What is your take on Filipino cuisine compared to that of other southeast asian countries? (cultures, cons)
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I've been to the Philippines, grew up with a lot of filipinos, and have gone to a pretty decent amount of filipino restaurants. For some reason, Filipino cuisine just seems a lot less interesting or distinct than those of other southeast Asian countries. I know a good fresh grilled or fried fish on the beach is going to be tasty or a great mangosteen will be amazing as well as roasted piglet, but in terms of distinctive Filipino dishes, there just doesn't seem to be the kind of surprises and delights I find in other southeast asian cuisines. This is made more remarkable since the Philippines has a long history of interaction with many other cultures including a four century or so long rule by Spaniards and for much of it via New Spain so I expected some kind of great fusion of Austronesian, East Asian (due to heavy Chinese influence and migration), and Spanish cuisine. I do like a good sinigang though. Am I pretty much just doing it wrong or does anyone else agree? If anyone has some great recs for filipino restaurants in the New York or LA area or specific dishes to look out for, let me know.
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There are hardly any Filipino restaurants here. I think I recall a couple. I've eaten at one once but honestly cannot remember what I had. There are quite a few Filipino eateries in Singapore that cater to the maids and foreign workers there, and by the looks of it I have to say it doesn't look that appealing. For some reason most of the dishes are a dull brown or grey colour. My mother who was been to the Phils said she wasn't really a fan, that the food was kind of bland. I wouldn't mind trying some classic Filipino dishes, but I think there's a reason it doesn't really compete with Thai, Indonesian or Vietnamese cuisine.
Not consumer friendly. A lot of the dishes have inedible parts, like bones, scales, and eyeballs which you have to eat around or use your hands. I hate it. Even soups will have pieces of meat that are still attached to bone. Or they'll put a whole fish in their with bones and a eyeball starting at you. Why so much inedible junk in soup?
Chicken adobo, a favorite, uses chicken wings, even though it would make much more sense to use chicken without the bones since you're eating it with rice.
I'm not sure if this is exclusively a Filipino thing, but it's something I hate about our food. I noticed the same thing in Spain though. They had paella with full shrimp in it, with eyeballs and all. I didn't like Spanish food either.
Not consumer friendly. A lot of the dishes have inedible parts, like bones, scales, and eyeballs which you have to eat around or use your hands. I hate it. Even soups will have pieces of meat that are still attached to bone. Or they'll put a whole fish in their with bones and a eyeball starting at you. Why so much inedible junk in soup?
Chicken adobo, a favorite, uses chicken wings, even though it would make much more sense to use chicken without the bones since you're eating it with rice.
I'm not sure if this is exclusively a Filipino thing, but it's something I hate about our food. I noticed the same thing in Spain though. They had paella with full shrimp in it, with eyeballs and all. I didn't like Spanish food either.
Well, a lot of other southeast asian cuisines as well as many regional variations of chinese cooking are the exact same way. Dim sum dishes are full of that stuff, and the fish my relatives are always whole fish with bones and eyeballs (and the eyeballs are a treat of sorts). I've got no problem with that, and I don't see why it would be more a problem for filipino cuisine than for others.
I don't really know about Filipino cuisine but by the looks of it, I'd say Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and ethnic Chinese cuisine look wayyy better and appetising than what I saw in the pictures. I may be wrong.
Not sure how much Spanish influence has had on Filipino food, Spanish food generally looks exotic, presentable, and full of spices to me, similar to most southern European cuisines.
As for whole fish being served and bones in soups, that's how most Asian cuisines are presented. I have definitely no problem with that.
I don't know, I mean I haven't try one. It's kind of really hard to find any Filipino restaurant. There is a lot more of Thai/Vietnamese/Chinese/Indonesian restaurant everywhere. I haven't seen Filipino restaurant before, anyway I will try out if I see one.
It's in the wrong continent. If Filipino food was being compared to Latin American food, it might have a chance, maybe.
But Asia has some of the tastiest cuisines in the world. Filipino food just doesn't compare with its neighbors at all.
It doesn't even compare to Latin American food. I wish Filipino food were a nice mix of Latin American and Asian cuisine, but it seems like it's a bad mix of the two
Well, there's got to be some great stuff right? I know I like sinigang and a lot of Chinese-derived stuff (though it often stays pretty close to the original source). Banana ketchup is alright, but not very exciting. The raw ingredients used themselves are quite good so roast pig, sausages, stir-fries, fried rice, grilled fish, and the like will certainly be good, but there aren't too many actual distinctively filipino dishes I know and have cravings for. Hopefully someone on this forum has a wealth of knowledge about filipino cuisine and what are some great things to try.
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