Top Filipino Dishes Everyone Should Try: Tips & Articles

Top Filipino dishes everyone should try
TIPS & ARTICLES
RIA DE JONG
Lonely Planet Writer
Filipino food has traditionally received a pretty bad rap on the global culinary
scene, but with many trend forecasters predicting Filipino cuisine the one to
watch, perceptions are slowly changing.
A fusion of Spanish, Chinese, Malaysian and indigenous cooking styles, the

food of this 7000-island archipelago really is like nothing else on earth. Here
are 11 classic food-and-drink experiences worth having at least once.
A bowl of adobo Ria de Jong / Lonely Planet
Adobo
Whether its chicken, beef, pork, seafood or vegetables, if its

cooked adobo youd be hard-pressed to find a Filipino that doesnt love
it. Adobosees meat and vegetables marinated in garlic, vinegar and soy sauce
before being cooked in oil and then simmered in the remaining marinade.
Served with mountains of white rice, its a hallmark Filipino dish. Youll find it
on every local restaurant menu, and in food courts and market stalls
throughout the country. Sentro 1771 in Manila offers a flavoursome garlicky
beef and pork version.
Lechon
The Philippines is home to possibly one of the tastiest pig dishes in the world:
a whole pig stuffed with herbs and vegetables (each region has its own secret
filling), which is hand-turned on a spit over smoking coals until the skin
shatters like glass and the meat drips with flavour. A favourite for Filipino
celebrations, lechon can be purchased at takeout counters throughout the
islands or at local markets (try Manilas Saturday Salcedo Community Markets).
No need to buy the whole pig you can usually order a few hundred grams.
Many Filipinos say the bestlechon comes from Cebu, an hours flight from
Manila. Dont be surprised to see wrapped pigs being collected at the airport
baggage carousels; restaurants fly lechon around the country to ensure
customers get to feast on their favourite pork dish.
Lechon, whole spit-roasted pig Frolova Elena / Shutterstock
Pansit
Possibly the most popular food for Filipinos (after firm favourite white rice;
tip: unli rice stands for unlimited rice) is rice noodles! Stir-fried with a
mixture of meats and vegetables, and lashings of soy and oyster sauce, this
dish is a staple at any Filipino celebration and is eaten for breakfast, lunch or
dinner. The noodles do come in varying thicknesses but pansit bihon (thin
ones) are the best.
Sisig
Served on a sizzling hot plate, this pork dish is traditionally made by boiling a
pigs head, then grilling or barbecuing it to add a smoky flavour, chopping the
meat into tiny pieces, and finally frying with onion, garlic and spices. Sisig was
made famous in Pampanga Province by late restaurateur Lucia Cunanan, who
has been credited with creating the modern Filipino version. If youre in the
area, stop by restaurant Aling Lucing (facebook.com/lucingcunanan) for a taste of
the original. Sisig is available around the country; many restaurants serve
variations using chicken, tuna, squid or even tofu instead of pork, or add items
such as raw egg or mayonnaise. Whichever way you order it, get ready for a
sizzling feast.
Sizzling sisig with raw egg audioscience / Shutterstock
Sinigang
Sinigang is a sour-tasting soup made of a tamarind, tomato, garlic and onion

broth. Native vegetables including okra, eggplant and green finger chilli are
boiled up and meats (usually pork on the bone) are then added. Sinigang is
the epitome of Filipino comfort food; most Pinoys cant get enough of its
signature sour taste. The dish is usually served with a side of patis (fish sauce)
and chilli, and of course some white rice.
Sinigang with a side of rice Ria de Jong / Lonely Planet
Lumpia
Fresh or fried, this delicious spring roll is the perfect start to any meal, or can
be enjoyed as a tasty solo snack. Lumpia is made from minced meat (usually
pork), cooked with onions, garlic and finely chopped vegetables, all bundled
together in a wafer-thin wrapper. Its often served with banana ketchup, a
sweet-and-sour sauce made from mashed bananas, sugar, vinegar and spices,
coloured red to resemble tomato ketchup. It sounds crazy, but it works.
Fried lumpia, the perfect starter Ria de Jong / Lonely Planet
Balut
Balut is a much-loved traditional afternoon snack in the Philippines. Youll see

streetside hawkers dish it out to the masses, but curious visitors will require a
stomach of steel to join in. Why? Balut might look like a regular boiled egg,
but when you crack one open, youll find an 18-day-old duck embryo. Yep: a
tiny semi-formed duck. Locals eat it by cracking the shell at one end and
peeling off the top, drinking the soup and then giving the leftovers a good
shake of salt before finishing them off. Fans say it tastes like chicken, but
youll have to try it yourself to find out.
Chicharon
A heart attack in a bowl, chicharon is deep-fried pork skin, and it is good, oh

so good. Chicharon is usually flavoured with salt and garlic, however you can
often buy a few varieties, such as chilli, which adds a nice kick to the crunch.
Its the perfect accompaniment to an ice-cold San Miguel; the only downside is
having to talk yourself out of overindulging. This tasty snack is easily found at
7-Elevens, market stalls and anywhere beverages are sold throughout the
Philippines.
Wash some chicharon down with a cold one Ria de Jong / Lonely
Planet
Halo-halo
The name of this multicoloured dessert means mixed together in Tagalog,

and that is exactly what it is: a heap of sweet stuff mixed together to create one
of the worlds most surprising taste sensations.Halo-halo consists of a
plethora of ingredients from sago to corn to boiled beans layered over a
base of shaved ice and condensed milk in a tall glass. Topped with
purple ube (purple yam) ice cream, leche flan and sprinkles of sugar and fruits,
its an anything goes dessert that will knock your socks off. Milky Way Caf
(cafe.milkywayrestaurant.com) in Manila has been serving up halo-halo since the
1960s and is still one of the best places to try it.
Multicoloured dessert halo-halo Ria de Jong / Lonely Planet
Jollibee
Its not actually a type of food, but this Filipino fast-food restaurant is more
popular than McDonalds, so it deserves a mention. Jollibee offers a mash-up
of the worlds most popular fast foods in one place pasta, burgers, fried
chicken, pancakes, rice you name it and theyve probably got it. Whether the
food is good is a matter of taste (the sweet spaghetti will give you a sugar high
for days) but it is a Filipino favourite. Just look out for the giant red, crazily
smiling bee and youre in the right place.
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Calamansi juice
The ultimate thirst-quencher, this citrus juice is available in cans, juice boxes
and bottles at every corner store in the Philippines. The freshly squeezed kind
is the best; extracted from the tiny calamansi fruit (about half the size of a
lime), the very tart juice is sweetened with sugar. Youll often find calamansi
fruit accompanying meals; use it as you would a lemon or lime, and squeeze a
little on your food for added zest.

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Top Filipino dishes everyone should try

TIPS & ARTICLES

A fusion of Spanish, Chinese, Malaysian and indigenous cooking styles, the

Whether its chicken, beef, pork, seafood or vegetables, if its

Sinigang is a sour-tasting soup made of a tamarind, tomato, garlic and onion

Balut is a much-loved traditional afternoon snack in the Philippines. Youll see

A heart attack in a bowl, chicharon is deep-fried pork skin, and it is good, oh

The name of this multicoloured dessert means mixed together in Tagalog,

Philippines travel guide

The Philippines is defined by its emerald rice fields, teeming megacities,

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