What's your favorite Filipino food?

We should all be proud of our very own local dishes. Filipino food has that distinct savory taste that makes us Filipinos long for it most especially when we’re abroad! Every bite gives our taste buds and tummies complete satisfaction! Read on as some well-known food personalities share with us their favorite Filipino dishes.

Chef Ed Quimson, M Catering

My favorite food is adodong tuyot, adobo with no sauce and it’s more like an oil sauce. Mmm!

Chef Jacqueline Laudico

Paksiw na bangus. Nothing beats freshly caught milkfish cooked into paksiw served with sinangag rice and fried egg for breakfast!

Chef Rolando Laudico

Sinigang is my favorite... It has so many possibilities and flavors... you can play around with any main ingredient and as many sour ingredients you can think of. Should be our national dish.

Chef Jessie Sincioco, Chef Jessie’s Rockwell

There are so many good and delicious Filipino foods. And I tried to choose and analyze what I really like. I ended up with my ever-consistent answer: Sinampalukang manok. I just love this dish that my mother cooks every time I go home to Bulacan. They would always try to think of something to cook for me to make my once-in-a-blue-moon going home worthwhile and they always end up preparing my favorite dish. I don’t know if it’s the hugas bigas, the native chicken, the freshly cooked rice, the patis, the freshly picked sampalok from the backyard or the family’s company that go with it that makes it super special. All I can say and remember is it its really super yummy.

Chef Gilbert Pangilinan, Cerveseria, Kai Restaurant

Pako salad with prawns, salted egg, onions, tomatoes and onion-honey dressing. Why? My mom was my inspiration when I made this recipe. She was the one who gave me the idea. I dedicate this to her. Also umba: slow-cooked sweet pork stew. I grew up with this dish. Our dear Auntie Luz serves this dish every third Sunday of the month at our monthy Ocampo reunions in Pampanga.

Chef Chris Locher, My Kitchen

Not as easy to answer simply because I like too many. Crispy fried hito with buro and mustasa. After spending 10 years in Pampanga buro has grown on me and what better way to enjoy this delicacy than with crispy fried hito and fresh mustasa greens? Best version is served at Binulo restaurant in Clark or cooked at home. Grilled liempo with laing is another one. Not many things can match well-marinated grilled pork served with taro leaf braised in coconut milk and loads of steamed rice — culinary heaven can’t be far! Papaitan kambing, a dish first discovered during my time in Ilocos. Unfortunate not many places know how to prepare this dish, one of the best versions anywhere around Luzon is offered at Luisito’s just outside of Urdaneta. Ilocano-style pinakbet with bagnet. I’m not much of a pinakbet eater if cooked with pumpkin but the Ilocano version using the small eggplant, ampalaya, onion and bagnet is always a treat and one of my favorite Filipino dishes.

Beth Romualdez, foodie, cookbook author

My favorite Filipino food, especially during a rainy day is sinigang na baboy. I love it sour with the right balance of sweetness from ripe tomatoes and spiciness from finger chilies. I usually pair it off with a side dish of tiny oysters called “sisi” found in Leyte. Rinse the sisi  several times in running water and drain. Transfer to a bowl then add about a tablespoon of kalamansi juice and a teaspoon of chopped shallots.

Rommel T. Juan, president/ founder of Binalot Fiesta Foods Inc.

My favorite filipino food has to be CPA! (chicken-pork adobo). I believe it is the ultimate Filipino dish that represents our cuisine. Whenever I make a foreigner try adobo they instantly love it. It represents the Philippines the best for me.

Chef Sharwin Tee, host, Curiosity Got The Chef

My favorite Filipino foods (at the moment) are adobo and barbecue. They’re both great representatives of the Filipino. Strong but balanced flavors, easily adaptable recipes and they’re best enjoyed with the family.

Chef Bruce Lim, Tablescapes: Life on a Plate/ Chef’s Table

My favorite Filipino dish is oxtail sinigang. This is my ultimate comfort food. I remember eating this when I was a child in my grandma’s house. This became my sick food and my welcome home dish. The first day that I got sick my grandma and now my cook make this for me to speed up my recovery. Of course, it may be all in my head. Also, whenever I travel out of the country for work the meal I have waiting for me at home is oxtail sinigang with tons of rice! The perfect welcome home meal!