Review: Sisig from Katipunero

Growing up in a Filipino household, we had some weird as food to the eyes of some peeps. My family in particular, come from a place in Philippines called Pampanga. It’s a province renowned for it’s unique, Kapampangan cuisine. The term Kapampangan as a whole best describes the people, culture and language of Pampanga. Now rewinding back to the days as a pubescent little boy growing up in downtown Toronto, my dad would make this dish called Sisig. He would make it whenever there was a big boxing event and he’d have his friends over for a few brews and spirits. I clearly remember trying it for the first time and loving it. The mixture of gelatinous pork fat, the crunchiness of the meat and the oddly textured pig ears spruced up with raw onions and lemon juice… My god it was heaven for me.

Traditionally Sisig is made with pig’s ear, brains and liver but over time there’s been numerous variations to the dish. The way my dad made it was pretty simple yet complex. Boiling pigs head, grilling the pigs ear, chopping the flesh into cubes, reheating it and then serving it cold with raw onions and lemon juice. You can serve it anyway you like pretty much. When I went back to the Philippines in 2009 and 2013, it was served in a sizzling dish topped with egg so guess it’s been modernized…

Walking around the Cuba street night Market with Dulce, we stumbled across this new Filipino stall. I’m pretty sure it was called Katipunero. They had Sisig on the menu and a variety of it such as Sisig Taco’s! I’m actually glad that someone has taken the step to think outside the box for once with Filipino food. They usually don’t last and word on the streets… Filipino’s don’t like supporting other Filipino’s when it comes to restaurants or stalls in Wellington. Hey, I ain’t spreading rumours. Just telling what I’ve heard around the community. Anyways, I decided to order the typical Sisig on rice from Katipunero. It was served with coriander, lemon, raw onions, chopped tomato and topped with mayo. The pork itself was all pork belly and had a few cracklings mixed through it. It was heated up slightly and had a bit of a crunch like a carnita. It certainly brought a bit of home to me but wasn’t enough to impress me. I’m pretty sure I’ve had better and could make something eerily similar to my dad’s one and the modernised take on Sisig. Rest assured there will be a post for Sisig soon. I’m giving Katipunero a 2.5 out of 5. Great effort and would love to see what they got in store in the near future. Definitely one of the better Filipino stalls in Wellington. Let me rephrase that… The best out in Wellington at the moment.

Review: Burger Riot @ MishMosh

When you think of Mish Mosh, you think of peeps on a late Friday afternoon having a few drinks here and there. it’s what Wifey and co actually do on a Friday. I never thought of Mish Mosh as a place that served food. Even if I knew, I’d be expecting crap bar food. I found out the wrong way. I vaguely remember having an Oyster slider one Friday evening while out with Wifey and co. I thought it was really tasty and different. How many places in Wellington do Oyster Sliders?!?! Nada. Zero. Nil. Zilch.1 point for you Burger Riot chef for creating something so simple yet delicious.

Now with winter arriving and nights are cold as hell, what better way to find out these guys do Fries and Gravy. Fucking Fries and Gravy. When I heard a member of Wifey and co tell me they served Fries with gravy, it brought back memories of little T standing in line at a small diner in Toronto waiting for his $2 fries and gravy box. Damn those were the days. They also do $10 burgers until 10pm every day at this joint. They got the standard; Angus, steak, pulled pork, panko crumbed chicken and from memory, a vegetarian option. These guys do pizza’s and various other items that I am yet to try/remember.

