Fishballs in sweet and sour sauce

This is a different take on the simple street food we know as fishballs.  It is usually fried, and then dipped in sauce as it is eaten.  In this instance we cook the fishballs with the sauce.  This results in a more flavourful dish.  Best of all, you avoid double-dipping!

Inihaw na Liempo (grilled pork belly)

I had this during our vacation in the Philippines a couple of months back.  I totally enjoyed our lunch, and while I know that the fat is not good for the health, I could not resist munching through the melting fat, the crunchy skin, and the moist meat.  Simply mouth-watering!

Crispy squid

Whenever I think crispy squid, I think about beer.  However this is also great with meals!  Squid is not your run-of-the-mill seafood, and people may be put off serving this as it is not exactly fish, and if bought fresh, they may not know how to clean it.  But squid can now be bought cleaned, nicely-cut, and frozen from the supermarket.  This is what we used and it's really good.  Of course, you can always opt for the fresh one as well.  Traditionally, squid rings are used but you can also use other cuts.

Tokwa't Baboy

Tokwa't Baboy (Fried Tofu and Pork)

This dish is as straightforward as its name suggests. But, simple as it may seem, this dish has seen many happy days, as it is popular beer food. It's just the perfect fit for munching in-between gulps and chatter. Tokwa't Baboy, however, is also a popular snack item, usually paired with rice porridge. 

In a sense, Tokwat's Baboy is comfort food. Just mention the name and it never fails to bring out smiles all round. 

This recipe is not the traditional dish in a sense, as pig's ears are normally used. But pig's ears are hard to come by where I'm in. So I used pork liempo instead. Also, the sauce is usually mixed right in with the pork and tofu and served as such. But when we order this dish, we ask the waiter to place the sauce in a separate dish and we dip the yummy pieces in. That's because the tofu slurps up the sauce so you get mushy bits after some time. This is also how I present this recipe.

Adobong Adidas (Chicken Feet Adobo)

Long before Walter Mart in the city of Makati, Philippines, became the modern 5-floor shopping mall it is today, it was once just a quaint supermarket with some food shops fronting the streets. My good friend Harry and I frequent a Chinese restaurant there, and we usually have a couple of chicken feet dimsum with our order. Coupled with beer and a host of other Chinese food goodies, it was a great recap to a long day at the office.

We Filipinos also have a recipe for chicken feet, cooked in the customary adobo way. Chicken feet adapts well to the adobo treatment, with a flavours thoroughly enhanced a day after it is cooked.  The result is a gelatinous, lip-smacking yummy treat.  The title is a fun reference to how we call chicken feet when served as street food.

Sisig in New York? Yes!

Great with San Mig Light too!

Cheese sticks

Cheese sticks is a fun party food that can be enjoyed by both kids and grown-ups alike.  The crunchy wrapper makes it irresistible to bite, and the cheese inside softened just so makes it a yummy treat.  Interestingly, this is also served as beer food!

Hotdogs + ketchup = fun!

This recipe is a hit with our son Jo-Lo, and is sure to be well-liked by other kids also. After all, it's a mix of hotdogs and ketchup!  This will go down well as pulutan (beer food) too, just use spicy hotdog to give it some bite. And if you're running low on food supply and you only have hotdogs in the ref, this is definitely a better option than having it just plain fried.

(In case you're wondering what those strips are in the photo, they're ham. I found some in the ref so I decided to add it in. This is optional though!)