Sum up some lesser known cuisines

[D_Odds]

I’ve posted in the past of my lack of fondness for Filipino cuisine. Here is a sample:

@D_Odds

I’m married to a Filipina. She can’t cook, and my mother-in-law is a bad cook, but I’ve also been to just about every Filipino restaurant in Queens and Brooklyn (NY).

I am not a fan of Filipino food (nor of the service in Filipino restaurants). One good thing about Filipino restaurants is that you are getting Filipino food, not American food labeled ‘Filipino’. But I find everything to be overcooked. Meat, fish, vegetables, etc. are all cooked until it is dead, dead, dead, and then cooked a little more. Also, unlike many of their southeast Asian neighbors, the cuisine isn’t very spicy. I always get a kick when one of my in-laws tells me they like spicy food, and then I serve spicy food. What I consider medium heat, they consider atomic heat. Sadly, I like really spicy but don’t get to make it.

If you must eat, adobo is a safe bet. There are all types on pancit - I find them mostly bland. Kare kare is oxtail in a peanut sauce that many like. If you are feeling slightly adventurous, you could try the sisig. The fried lumpia are good, though I prefer Thai spring rolls, and my wife loves the fresh lumpia (another item I’m not too fond of).

Of course, all of this is just one man’s opinion, so take it for what it is worth. We still try out just about any Filipino restaurant that opens nearby, and we did find one that I like (though it’s more of a pan-Asian fusion focusing on southeast Asian flavors).
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