Last week, I gave you my Top 5 food destinations and museums, galleries, and tours for 2019. Then on Monday, I gave you the honorable mentions (Top 6-10) of my favorites dishes and meals of the past year. Come on! I can’t just choose 5! LOL.

Now, I will continue give you my Top 5. Unlike last week’s lists, my selection is done more methodically (I feel smart using this word! LOL.). I have an objective and a subjective criteria. Objectively, the dish or meal has to be flavorful (meaning, it has different flavors) and has a variety of textures. They are the ones I refer to as “a world of flavors and textures.” But I will make a few exceptions to those that blew my mind away in spite of the lack thereof.

Subjectively, the dish or meal has to be enjoyable, something that is forever etched in my memory and making me want to have more of it. Well, it wouldn’t make this list if I didn’t enjoy it.

So starting with Top 5…

5. Seafood at Breakthrough Restaurant (Iloilo City, Philippines)

When I was in Iloilo City (you can start my series on it here), my best meal was at Breakthrough Restaurant, a seafood spot. For fish, I got the managat (mangrove jack) and sibingan (marlin/swordfish). I had the former grilled but its head sinigang (a sour soup popular in the Philippines), which is nicely soured with kamias (bilimbi). The vegetables had a good crunch.

My seafood feast at Breakthrough Restaurant

The sibingan was grilled. It is firmer and has a slightly stronger taste than the managat. Both are fresh and has no fishiness at all! Of course, I had to try their other bestseller, which is baked oysters. The cheese is creamy and rich!

Related Article: Iloilo City Trip: Trying the Iconic Dishes of the City

Address: Baluarte-Calumpang-Villa-Oton Blvd., Brgy. Santo Niño Sur, Villa Arevalo District | Operating Hours: Daily, 9AM-9PM

4. Nasi Lemak at Nasi Lemak Tanglin (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

When you’re in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia, you can’t miss trying the country’s national dish—Nasi Lemak. Literally “fat rice”, nasi lemak is a dish consisting of boiled or fried egg, cucumber, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), peanuts, sambal, and of course the rice, which is cooked in santan (coconut milk) and flavored with pandan leaves. It’s usually paired with a viand, in which ayam goreng (fried chicken) is the most popular. Imagine the flavors and textures!

My favorite nasi lemak is from Nasi Lemak Tanglin. Serving its hungry patrons since 1948, this institution offers various viands to be paired with their signature dish. I got the fried chicken, paru (cow lungs), and sambal sotong (cuttlefish). I may be wrong but I noticed that the boiled telur (egg) didn’t come with the nasi lemak, which I found unusual (it should be included), so I ordered it as well. The fried chicken was crispy and flavored with curry leaves, the cuttlefish was tender and doused in sambal, and the egg was also deep fried to provide a slightly chewy exterior. But what I like the most are the cow lungs, which is chewy yet delightful in the mouth.

Related Article: KL Food Trip: The Search for the Best Nasi Lemak

Address: Kompleks Makan Tanglin (Tanglin Food Court), Jalan Cenderasari, Tasik Perdana, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Daily, 7AM-1PM

3. Chicken Tandoori and Naan at Pak Putra Restaurant (Malacca, Malaysia)

For the uninitiated, chicken tandoori is a dish where the chicken is marinated in yoghurt and spices then cooked in a tandoor, a clay oven shaped like a cylinder. It’s perfectly partnered with naan, which is flatbread also cooked in a tandoor.

Chicken Tandoori at Pak Putra Restaurant

My friends and had this at Pak Putra Restaurant in Malacca, Malaysia. We got chicken tandoori (of course!) and different kinds of naan (butter, cheese, garlic, and Kashmiri, which has almonds and raisins). The chicken is juicy, tender, and flavorful, while the naan is doughy. We also got a palak paneer, which is pureed spinach that’s a good dip for both the chicken and naan.

