Rutchel's Native Chicken, Calbiga

This is an eatery located along the national road in Calbiga, Samar. Specialty: Tinolang Native Manok! In fact, most of the time, this stewed chicken is the only one you'll see in a gigantic pot at the counter.

Oops my bad, I forgot to take a photo of that counter where the big pot usually sits!

But you can see a snippet of it in this picture... - just at the very left edge of this photo :)

That is how the place looks from the edge of the counter. Entrance is at right (not seen in photo).

This is important: the big clean toilets (separate for men and women), aside from the hand-washing area, are located at the other end of that counter near that window at left! Why am I telling you this? Because this place, almost exactly halfway from Catbalogan to Tacloban, is a well-known BRB stop!

Especially for women, this place is something to remember, because, as you will probably know, there are not so many clean toilets out here. Even the few gas stations along the road cannot all be relied upon, if you know what I mean! This is about an hour from Catbalogan, still an hour before Tacloban!

So, Rutchel's is a real "halfway stop". Besides, the chicken tinola is really marrraaasa!

Not to mention the beauty of those heavy hardwood tables and benches, this place is always clean.

This is a "branch" of the (nameless) chicken tinola stop 400 meters before this place? Did you know?

Many of us who know that "original" place just call it "native chicken tinola" or "pink house". It is btw still open everyday, and in business as usual. And it has been there since I was a kid! Yes, maiha na!

The story goes something like this...
Long ago, when travel was still not as comfortable and fast as it is today, and because Calbiga lies halfway between Catbalogan and Tacloban, travelers would crave for something to eat when passing by this area - and that delectable native chicken tinola in that pink house of Calbiga was discovered.

Buray, in Paranas (previously Wright) has long been a meal stop, but usually only for those coming from or going to Eastern Samar via Taft. Buray was just too-near-too-soon for those from Catbalogan going Tacloban, and already too near the final destination for those traveling in the reverse direction.

Thus, the need for some travelers to want to find food in Calbiga, even if Buray was already bustling with a lot of eateries. And thus, the native chicken tinola was discovered. Until now, Calbiga is more popular an eating stop, mostly for those traveling between Catbalogan and Tacloban or vice versa.

The pink house was almost always full of patrons especially at noon. That was easy to 'decipher' via the many private vehicles - including tucks - parked along the sides of the highway as that pink house, as with many houses in Calbiga anyway, does not have its own private parking area. Sa kalsada lang!

Then all of a sudden came Rutchel's (see first picture above) with big and clear signage saying "native chicken". Most every traveler immediately thought it's a branch of the old pink house. Why? Because no other Calbiga eatery is known to serve chicken tinola! Indeed it is! Rutchel is a daughter, I learned.

What is so damn good about this "native chicken tinola" that it has become like a craze? Well, ah eh, teka lang.., if you ask me or other youngsters like me.., their chicken is actually usually too firm even hard to handle with a spoon and fork (and postiso)! Yes it is. BUT the soup, the sabaw is TO DIE FOR!

No exaggeration, the broth of the native chicken tinola is so damn delectable! Some time ago when I brought a visiting friend (from Manila) to this place, his reaction was... "tangina pare ang sarap nito"!

There had been a number of comments reacting or theorizing why that 'sabaw' is so good no on cares if they're slurping it on a lunchtime of a hot summer day (take note: Rutchel's is not air conditioned)! Some say its the bird (native kasi), some say "may orasyon may bendisyon" hehe, others say its that gingery taste, no sour ingredients, others more say it must be the turmeric leaves. I go for the latter.

Whatever makes it taste good, I like it. I even once ordered "to go" and kept the broth in my fridge for days - I just kept reheating a serving of the broth everytime I had a meal. It's that crazily addictive!

Now back to this visit to Rutchel's. After I finished my bowlful of tinola, I went outside and saw this...

A delivery of fresh, still alive, native, free-range and young chicken! Naghahanap ka ng organic? Ayan!

I asked the staff receiving this batch of 'deliveries' and I learned that their own backyard chicken farm cannot anymore cope with the present daily demand. Thus, they do buy some of their birds from other growers in the area. Some of these go straight to the cooking pot, while some to the backyard farm.

My own observation: all chicks are youngish, not real adults! Maybe that's another secret?!