It was my first time to go to Kapitolyo in Pasig City. As in ever. How I reached my age and never even went there is beyond me. Nevertheless, my friend told me that there are so many good restaurants in the area now, so I really should check them out. He read about Locavore and thought it was a good choice for my first culinary foray in Kapitolyo. At least I knew what locavore meant, so chances are, they serve locally-sourced dishes. It would be strange otherwise if they didn’t live up to their own name.
Naturally, I ordered Mango Juice.
After we perused the menu, we decided to order their Fresh Lumpia, Kare-Kare Wings and Sizzling Sinigang with Steamed Organic Brown Rice.
To my surprise, Locavore had a different take on fresh lumpia. Their version had tinapa (smoked fish – you read that right!), kesong puti (Filipino white cheese), tomato ensalada and salted egg. It even came with lettuce on the side. It’s not your typical lumpia!
Kare-Kare Wings sound crazy but it’s true! We got six pieces of chicken wings with kare-kare glaze and buttermilk ranch dressing. It also came with singkamas (jicama) and manggang hilaw (green mango), plus bagoong (fermented shrimp paste). I didn’t even dip the wings in bagoong. The thick savory peanut glaze was delicious enough on its own.
How about sinigang with a twist? It’s Sizzling Short Ribs Sinigang on a hot plate with beef short ribs, sautéed French beans, stewed tomatoes, marble potatoes, cheese, gata (coconut milk) with garlic and shallot confit. It was my first time to eat sinigang with coconut milk, which made it a creamy – not soupy – dish.
Verdict: “Locally grown, locally produced, and locally made” – that’s what Locavore is all about. They serve Filipino comfort food, putting their own spin on old favorites. Case in point: they serve mami, but it’s either Lechon Mami or Pares Mami, not chicken mami. I’ve read much hype about their Sizzling Sinigang and after eating it, it’s well-deserved hype. Whoever came up with transforming sinigang soup into a creamy gravy using coconut milk had a stroke of brilliance. They deconstructed an old favorite and reconstructed it – an experiment that works excellently. *thumbs up*
My friend and I had a bit of a tough time finding the restaurant though. It was fairly easy to miss because they’re located in a dark industrial area. While the restaurant signage is lit, it would be better if the sign was bigger with better lighting. The good thing was, we didn’t wait too long to find a parking space and to get seated. Yay! Initially, I was overwhelmed by the menu. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by such dishes as Kimchinigang (which I assume combines kimchi and sinigang), Pakbet Ratatouille and even Duck Lugaw? But we narrowed down our choices to what really piqued our curiosity. Oh, and the staff was pretty efficient and friendly.
Locavore takes the old and makes it new. Even better, they make it their own. If you’re looking to try Filipino food that’s a far cry from the usual, then Locavore’s the place for you.
Address:
Locavore
10 Brixton Street, Kapitolyo
Pasig City, Philippines