Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner- Filipino Style at Hapag
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- Written by Judie Dweck
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I’ve spent years sampling the cuisines if the world, from Italian, French, Japanese, and Spanish. However, I noticed the sign Hapag in The High Ridge Shopping Mall in Yonkers and realized I had never taster Filipino cuisine. With great enthusiasm at trying something new, I made plans to visit this newcomer to Westchester.
The windows were filled with many potted plants, and a colorful sign announced the recent opening of Hapag. In the Tagalog Filipino dialect Hapag translates as “long table”. True to its name this compact space houses two long picnic style tables and benches, suitable for large groups or several small ones. There are also a few tables for two or three and counter space with stools, as well. They surely have made good use of their limited space. Light colored wood paneled walls and interesting rope lighting fixtures and traditional straw hats on the walls, complete this simple and functional spot.
My visit to Hapag was on a Sunday at noon. The intimate space was very busy. The two long tables were filled with happy family groups enjoying the very classic dishes of their Filipino heritage. Within minutes of my arrival, the line of people waiting to savor this interesting cuisine reached out the door. I was greeted by Jennie Berbano, who described Hapag as “family oriented, casual and friendly serving authentic Filipino cuisine. The chefs are adept at preparing these classic dishes. Jennie said, “Our goal for the future is to introduce the area to Filipino cuisine. We chose this location because it is convenient to many Westchester communities. Our cooking is influences by Chinese and Spanish cooking. Popular ingredients are garlic, onions, many fresh vegetables, rice, tomatoes, soy sauce, and vinegar and fish sauce. “The restaurant is owned by Jojo Berbano, Juando Laureles and Bong Camara, who bring the tastes of Filipino cuisine to Westchester.
You can savor this Filipino cuisine throughout the day at Hapag. Starting with breakfast among the choices are several fried egg combinations with garlic fried rice. A ginger based broth, arroz caldo with chicken sounded interesting. Breakfast meals arrive with orange juice or coffee.
With the long tables suitable for groups of friends or families, Hapag offers many dishes for sharing, which gives you the opportunity to try 
Pancit: Stir fried noodles and vegetablesmany dishes. As Sunday meal, I made my way through the menu of classic dishes. Very tasty with a similarity of the cuisine of China was a dish of pancit. These stir fried rice noodles were mingled with a variety of vegetables and cubes of both chicken and pork. Cabbage, carrots, scallions and peapods added crunch and color and a squeeze of fresh lemon added zest to this tasty dish. Sinigang arrived as a hearty bowl of tamarind flavored broth chock full of large pieces of vegetables, including white radish, eggplant and onion. Chopped tomatoes added an additional flavor component to this unusual potage. This sweet and sour broth filled with hearty vegetables is a fine cool weather choice.
One of the Filipino national dishes is adobong. We tried it with both chicken and pork. The meats were marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. The large pieces arrived in a dark and rich sauce, a bit heavy for my taste. Among all of the dishes I tasted, one of my favorites was ukoy. This was a large and crispy fritter of a julienne of carrots and bean sprouts in a sweet potato batter with sliced scallions on top. In the center was a head and shell on prawn, waiting to be devoured. Lumpia, another favorite of mine, and very popular is an eggroll wrapper filled with pork or vegetable, tightly rolled and fried until golden. You can’t eat just one. Served with a sweet and sour sauce, they were addictive. Skewers of bbq pork were delicious, as well. Yet to be sampled as I become more daring are pork cheek, pork belly, and shrimp paste stew. A pleasant beverage to pair with your meal is calamansi, prepared with the juice of a small lemon like fruit.
It was time for dessert. Very popular is halo halo, which means mix, and quite a mix it is at Hapag. A large goblet is filled with shaved ice and layered with sweetened beans, jelly of various colors and milk. It is a colorful ending and seemed to make several guests quite happy at a nearby table who shared it. I opted for a Spanish influenced leche flan. This vanilla custard was smooth, creamy and very soothing, just sweet enough to satisfy my need for dessert. Other tempting sweets are the classic biko, a sweet rice and coconut milk confection with caramelized brown sugar and cassava budin, a yucca based bread pudding.
