Filipino cuisine is gaining popularity around the world due to its rich flavors and unique textures. Pinoy dishes create a memorable dining experience while satisfying your cravings. With such a diverse choice of meat, seafood, vegetables, and rice, as well as delectable Pinoy desserts, a Filipino menu offers a little bit of everything for everyone. There is more to Filipino cuisine than just the ever-famous Filipino exotic food balut (duck embryo) and world-renowned Filipino dish Adobo. There are still a lot of local delicacies to explore! With such a diverse selection of food choices and a rich culinary tradition, it was challenging to narrow this list to only 10 Filipino dishes – but I can share with you here the best dishes that everyone just cannot miss!

1. A Filipino Menu
What are 10
Must-try Filipino
Dishes

2. Kare-Kare
Kare-Kare is a rich stew with thick peanut sauce. Its
marigold color comes from annatto powder or achiote oil.
It’s packed with various meats which may be a choice
between oxtail or beef. Add vegetables like eggplant,
string beans, pechay, banana hearts, and more. It’s one
of the most loved dishes in the Philippines.
To truly enjoy this dish, put a dab of shrimp paste (sweet
or spicy bagoong). Serve with a side of steaming white
rice, and it will undoubtedly be an unforgettable meal!

3. Chicken Inasal
Satisfy your cravings with Chicken Inasal. Prepared by marinating chicken pieces in a special spice blend
and grilling them until done. It sounds like a typical chicken grilling recipe, don’t you think? Although it may
appear to be one, the particular marinade and basting sauce make this grilled chicken extra special.
Originating from Bacolod City, Chicken Inasal is a flavorful grilled chicken dish that is marinated in calamansi
juice, ginger, and lemongrass, basted with annatto oil as it roasts over an open flame, it is served with
steamed rice and a dip of soy sauce with hot chilis and chicken oil. This simple but great-tasting chicken
recipe is fresh, healthy, and perfect for the very discriminating palate.

4. Sinigang
This dish is perhaps the second most popular in the country
after adobo, deserving of the national dish title! Sinigang is a
famous tamarind-based sour and savory soup dish in the
Philippines. It gives a sour and tangy flavor, making it stand
out from the other dishes.
Sinigang consists of meat, which can be beef, fish, pork, or
shrimp – along with vegetables such as radish, taro, okra,
onions, water spinach (kang kong), daikon (labanos), string
beans, and eggplant. Depending on the cook’s preference,
the tamarind can be replaced with guava, santol, tomato,
kamias, calamansi, or even unripe mango.
To give the dish a unique and delightful flavor, you can mix
and match the ingredients however you prefer. The secret is
the delicious broth soured by tamarind, tomatoes, and
sometimes, kamias which will truly give you that authentic
Sinigang experience!

5. Bicol Express
If you like hot and spicy food, you will surely fall
in love with Bicol Express! A popular Filipino
food consists of thinly sliced pork covered in a
rich coconut-based sauce and spiced with hot
chili peppers. Bicol Express was named after a
railway line along the Manila to Bicol.
This spicy dish is thought to have originated
from the Bicol region. This creamy yet savory
viand is rich in flavor with that spicy kick that
makes it a great choice for ‘pulutan’ during those
chill moments drinking a glass of cold beer.

6. Bulalo
Every time the weather turns
colder, people crave this hot
stewed meal because it serves like
a warm blanket that gives a sense
of comfort.
Bulalo is made by simmering the
beef shanks and bone marrow until
the collagen and fat are dissolved
into the broth. Additionally, it is
mixed with a variety of vegetables,
like corn, pechay, string beans,
cabbage, potatoes, taro, and more.
The beef shank with the marrow still in
the bone is always the highlight of the
best Bulalo. Once you savored the
beef broth, a slurp of the marrow will
make you love the dish even more!
Bulalo meat is famous for its
tenderness – melting in your mouth
and almost falling off the bone! For a
hearty meal, eat it with rice, soy sauce,
fish sauce (patis), and a little lemon
squeeze (calamansi).

