The sizzling sisig at Grill 21 (in Manhattan!). The meal I had at Karihan Ni Tata Bino (RIP — it has since become a pretty good Burmese restaurant, and may even have morphed into something else at this point; I’m behind on my Jackson Heights eating) more than three years ago apparently lives so vividly in my memory that I knew right away that we should get this dish, an unctuous combination of chopped up pig ears and belly. With a raw egg mixed in. Because hey, what the hell. The pleasingly mouth-coating, saucy consistency most likely comes from the egg mixed with the belly as it renders on the scorchingly hot plate.
I also remembered to get the lovely, lovely laing, which is taro leaves cooked down in coconut milk. Both dishes make great leftovers. In fact, I went to bed dreaming about having them over rice for breakfast.
Strangely bland: the kare kare, an oxtail stew. Which we left mostly untouched.
Strangely good: halo halo. With purple yam ice cream and all sorts of funny little jujubes, chickpeas, and gummy treats buried inside.
Can’t wait to go again. Can’t believe Marisa and Vero live a BLOCK from this joint. I would go once a week. And also order takeout ALL THE TIME. And I would get real fat, because they do pork belly at least eight different ways.
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