Food from the Philippines rolls off the tongue as a phrase but it doesn't have the mouthwatering associations that, say, Thai, Vietnamese or even Indonesian cuisines have. Most people would be hard pressed to name one famous dish from the country. This is odd, in some respects, since it has had so many culinary influences, ranging from China to Mexico and Spain.
Possibly the best place in town to get better acquainted with Filipino food is Cres-art (CA) on Zhongshan North Road's section three. On Sunday the area turns into Little Manila and the place is so packed customers end up on the pavement outside eating from Styrofoam dishes.
Named after owner Imelda Ching's parents, it was Cresencia and Arturo who taught the young girl how to cook at their family restaurant in the Philippines. Catering, she said, is in her blood. She offered an enticing assortment of dishes, along with plain boiled rice.
PHOTO: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES
Filipinos love the salt and sour combination and Mang Tomas' All-Around Sarsa condiment is an example of this. Made principally from breadcrumbs, vinegar and liver, it goes with most meats. The fried fatty pork lechon kawali, with crackling on the outside, was served in bite-sized slices. It was intensely rich and tasty, as you might imagine, and paired beautifully with Mang Tomas and a sweet chilli sauce. The peppery skinless sausages, or longanisa, were homemade and coated with soy sauce. The pork apritada was braised with tomatoes, onions and bell peppers, carrots and (again) a little vinegar.
The Filipino beefsteak came with a dash of lemon, soy sauce and onion gravy and was a winner. Pinkbet was a mixture of aubergine, squash, eggplant, green beans and bitter gourd, mixed with shrimp paste, garlic and onion. It had a complicated taste unlike anything else. Milkfish, apparently, is the Philippine's national sea dish and was marinated overnight in lemon, vinegar and garlic before being fried until the outside was brown. A purple confection called ube halaya was made from taro, butter, milk and sugar and was a sweet ending to the meal. Authentic tastes extended to the drinks selection and the zesty lemon Calmansi was refreshing.
Christian figurines decked with garlands, a Babel-like mix of languages, green plastic seats and Formica tables, plus a soundtrack from the disco era signaled a cheap but cheerful ambiance that is recommended.
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