7. Adobo
You can never afford to miss having a taste of the famous Adobo!
Certainly the most popular Filipino cuisine and is a favorite of all people, including those with a western
palate. In the most popular version of adobo, chicken or pork is used as the main ingredient. Marinated
in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, this dish can be cooked with some
sauce or with little oil. Although it is a staple, people also enjoy it when it is served on special occasions.
Adobo can be enjoyed with salted duck egg, fresh tomatoes, or with some steamed kangkong.

8. Caldereta
A must-try dish, this tomato-based meat is a favorite in buffets
in any celebration in the Philippines. The combination of
delicate meat, vegetables, and tomato-based sauce is truly
mouthwatering!
The key ingredients in this dish are your choice of meat—
chicken, beef, or pork, along with potatoes, carrots, and green
bell pepper. Other ingredients include garlic and onion spices,
coconut milk, black ground pepper, tomato paste, water, salt,
soy sauce, and sugar. Sometimes butter and liver spread are
added to give more taste to its savory sauce. All of these
ingredients come together to give you that awesome taste!
Caldereta is simple, easy to prepare, but hearty and flavorful.
Perfect for special occasions and family gatherings!

9. Like Lechon, Crispy Pata is a must-try! A mouthwatering, savory,
deep-fried pork leg that is a crowd favorite on special occasions.
To get the perfect crispiness, the entire pig’s leg is deep-fried to
perfection. It is served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce, along
with some minced garlic and chili. The Crispy Pata is flavorful
without being too salty. Its sauce must have the right amount of
soy sauce and vinegar to keep everything in balance.
A pork lover’s delight, Crispy Pata has soft, savory meat behind its
crispy skin. If you like pork, you simply couldn’t resist the
temptation of this indulgent dish even during those drinking bouts
with family and friends!
Crispy Pata

10. Sisig
When you hear sizzling and see steam coming off of the cast-iron
skillet, you’ll know someone has ordered sisig. It’s a huge hit in the
Philippines! Crispy, chewy, spicy, and flavorful textures that all
complement one another. Sisig is everything you want on a sizzling
platter.
The most popular type of Sisig is made with chopped pig ears, liver,
and jowls, together with onions and chili peppers. It is typically served
on a sizzling hot skillet with chicharon, some mayonnaise, and a raw
egg on top. Some prefer to squeeze some calamansi or lemon juice
on a sizzling sisig to balance its taste. Other versions of Sisig include
seafood, tofu, chicken, tuna, and anything else you can think of to
serve on a sizzling hot platter.
This Pinoy classic is a top choice among many Pinoy at heart. This
mouthwatering combination of pig’s liver, belly, and all the tasty parts
of the pig’s head. Mix these with chicharon (pork rinds) seasoned
with calamansi, soy sauce, and chili peppers. Sisig can be the best
pulutan for a cold beer and the ideal ulam to go with tons of rice.

11. Lechon
Iconic and mouth watering Filipino dish where a whole pig
or piglet (cochinillo) is spit-roasted slowly over charcoal for
hours. Lechon is a world-class Filipino food unlike any other,
best served with lechon sauce.
The most delicious part of Lechon is its crispy skin. As the
pig roasts, the skin absorbs the salt marinade and turns
crispy from the fire’s heat. The tender, juicy meat and
crunchy skin do not need sauces as eating it plain reveals
the richness of natural tastes from the meat, smoke, and fire.
However, dipping it in a spicy sauce takes the dish to the
next level! Pair this with steamed rice and a side of
vegetables for a delicious, well-balanced meal.
Typically the star of festivities and celebrations, a Lechon on
the table will be the center of the feast. From the juicy meat
to the crispy skin, there’s no doubt that everyone will love
this awesome dish.

12. Explore Authentic
Filipino dishes at
Manila Food Mart,
California
Manila Food Mart
1 (949) 328-9880
For more information
manilafoodmart.com