Wifey actually took me to Burger Riot recently to fully try it out while sober. We ordered the Pulled Pork burger, panko chicken burger, potato popcorn (not really popcorn…Tater tots… Hey had to be creative right!?!?) and of course Fries and Gravy. The burgers came out first and man the ration of bun to meat was incredible. I love how they use a coleslaw kind of salad rather than the boring, traditional lettuce, tomato and red onion combo. The pork was succulent and juicy and same goes for the chicken. Nice crunch with each bite. I loved the aioli that accompanied each burger. Definitely different but tasty as shiiit. Oh and the buns… Damn they were goooood. Like damn good. Like damn near Rockwell and Sons good. Probably the folks from Grill Meats Beer should dine in and learn from the Burger Riot Chef. Might know how to make a decent burger for once too. Can’t really complain or do much with the ‘Potato Popcorn…ahem Tater Tots’ apart from having a great condiment to pair it with, just the standard hash bites cooked perfectly with a great crunch to it. And now for the finale… The main event. The Fries and Gravy. At first glance it looked like your average chips on a plate. However these were really good. Either the fellas in the kitchen know how long to cook these for or they might be using one of them smart fryers BK or McD’s use. The gravy was great. Nice, thick consistency and well seasoned. Hands down my go to meal when I’m gonna visit this joint again. It brought back memories of me eating Fries and drinking gravy. That’s how good it was. This dish right here folks hits the spot. It’s nice, tasty, warm and cheap,at $8.50 a pop you’ll be warm as hell on a winter’s day if you’re out and about before 10pm at Mish Mosh.

I never paid attention to ‘Pub Food’ before but after trying out Burger Riot @ Mish Mosh I might as well give it a go. I’m giving Burger Riot a 4 out of 5! Good stuff fellas. Happy Eating!

FYI. It was too dark to take the obligatory food pictures. Sorry no pictures as of yet :(.

Review: Nanny’s Food Truck

There’s good food trucks and then there’s Nanny’s Food Truck. In my opinion, they are the epitome of what I think a food truck should be. Creative freedom, no nonsense bullshit and just great food. The owner, JP, changes the menu up from week to week. From Po Boys to Jerk Pork Belly burger to Jerk Salmon salad, he mixes up simple dishes with a touch of the Caribbean. Hell he even has poutine on the menu. It’s a dish that’s really close to my heart considering I grew up in Toronto and having it almost every day after school (Poutine= Canadian origin basically fries with cheese curds and gravy). I’m yet to try his version of Poutine.

I recently checked out Nanny’s Food Truck and ordered myself the Pork Belly Burger (I love pork come on!) with a side of curly fries. I still remember the first time I had food from this place. It was out in Lower Hutt during my lunch break after giving in from one of my colleague’s constant raving about the best burger she’s ever had. And damn was she right. It was great. It was different. Fast forward to present day and having the worker call my order out. Man I was getting excited to collect it. Game 6 of the NBA Finals and having a great burger to share it with. You can do no wrong. As I went up and collected my burger, JP must have recognised me and insisted I try out his double Lamb Cheese Burger. I wasn’t going to refuse anything. Already had a burger in one hand and my fries on the other. Why not right? Another burger wouldn’t hurt. And an added bonus it was Game 6 of the NBA finals. Gotta have enough food to last you 4 quarters. After having a few parting words with JP, I headed off home with 3 containers of food and try them out.

For the Pork Belly Burger it was the same exact reaction I had when I first had it. Picture Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain’s signature approval of trying good food (a distorted kind of facial expression). It was great! Coleslaw, slice of apple, a whole lotta sauce and a nice slab of tender pork. Freaking good! Now I’ve never had lamb burger’s before. Don’t know why I haven’t tried it to be honest. I should one day. Nanny’s Food Truck’s version of a lamb burger was pretty mean. Bun, sauce, bacon, cheese, patty, cheese, patty, mango, mandarin slices, coleslaw and bun. This was really different. I really liked the uniqueness and use of different ingredients to a simple dish. Every little component of this lamb burger complimented each other. I was thoroughly impressed.

I’m giving Nanny’s Food Truck a 4 out of 5. Creative, simple and really tasty.

