This is not a long blog where we try to pepper readers with partnered restaurant recommendations.
We spent one month traveling the Philippines. These are the three iconic, must-try foods, in our eyes, that separate Filipino cuisine from what you will find in the rest of Asia.
Our number one tip for any foodie traveling to the Philippines for the first time: eat the pork. Two of the three dishes we will recommend in this blog are pork based, and that’s because Filipinos are experts when it comes to pigs.
Lechon
The Philippines’ Famous Slow-Roasted Suckling Pig is the one dish we will be recommending to our family and friends visiting the Philippines for years to come.
What is Lechon?
Lechon, from Spanish “lechón,” is a technique of preparing suckling pig. It’s often the centerpiece for larger gatherings with some families even saving up for months ahead of a celebration. The pig is stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, onions and other aromatics before being sewn shut and slow roasted over charcoal for 4-8 hrs.
What does Lechon taste like?
The result is something you absolutely don’t want to miss while in the Philippines: juicy, tender, salty, smoky but the best part is the skin. The skin on a well-prepared Lechon is out of this world: We were blown away time and time again as we tried Lechon on different occasions. It is crispy and chewy at the same time and shatters when you bite into it like glass.
The meat is often so flavorful and juicy that you don’t need to do much more besides eat it. BUT if you are like Harry and want to add some spice, he absolutely loved dousing his lechon in sinamak which is white coconut vinegar, garlic, and Birds Eye chilis to cut the pork’s richness with a bit of acid and spice.
Where to get Lechon?
Lechon can be found at most Filipino restaurants, but it is particularly famous in Cebu and the Visayas where it is most famous for having the most flavorful Lechon in all of the Philippines.
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at House of Lechon (which was a bit on the pricier side for our budget) right in Cebu City. Or, for a more local and authentic experience, most locals will tell you to visit CarCar Market where there are about 10 vendors selling fresh lechon and you can sample each one before deciding which to buy. We did this and had a hard time making a decision, but the experience itself was so fun we did it twice (on the way to and from Moalboal) The prices were much more affordable but the ambiance is a bit more rugged – so be prepared.
Sisig
Another pork dish that we found all over the Philippines was Sisig, also sometimes called “sizzling.” Most Filipino kitchens will serve it with pork, chicken, or even beef.
What is Sisig or “Sizzling” in the Philippines?
We recommend the pork, and we especially enjoyed finding restaurants that serve sisig with pork mascara, which are actually the jowls of the pig (ie ears and cheeks) for a chewy, crunchy texture you won’t find most Western restaurants.
The meat is boiled and then grilled before being chopped up and served in a piping hot cast-iron dish with soy sauce, onions, and a raw egg that is meant to cook when mixed with all the other ingredients in the hot plate.
What does sisig or “sizzling” taste like?
This dish is all about contrast, and we noticed it when we tried it on multiple occasions. It’s oily, and where the meat contacts the hot cast iron plate it sizzles, hence the nickname, and becomes crispy in the best way. The onions and chilies cut the saltiness from the soy sauce, the meat is tender and juicy, and the egg yolk gives the whole dish a richness.
Where to get sisig or “sizzling”?
Sisig is extremely common across the Philippines and you can find it in just about every Filipino kitchen, at streetside stalls, and even fancier restaurants. While the portion size and exact ingredients may vary, we consistently found that this dish was reliably tasty and affordable and unlike every other meat-based meal we have tried in Asia.
As an added entertainment bonus, some restaurants even served us sisig while the plate was on fire.
Kinilaw
Last but not least is one that surprised us, but looking back, it shouldn’t have considering the fact that the Philippines is an island nation with over 7,000 islands.
Kinilaw. Or Filipino ceviche.
What is Kinilaw?
Kinilaw is Filipino ceviche. In ceviche, fish is cooked in the acidity of citrus juice. In kinilaw, the fish is cooked in the acidity of coconut vinegar giving it a slightly sweeter, more vinegary and salty flavor than ceviche. The kinilaw we particularly enjoyed was tuna mixed with vinegar, ginger, red onions, chilies, pomegranate seeds, calamansi lime, and salt and pepper.
