Filipino Food Finds a Place in the American Mainstream

I married into a Filipino Family. My beloved Mother-in-Law passed away last year and spurred the whole family to record and continue her and my Father-in-Law's sublime cooking. I think my passage into acceptance by my new family was profoundly aided by not just my willingness but my quite evident glee and gustatory satisfaction as I was introduced to and devoured the family dishes. I didn't think it was weird. I asked for more. I don't want to start a culinary war in Southeastern Michigan, but my in-laws Pancit was the best Pancit possible and my wife and I are laboring to master and preserve it (and mess around with it. No matter how sacred - Recipes are finally just a point of departure, and rightly so). This Cuisine, which I had no easy way of knowing in my youth has become central to my life. Ligaya, this was a beautifully written and thoughtful piece. Thank you for it.

I grew up eating marinated, fried pompano fish for breakfast, adobos and sinigangs for everyday dinners, and pancit accompanied by the turkey at every Thanksgiving. It’s nice to see Pinoy food “legitimized” by the NYT and officially part of the American food landscape. I remember talking about what I ate at home to my schoolmates and teachers. They used to make faces like they were sick or grossed out or say that the food was weird. It’s nice to be recognized NYT.

A fantastic new restaurant in the sleepy town of Nyack calle Karenderya serves authentic but chef-driven Filipino food. However, I live in the Bay Area and the vast majority of Filipino restaurants serve greasy and heavy foods. But when prepared with care, it can be incredible and vibrant food.

The backdrop doesn't even have to be rice all the time. Some Cebuanos (me included) still eat corn (kaning mais) from time to time. There is a noticeable difference in taste and how a certain dish plays with the flavor of the corn. There is also sort of a regionalistic aspect to it: corn is often looked down as a poor man's staple food. As the Ilonggos would sometimes say: "Daw pirti na gid ka-imol sa imo kung mais ang imo kan-on." As I write this, the government has just started explorations into introducing corn into a wider consumer base here in the Philippines, though the product being market-tested at the moment is a rice-corn blend. This is another dimension to Filipino food that should also be explored over there.

Back in the eighties my mother learned to make chicken Adobo from a Filipino colleague. The Adobo was a nice reprieve from the typical rotation of Salisbury steak, meatloaf, sloppy Joes, tatter tot hot dish, and tuna casserole that made up my mother's culinary repertoire. Growing up in Milwaukee there wasn't much exposure to Filipino food unless you new some Filipinos. Thankfully I've been blessed with spending a lot of time in both Daly City, CA and New York. Daly City has far to many wonderful Filipino restaurants to mention here, but in New York I recommend Maharlika and Jeepney, their food is always delicious and exciting. I hope Filipino cuisine gets its time in the spot light.

A great read; Filipino food is one of my favorite to explore in Queens, where a good bunch exist a short walk from my house. For anyone who wants to learn more/see more pics of regional Filipino food, we go deep on foods in Manila and Cebu here (disclosure: my own website, but I think readers here will really appreciate!): https://eatyourworld.com/destinations/asia/philippines/manila

This article has been a long time coming—and I appreciate the ambition of the piece. But I have two quibbles. I wish the writer had put into context the role some of the chefs she'd quoted have played in planting the Philippine flag in the gourmand's terrain. For instance, Romy Dorotan of the restaurant Purple Yam in Brooklyn and, for years before, Cendrillon in SoHo, was among the first in the East Coast to show how elevated the cuisine can be. It's one thing to make a splash, and another to be a long-distance swimmer, and Dorotan has made food of high quality and creativity for more than two decades. And there's real scholarship behind his cooking, as his wife, Amy Besa, is an indefatigable explorer of indigenous Philippine ingredients and author of the book "Memories of a Philippine Kitchen." Theirs were the singular voices promoting Philippine cuisine in the U.S. in the years when Filipinos thought of their food as something to be found only in some hole in the wall. The article also quotes Doreen Fernandez, a groundbreaking Philippine food historian, but again context is lacking. Fernandez was a beloved English professor of mine who died more than a dozen years ago. The writer doesn't share that information or share the titles of the books or essays from which Fernandez's quotes are taken. The omissions don't serve the reader nor the piece.

This article came on time . There’s a Philippin restaurent just opened on Jamaica avenue in queens around 214th street . I’ve been planning to go to try and this article gave me a clear idea on what to try or to order . Thank you.

What I miss the most is my Lola's Adobo made with sukang tuba. I have never been able to recreate those amazing flavors from such simple ingredients. Thank you for this homage to Filipino cuisine.

