People ask me what exactly is Filipino food and I always have a hard time describing it. Its best described I think as a fusion of Asian, South American and Western cooking. Seriously. One of my favourite memories from when I was a kid was chowing down on gorgeous sizzling Filipino barbecue off the street vendors. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it – I’ve never tasted anything like it anywhere else. So, when I saw that a restaurant called Ihaw Ihaw, literally translated as Barbecue Grill, was opening right next to my work place I got just a bit excited.

Well, I knew I shouldn’t have had such high expectations. All the Filipino dishes that I would have expected were on the menu including Adobo, Kare Kare, Bihon, Palabok, Sinigang were on there plus the items from the grill (you could have Pork, Chicken, Beef, Bangus and Tilipia) but we were there to try to the grill which, although not bad tasting, it just wasn’t what I was remembering and hoping for. It actually reminded me a little of grilled dishes from a Vietnamese restaurant. Our starters of Shanghai Lumpia (mini pork spring rolls) and Lumpia (vege spring rolls) were pretty on par though.

I wanted to try some dessert which included Ube and Cassava and the kitchen was nice enough to give me a sample of both.

Rather randomly there was a non-Filipino, I suspect he was Eastern European or something, guy who kept coming in and out of the restaurant whichseemed a bit odd. I think he might have been the owner. Interestingly too, when I’d been in earlier in the day to check they were open I ran into one of the guys who’d been serving me for the last year or more at the Filipino stall that is at the market on Thursdays – he must have changed allegiances! Which reminds me – I should visit that other Filipino restaurant too!

I really really wanted to like the restaurant but I just don’t think its going to get the turnover it needs to keep it running. Everyone is very friendly inside but I think the restaurant hasn’t done much to catch the interest of the locals, let alone anyone away from its location. Time will tell whether it survives …