AdobongAfter sampling many of the dishes at Hapag, I can advise people waiting on line that it will be worth the wait. Enjoy adding another dimension to your culinary knowledge and try the interesting cuisine in a friendly atmosphere at Hapag.
Hapag
1789 Central Park Avenue
High Ridge Shopping Center
Yonkers
914 652 7773
Recipe: Chicken and Adobo – Serves 2
2 pounds chicken in serving pieces
3 pieces dried bay leaves
8 Tbsps. soy sauce
4 Tbsps. white vinegar
5 cloves garlic, crushed
½ chopped onion
1 ½ cups water
3 Tbsps. cooking oil
2 Tbsps. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
In a non reactive bowl, place chicken pieces with soy sauce, vinegar and, 3 cloves of garlic and marinate it refrigerated for 4 to 12 hours to absorb the flavors. In a large pot, sauté the onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 remaining cloves of garlic. When the mixture is golden place chicken pieces, skin side down in the sauté pan. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over and cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Mix together the cornstarch and sugar and enough water to make a slurry. Add it to the chicken pan while turning the chicken every now and then. Keep boiling the mixture and basting the chicken pieces uncovered until the sauce thickens and is reduced by half or for about 2 or 3 minutes. Serve.
Halo Halo
The History of Arthur Manor and How It Sparked Scarsdale's Suburban Transformation
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A two-part interactive course and walking tour called "The History of Arthur Manor and How It Sparked Scarsdale's Suburban Transformation," will be presented by Jordan Copeland through the Scarsdale Adult School on Thursday, May 16 at 7pm and Saturday, May 18 at 10am. Through an investigation of old photographs, maps, articles, and the physical legacy of long-ago events, we will examine the early twentieth century creation and growth of Arthur Manor and Edgewood. You will learn how the Arthur Manor development initiated the transformation of Scarsdale from a rural area of farms and estates to the modern suburban community it is today.
Sign up at the Scarsdale Adult School to reserve your spot. Learners can register for either the walk or the tour, but will get the most out of doing both. Sign up here.
150 Lucky Women Attend Game Night at Westchester Reform Temple
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Event Hosts Stefanie Cohen, Audrey Weinberg and Iris GreenCanasta and Mahjongg are big in Scarsdale …. so big that a game night at Westchester Reform Temple on Tuesday night April 23rd attracted 150 women who played in the synagogue’s social hall. This was the third annual event, which gets bigger every year.
As the event fell during Passover, snacks included crudité and macaroons instead of the traditional “bridge mix,” and players sipped kosher wine.
The event was chaired by Stefanie Cohen, Iris Green and Audrey Weinberg who attracted a crowd of women of all ages, from near and far. In addition to a night of fun, all participants received a hat that said “Lucky,” noting the fact that they were all lucky to be there.
Casa Amore: Where Love Is An Important Ingredient
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- Written by Judie Dweck
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Love is the theme at the new Casa Amore in Pelham. Even the poster board menus carry the heart and love motif. Two large planters with colorful blossoms as well as greens and pansies line the building’s façade and announce the arrival of spring. Yes, we have arrived at the new Casa Amore in Pelham – now the totally renovated former site of Villa Nova who occupied the site for forty seven years. The dining room seats over 100 guests and a large bar shares the room. A beamed ceiling, wood and mustard colored painted arches add character to the large space. At the back is a handsome red tile wood burning pizza oven where a large variety of pizzas and many roasted dishes are prepared. Crisp linens and fresh flowering plants give the tables a festive appearance. There are also two banquet rooms upstairs, each seating over 100 guests.