Nanny’s Food Truck

Pork Belly Burger

Double Lamb Cheese Burger

Review: Antojitos Taco Truck

I don’t know if it’s me or what but it seems like 2014 was the year Mexican cuisine dominated the food scene… Well in my eyes it did.  You had Pachanga and Mexico open up their doors amongst established Mexican joints in Wellington. And then that show My Kitchen Rules had contestants doing de-constructed nachos and burrito’s on the show. It was everywhere! It didn’t help that wifey and I travelled to Los Angeles towards the end of the year either cause we tried the some of the legit stuff. You know the kind of joint’s where it’s a family operated business with grandma still cooking and the grand kids taking orders. It was authentic, Orale Vato style Mexican cuisine.

I was driving to Karori last night to meet up with 2 of my cousins who have migrated to the land we call New Zealand all the way from the Philippines. I drove past this food truck along the way and the sucker that I am for food trucks, had to slow down and catch the name (did it so I can Facebook their page and like it). Fast forward to today, I managed to catch up with them and try their food out. They had a pretty basic menu. Nothing too complicated, nothing too pretentious. They even have Jalapeño Poppers on the menu! Like what!?!?! Are you serious?  I decided to order a Pulled Pork Taco and my friend Dulce, went with the same and ordered a side of Jalapeño Poppers. It came out relatively quick and nicely presented. Loved how they had apple ‘slaw on the taco and the pork was really tender. It probably beats some of the Taco’s I’ve had at Mexico and Tequila Joes or… Dare I say it… Flying Burrito Brothers. Now for the Jalapeño poppers… Them bad boys were legit. I mean it in a really good way. I’ve tried the poppers at Burger Liquor and they were horrendous to say the least. It was nicely crumbed and the filling was just heaven. Melt in your mouth goodness.  I was thoroughly satisfied with what Antojitos had to offer.

I was soooo satisfied with the food that I managed to convince wifey and Mr. K to try the place out. Wifey decided to get the big 3, Pulled Pork, Chicken and Fish, while Mr. K settled for the Pulled Pork and Chicken. I had to try the fish and chicken taco. They were both pretty good albeit the fish taco could have done with more than 1 fish fillet and the chicken could have been a bit more moist. They both liked what they ordered and the Jalapeño Popper was the biggest hit of the night. I would definitely come back whenever I need my Taco or Mexican fix. I love their take on taco’s and they certainly bring their own touch to the products they serve. Hats off to you Antojitos Taco Truck.

You can catch Antojitos Taco Truck in Karori every Wednesdays and Herd Street on Thursdays. Follow them on Facebook for more accurate updates on their where abouts!

3.5 out of 5 for making my stomach happy!

Pulled Pork Taco

Craig (Owner/operator) welcoming me and Dulce with open arms.

Review: Grill Meats Beer

I’m not one to vent my frustrations or disappointment publicly but I have to let this one off my chest. I recently went to Grill Meats Beer on Cuba street. I’ve heard great things about it from people who have dined there.

I decided it was time to try the place out. Off I went taking along the wife and a friend on a Saturday afternoon. We were welcomed with open arms and led to our table. Upon looking at the menu, I couldn’t help but be confused. I had this expectation that it was going to be like a meat house or a BBQ kinda place like Fancy Hanks in Melbourne. Maybe I was expecting a bit too much from the place… Well you kinda do with a name like Grill Meats Beer. You got the usual suspects like burgers and steaks. A few things, in my opinion, that seemed out of place were the Japanese Fried Chicken with Sriracha Mayo, the Banh Mi and the special they had on that day which was Duck Steamed Bun. I understand that they’re trying things out but really? In a place that’s meant to serve meat et al, you’re serving Banh Mi and steamed buns? I think it’s best to just leave it to where they’re meant to be served at and focus on meat. That’s just my opinion.

