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National Capital Region (NCR)

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  • Buko Pie

A venerable pasalubong (homecoming gift) to take back to Manila after a trip south -- particularly Laguna, where this humble pie was born -- buko is similar to custard pie but with a denser filling that's made without cream and sweetened with condensed milk. There are two keys to the perfect buko pie: the consistency of the crust and the evenness of the filling.

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ORIGIN: LAGUNA

RECIPE:

(FLAKY PIE CRUST)

  • 3 cups flour, sifted

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 cups lard,chilled

  • 6 tablespoons cold water

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

(PIE FILLING)

  • 1/3 cup cornstarch

  • 1/2 cup coconut water

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose cream

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 4 cups young coconut meat

(EGG WASH)

  • 1 small egg

  • 1 tablespoon milk

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PLACES WHERE WE CAN FIND THIS FOOD:

  1. BAKULET’S BUKO PIE

  2. FILIPINO BUKO PIE

  3. OMIE’S BUKO PIE

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  • Kare-kare

Kare-kare is the dish that should eat up a little more of that spotlight.

Vegetables like daikon, Chinese cabbage and eggplant are mixed in with pieces of oxtail stewed in a thick peanut sauce made with annatto and -- surprise! -- peanut butter.

The sauce almost tastes like a mild satay and is paired best with a steamy, snowy mound of rice and finished off with a dollop of bagoong (shrimp paste) for the requisite funk.

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ORIGIN: PAMPANGA

RECIPE:

  • 3 lbs oxtail cut in 2 inch slices you an also use tripe or beef slices

  • 1 piece small banana flower bud sliced

  • 1 bundle pechay or bok choy

  • 1 bundle string beans cut into 2 inch slices

  • 4 pieces eggplants sliced

  • 1 cup ground peanuts

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup shrimp paste

  • 34 Ounces water about 1 Liter

  • 1/2 cup annatto seeds soaked in a cup of water

  • 1/2 cup toasted ground rice

  • 1 tbsp garlic minced

  • 1 piece onion chopped

  • salt and pepper

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PLACES WHERE WE CAN FIND THIS FOOD:

  1. Milky Way Cafe

  2. Hamia House Of Kare-kare

  3. Anix's House Of Kare-Kare

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  • Kinilaw

Kinilaw is Manila's counterpart to Latin America's ceviche and Hawaii's bowls of poke.

At its simplest, kinilaw mixes cuts of fresh fish, onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and chilies into a small stream of coconut vinegar and citrus.

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In some regions, the fish is even bathed in folds of coconut cream.

Milky and tart, with a palatable amount of heat, kinilaw's simplicity articulates the varied tastes of fresh catch from local waters.

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ORIGIN: BUTUAN

RECIPE:

  • 2 lbs. Tanigue Wahoo fish, fillet and cut into cubes

  • 2 thumbs fresh ginger minced

  • pieces hot chili Thai chili or siling labuyo, chopped

  • 15 to 20 pieces calamansi

  • 1 medium red onion chopped into small pieces

  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  • Salt to taste

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PLACES WHERE WE CAN FIND THIS FOOD:

  1. Gavin's - Bulalo, Hipon, Kinilaw, atbp

  2. Bulalohan San Marcelino

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