Growing up, wwner Christopher Gizzo worked aside his father in the restaurant business. He has had extensive experience in nightclubs, fast food, banquet preparation and restaurant management. His most recent project was to open Casa Amore. “ A successful restauranteur must love what he does. You must be passionate and have pride in your work, be serious and treat your guests and staff well. Our atmosphere is upbeat and not stuffy. We offer classic and innovative dishes. Given the chance, I would have loved to serve Aretha Franklin and Denzel Washington, who both had and have a great appreciation of good food. Our goal is to provide our guests with a dining experience that is above and beyond their expectations and to make people happy.”
As I settled myself at a table near the window, a familiar face from the past, in chef’s whites, walked toward my table. It was Chef Brian MacMenamin, whose talent in the kitchen I enjoyed at Heathcote Tavern, Larchmont Oyster House and Club 
Car, to name a few of his endeavors. With Chef MacMenamin in the kitchen my expectations for a fine meal were very high. Casa Amore is not your ordinary Italian dining spot. MacMenamin indicated that, “ Our menu is 90% organic. It is easier to get organic ingredients then it was in the past, and we enjoy using them. Our menu includes many classic Italian dishes as well as a variety of grilled meats . Interesting preparations of Wild Scottish Salmon, Arctic Sea Bass and Piedmont truffles add a glorious touch to this varied menu. Chef MacMenamin is the third generation of culinary professionals in his family. He studied at The Culinary Institute Of America as well as in Switzerland for pastry arts. “ A chef must have patience. I enjoy using high quality meats, fish and vegetables. Roasting lamb and beef in the wood-burning oven, in addition to preparing pizzas, gives the dishes here a great flavor. “
With this talented chef in the kitchen, I anticipated creatively presented dishes exhibiting his flair and expertise. The charming menu at Casa Amore starts with many appetizers titled first kiss. For sharing there is a cold antipasto, a raw bar platter and a raw bar castle for four. We began our meal with tuna and avocado tartar. The presentation added to the fine ingredients in this dish. Ripe avocado tossed with cubes of pristinely fresh tuna, formed the centerpiece. Surrounding this large mound of tartar, were fresh greens and enoki mushrooms, as well as crisp triangles of fried wontons. Wasabi and white balsamic sauce was piped onto this dish along with dots of red caviar. A quail egg topped this refreshing starter.
Another fine choice was the grilled Portobello mushroom. Here, the two mushroom caps surrounded a mound of seasoned goat cheese. A variety of wild mushrooms and pesto flageolet completed this pleasant starter. Baked stuffed little neck clams were combined with bits of turkey bacon and bread crumbs. A fresh flower decorated the plate, adding a touch of the season. Eggplant parmigiana, mussels fra diavolo and Nonna’s meatballs are some classic Italian starters.
Several salads, such as burratta with figs, classic Caesar, and chopped gorgonzola are among the lighter starters which can become entrees with the addition of a protein. Lentil and hot sausage soup, minestrone and brandied lobster bisque in a bowl of bread are some soup options.
Pasta dishes include many classic options such as penne ala vodka, cavatelli casa amore with broccoli rabe and sausage, fettuccine carbonara and even Sunday gravy with potato gnocchi and many meats. Quite delicious was the elegant butternut squash ravioli surrounded by roasted sea scallops and chunks of lobster in a browned sage butter. Yummy… I wouldn’t mind a dish right now.
Among the main courses are classic chicken scarpariello, parmigiana, veal marsala and Sorrentino , lamb osso bucco and lobster fra diavolo. This kitchen does beautiful things with fish. Porcini varnished salmon and seafood gratinato are just waiting to be tried. Truly divine was the pesto crusted sea bass. Here the fish was cooked to perfection with a pesto crumb delicate crust, resting atop coarsely crushed potatoes tossed with chunks of lobster in a beurre blanc sauce. It was rich and absolutely divine.
