We randomly stumbled on this place via the magic that is Google, and Jenn scouted it out one evening with her family using their expertise in Filipino cuisine to make sure that it was up to code and would be worthy of a first time experience for ignorant me. Her exact words to me that night were “The chicken adobo and pansit were just like home made… Perfect J”. Of course this meant nothing to me since I had never heard those foods but I took her word for it and the approval of her Filipino husband Jeff.
So one Friday we decided to venture there for lunch, from what I could tell based on the website they offer only a few items each day (I am a firm believer of the do a few things right instead of trying to do it all) and they rotate those items based on the day of the week. Even better for the guy who was looking to truly get a new experience was the fact that at lunch they served the food up buffet style so you can try even more foods in one meal instead of just ordering one dish. This definitely excited the fat kid in me and so how could I possibly say no to this offer?
We pulled up to the small café in a strip center, about as unassuming as you could imagine, it was the kind of place where if you were not looking for it you would most likely pass right on by. They also have a grocery store on the opposite side of the shopping center that way you brave souls out there could cook with authentic ingredients at home.
My first sampling from the buffet was a salad, with the main ingredient being mangoes, but there were also onions, tomatoes, and some form of fish. It was pungent, but the mangoes took the edge off. I cannot say it was my favorite dish, but it definitely was an exotic flavor to kick the meal off right.
My first real lesson for the art of eating Filipino food was that rice goes with everything, the proprietor set me straight on this topic as I was eying what to pile on my plate first. The rice was my favorite style, white steamed rice with a good level of stickiness so it clumped together and easily went along with any dish I paired it up with. As you can see in the picture I went with three different items, pork adobo, a vegetable stir fry, and chicken in a yellow curry. All of these dishes had an awesome sauce on them, but by far my favorite was the pork adobo, slow cooked pork that was sliced right through by the fork and had a killer flavor. The curry was good but the chicken was a little tough for my liking, and the veggies were a great side.
Then came the second trip to the buffet, and of course the adobo had to make a second appearance. I also loaded up a dish that had sausage, chicken, mango, and some veggies but it was by far my least favorite dish of the day so it only got a sampling. Then came the dish known as Sisig, which I assume was a pork dish in a sour sauce with some peppers in for good spice.
Needless to say I am now officially a fan of Filipino food thanks to my introduction by Jenn and Jeff. If you happen to find a Filipino restaurant in your neck of the woods don’t be afraid to jump in and try something a little different in your diet.
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