Compared to the popularity of restaurants featuring the cuisine of Philippine neighboring countries Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Japan, options for finding Filipino food in Miami are few and far between. Pinoys and fans of the fare from the Republika ng Pilipinas crave crisp and crackling
Thanks to hidden takeaway joints and modern pan-Asian eateries that have created their own new spin on classics, Miamians can get a glimpse of the vast cooking this archipelago of more than 7,000 islands has to offer, with flavors as vibrant and gracious as its culture.
You just need to know where to find them. So prepare to eat with your hands and fill your heart as you try five of the best Filipino-inspired dishes around town.
5. Banana Turon at Shokudo
The team behind World Resource Cafe and Toni's Sushi Bar have graced the Buena Vista area with their diverse selection of affordable Asian street food in a polished, quaint space. There’s nothing more satisfying than dessert, and Shokudo serves up a Filipino version called
4. Papa’s House-Made Lumpia Shrimp & Pork Spring Rolls at Sakaya Kitchen
Spicy cheesy kalbi beef tater tots. Cracklin’ herb roasted duck. Bowls of bulgogi. This Korean fusion gold mine is all the rage in Midtown. But one plate worth sharing isn’t even Korean in nature — it’s Filipino. Drawing inspiration from his Filipino grandmother’s cooking, Chef Richard Hales fries up lumpia ($6) — Filipino-style egg rolls filled with shrimp, sautéed onion, celery, green beans, bean sprouts, and shredded pork that he curates and roasts for nearly 40 hours before serving. And it shows. Top it off with a dunk in a pool of fuji sauce and you’ll question the double-dipping dilemma.
3.
Straight from Brooklyn and Jersey City, Chef Dale Talde’s third Talde outpost continues to make waves at the Thompson Miami Beach since its opening less than a year ago. Guests get to enjoy the hip underground vibes and
2. Filipino Rice Bowl at Lan Pan Asian Café
Welcome to Lan
1. Sizzling Pork Sisig at Lutong Pinoy
The No. 1 dish has your lips smackin’ and tummy rumblin’ as soon as you smell the made-to-order dish grilling in the back of North Miami Beach’s unassuming Filipino spot in a small strip mall (17048 W. Dixie Hwy.). Cooked with chilies, soy sauce, vinegar, and citrus, pork cheeks, ears, snout and other parts come chopped and sputtering, fajita style. The sizzling sisig ($9.95) is a cholesterol-laden dish of bold flavors and crisp and chewy textures that Filipinos and fatty-food lovers can’t get enough of.
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