Patio Filipino

Had a great meal there this past Saturday.
The decor was nice without trying too hard to be upscale. Service could be more attentive-- pretty much had to wave waitstaff over for everything aside from the menus. Plus I thought reasonably priced for the food quality and atmosphere.

Starters:
chicharon bulaklak--the chicharons were delish. Very crispy and well paired with the vinegar and onion...+READ Had a great meal there this past Saturday.
The decor was nice without trying too hard to be upscale. Service could be more attentive-- pretty much had to wave waitstaff over for everything aside from the menus. Plus I thought reasonably priced for the food quality and atmosphere.

Starters:
chicharon bulaklak--the chicharons were delish. Very crispy and well paired with the vinegar and onion sauce. I wish I could get past the whole intestine thing though.
tokwa't baboy--the tokwa't baboy was also great. Good acid and bite in the vinegar and soy sauce with onions and chiles. Also the first of many dishes topped with the salty goodness of lechon-like chunks.

main:
bangus sinigang--yummy! great balance of umami (patis?) and sour (tamarind)
adobong kangkong--great texture still on the kangkong (tender, yet still toothsome) but I thought the adobo sauce was overkill, plus I didn't like the gelatinized texture of the sauce. This dish also included chunks of lechon.
kare kare--very nutty (YUM!!). maybe they use ground peanuts rather than overly sweet, commercial peanut butter. the beef was very tender. and the bagoong was not straight out of the jar--not overly salty or funky, probably sauteed with onions and pork.
escabeche--fish fillets were nothing special, but the sauce was nice with a light bite of spice from the chili peppers
pork sisig--my husband was disappointed that there was no eyelashes to be found (he prefers the more authentic version with the whole head). It was moist and salty. I think the egg provided that texture the offal can give the dish without (my) fear of chomping down on non-muscle bits. We would have liked more onion and chilis.
binagoongan rice--I was so excited to top my bagoong craving with this rice dish. As to be expected, it's pretty intense so I had to eat twice as much rice throughout my meal. This one to savor on its own, and plain steamed rice to accompany the sauces of all the other dishes. Unfortunately, I do prefer the version on Tribu Grill--more toppings and more sporadic bites of funk (mmm...) rather than throughout. (plus, dish #3 topped with lechon)

Bottom line: great meal. definitely exciting menu. nice space, but make reservations because it's quite busy (nice to see non-Filipinos enjoying the food). definitely want to come again and tour more of the menu. and I may suggest skipping ordering lechon, you'll still get your fix of salty, crispy, "buttery" pork via other dishes.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (8 Replies) (by nerdigrrl, created August 23, 2010)