Everything on it

At last, everything on it!

Last Saturday, September 15, 2012, I finally had what I’ve been longing for: a hotdog sandwich with everything on it at the canteen of the De La Salle University Medical Center.

Now, for a lot of people, the words “hospital food” is synonymous with “bad food”—and it’s not just because one’s taste buds are out of commission. But the DLSUMC canteen actually serves very good food: they serve this lechon kawali that’s so good, it’s wicked (or, that’s so wicked, it’s good).

I’ve been planning for some time to get this treat but my schedules get in the way. Then one day, I was headed home from a seminar at Ateneo de Manila University. Little did I know, a typhoon (again) was aggravating the monsoon, causing torrential downpours and floods (again). I was supposed to meet someone but because of the floods, this one was a no-show; so I decided just to go home (after traipsing around Araneta Center and Gateway Mall). Realizing I had extra time on my hands, I decided to finally go to the hospital and get that hotdog sandwich.

The cool thing about the hotdog sandwiches at DLSUMC is that there is a small array of toppings and dressing you can choose from. When I got my sandwich, I proceeded to put “everything on it”:

• catsup
• mayonnaise
• hot sauce
• mustard
• shredded cabbage and carrots
• sliced tomato
• pickles

Hotdog sandwich + everything on it + orange soda = Enlightenment

 I also ordered a can of Royal Tru-Orange to wash it all down.

So I got to my table, hit the requisite points for the Signum Crucis, and proceeded to recite the Shehakol niheyeh b’devaro (in spite of this hotdog not being kosher). My taste buds sang at every bite; I relished every last topping. Then a swig of orange soda for the coup de grace.

Halfway through the operation: Underneath all those toppings, there *is* a hotdog.

ENLIGHTENMENT.

Then I went to a nearby Internet café and proceeded to share it on Facebook. Not exactly high cuisine or fine dining, but then, I’m a simple guy with simple tastes.

I’m coming back for another round next time.