Category: filipino food

Design Museum and The King and I

Lovely day up in town.

Had to try Apoy, the new Filipino BBQ place in Market Halls, just off Oxford Street.

A brilliantly simple menu of Filipino classics like chicken adobo, Pinoy pork barbecue, beef pares and chicken inasal.

We went for the pork BBQ and chicken inasal with garlic fried rice and a couple of dipping sauces. All washed down with sweet, tangy calamansi juice.

The pork BBQ was marinated in banana ketchup, 7up and calamansi – perfectly grilled and served with a side of pickled achara. Full of flavour and beautifully matched with the garlic fried rice.

We spied ube ice cream on the menu and it wasn’t long before I approached the kitchen to order a couple of servings, but it was all sold out !

Strolled across a windy Hyde Park and dropped into the Japan House to take in their exhibitions of Japanese art and culture.

The weather was against us, so we headed on to the Design Museum, a London gem tucked into a corner of Holland Park.

I loved the displays on building materials and construction styles. Amazing to see designs for houses made of wood, brick and even straw.

I was particularly drawn by the technology exhibitions. A series of displays which charted the design evolution from the mechanical typewriter to the digital wizardry of the iPhone.

We kept pointing to old phones and computers – ‘I remember those !’ ‘I had that !’

I loved the old ZX Spectrum microcomputer. My brother and I had one, complete with rubber keys. It plugged into the TV and a tape deck !

Fascinating to see the evolution of the telephone and the television.

Particularly, enjoyed the section on how they designed the iconography of British roadsigns.

As Margaret Calvert, the lead designer, put it, “Style never came into it. We were driving toward the absolute essence. We were reducing the appearance to make the maximum sense at minimum cost“.

Enjoyed a light dinner of dim sum and jasmine tea in Chinatown, before taking our seats at the Dominion theatre to see the King and I.

Fantastic performance of the Rogers and Hammerstein classic.

The stage set was brilliant and the music and dance routines were perfectly coreographed.

really enjoyable performance.

Jollibee

Love Jollibee.

Crispy, juicy, perfectly fried chicken served with a side of steamed rice and their signature gravy.

Fast food heaven.

It’s simply the best fried chicken I have ever had.

Jollibee chicken-joy is beautifully crispy on the outside and deliciously succulent on the inside. You get a satisfying peppery crunch followed by hot, tender chicken. It’s not heavy and greasy, like in some fried chicken places.

Their signature gravy mixes classic Filipino flavours. Bay leaf and pepper combine in a rich, aromatic sauce with a herby, almost nutty flavour. It’s unique and really compliments the chicken.

Simple steamed rice is the perfect accompaniment. Rice is so much nicer than fries, which go cold almost immediately.

Had to finish it all off with one of Jollibee’s iconic peach mango pies. You crack through a sweet, crunchy pastry crust and bite into the hot peach-mango filling. The perfect combination – hot, sweet, fruity goodness.

Fil Manila, Barcelona

A few days in Barcelona aren’t complete without a trip or two to Fil Manila. Tucked away in a side street just of the Rambla, it’s easy to miss. But we always seek it out when in town.

After a day exploring the city and browsing the markets, we sat down to a Filipino feast.

We started with lumpia, and then ordered a large plate of crispy pata, served on the bone with a couple of dipping sauces.

We liked it so much we came back this evening.

Good Phil Cafe, Brussels, Belgium

A long weekend exploring Belgium is not complete without a stop for Filipino food in Brussels.

So, we sought out the Good Phil Cafe in the Saint-Gilles district of the city for lunch. A lovely little cafe serving coffee and brunches with a Filipino twist.

We chose the Kare Kare, served as beef meatballs in the famous Filipino peanut stew with rice, and a longanisa rice bowl, served silog style with fried eggs and a simple salad of tomatoes, cucumber and radish.

Could not resist a side of cripsy lumpia, served with a dipping sauce.

We finished the feast with a slice of cassava cake and coffee before strolling back into the city.

ChaCha Food Corner, Geneva, Switzerland

Where do you go for Filipino food in Geneva ?

ChaCha Food Corner of course.

From our Airbnb in Annemasse, we hopped on the new Route 17 tram to Geneva. After a busy morning exploring the city, we headed to ChaCha Food Corner for a tasty Filipino lunch.

I spied dinuguan on the menu, a dish I have not yet had the pleasure of trying. So I ordered a portion of the pork served in the famous Filipino blood stew with a side of rice.

We enjoyed chai tea and delicious puto flan before strolling back into the city to hire bikes and cycle around Lake Geneva.

Jollibee

News of Filipino food travels fast, especially when Jollibee is involved !

We heard that the famous Filipino fried chicken restaurant had just opened a branch in Reading, not far from London.

We needed little excuse to head their way, so we made a trip to sample a bucket of their famously crispy chickenjoy.

We were not disappointed, the chicken was tender and juicy, all perfectly deep-fried to golden, crispy perfection.

I love their rich, aromatic gravy which goes so well with the chicken and a simple side of rice.

Heaven !