breakfast at jolo, sulu: coffee, bang-bang, durian and so much more

Jolo port at dawn.

Drinking coffee was the first thing that my friend and I did in Sulu, a beautiful island located in Southern Philippines. This is also a province in Mindanao that has been marred with decades of conflict, mired in poverty and conveniently forgotten by the rest of the country.

When our ship from Zamboanga City docked at the busy Jolo port, the early morning sun cast a beautiful fiery glow just beyond the majestic Mt. Tumangtangis, the highest mountain in the island. Small bangkas whizzed past behind our ferry, carrying the day's catch.

I missed the usual early Muslim prayer that time because when I woke up, everyone else was already on their feet and doing what they have to do on a wonderful Saturday morning. Porters were already shuffling back and forth carrying some of the passengers' cargoes. While there were others onboard who looked happy after seeing their loved ones waiting for them nearby.

Top left photo shows how a typical brew at Dennis Coffee shop is done.

We then walked towards one of the branches of Dennis Coffee Shop, which seemed to be the only establishment open at that hour. By its entrance is a cabinet, the shelves of which were stacked with freshly cooked bang-bang, the Tausug versions of kakanin (small snack). As soon as our orders of coffee were brought to our table, the aroma of the morning's fresh brew filled the place. I also noticed that coffee in these parts is poured on pretty yellow glasses. One can only marvel at its ability to withstand the heat.

My best glass of coffee so far.

Nonetheless, it was the best coffee I've had in recent memory. It had a black, full and rich flavor but it surprisingly did not leave an acidic feel afterwards. It is probably close to an Arabica blend, if I am not mistaken. But aside from the really good coffee beans, I also admire at how each drink was brewed. The ground beans, we learned, were slowly roasted for many hours over charcoal-fired heat. Before we knew it, the place was quickly filled up by people who looked like they just wanted to stop by Dennis for a quick caffeine fix. They also do not look like the kind who linger in coffeshops to read a good book, talk about the weather or discuss yesterday's news. In coffeeshops like Dennis, it is all about the coffee. You drink one good cup, eat some snacks and then leave. Plates and plates of bang-bangs were then successively delivered which completed the incredible, interesting and delicious spread before us. I thought to myself that if you have breakfast this good, you'll probably ditch your croissants and waffles anytime. A college teacher approached our table probably because he was curious as to why we were talking about the different kinds of bang-bangs before us. I jotted down some of the local delicacies that he helped identify - the que talam, pasong, putli mandi, baolu and the junay. He added that all these are traditional Tausug delicacies. They looked different from the usual fare served elsewhere in the Philippines and had to some extent, Malay undertones. But there were also some that are familiar to me such as the biko and the boiled egg of course. Other than these two, the rest are new to my taste. We don't have to finish everything off, he assured us. Like most eateries/coffeeshops in this region, you only pay for what you ate. He then asked why we visited Jolo. This was not the first time we were asked that unavoidable question. I lost count too as to the number of the times this was raised, before, during and even after this trip. The funny thing is that I recall answering a little bit differently each time, but without straying too far from our original intentions. However, the explanation we gave to a retired government employee, our gracious host and our overqualified tour guide that day, probably summed up why we traveled to Jolo in the first place. My initial impression of him was that he looked too young for retirement. You could also sense by his careful choice of words, peppered with wisdom and humor, that he has seen both the good and the bad in Jolo throughout his decades of service in the government. My friend told him that we wanted to experience the Tausug culture and to see Jolo beyond the little we knew about it from our history classes. Well, aside from the Abu Sayyaf, all we know about Jolo is that it is Sulu's capital, and that it is an island somewhere in between Basilan and Tawi-tawi.

Photo on the right shows Mt. Tumangtangis or 'The Crying Mountain.'

His house, which was just a brief walk from the coffee shop, was our next stop that day. We went up his rooftop and minutes later, a spread of bang-bangs and cups of Sulu coffee were served before we could even protest. We politely declined and told him that we just had our fill, but he insisted that we eat along with a durian that was freshly split open for us. I actually like the foul-smelling fruit and I could probably finish more portions than what your doctor would normally prescribe. But I do remember laughing like a drunk after eating too many durian somewhere at Magsaysay Boulevard in Davao City many years back. Our host assured us that we need not worry of our cholesterol levels because the durian in Jolo (which he also claimed is better than the ones sold at Davao), is free from pesticides and fertilizers. I don't know if I should believe him or not at that point. But surprisingly, after overfeeding on the Sulu durian, I did not experience the familiar numbness at my nape. And yes, it was the best durian I've had. Our host was probably right all along.

The Tulay Central Mosque in the background, is the largest in the island.

This was indeed one of the most memorable and unique breakfasts I've had so far. I do not get to wake up everyday sipping native Sulu coffee with durian and delicious bang-bangs on the side. All these were not only a part of a meal but also served as a foretaste of our many small adventures in Sulu afterwards. It is a reminder too that while you could google or read so many headlines about a place such as Sulu, tasting its local delicacies could actually nourish, surprise and enrich you in more ways than one. ----------How to get thereAirphilexpress has flights to Jolo from Zamboanga City. The cheaper yet longer option is via an overnight passenger ship from Zamboanga. The choices are enumerated here. The blogger strongly encourages that you coordinate your itinerary with a contact person that is based in Jolo. It would really help a lot especially in interacting with the locals and getting around, if you have someone who speaks Tausug, the local dialect.
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