Authentic Eats

Want to create the ultimate Filipino feast? Be sure your family-style meal includes some of these traditional favorites.

Lechon

This popular dish is derived from the Spanish word for roasted suckling pig. The pig is often stuffed with garlic, onions, chives, lemongrass and tamarind, and is roasted on a spit over an open fire. The pork meat is moist and flavorful, while the lechon skin is crispy and crunchy.

Where to find it: Elena’s Home of the Finest Filipino Foods, The Lechon King, Shay’s Filipino Café, Tiano’s Restaurant.

Halo-halo

Halo-halo, which means “mix-mix” in Tagalog, is a refreshing Filipino-style shave ice. The dessert usually features layers of shave ice, fruits, jellies and sweetened red beans and comes topped with leche flan, ice cream, milk, toasted coconut flakes and purple yam jam. The components vary, but the end result boasts a variety of contrasting textures — creamy, sticky, crunchy and chewy all at the same time.

Where to find it: Elena’s Home of the Finest Filipino Foods, Magnolia Ice Cream & Treats, Max’s Restaurant.

Adobo

Adobo is one of the most popular dishes when it comes to Filipino cuisine. While it’s often chicken, pork adobo is also used, and the meat is simmered in a mix of garlic, soy sauce, black peppercorns and vinegar. Its distinctive flavor is the result of the slow-cooking process, along with the spices.

Where to find it: Elena’s Home of the Finest Filipino Foods, Max’s Restaurant, Golden Coin, Pampanga Kitchen, Shay’s Filipino Café, Tiano’s Restaurant.

Ube desserts

When it comes to classic Filipino desserts, ube halaya — a yam-based jam known for its creamy texture — often comes to mind. This delicacy features butter, coconut milk and purple yam.

However, ube can be featured in a variety of sweets, ranging from bread and ice cream to flan, halo-halo and cookies. For instance, Minasa Hawaii in Waipahu recently launched an ube lava molten cake that’s currently available Fridays and Saturdays. The biz is also famous for its ube churros.

Where to find it: Minasa Hawaii, Valerio’s Tropical Bakeshop, Kawaii Ice Wave.

Sisig

Sisig has many variations, but is traditionally made with pork jowl and ears, chicken liver, and pork belly that’s seasoned with onions, chile peppers and calamansi. A sizzling plate is frequently used to serve this dish, so that the pork fat stays hot.

Recently opened PESO’s sisig is one of the most popular dishes on the dinner menu. It comprises roasted pork belly, ground pork, Thai chile, red onions, aioli and soy-cured egg yolk. Meanwhile, Tiano’s Restaurant’s sizzling pork sisig features seasoned, chopped-up pork with onions and bell peppers served on a hot, sizzling plate and topped with a raw egg.

Where to find it: Pampanga Kitchen, Max’s Restaurant, Elena’s Home of Finest Filipino Foods, Tiano’s Restaurant, PESO.

Lumpia

These fried spring rolls are a popular appetizer or side dish. Paper-thin lumpia wrappers are stuffed with a savory mix of ground pork and cabbage, along with other vegetables.

Where to find it: Elena’s Home of the Finest Filipino Foods, Shay’s Filipino Café, Tiano’s Restaurant.

Pancit

Pancit is a stir-fried noodle dish that usually consists of meats, chopped vegetables and soy sauce. Calamansi is often squeezed over the noodles to add a tangy, sour flavor. Other popular garnishes for pancit include fried garlic, ground black pepper, peanuts and sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Where to find it: Elena’s Home of the Finest Filipino Foods, Shay’s Filipino Café, Tiano’s Restaurant.