Ewe Paik Leong digs into the meat dishes at an eatery in KL serving a mix of local and Filipino cuisines
THE moment I spot Laguna Restaurant, I am flummoxed about where to park. I make a left turn to Jalan Bukit Nenas, and, luckily, there’s an empty bay at the roadside near St. John’s Cathedral. Minutes later, I stride into the restaurant and a blast of karaoke singing hits me.
The rectangular dining hall has cloth-drapedchairs and glass-topped tables. Affixed high on a wall at the far end is a monitor, and someone in a group of diners seated at the back is belting out an English song. A quick visual survey of the crowd shows that the ratio of locals to Filipinos 30:70.
I choose a table near the door as it is less noisy over here and a waiter garbed in jeans and a T-shirt hands me an A3-sized menu. The items under the headings “soup and breakfast”, “pasta”, “Western food”, “local delights” and “rice & noodles” do not interest me.
I scan the listings under “Philippine food”. Of the 70 dishes, half are listed in Tagalog and the rest in English. There are no explanatory notes and the few small pictures scattered randomly on the pages of the menu are of little help. So, I ask the waiter for his recommendation.
“Pork sisig,” he says, adding that it consists of pork belly, pig’s ears, chicken liver, onions and sliced chillies. I choose that and four other dishes at random.
Sinigang ng bangus arrives first. It is milk fish soup. Cooked with tomatoes and onions, the soup tastes sourish-savoury and, a hint of tamarind after every slurp refreshes my taste buds. The fresh milk fish delivers a firm texture and bones are minimal. This dish goes well with rice.
Next, pork sisig appears on a sizzling platter. The waiter puts the platter on my table, cracks an egg in it and stirs the contents. My first mouthful conjures up images of long bean omelette crossed with sourish-spicy oyster omelette. The waiter explains that this dish was invented in the 1970s by Lucia Cunanan, a restaurateur in Angeles City.
Afritada chicken looks like the Chinese sweet-sour chicken sans pineapples. Instead, there are green and red capsicum slices and carrots. The sweet and sour are balanced but I’d prefer the chicken to be fried separately so that it is crispy on the outside.
Soon, another pork dish arrives, Bicol Express. It comprises pork cooked in coconut milk, topped with slices of red and green chillies. The creamy gravy first unleashes a saltish tinge, and then hot spicy flavours attack my tongue like a flame thrower!
Those who like Thai laksa will enjoy this dish. The curtain-closer is Philippine fried rice. Served with an omelette, it tastes like Thai pineapple fried rice except for the missing pineapple. Not too spicy, yet savoury.
Meanwhile, Sunday Mass ends in the nearby St John’s Cathedral, and I see a crowd of Filipinos, Africans and locals on the sidewalk, waiting for empty tables. I am surprised that this restaurant has such a good following, so I make a move.
While walking back to my car, I surmise that Filipino food can be summed up using the famous F-word: nah. not that other F-word, but “fusion”! It is a fusion of the cooking styles of its past colonialists, immigrants and indigenous people.
Laguna Restaurant (Non-halal)
WHERE:
Addresss: No. 3, Jalan Gereja, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 011-1910 1661
OPENING HOURS: 9am to 9pm daily. Closed on Monday
GETTING THERE: Travel along Jalan Tun Perak. When you see Maybank, turn left to Jalan Raja Chulan. Take second left to Jalan Gereja, which has no parking, so turn right to Jalan Bukit Nenas which has several bays outside St. John’s Cathedral.
WHAT’S COOKING: Filipino fare
MUST TRY: Sinigang ng bangus and Bicol Express
YOU’LL PAY: About RM7 to RM30
ATMOSPHERE: Casual but noisy when there’s karaoke singing
THE LOO: Clean and everything works
SERVICE: Friendly and efficient
OVERALL VERDICT: Must try