang hilaw, and bagoong. Plus rice, of course!

See also: The Culinary Capitals of the Philippines: Louise Mabulo’s Guide to Camarines Sur, Bicol

Any other must-visit food/drink spots when you are back?

I was surprised by the quality of food and the variety of cuisines in Siargao. I would so love to go back, not just to chill by the sea, but also to eat! It saddened me that the island was so badly damaged by the recent typhoon, and I hope that many establishments have been able to rebuild. Alma had wonderful paellas, I recall. Inara had the best Filipino breakfast buffets; Surfing Temple and White Banana [which is now in Poblacion] were fantastic bars. White Banana was right on the beach, so watching a particularly dramatic moonrise one day was mindblowing. Shaka had great shakes, and Wild had a creative take on Filipino food or elements.

Do you take any food or treats back home with you from the Philippines?

No… it’s more of the other way around! Thanks to my Catalan cousins, I recently discovered llardons, the Catalan chicharron which is different from our chicharon, on a recent trip to Barcelona. I plan to stock up on that!

The one thing I wish I’d brought with me is the frozen bibingka from Roast, made by my cousin, Pia Caluag. Last winter was quite brutal, at least for me, and there were many nights I craved hot bibingka with lots of melted butter on top!

See also: It’s Never Too Early for Bibingka: Where to Order Classic Galapong, Triple-Layer Cakes, and More

Where do you go to find authentic flavours of home where you live?

There are no Filipino restaurants in Norwich, so whenever I have a hankering for Filipino food, I go to Spiceland to get the ingredients I need and the halal butcher next door to make adobo for my daughter Jessica and myself, especially during the winter. It’s cold-weather comfort food! I’m not really into adobo when I’m back home, but because I’ve lived away for so long, in many different countries, adobo was always easy to make—especially when I would have foreign guests over. My go-to pinoy menu would be adobo, sugpo sa gata, tortang talong; it was always a hit.

When I’m in London, I go to Sarap just off Regent Street in Mayfair. I’m a fan of their crispy pata stuffed with adobo rice. Recently, I tried their potatoes with bagoong. Not a pairing I’d normally think of, but it worked!

I also like an old favourite, Romulo Cafe in Kensington, that serves Filipino standards. They have a great selection of desserts, including sansrival! My daughter Samantha, who lives in London, goes to their sister restaurant, Kasa and Kin in Soho, and she loves it.

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