FAMILIAR FLAVORS IN AN UNFAMILIAR PLATE.

I'm not a food critic but I do love me some good food. In fact, when John and I first started going out, it's like we discovered a whole new way to appreciate food. Probably because food just gets better when you're sharing it with someone you love (Ooops! Cheesy! But oh so true!). Being so near our beloved city of Philadelphia, we have great access to a number of neighborhood restaurants from hip and new, to more subdued and unassuming places. With this, let me tell you about our most recent dining experience and I must say, one that truly blew me away-- PELAGO POP UP KITCHEN (This one was done at NOORD)!

I'm gonna seem biased because the chef that whipped up these amazing dishes is family, Chef Lou Boquila (together with his partners, Jillian Encarnacion, Resa Mueller and Neal Santos), but I know good food and all that I've tasted that night were good food. They offered what Philly was missing, Filipino Cuisine, and not your mom's cooking (which I'm sure is great too!) but something totally bold and new. The price was not bad either, $45 for four courses that also included a special cocktail mixed up by one of the partners, Resa Mueller.

            Cocktial                                1st Course                               2nd Course                          3rd Course                             The best course!

I still know a lot of skeptics about the innovation of Filipino food, but really, every culture, every cuisine has something to offer and there's nothing wrong with offering that in a different package. All courses stayed true to the flavors that is present in every Filipino kitchen. It was a complete out-of-the-box experience for someone who was born and who grew up in the Philippines, but I was utterly surprised by how well and how far this cuisine I love could go.

     

And oh, don't forget, what I said earlier, good food becomes great when shared with amazing people! I hope you all get to try these dishes someday!