From the grill, steaks range from porterhouse, T bone, New York Strip and filet mignon. Choose a housemade sauce to accompany your steak. Rack of lamb, lobster tails and surf and turf are other choices. We savored the Berkshire Farms master reserve Wagyu double cut pork chop. WOW …so tender. It is pork’s answer to kobe beef. This generous chop was surrounded by cherry peppers, both hot and sweet, (I chose only sweet), sliced sausage, potatoes and onions. It was a hearty excellent entrée.
Sweet endings include carrot cake bread pudding, peach and marscarapone torta rustica, chianti roasted pears, house 
made zeppole and even chocolate chip home bakes cookies and milk. The banana cream pie presented to me with its caramelized banana slices, pie crust and freshly whipped cream was a perfect ending, although I was only able to manage a spoonful of its goodness after my enormous and delightful meal. Maybe I’ll begin my next tasting with dessert. I also must return to try the many varieties of pizza that are offered. If I return for a light bite, many interesting sandwiches burgers and earthy special await the lunchtime guest.
Enjoy a meal lovingly prepared and served at Casa Amore in Pelham.
CASA AMORE
65 First Street
Pelham
914 365 1044
Tuna Tartar (serves 2)
4 ounces sushi grade tuna in small dice
1 medium shallot, minced
½ avocado, semi firm, in small dice
2 ounces agenori seaweed salad, minced
2 Tbsps. dark sesame seed oil
1 Tbsp. wasabi powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 fresh quail eggs
Wasabi drizzle sauce
Wasabi and chili pepper tobiko
Enoki mushrooms
Mix the first seven ingredients together carefully. Divide mixture into two molds of 4 ounces each. Chill for a half an hour. Unmold onto two cold plates. Garnish each with a quail egg, wasabi drizzle sauce, chili pepper tobiko and enoki mushrooms . Serve very cold with plum wine or green tea martini or crisp Australian sauvignon blanc.
Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra Holds Auditions for 2019-20 Season
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Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra. Photographed by Steven Schnur.Students in grades 9 through 12 are invited to be a part of one of the finest high school orchestras in the United States. Auditions for Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra will be held at the School on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm; Wednesday, May 15, 2019, from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm; and Wednesday, May 22, 2019, from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm.
Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra is a full symphonic orchestra for high school students at the highest level of technical ability and musical artistry. Under the direction of conductor Jun Nakabayashi, the Festival Orchestra performs three concerts annually; two are with guest artists of international stature in full-length concerto performances. The final concert of the season is held at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. The Orchestra meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:15 - 9:30 pm. Members of the Orchestra participate in sectional coachings with members of the New York Philharmonic at the School. Auditions are open to the public. Students not yet in high school, but who demonstrate exceptional ability and maturity, may also audition.
Audition Information:
Interested students or parents may contact the Orchestra’s Manager, Mark Kushnir at [email protected].
Applicants must perform a 2 minute section from a piece written for their instrument that is comparable to a NYSSMA Level 6 piece; scales; and prepared excerpts. Timpani applicants must perform a demonstration of rolls; a rudimentary solo of choice; and prepared excerpts. Excerpts can be downloaded at http://hbms.org/festival-orchestra.php
Repertoire for the 2019-2020 season includes:
• Bach: The Art of the Fugue, orchestrated by Jun Nakabayashi
• Beethoven: Coriolan Overture, Piano Concerto No. 4, and Symphony No.7
• Handel: Hallelujah Chorus (Mozart version)
• Haydn: Symphony No. 104 London
• Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, Overtures to Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro
(Repertoire subject to change.)
2018-2019 Concert Dates:
• December 14, 2019
• March 14, 2020
• June 6, 2020
About Hoff-Barthelson Music School:
Hoff-Barthelson Music School has achieved national recognition as a premier community music school for its unsurpassed leadership in education, performance and community service. With a faculty drawn from the region’s most talented teachers and performers, the School has long been one of Westchester County’s most cherished cultural resources. Whatever a student’s age or level of musical interest, HBMS’ diverse offerings provide the highest quality musical education, personally tailored to his or her specific passions and goals in a supportive and vibrant community.
