Proudly Pinoy: The World Street Food Masters of the Philippines (2020 Update)

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Since it’s Independence Month (the Philippine Independence Day was last Friday, June 12), I planned to do 4-part series of Proudly Pinoy (a slang for Filipino), which is a celebration of Filipino brands and products that have achieved national and/or international recognition and/or reach (I did one last year; links to the articles coming soon!). Because of the pandemic and quarantine, I wasn’t able to do foodventures for new content. So today, I thought of updating my article on the World Street Food Masters of the country, since I was able to visit another one this year. Enjoy reading!

In 2017, the World Street Food Congress (WSFC) was held in Manila for the second time. A brainchild of the Singaporean entrepreneur-photojournalist and Makansutra founder KF Seetoh, WSFC is a celebration of the world’s street food culture. It had 3 primary components:

The Jamboree, which brought hawkers from different countries so they can dish out amazing street food for tasting;
The Dialogue, which brought people together to share ideas and opportunities; and
The Awards, which recognized the top street food masters from across the globe.

Speaking of the Awards, a WSFC panel selected establishments to be included in the Top 50 World Street Food Masters. Five of them were from the Philippines and I was able to visit four. They are (starting from the lowest ranked):

Top 46: Dod’s Ihaw-Ihaw & Grill (Davao City)

Panga (literally jaw or jowl) is probably the most popular tuna part in Davao food spots (check my Davao City food trip series starting here). While it can be cooked in different ways such as sinigang sa miso (sour soup with miso or soybean paste), it’s commonly inihaw or sinugba (grilled). The best place to have grilled tuna panga is at Dod’s Ihaw-Ihaw Grill (some spell it as Dood’s), which is helmed by Ranilo "Doods" Felix.

While others use Yellowfin Tuna, Dod’s uses Big Eye Tuna because it’s juicier. Man, they’re right!

Inihaw na (Grilled) Tuna Panga (I got the smallest portion available, which is P180) — *Inihaw na* (Grilled) Tuna *Panga* (I got the smallest portion available, which is P180)

Also, the tuna flesh is firm on the outside. But as I dug deeper into the layers, I discovered incredible succulence and tenderness. Flavor-wise, it’s nice and smoky, with a nice sweetness coming from their secret marinade.

I tried tuna panga from 2 other places and I declare that Dod’s has the best one. In fact, it’s inihaw na panga is the best grilled tuna I have ever tried in Davao and even in my entire life! So this place is a must visit in any Davao food trip or in any Davao vacation for that matter.

Address: Roxas Ave. (by the rotunda), Poblacion District, Davao City | Operating Hours: TBA (I’m still checking because my research says they open at 6PM but I went there in the afternoon)

Top 32: Sharyn’s Cansi House (Bacolod City, Negros Occidental)

An icon in Bacolod City, the City of Smiles and an amazing food destination in the Visayas (central) region, Sharyn’s Cansi House serves an Ilonggo/Negrense favorite: Cansi (or Kansi). It’s a bone-in beef shank soup. You can think of it as a cross between bulalo (the most popular bone-in beef shank soup in the country) and sinigang, minus all the veggies, and soured by batwan, a fruit native to Southeast Asia, instead of sampalok (tamarind).

When I visited Sharyn’s, I ordered Sharyn’s 2 of their bestsellers. The first is their traditional cansi. It’s good for 2-3 persons but I managed to finish the whole bowl by myself, probably to the surprise of the waitress who attended me. LOL. So how was the dish? I started tasting the steaming broth and it’s not as sour and fruity as I expected (if you’ve tasted Pat Pat’s Kansi in Iloilo or Makati, you’ll understand what my preference is). I find it a little salty. While I’m bit underwhelmed by the broth, I’m amazed about the meat and the tendon. It’s incredibly tender!

But to be honest, I liked the second bestseller better: The Fried Cansi. It’s like a cross between corned beef and jerky. The raw white onions add to the flavor of the dish. And here’s a warning: It’s addictive!

