Filipino food is something we’re all familiar with—but it’s always a welcome surprise when these well-loved and familiar dishes are prepared at a higher level.
Our local cuisine is nothing short of a gastronomic adventure. While other cultures tend to stick to their salt and pepper garnishes, ours lean toward more complex preparations. But even as we can indulge in Filipino food in the comfort of our homes, Locavore is a good option when we want something a little bit super to our usual dishes.
The restaurant’s name is quite a giveaway to the kind of food that it wishes to present, and more importantly, represent—food that is loved locally, with ingredients that are locally grown and produced.
Locavore is proud to be local—and it’s obvious in its reinterpreted all-Filipino menu.
The restaurant currently has branches in Kapitolyo, Pasig, and Forbes Town Circle, Taguig.
ALL-DAY BREAKFAST
It opens just in time for brunch. The all-day breakfast bestseller Champorado ni Speedy is made for those who like their traditional rice porridge on the milky and creamy side.
It lacked a bit of cocoa tablea notes and when the fish floss topping is mixed in and enveloped by the porridge, the sharp smoked tinapa flavor became too overwhelming.
Perhaps it would be best to ask that the generous amount of fish floss be served on the side instead.
Although it looks too pretty to touch, make sure you mix your Bistek Omurice well. The grilled meat, reminiscent of samgyeupsal flavors, is bland without its sauce.
Locavore also has house-made corned beef which tastes a lot like the breakfast favorite adobo flakes. It is served with two fried eggs and a bowl of garlic rice.
The Bicol Express, at first glance, looks like a vegetarian dish. Its plating has the healthy greens covering the mound of meaty beef shank goodness. It tastes a lot like green curry, and its spiciness is no joke. You will feel its hotness the instant it reaches your tastebuds.
TBPL is the most indulgent tokwa’t baboy you would ever see. With diced tofu, pork ears, duck meat and lengua, it shouldn’t even be considered an appetizer, it’s a meal on its own.
DECONSTRUCTED SINIGANG
All of Locavore’s dishes are unique in one way but familiar in all others. Among the rockstars of the menu is Sizzling Sinigang, and for good reason: You’d definitely want an encore.
The deconstructed Sinigang version draws inspiration from bulalo steak. On a sizzling plate, seared beef short ribs that fall right off the bone are partnered with grilled vegetables, and then it is drowned in the thickened sour broth, a texture achieved with oodles of taro.
The sauce, called Sampaloc Gravy, is bursting with robust acidic flavor. The dish is so good you wouldn’t want to share it—and a fair advice for anyone whose favorite Filipino dish is sinigang, Locavore’s serving isn’t that good for sharing either.
Although its absence is forgivable, we can’t help but point out that this sinigang recipe was missing a key ingredient—kangkong leaves.
The Sizzling Sinigang will definitely have us coming back for more, but Locavore gave us a list of other reasons to pay a second visit, among them are the Street Food Platter, Kare-Kare Wings, Bacon BBQ skewers, Lechon Oyster Sisig, Pho Lalo, Lechon and Pares Mamis, sorbetes, and, of course, subzero beers.
Photography by Vinz Lamorena
Photography by Vinz Lamorena
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