AFTER THE MILLENIUM

Kaldereta

I’m always a sucker for hearty meaty stews so when I met my first Kaldereta we really got along. It’s a basic dish made by stewing cuts of meat in a tomato/liver sauce until tender, with a few carrots, potatoes and capsicums thrown in too. I’ve seen it with most meats but the lamb was easily my favourite.

Get it at: Most Filipino kitchens. Try the lamb kaldereta at Sentro in Greenbelt 3.

By Bren http://www.brenontheroad.com/

Sinigang

If you’re a fan of sour soups like Thailand’s tom yum or Hong Kong’s hot and sour soup then sinigang is totally going to rock your world. I had one of these for breakfast almost every day during my month on Boracay. It’s a tamarind based soup with a whole bunch of other goodies in it, most commonly tomatoes, green beans, spinach, green mango and various other possibilities. I tried quite a few variations (pork and shrimp are the most popular), but I’d say the classic pork is probably my favourite. I can’t believe it’s taken me 27 years to try it.

Get it at: Most Filipino kitchens. If you’re a fan go and try the Corned Beef Sinigang at Sentro in Greenbelt 3.

By Bren http://www.brenontheroad.com/

Crispy Pata

One thing you’ll notice when eating around The Philippines is that they’re completely obsessed with their pork, which is probably why they cook it so well. Enter the crispy pata – a pork leg/knuckle deep fried to perfection and then sided with chili, calamansi and a variety of dipping sauces. I ate it a couple of times, one homemade one and one from a restaurant. Needless to say the homemade one was mouth watering but the restaurant cooked one wasn’t too bad either. If you’re a pork man it might just change your life.

Get it at: Most Filipino restaurants. The crispy pata in the picture is from Kabila Museum Cafe atAyala Museum, but I think it’s a little expensive for what you get.

By Bren http://www.brenontheroad.com/

Kare Kare

This is a classic Filipino stew, consisting of oxtail, tripe, eggplant and Chinese veges. It has a strong peanut flavour and is served with shrimp paste on the side. It’s one of the flagship dishes here in The Philippines, but I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it. An acquired taste, perhaps.

Get it at: Most Filipino restaurants

By Bren http://www.brenontheroad.com/

Lechon

So, I used to think the Chinese made the best pork.

That is until I tasted lechon. Damn! Them Filipinos know how to cook a pig. This juicy, crispy masterpiece is something I won’t even try to describe. I had the privilege of attending a local baptism and they served up this freakin’ life changing roasted pig, I could’ve eaten the whole thing! Apparently the best lechon is from Cebu city, which is going to be my first stop on my next trip to The Phils.

Get it at: Sabroso Lechon, one of my favourites (corner of E Rodriguez Ave and Tomas Morato)

By Bren http://www.brenontheroad.com/

Chicharon

Chicharon are like the Doritos of The Philippines. They snack on it like finger food and open a big bag of them while sitting down for a movie. Basically it’s deep fried pork skin, and aside from eating it on its own they also garnish various dishes with it. What’s it taste like? Well, kinda like a bag of very porky tasting Munchos, which I’m not really the biggest fan of. The locals however, absolutely love it.

Get it at: You will find it in most supermarkets and markets.

By Bren http://www.brenontheroad.com/