Pasig Food Crawl: Carinderia Food, Pork Barbecue, and Sisig
Pork Sisig with Egg at Aysee
I realized that I have mostly confined my foodventures to Makati (where I live) and the nearby Bonifacio Global City (BGC). So I decided to explore the cities in the Metro, especially Manila and Quezon City (QC), and feature dishes and food spots (normally 3) that are worth a foodventure (see my first QC Food Crawl here and my recent Manila food crawl here). For this article, I will share 3 dishes from the city of Pasig. They are:
Carinderia Food at Caruz Eatery (ORANBO)
While searching for food spots in Pasig, I stumbled upon a video by Coconuts Manila featuring Caruz Eatery, a carinderia (eatery) located in the shady part of the city (it’s along a strip of love motels!). Don’t worry; I went there on a daytime.
Caruz Eatery
I went there mainly for their Ginataang Kuhol (snails cooked in gata or coconut milk). However, it was already sold out when I arrived. So I went for their other bestsellers: Pork Ribs Caldereta and Papaitan. A caldereta is a dish with meat, traditionally beef or goat (modern versions even use lamb), stewed in tomato sauce with liver spread. It’s also accompanied with potatoes and vegetables. In some variations, there’s even cheese and sausage in it.
Caruz Eatery’s Pork Ribs Caldereta (P80)
Caruz Eatery’s caldereta is made with pork ribs and has no potatoes and vegetables with it. The pork is melt-in-the-mouth tender, sitting in a slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and slightly spicy gravy. I easily finished it and was even tempted to get an extra rice. It was an amazing dish but I wish there are more components in it.
Caruz Eatery’s Papaitan (P80)
A papaitan, on the other hand, is a bitter (from the word “pait”) soup with either cow or goat innards. It’s generally bitter because of the added bile, but some are also sour (like sinigang, a Filipino sour soup), spicy, or both. In Caruz Eatery, the papaitan has an unusually thicker broth (I prefer a runny broth). Overall, it’s okay.
Address: 220 Hillcrest Drive, Brgy. Oranbo, Pasig City | Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 6AM-9PM; Sunday, 6AM-2PM | Facebook
Pork Barbecue at Three Sisters’ Restaurant of Pasig (Kapitolyo)
Spot.ph listed down the Top 10 Pork Barbecue in Manila back in 2018. At the top is Three Sisters’ pork barbecue. This got me curious so I went there to validate.
The Cozy Interiors of Three Sisters’
By the way, to my foreign readers, don’t expect something like American barbecue. A Filipino pork barbecue is made of pork marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, calamansi (Philippine lime), and sugar. Then it is skewered on bamboo sticks, grilled over charcoal fire, and brushed with banana ketchup. Think of it like a satay but paired with a vinegar dip instead of peanut sauce.
Anyway, the Three Sisters’ version (P58/stick) is a meaty, tender one, covered in sweet and tangy sauce, which I believe is banana ketchup. Is it the best that I’ve ever tried? It’s hard to tell because I don’t have enough comparisons and the barbecue lacked a wow factor. But it’s definitely among the better ones that you can get in the Metro.
Three Sisters’ Grilled Pork BBQ Combo (P230)
Before we move on, here’s an interesting trivia about the restaurant’s name. You may think it refers to 3 sisters who founded the restaurant. But actually, it refers to a talcum powder brand that the founder, Lola Rosa Francisco, loved. Care to call your restaurant Johnson? LOL.
Address: 136 West Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City | Operating Hours: Daily, 11AM-10PM | Facebook
Sisig at Aysee (Oranbo)
Since I’ve tried the original sisig from Angeles City’s Aling Lucing (check out my sisig crawl here), I’ve been having a hard time finding a worthy counterpart in Manila, one that would match closely if not completely. I have accepted that such an endeavor is futile!
For the uninitiated, sisig is one of the iconic Filipino dishes of all time, even making its way abroad. Traditionally, it is is a dish made of chopped pig ears/cheeks and chicken liver, mixed with onions and seasoned with calamansi and sili (chilli). It started out as a bar chow but is now accepted as a viand. It has also evolved into different forms. Some have egg and mayonnaise on it while others use chicken and fish instead of pork. Some even fuse it with international dishes, such as paella and tacos.
Outside of Angeles, my go-to sisig spot would be Aysee. Considered an institution in Pasig, this food spot has been serving its own version of sisig to a loyal following since 1986. Through the years, it has expanded in the Metro and has even reached the U.S., putting up a branch in Anaheim, California back in 2016.
Aysee
Aysee’s sisig is both crispy and chewy, with a nice smokiness to it. Instead of chicken liver or pig brain, it’s made creamy with a raw egg, which gets cooked when mixed with the dish. It’s also buttery or, more accurately, margarine-y. This dish is perfect with rice or two…or even three! LOL.
Aysee’s Pork Sisig with Egg (P145)
By the way, when you’re there, try their Papaitang Baka (Cow Papaitan) as well. It’s served in a continuously heated metal pot akin to hotpot or steamboat. But their version is more sour than bitter. So if you have a low tolerance for bitterness (with food, not people!), then you might like this dish.
Aysee’s Papaitang Baka (P165)
Address: St. Martin St., Brgy. Oranbo, Pasig City | Operating Hours: Daily, 9AM-12AM | Facebook
Have you tried the dishes and food spots above? What other Pasig spots should I try? Where else should I go in the Metro? Comment them below!
Recent articles in the Metro Manila Food Crawl series: