Even though there is a large Filippino population in HK, when talking about their home cuisine, it is not very common. Having spent a year working in the country I have some fond memories of the people and food, and today, I came to Sai Ying Pun to try out this Filippino restaurant called Dara, located on G/F of Soho 189.
Arriving early in the evening, we are the first table of customers. Apart from the dining area, there is a bar section on one side. The décor is modern, smartly using wood and rattan to create the tropical and SE Asia ambience. There is also a pop-up store selling used clothing at the back.
Starting with some cocktails, I have picked Buko Colada ($118) while Ivy has chosen Pandan Guava Fizz ($88), cool and refreshing. For the food, we opted for the Tasting Menu ($298 each), considering that it has several dishes I want to try, and saving me time to think.
The first starter is Ensaladang Talong. It is a salad with roasted eggplant, cherry tomato, mango, coriander, red onion, and finishes with calamansi dressing. While it might seem simple, the flavours are truly wonderful, with the smokiness of the eggplant adding an extra layer of fragrance to the different ingredients, and the citrus acidity from the dressing helps to integrate everything together impeccably. A must try.
The second starter is Inihaw na Baboy. The pork shoulder is prepared on skewer to grill, very flavourful from the delicious soy sauce and garlic-based marinade. Scattered on top are some crushed pork rinds for additional texture, while on the side is green mango salsa to provide a refreshing condiment to go with the pork. Another wonderful dish.
There are three main courses, beginning with Sizzling Sisig. The staff recommends squeezing calamansi juice onto the dish while it is still hot, to the charcoal grilled pork maskara and chicken liver. Maskara is pork face and head meat, which are treated as discards in most other countries. But in Philippines the food is put to best use, smartly using calamansi, garlic and chili to season, and becomes a national dish, with unique texture, and delicious. Another must try.
The second one is Kare-Kareng Baka. The curry is made with a thick peanut sauce, not spicy at all, with beef rib finger, deep-fried beef tripe, baby eggplant, French beans, and pak choi, for a more balance of meat and vegetable. Scattered with some crushed peanuts and annatto oil, the dish also has shrimp paste as a condiment to provide savoury and saltiness if needed.
The third one is Inasal na Manok. The chicken leg and thigh have been marinated in lemongrass and ginger, quite tender on the bite. On the side is annatto oil and vinegar dipping sauce, it is served also with Ensaladang Mustasa, a salad of fresh mustard green, together with anchovy dressing.
Together with the three main courses, Garlic Rice is also served.
Dessert is Mango Graham Float, which is made with layers of whipped cream, fresh mango, and graham crackers. Dusted with cashew nuts powder on the surface, there are some mango pearls on top. We both like it as it is not too sweet, with the crunchy crackers giving a nice bite. A good finale for the meal.
The bill on the night is $935, which is very reasonable. Service is good, with the staff friendly and cheerful, always eager to help. After knowing that I did spend time in Philippines we have some good conversations. and share that the restaurant will offer my favourite dish Bicol Express when they change the menu. Looks like I have more reason to return in the near future.
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