Sixteen years ago I was in my first year of the NYU Food Studies Master's program and I made chicken adobo for our research class from my mother's "recipe." My classmate's minds were blown by this simple Filipino staple, these were chefs at well known restaurants, food writers, celebrity personal chefs, and nutritionists all raving about the complexity of the flavors. It's great to see Filipino food finally make it in the mainstream!

Thanks for this tasty and well written article. Really takes me back to a trip to Manila a few years ago when we were fortunate to have friends host us for meals at their home. If you’re ever in Vegas, there’s a Filipino supermarket that sells a number of these items, and the desserts. It’s called Seafood City.

Guessing one of the many benefits of living in a big old melting pot is that I learned to make chicken adobo from a Philippino nurse/coworker over 35 years ago.

Awesome to see Ligaya writing here!

Filipino food is good but for some reason it only works at home. Even in places with many filipinos there are few filipino restaurants. It just doesn't work. Other things like hamburgers can only be properly done in restaurants. Don't know why.

Thanks for the great article about a long overlooked and under appreciated food culture! Now let’s see some recipes and better photos.

Ligaya brings me back to my mom's cooking and every Filipino party from my childhood. Thank you!

What about fish heads and rice? When I was stationed in the PI it was by far the most common meal served. I do not recall any of these dishes.

Filipino food has definitely hit full stride. Co-workers and friends of Filipinos anywhere in the US get asked about lumpia, pancit, and adobo. One fact to point out is that NYT didnt even italicize ANY of the Filipino words in this article, a notable fact. That in and of itself, shows how much inroads our food has made in the American culinary consciousness.

For some reason, I loved reading about all my fav foods in a NY Times article. Such a nice read. Really accurate's all I can really say. Glad to know Pinoy food is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

Reading this article from my home country, I can't help but be proud that finally - Filipino food is now coming into fore in America's food mainstream. For some time, our Southeast Asian neighbors, particularly Vietnam's pho and other delights, Thailand's tom yum, pad thai and great specialties, have made great strides in charming American palates. This well written article by Ms. Mishan beautifully details the FIlipino food we have long embraced and would want the world to taste. To Maharlika, Bad Saint and Lasa -- keep them coming for your culinary wonders. Mabuhay kayo!!

I gave up on Filipino food when my immigrant neighbor offered me a delicacy that made my stomach turn: eggs with bird fetuses, scrambled and fried and eaten whole. Some of the dishes on this article look palatable. Maybe I just had some bad luck.

Many a sailor, who sailed the Western Pacific, recall a very unique Filipino street food known as BALUT. A developing bird embryo that is boiled and eaten from the shell.

During the mid 1970s I tasted a soupy stew of squid in its own ink on a plate of rice at a nondescript stall in a busy Manila market. As I recall it was one of the city's better known indoor markets. The black soupy concoction looked disgusting and tasted wonderful! I have hunted for that dish ever since, but no luck. I did order on several occasions calamare en su encre at some very fine restaurants in Madrid, but the consistency of the dish was too thick (it should be soupier) and the taste couldn't compare to the Filipino version. Does this dish ring a bell to anyone? How would one make it?

Warning about bagoong ! Years ago a bottle left in our fridge too long exploded. Tasty though.

Best article I have ever read about Filipino food because it talks about basics. The staples as created in homes in The Philippines and abroad. The attempt to make Filipino food palatable to non-Filipinos often results in turning off most Filipinos (yet we don't like spending money on food our parents and grandparents can prepare better - yes both sexes cook although a majority is still women but men cook a lot of dishes too as I do). This shows you that each region will have their own version of the main staples, pancit, adobo, sinigang and even kare kare. Regional cuisine is based on what is available in your region. Bravo! Now readers, make yourself some Kare Kare (don't forget the bagoong) and a simple Pork sinigang.

I live in the Philippines. Been here for 7 years. I was once skinny. Now I am fat and happy. I have a Filipina wife who knows what she is doing in the kitchen. The home cooking is where it's at here. Forget about the restaurants. If you want to experience the best of Filipino cuisine than find a way into the home and ..."Lets Eat"...!

Between 10,000 and 22,000 Filipino immigrants could be deported if DACA is terminated. Many are have served I the US armed forces or are their children or children of American citizens whose parents did not file the appropriate forms for them to claim US citizenship.

I love the paragraph about adding your own flavors to a dish. I have been living with my Pinoy (both of us born in NY) spouse for 30 years, and NOW you tell me this is the reason he adds red pepper or other seasonings to many of the dishes that I cook that our daughters and I find perfectly tasty as is?