What does kinilaw taste like?
Think of kinilaw falling somewhere between sashimi and Peruvian ceviche. Due to the meat being cooked from the acidity of the vinegar as opposed to heat, the outside of the fish firms up but the inside stays silky and tender. The result is a bright and fresh, tangy, fruity, and slightly sweet fix that goes amazing with rice or crunchy tortilla chips.
Where to get kinilaw?
We found that the best bet for getting kinilaw is in places where access to the sea is easy. The fresher the fish, the better the kinilaw will be. As always when consuming raw or undercooked meat or fish, you must exercise your best judgement when it comes to selecting a place to order kinilaw. Look for restaurants or vendors who move product fast – as these are the ones who most likely keep fresh fish. Sometimes you may even find local fishermen selling it right off the backs of their boats – it is difficult to find any that’s more fresh and arguably affordable than that!
Bonus: Red Horse Stallion
Since most diners don’t simply eat a meal without washing it down with their beverage of choice, we wanted to include a special bonus callout for one of the best local beers we have tried in all of our travels: Red Horse Stallion Extra Strong Beer.
What is Red Horse Stallion?
Red Horse Stallion is a legendary Extra Strong lager brewed by San Miguel brewing company in Cebu City. It has an alcohol content of around 6.9%, making it considerably stronger than most everyday beers found across Asia and the rest of the world which typically fall between 4-5%. We found it interesting that they are almost always served with a napkin wrapped around the neck of the bottle – Filipino custom for bottled beer that makes each bottle feel like its own part of the meal.
What does Red Horse Stallion taste like?
The stallion lives up to the name. It is unassuming at first: crisp, malty, and slightly sweet. But about halfway through, you will feel like you have already had a beer (or two, depending on your alcohol tolerance!) In that way, it becomes warming and almost takes on a cinnamon-like taste, in our opinion. When drank alongside lechon or sisig, the sweetness pairs perfectly with the saltiness of the pork. With kinilaw, the malt taste of the beer complements the tangy vinegar tastes of the fish and balances out the meal.
But honestly, Red Horse Stallions go down pretty smoothly just on their own or even better, paired with a sunset and shared in good company.
But be careful, because they are deceptively strong.
Dessert: Halo Halo
If there is one dessert every traveler to the Philippines should try, it’s Halo Halo.
After a day in the hot Filipino sun, dinner and maybe a Red Horse or two, you may be wanting something to cool off before bed. That is the moment you want to find the nearest place selling it, and order Halo Halo.
At first glance, this dessert shouldn’t work. Purple ice cream, colorful jelly, sweet beans, shaved iced, condensed milk, and fruit all in the same cup. What’s going on?
What is Halo Halo?
Then your server tells you: “Halo Halo means ‘Mix Mix’ in Tagalog.”
Halo Halo is not any one thing. It’s a collection of colorful ingredients that are designed to be mixed together to create something that is bigger and more delicious than any of the ingredients on their own.
Mix it up, and you will be in for one of the most refreshing, texturally surprising, and fun-to-eat desserts you’ve ever had.
TLDR:
On your next trip to the Philippines, if you are looking to taste some of the most iconic Filipino dishes, here are our recommendations:
- Lechon: Crispy, tender, flavorful, juicy pork with skin that will change your expectations for what can be achieved through with a little bit of patience.
- Sisig: Sizzling hot, crispy, soft, rich, and bursting with flavor pork dish that you can find almost everywhere in the Philippines
- Kinilaw: Filipino ceviche that tastes bright, fresh, vinegary, and makes for a great afternoon snack when you are near the ocean.
- Red Horse Beer: Wash down any of the above dishes with one of these extra strong ales, just make sure you take it slow, these beers hit HARD.
- Halo Halo: For dessert, this quintessentially Filipino dish is full of flavors, and textures – no two are the same, and that’s what makes halo halo fun and uniquely Filipino.