“What did you do on your birthday?” I have been frequently asked this whole month. This author turned 40—the big four-oh—early this April, and I would inevitably answer, “Oh, I was just at home the whole day with my family and cat.”
Spending nigh on two decades as a journalist, often out on coverage and traveling, I have come to cherish, more and more, the times when one can simply stay home, read a book, watch TV, and generally just laze about in the comfort of one’s own room.
BOXED FEAST The Binalot Summer Boodle Box arrives in bayong-style containers, ready to be unwrapped into a banana leaf–lined boodle fight spread. (Photo by the author)
Fortuitously, for my birthday fare, our friend Rommel Juan, president of Binalot Fiesta
Foods, told me about his new concept, the Boodle Box, and asked when he could send one over for me to try. I not so subtly nudged him to have it arrive on the day of my celebration. What came was not just food, but a flood of hearty delights and good memories.
The box was huge, delivered carefully by motorcycle. Inside, I was surprised by how generous the contents were, all presented in a sustainable, eco-friendly format—tampipi-style boxes instead of plasticware.
Inside the cases were dishes wrapped in banana leaves. The rice, too, was bundled in a longer leaf, which, when unraveled, doubled as the centerpiece for a proper boodle fight spread. The use of biodegradable banana leaves and reusable tampipi-style containers minimizes waste, and, after the meal, the packaging can be repurposed for easy cleanup.
The contents were classic Filipino fare: salted egg and tomato, talbos ng kamote, nilagang okra, and talong with bagoong for sides; halabos na hipon, pinaputok na tilapia, inihaw na baboy, gising-gising, steamed rice, and pancit bihon for mains.
The family found ourselves smiling, even giddy, while preparing the meal. It was fun and nostalgic. I was reminded of the old days in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, when during holidays—be it Halloween, New Year or Holy Week—my late mother and my Southern Tagalog cousins would gather in our ancestral home for boodle fight lunches. We had banana trees in the backyard, so we would simply cut and wash our own “plates” straight from the source.
Set for debut at Franchise Asia 2026, the Smart Box is a 6×3 meter unit equipped with a kitchen, service area and dining setup, allowing operators to start quickly with lower upfront complexity. Unlike traditional stores, the unit can be relocated, enabling franchisees to adjust to demand and reduce risk.