Great article. Glad it pushes pass just talking about lumpia and adobo. My non-Filipino friends would ask me why Filipino food hasn't caught on in comparison to other Asian cuisines (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian) and its scale. If you visit those Asian restaurants, you can often find non-Asians dining, but in Filipino restaurants it's predominately just Filipinos. I'm sure it could be a number of reasons but I believe it's mostly due to Filipino food simply being cooked for the Filipino peoples' pallet in mind, not experiencing the same Americanization other Asian foods may have received over the years. But today, I no longer think that is necessarily required to please the masses (Korean and Vietnamese cuisine). The American mainstream's palette has broadened with more acceptance to foods previous generations may have found off-putting. 10 years ago I'd find it much more difficult finding a non-Asian willing to try kimchi merely on desire rather than on a dare, in comparison to today. One can now even venture outside a metropolitan city limit and find ethnic foods made more traditionally. Happy that Filipino food is getting the traction that it deserves. Now pass the lechon kawali please.

Sinigang, tinola, paksiw, pesa, bola bola misua, prito, ginataan, pinakbet, nilaga are dishes we ate most often at home and in other people’s houses growing up in the Philippines, not so much adobo or sisig or lechon or even fried lumpia that dominate the image of Philippine cuisine in the US. So I think there’s a difference between the diaspora driven cuisine abroad versus actual cuisine in the Philippines. But I’m afraid the powerful influence of US media is even displacing everyday dishes in the Philippines with what’s more popular in the US—hence I see more adobo and sisig there now than I remember before. Hopefully the rich variety of Philippine cuisine won’t be narrowed down to these convenient and photogenic diaspora dishes. Though more challenging to cook than adobo, people in the US should get a chance to taste really good humble dishes like ginataang alimasag or nilagang baka or my Dad’s favorite, paksiw na isda.

Great article. But totally missed the wonderful grilled meats that represent interesting regional variations as well. Inihaw na liempo, or grilled pork belly, and chicken inasal (barbecued chicken from the South) will always be my favorite Filipino dishes.

Singing may be the soul, but adobo is probably more accessible to most of our palates here. I enjoy the saltiness of the cuisine, even if perhaps my kidneys don't. Garlic fried rice and garlic nuts are especially enjoyable, too. As to dinuguan, it is reminiscent of Polish czernina. Personally, my palate can't stomach either dish. And though not exclusive to the Philippines, we have the mention the great fruits and vegetables, including the taste (and oh, the smell!) of durian. Now excuse me while I heat up some lumpia Shanghai for lunch!

Great article. My family left the Philippines in the 70s, but the food has always connected us to home. You're spot on.

When I was a teenager, my friends would ask me what Filipino food was like. I would tell them it was a mix of different cuisines. It was the original "fusion food" was my explanation. After all, how does a young person explain all the varied flavor inspirations of our culture? Even to this day, I will eat something from a different cuisine and my memory palate will take me back to the Filipino food I had experienced growing up. One of my favorite Italian dishes, Linguine Inchiostro, taste exactly like a squid dish my grandmother would make (minus the pasta, of course). I've had boneless spare ribs from one Chinese restaurant in particular in the Hudson Valley that tastes exactly like pork tocino. Fried Vietnamese pork rolls are undoubtedly fried lumpia in another kitchen. And of course, lechon is pretty much the same as its Latin American cousin of the same name. Though adobo seasoning found in the grocery aisle is miles away from Filipino adobo! I always wondered about the origin of the dish, kare-kare. I had often thought its roots may have been Indian or Thai. Interesting to know my suspicions were correct. By the way, I believe bagoong, or something very similar to it, is also used in Chinese dishes. I've had sautéed string beans with pork at two different Chinese restaurants where I swear they mix bagoong in the sauce. It would be interesting to know its origin.

Cooking is my favorite end-of-day activity, and since making Filipino friends I have been experimenting with Filipino spices and roasting techniques. They use unique condiments like banana ketchup that are hard to find, and I have been locating that and other Filipino ingredients at FilStop, a large mail-order shop in Jersey City. If you are a homesick Filipino, they ship to many parts of the world. https://www.filstop.com/

A very well written article that hit the right notes on the variations of a great cuisine. I'm lucky enough to live right near Daly City which has the largest Filipino community in the US and I've travelled to the Philippines. I fell in love with having Bangus, eggs, and garlic rice for breakfast and many other of the delightful dishes. The food seems so basic and yet with all the regional variations it can be very complex. I love taking people out to eat at local spots who never experienced Filipino food and seeing their first time reactions. Most had no idea that the food is that good. I just introduced my sixteen month old daughter to ube flavored ice cream and she's a big fan. My heart melted with the ice cream.

