Stan’s fascination with cooking
CONSTANTINE “Stan” Tanchan attributes his fascination for cooking and eating to grandparents Santiago and Rufina Tanchan.
A prominent family in Cebu, the Tanchans are into diverse business interests.
Stan is an accountant by profession and sits as CEO of Choobi Choobi Flavors Corporation. His family is into prawn farming, piggery business and farming. With the availability of agricultural and livestock produce and fresh harvests of prawns, starting a restaurant was a practical move. To hone his love for eating and cooking, Stan took up a nine–month Culinary Arts Course in the Center for Culinary Arts in Quezon City. He initially ventured into restaurant business with partners but with little success. His own Choobi Choobi finally opened its doors a few weeks ago in Parkmall, Mandaue City. According to Stan, Choobi is a Fookien word for “enjoy,” which his grandfather always said every mealtime. Stan proudly relates that his great grandmother Josefa Aguilar Jo, was a “butcher” in the town of Bogo many years ago. As a butcher, his Lola Pepang slaughtered pigs and chicken. Her skill in butchering, naturally, developed her knack for cooking excellent dishes. To honor his great grandma, Stan serves up his “Lola Pepang’s Fried Manok” in Choobi Choobi. Lola Pepang then used free-range chickens only. With the demand for the dish, Stan has to recreate the dish using poultry chicken from the recipe handed down by his Lola Pepang. Twice cooked, the tender and juicy fried chicken is served with rich and flavorful gravy.
The playful menu of Choobi Choobi catches the diners’ fancy—Kick Start with appetizers like Sisig, Patrick Star’s Baked Scallop, Chicharon Bulaklak; Fry Fry the Batter Fry for fried choices; Tanny’s Garden for vegetable dishes, License to Grill and Shrimps in the Bag that offers freshly harvested shrimps from their prawn farm cooked in a variety of condiments and spices and served in a plastic bag. Shrimps are stir fried in choices of butter garlic, spicy gata or plain garlic. Stan’s variations include Shrimps in Choobi Choobi Sauce (Cajun) and “Whaah” sauce, extra spicy, which is named after the now infamous expression of Sen. Miriam Santiago. The freshness of the shrimps cannot be rivaled—fresh from the prawn farm to the kitchen of Stan. From the grill, the Pampano and Tuna Belly were just as fresh and delicious.
I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered Stan offers Cha Tao Miao or Stir Fried Snow Pea Sprouts. I have never seen this in Cebu. It is a delicacy in Asia since it is not always available. It is quite common in the US, where I first tasted this highly nutritious young shoots of the snow pea plant. Stan grows them in his organic vegetable farm. The Stir Fried Snow Pea Sprouts was a great accompaniment for the meat dishes—Adobong Kambing prepared in typical Cebuano style, which is fried and served without the sauce but with vinegar-soy dip, his Crispy Balbacua (cow’s feet) with Bagoong (fermented shrimp) on the side and Crispy Pata.
