Popular Filipino Dishes and How I Rate Them

Good afternoon to all the foodies out there! I decided to do a post about Filipino dishes since I am half Filipino after all. There are so many amazing and delicious Filipino foods that I have tried mostly from my grandma and other family members. I don't have any pictures of my own for any of the dishes I will be talking about, so I'll just add some from the internet that I find. Here we go!

DISH 1: ADOBO

Firstly, there's adobo. What is adobo, you ask?? Well, adobo is made with chicken and/or pork. I like a little bit of both chicken and pork because of the flavors. Adobo is braised in a flavorful mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and peppercorns (sometimes...my grandma doesn't make hers with peppercorns all the time). I rate this dish a 10 out of 10 because the dish is so good with a bowl of rice, and if you mix the sauce in with the bowl of rice, you get a flavorful experience! So delicious!

If you ever decide to go to the Philippines (I'm trying to visit up there with my family soon, hopefully) or if you decide to visit a local Filipino restaurant, just know that adobo is the national dish of the Philippines, so be prepared to eat a lot. When I mean a lot, I mean be prepared for the Filipinos to ask you if you want more to eat, to the point you get sick. I remember when I was a kid, like when I was 5 or 6, I ate way too much food at a family member's house and came home extremely sick. It was not a pretty sight, nor was it a fun night for both my parents or me.

DISH 2: SINIGANG

Sinigang is the next Filipino dish I will be talking about. I've only had this dish once because I am not a fan of this dish that much. Much like adobo, there are several ways you can cook sinigang. You can cook this dish with fish or meat and vegetables like okra, eggplants, and/or cabbage. My grandma makes her sinigang with beef, which is good, but I just don't prefer this dish like I do with adobo. I'd say this dish is a 4 out of 10 for me.

When my grandparents came back from the Philippines a few years ago (I think right before COVID started. I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure they came back right before COVID), all my family ate was Filipino dishes. Sometimes it got tiring eating Filipino food every night after I got home from work, so most of the time I would bring something home from work to eat. At the time, I worked at Wendy's, so I had an employee discount. I work at McDonald's now, and my grandparents have their own apartment now...right next to me. The funny thing is, it wasn't planned to live in the same apartment complex as my grandparents, I promise. I mean, at least I can keep an eye on them if there's some kind of emergency with either of them!

DISH 3: BULALO

Next, we have Bulalo. I personally like this dish as much as I like adobo. Bulalo is also known as a beef shank soup, and it is known for its warm and rich broth. This dish, like all other Filipino dishes, is good served with a bowl of rice. Actually, every Filipino dish is served best with rice! Take my word for it! I don't know why rice goes well with every Filipino dish I have had in my 25 years of life.

Bulalo is often cooked with corn, potatoes, and cabbage as well, and can be enjoyed by scooping out the buttery and soft bone marrow and spreading the marrow over a bowl of rice. Just make sure you drench the rice in the broth as well! It's so delicious that way, too! This dish is another 10 out of 10 as well.

DISH 4: MENUDO

One last dish that I absolutely love is called Menudo. Along with adobo and bulalo, menudo is one of the dishes at the very top of my favorite Filipino foods list. This dish is a stew made with pork, potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers that is cooked in a tomato-based sauce. Some Filipinos make this dish with liver, too, but I ask my grandma not to make it with liver because liver is disgusting in my opinion. I don't like a few foods because, since I have autism, most people who have autism have something that is called a sensory issue, and sometimes it is hard for people like me to eat certain foods.

I will not eat ketchup (the sight and smell of it disgusts me). If you know me, and I know my family is on this page reading what I post, they know and will tell you that I get disgusted every time someone comes near me with ketchup or puts ketchup on their plate. My mom thinks it's hilarious for some apparent reason, and whenever my husband and I go out with my family, my mom always asks me if I want ketchup. I also will not eat tomatoes, just like with ketchup, but with tomatoes, I hate the sliminess, and I won't even go near either item. Another food sensory issue I have is with eggs. I won't eat eggs unless it is inside a sandwich. I don't know why, but eggs are not good by themselves, so I need to have them inside some kind of sandwich. For example, a breakfast sandwich at McDonald's.

I think that's all the Filipino dishes I have for now. As always, have a great day/night wherever you are, and like always, comment down below with ANY questions you may have! Also, please share this blog with as many people as you can. Share on Facebook, Instagram, text messages, ANYTHING!! Much love to you all!