6.008

13 (Tue) January 2015

Sinigang na Baboy

3.0

at Bistro Remedios

-Malate, Manila-

with MA, MK, CS

TEIBR. Try Every Item at Bistro Remedios (see previously 5.334 Bamboo Rice).

A highly regarded landmark restaurant that serves excellent mainstream Filipino fare, I’m attempting to eat my way through it.  Everything on the menu (except desserts, unless someone else orders it).  75 items in all.  While spending the vast majority of last year in the Philippines, I didn’t take substantial advantage of the opportunity to get fully immersed into the cuisine, much to my retrospective regret.  TEIBR should lead me down the right path—a higher purpose.

4th visit to the restaurant, including 3 visits prior to the official launch of the project today. 13 items down, averaging 3.25 items per visit.  62 remaining, on pace to complete the project at TEIBR 24.

TEIBR is the 6th in the masochistically gluttonous “Try Every” series.  (i) TERRP (Try Every Restaurant in Robinsons Place) (see generally 5.247 Original Recipe Fried Chicken…).  (ii) TEITY (Try Every Item at Tao Yuan) (in process) (see most recently 6.001 Braised Superior Whole Abalone).  (iii) TERDHPP (Try Every Restaurant in the Diamond / Hyatt / Pan-Pacific hotels) (in process) (see most recently 5.348 American Lobster Aburi Gunkan).  (iv) TERSK (Try Every Restaurant in St Kilda) (see 5.339 Roasted Squid). (v) TEKREM (Try Every Korean Restaurant in Ermita/Malate) (in process) (see most recently 6.003 Yukgaejang).  That’s a stupid amount of food.

Sinigang is a Filipino soup.  Though seasoning methods vary dramatically from region to region, the flavor most widely associated with the dish nowadays is tamarind, which imparts a distinctive sour/sweetness to the broth.  The meat component also varies but typically involves pork (baboy) or fish or shrimp, sometimes chicken.  Vegetables may include onion, tomato, okra, chili, morning glory (kangkong).   (Vaguely reminiscent of Thai/Lao tom yam, though not as fragrant/pungent.)  In any form, sinigang is unquestionably the Filipino national soup.

The sinigang at Bistro Remedios is good.  Ideal level of tang in the broth.  Loads of kangkong, my favorite local veg.  However, I’m not a fan of boiled pork belly, don’t really dig mushy fat, so the meat was a downer for me.  But I enjoyed it overall, helping myself to three servings (indeed, one order is more than enough for 4 pax).

Great to have neighboring colleagues/friends who are into food.  Even better, CS is not only a local but also from the Capampanga province where the Bistro Remedios kitchen draws much of its inspiration, so I’ll very much appreciate his guidance whenever we eat Filipino.  MK, who’d produced a restaurant tour brochure for my trip to Kobe/Osaka last year (see generally 5.143 Good Award Kobe Beef Steak Course), has been an invaluable source of Japanese perspectives.  Both eager to learn about Korean food, they’ve accompanied me on the past 2 installments of TEKREM.  When TL returns, she’ll contribute the Singaporean slant.  With these guys, Cycle 6 promises to be a productive year.