Hanging at the Balkans

     I don't know about you, but whenever I finish playing basketball, all I look forward to eating are perfectly-crisp fries and a great burger.  PBA players will probably think the same. That's why Chris Ross, Mac Cardona, Marcus Douthit and Coach Rajko Toroman troop to... a Serbian restaurant?!? 

Goulash: Spicy, Tender Beef Stew

     Located along J Abad Santos St corner Mons St., in San Juan, Balkan Express has become a favorite among ballers and fans alike, and if you take a bite of their Pljeskavica (Burger) or the Chicken "Batak" (Stuffed Chicken) together with their French Fries, you will understand why.  Freshly prepared, a lot of Balkan's favorites feature their own mix of minced meat, which Balkan Express proudly calls the specialty of the house.  They are right.  The minced meat is very flavorful and moist, and combined with perfectly crisp fries, I begin to understand the appeal of this place.  It isn't just the minced meat too.  Balkan also offers other greats like the Mousaka (to be ordered a day in advance), Chicken Kebabs and Goulash.  As I enjoyed the famed minced meat burger stuffed with melted cheese, and enjoy one of the best goulashes I've had in years,  owner Marco Batricevic arrives on his bike, and From the Fifty Peso Seats gets to chat with him.  



     For UAAP basketball fanatics, you're probably going, "Isn't that...?" and let me finish that thought.  Yes, former La Salle Green Archer Marco Batricevic is the owner of this quaint little joint.  While for some, playing basketball and operating a restaurant may have quite a disconnect, it is not so for Marco. "I just continued the family tradition from Serbia because my parents are into the restaurant business.  After college, I decided to do something on my own."  Would it be fair to say then, that the family's long standing recipes have trickled into Balkan Express?  "They (dishes) all are. The only thing we added is the rice.  We don't serve rice in Serbia."  

     As Balkan continues to enjoy success, Batricevic isn't sitting pat.  "The idea is to put up a full restaurant, something that can cater to families.  It's a matter of finding a larger place, so we can offer more dishes, provide more experience for food lovers. " Of course, all this dedication to the business means unfortunate things for sports fans.  "I don't play anymore. I don't want to risk getting injured again."  It's probably a good idea as Marco recites a virtual grocery list of injuries on his knee, "2 ACL reconstrsuctions, meniscal tear and other minor injuries."  I still love the game and I try to watch as many games as I can.   Maybe in the future, I can slowly get ready to play again. Right now (though), I don't have any plans yet."

      Basketball, though will always be in the cards for Marco.  In fact, the restaurant enabled him to create a friendship he probably couldn't have formed in his native Serbia.  It can only be fate that he would make finally meet fellow Serbian Coach Rajko Toroman (Smart Gilas head coach) hundreds of miles away.  "I only knew him from the media, but I got a chance to meet him here."  Marco remembers Toroman as a "legend," one of the coaches who handled NBA greats like Vlade Divac, Drazen Petrovic and Peja Stojakovic.  "He's a nice guy.  He's a regular customer here, since we opened, and we've (become) good friends here." Toroman's regular fare? "The Cevapcici (grilled minced meat sandwich), but he doesn't want bread.  He eats it the Serbian way... on a plate with a little salad and french fries."  


     Keeping a busy restaurant running hasn't dulled Batricevic's basketball mind either.  He gives his two cents on the Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Team, believing they're "definitely" on the right track.  "Since they have come together, they have shown tremendous improvement.  I really think the system works for them. They are young men eager to show that they can play, beat PBA teams." It is also in this sport that he gained some of his closest friends.  He counts teammates like Jvee Casio, Rico Maierhoffer, Badir Malabes and TY Tang as some of his favorites describing them as, "Good people, good leaders. They were not up in the clouds, like what happens to some basketball players.  They are down to earth people. When we were rookies, they were there to guide us."  Of course, one of his greatest experiences was on the basketball court.  He intimates that he will never forget La Salle's 2007 championship run.  "It was the year after (La Salle's 1 year) suspension, so my whole batch takes pride in that championship."

      And what Balkan Express dish best describes Marco's game?  "The Cevapcici.  They're had to control, They fall off the bun; they're sort of all over the place." He laughs. "That's how I used to play; very scrappy." 


     As we end the interview, Marco and I keep talking and it amazes me how well informed Marco is not just about basketball but in world events as well.  I get some great stories about Euro basketball, the Serbian economy and even about sausages.  Perhaps, there's a part two for this conversation in the cards?