Filipino cuisine wasn't visible in the USA until recent years when children of Filipino immigrants dug into their heritage and elevated the food as a way of connecting to their roots. Filipinos aren't as excluded from the American job market as other immigrant groups because we speak English, a remnant of the education system installed during decades of American colonialism. With training in nursing and engineering, fluency in English, and familiarity with American culture, many post-1968 (the year LBJ liberalized exclusionary immigration laws) Filipino immigrants went straight into the mainstream American workforce. They bypassed the need to start restaurants (or dry cleaners, liquor stores, laundromats, and Filipino ethnic enclaves altogether) that, for other immigrant groups, gives rise to distinctive ethnic cuisines that ultimately get absorbed into the American mainstream. One effect of being both colonized and quick to assimilate is the invisibility of Filipinos in American culture, given our relative size. Restaurants like Jeepney and Pig&Khao are changing that by qualifying Filipino food as "hipster food" for mainstream (white) America. Personally, I prefer a parallel track developing with more recent Filipino immigrants and entrepreneurs who are bringing grocery chains like Seafood City to the USA, as well as opening more recognizably immigrant (rather than hipster) restaurants like the ones you find in Woodside, Queens. Shout out to House of Inasal!

I love this article so much. I don't live in the Philippines and my family recently moved back home, so every time I visit, I make sure to plan all the Filipino restaurants I want to try out. I am very proud of what I'm seeing in Manila now and it's great that it's growing in the U.S. as well. I think because of our history because we've been accustomed to assimilating into another culture everytime we Pinoys go abroad. We need to be proud to share our cuisine with other cultures, too!

Growing up in San Diego, home to one of the largest filipino communities in the US, my family never went out for filipino food and it was rare to even see a filipino restaurant. I asked my mother why we never went out for filipino food and her response was, "Why go out when we can make it better at home?". A pragmatic answer which I came to learn was a similar attitude my aunts had who were the primary cooks in their families. The same dish can have many iterations and be unrecognizable depending where geographically it is prepared. I've been to only one filipino restaurant in my life and the dishes I chose were so different from my mother's preparations. I wasn't sure what to make of it except I that I didn't really like it. It's great to see filipino restaurants entering the mainstream but for a filipina like myself, and maybe I speak for others, if it doesn't taste like mom's, forget it. So maybe it's always better at home.

A well-written and researched article. Thank you. I'm glad you consulted Ms. Doreen Fernandez. She knew my father, and her book on Philippine cuisine is one of my most treasured possessions. She wrote a dedication in it for me, knowing I was about to go to culinary school. She urged me to go and "bring something back to the country." I have yet to do that. It's about time Filipino chefs abroad step up to the plate and present Filipino food that is still true to its roots, but elevated out of the home kitchen and onto the restaurant dining room stage. Filipino food is delicious and nuanced, but like all cooking, you have to find cooks who will cook it with soul and give it its due. I am Filipina, a professional chef, and spend my days cooking wine country food; but my heart belongs to the cuisine of my homeland.

I love my Pinoy food. I'm vegetarian. But occasionally, when I do cook my Adobo, which can be a combo of chicken and pork, sometimes with Datu Puti (a local vinegar) or if I'm feeling fancy, I use apple cider vinegar, and yes, with soy sauce, lots of garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves, I will satisfy myself with this comfort meal. Then leftovers are made into Adobo flakes and made into Adobo Fried Rice! Heaven in a bowl. You all must come to the Philippines and experience our unique, tasty food with friends and family.

Thank you for this article, and for continuously promoting Filipino food, an under-appreciated cuisine with complex flavors that mirror the history of the Philippines.

Although abundant at family gatherings and large parties in the Filipino community, it used to be hard to come by Filipino food in the U.S. for people who were not of Filipino heritage. For a while, you have to know a Filipino who will take you to their favorite Mom & Pop establishment to know where to even eat Filipino food outside of a Filipino home. I'm glad that's changing and the unique flavors of Filipino cuisine is now better appreciated in the American culinary scene. It's definitely a unique cuisine: it's like Asian food meets Latin American food meets Soul food. Once you like it, it quickly become "comfort food." Probably because in my experience, it's mostly intended to be enjoyed with family, friends and people you love.

I love cooking (and eating) Filipino food. Sadly, Salt Lake City doesn't have any decent Filipino food options, and so I'm left to myself, 10+ Filipino cook books, and endless online sources. My Filipino companion, originally from Metro Manila, (if that makes a difference) has insisted that adobo chicken cooked with coconut milk will get me in a lot of trouble with her family. I'm tempted to try regardless of the silly threats, but then I remember reading a story about someone in the Philippines actually being killed for singing "I did it my way" out of key.