I’m glad to have brought home my leftover fried cansi back in Manila. I ate it with sinangag (garlic fried rice) and sunny side-up egg and man, it was glorious!

Address: C-58 Capitol Shopping Center, Narra Ave., Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental | Operating Hours: Monday, 7:30AM-8PM; Tuesday-Friday, 7AM-8PM; Saturday & Sunday, 7AM-7:30PM | Facebook

Top 7: General’s Lechon (Makati City, National Capital Region)

If I have a foreign friends visiting the country and they can only eat one Filipino food, I would serve them what the late Anthony Bourdain claimed to the best pig ever: Lechon (roast suckling pig). I’m glad that a lechon establishment made it to the List.

General’s Lechon serves a Negros-style of lechon and has been in operations since 2007 (Negros is an island in Visayas). It’s owner, Bryan Ong, is a native of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. The idea of starting the business was conceived when Ong brought his wife to his hometown and loved the lechon.

So let’s talk about the Garlic Lechon of General’s. I started with the skin and it was crispy and fatty. Then the meat, which was tender and flavorful, with a nice garlic and lemongrass taste. General’s have 2 kinds of dip for their lechon: The lechon (liver) sauce which is made exclusively for them, and the sukang pinakurat or spiced vinegar. Both dips perfectly complements the savoriness of the lechon (sweetness for the liver sauce and sourness for the vinegar).

Overall, General’s Lechon serves amazing lechon. It’s one of the best lechons I have ever tried, even matching Cebu lechon (check out my Cebu lechon crawl here).

Address: 2/F Petron Gas Station, EDSA cor. Arnaiz Ave., Dasmariñas Village, Makati City | Operating Hours: Daily, 10:30AM-8:30PM | Facebook | Website

Top 4: Aling Lucing Sisig (Angeles City, Pampanga)

Yes, there are 2 Filipino finalists in the Top 10 of the List!

Sisig is one of the iconic dishes in Filipino cuisine. This dish is traditionally made of chopped pig ears/cheeks and chicken liver, mixed with onions, and seasoned with calamansi (Philippine lime) and sili (chili). It started out as a bar food but is now accepted as a viand. It 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 cuisine, such as paella and tacos.

But the sisig we now know today will find its roots to Aling Lucing Sisig. The owner, the late Lucia Cunanan a.k.a. “Sisig Queen”, brought the dish to another level by grilling the boiled pig ears and cheeks, adding pig brains and chicken livers, and serving it in sizzling plates. Fortunately, the restaurant is still open, serving the iconic dish.

So how was the sisig of Aling Lucing? Amazing! Their version is fattily good, a bit sour, and has a nice char flavor. It’s the perfect viand, bar chow, and after party food.

Aside from sisig, Aling Lucing has awesome grilled items on their menu. Among my favorites are Inihaw na Tainga ng Baboy (pork ears), Inihaw na Manok (grilled chicken), and Puwet ng Manok (chicken butts). I’m not sure what kind of marinade they use. But they serve these items smothered in a ketchup-like sauce. Ketchup-like sauce? Yeah! But don’t be deceived because this sauce, even though it looks simple and tastes like ketchup, brings the grilled items to a higher notch!

Aside from receiving the Award from the WSFC 2017, Aling Lucing was even graced with a visit by Anthony Bourdain. And their sisig received a Bourdainian praise!

By the way, you can check my Angeles City sisig crawl in this article.

Address: Glaciano Valdez St., Brgy. Agapito del Rosario, Angeles City, Pampanga | Operating Hours: Daily, 9AM-12AM | Facebook

Having tried 4 out of 5 World Street Food Masters in the country, that only leaves me one more to try: Zeny’s Pinangat (Top 22) in Camalig, Albay. I can’t wait to try it out someday!

Which of the street food masters above have you tried or would like to try? Have you been to Zeny’s Pinangat? How was your experience there? Comment them below!