Address: 56 & 58, Jalan 4, Taman Kota Laksamana, Melaka, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 5:30PM-1AM

2. Cebu Lechon at Carcar City Public Market (Carcar City, Cebu, Philippines)

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 be the best pig ever: Lechon (roast suckling pig)! And what better place to try it than its origin, the island of Cebu!

Located in Central Visayas region, Cebu is home to the best lechon in the country (the only place in Manila that can match Cebu lechon, for me, is General’s Lechon). There are many lechon places dispersed throughout the island, and it is said that the recipe and preparation differs from city to city. I tried a lot of it in Cebu City but I will declare that the best ones are found in Carcar City. Just go to their public market and you’ll see vendors lined up, offering this amazing pig.

The lechon at Carcar City Public Market has a nice, crispy skin (don’t forget to ask the vendor for it or you will get a soggy one) and has the juiciest and softest meat that I have ever tried. Just how tender the meat is? I will describe it as pillowy like a marshmallow!

Granted, the flavor is on the salty side like any Cebu lechon (though I realized I prefer it salty than the blander ones in Manila). But when you dip it in vinegar, which counteracts the saltiness, and pair it with puso (hanging rice), it becomes a pleasant meal. (If you don’t want your lechon overly salty, tell the vendor not to pour the lechon’s juice on your order.)

By the way, the price is just P400 per kilo! You’ll never find a cheaper lechon elsewhere in the entire country!

Address: Natalio Bacalso South National Highway, Carcar City, Cebu, Philippines

1. Fish Head Curry at The Banana Leaf Apolo (Singapore)

I’ve been to The Banana Leaf Apolo when I first visited Singapore. I went to try their most popular dish—Fish Head Curry. Unfortunately, I found it expensive so I skipped it. Looking back, I regret that decision! I am like, “You could’ve split the bill with your friend! You have a credit card!” Okay, let’s move on.

Fish head curry is truly a Singaporean dish, a result of combining Chinese (fish head) and Indian (curry) influences. It was invented by an Indian immigrant who wanted to please his Chinese customers. What was once just a product of entrepreneurial spirit became a staple in Singaporean cuisine!

There are two restaurants along Race Course Road in Little India that are famous for their fish head curry: Banana Leaf Apolo and Muthu’s Curry. I went to the former because Mark Wiens recommended it. (Next time, I will visit Muthu’s Curry since it was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand status in 2018. In fact, I’m thinking of comparing between the two fish head curries.)

Let’s cut the suspense. I got the medium fish head curry, which is good for 2-3 people. I started with the broth, which is a good mix of curry and tomato flavors. It’s slightly sweet, slightly sour, and stay-in-the-mouth spicy. The fish head has generous, tender meat (and the cheek is awesome!). The okra and pineapple give a nice crunch, with the latter providing fruitiness. The coriander provides a refreshing taste. Needless to say, The Banana Leaf Apolo’s fish head curry is a world of flavors and textures!

So move over, Bak Kuh Teh (meat bone soup)! There’s a new dish that sits on the “Best Singaporean Dish” throne of my heart! LOL.

Race Course Road Branch Address: 54 Race Course Road, Singapore | Operating Hours: Daily, 10:30AM-10:30PM | Facebook: The Banana Leaf Apolo | Website

Which of my Top 5 dishes and meals have you tried or would like to try? What’s your Top 5? Comment them below!

Other entries in the Zoy’s Top 5 2019 Compilation Special: Food Destinations | Galleries, Museums, and Tours | Dishes and Meals (Honorable Mentions)

Zoy's Top 5: 2019 Dishes and Meals

5. Seafood at Breakthrough Restaurant (Iloilo City, Philippines)

4. Nasi Lemak at Nasi Lemak Tanglin (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

3. Chicken Tandoori and Naan at Pak Putra Restaurant (Malacca, Malaysia)

2. Cebu Lechon at Carcar City Public Market (Carcar City, Cebu, Philippines)

1. Fish Head Curry at The Banana Leaf Apolo (Singapore)