The trio (myself, wifey and Mr.K) ordered the Japanese Fried Chicken, Chilli fries, 2 Duck Steamed Buns, 2 classic burgers and 1 mini burger. I was actually impressed with the fried chicken. It had that karaage kind of style to it. Hell that is what fried chicken’s like in Japan. The chilli fries though… My, my, my… When you think of Chilli fries, you think of ground beef (mince), beans and cheese right? What came out instead was fries tossed in chilli sauce. I appreciate that this establishment is wanting to do something different but come on. That chilli fries was weak. Utter disappointment. Some of the fries were a bit too soggy and rank, I just couldn’t stand it. Luckily the duck steamed bun saved it. Basically it was green curry with duck placed in a steamed bun. It was tasty and probably the outstanding dish out of the 3 entree’s that were ordered. Now came the main event, the climax, the burgers! It freaking came out on a board… A freaking board. Really!?!? I’m going to change the subject a bit here first before I tell you guys about the burger. I detest, I dislike, I hate items such as burgers, ribs and fries served on a board. I just think it’s wrong. The only items that should be served on boards are platters. Doesn’t matter what kind but platters and boards compliment one another. I’m just saying. Burgers, ribs, fries etc. Plate that shit up or give me a damn plate.

Now back to what I was on here for. The burgers at this place were made out of Wagyu Beef. That expensive shiit. I asked for my burger to be cooked medium rare and they delivered. Pretty average burger to say the least. I honestly tried to like this place but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t see what the whole ooh’s and ahh’s of this place was about. Would I come back? Maybe. I wouldn’t hold my breath.

3 out of 5 in my books.

The GMB classic beef burger with bacon and cheese

Duck steamed bun

Japanese Fried Chicken

GMB Menu

Review: Rockwell and Sons

Now usually a really good burger is best remembered with a few bites and the words ‘Fuck, this is awesome or Fuck, this is orgasmic’ in my books. Just like my case of an awesome burger courtesy of Rockwell and Sons. These guys know how to make good burgers. How do I know that? Simple, I sampled their delicious burgers, aptly named Double Patty Smash Burger, at Wellington On A Plate 2014.They had a nice pop-up stall outside St. Johns bar out at the Wellington Waterfront. I visited their pop-up stall 3 times I believe and each time it was perfect.

Recently I went and ventured out to Melbourne, on what I call a food tour. Unbeknownst to me, my main man Anthony Bourdain already had a term for this type of shit, Gastro-Tourist. Sounds fitting as all I did was eat for the 4 days I was over in Melbourne. I knew I had to get to Rockwell and Sons. It was on my hit list to conquer on this trip. I so wanted to try them burgers once again. So off I went with my partner in crime (Wifey) on a cold April night. Venturing out of the main city centre to travel to a nearby Suburb called Collingwood.

I was honestly so excited for this place, that I already knew what I was going to order when we walked in. We were getting the Beef Tartare, Chicken Skin Crackling and Tater Tots, for myself, I got the Fried Chicken Sandwich, while my other half got the Double Patty Smash Burger.

I was highly impressed with the Beef tartare. To be fair, it was my very first time trying beef tartare and this was really good. Marinated pieces of rare beef along with this wicked as mayo/dressing it was amazing. I need to find a restaurant that does Beef tartare and see if I would like theirs too. The Chicken skin crackling was different yet was what you expected. Salty pieces of chicken skin. It was balanced well. Not too salty, not too bland.  Next came our burgers. I tried something different to see if they do other things well (judging from the starters, these guys know their food). First few bites were heaven. Chicken was moist, perfect flavour and damn I love the buns they use!!!! The same goes for the amazing Double Patty Smash Burger. Usually whenever Wifey and I eat out we swap meals midway through eating. I managed to finish off both burgers. Oh and the Tater Tots were amazeballs too! Can never go wrong with tater tots! After our mains, I politely asked the waitress if Rockwell and Sons would be holding another pop-up stall for Wellington to which she replied ‘Maybe.’ And flashing a smile. We told her we came from Wellington just to try out the actual restaurant and they did not disappoint one bit. Service, friendliness, errthang was on point. We even managed to score a free dessert, Pistachio Cookie with Lemon curd Ice cream.

I rated Rockwell and Sons in my top 5 restaurants that I’ve been to. 4 outta 5 in my books. Good Eating!