During our staycation, we came across some Italians in the lift in the hotel where we were staying. They were here for a wedding. As I remembered them, I thought, "I wonder what they ate during their stay here?" Especially because the area around the hotel mostly served Filipino food. A lot of foreigners are wary of trying local food.
Perhaps it's because most Filipinos shock them with balut and durian? 😆 Some Filipinos also insist that their foreign guests try lechon, crispy pata, sinigang, adobo (of course!), however, I think that one of the safest ways to let foreigners try our food is to introduce tinola first.
(Tinola, by the way, for those of you who are not familiar, is basically chicken that is simmered until tender in a soup with ginger and garlic. We add either green papaya or chayote and chili leaves. Some people add malunggay leaves when chili leaves are not available. We eat it with rice.)
Why? Well, why not? It's a warm, hearty chicken dish that reminds, probably anyone, of home. Of chicken soups that mom made when they were sick as a child.
One spoonful sip of the soup and I'm sure your foreign guests will be encouraged to try more.
This particular tinola was from Derick's. Yes, they are now one of our favorite food places in QC! We ordered just tinola and rice, seeing that one order is good for 2-3 persons.
When I told you in my last post that this could rival Little Quiapo's, I was being serious. I actually love this more than Little Quiapo's because it doesnt have those tiny annoying ginger bits. Not everyone is a fan of ginger (watch out if you're cooking for a foreigner) and I'm allergic to ginger.
This tinola did have ginger, but I'm good as long as I don't eat the thing itself. It's okay if it's in a dish as long as I can see it to remove it.
The chicken wasn't as tender as I'd like, but it was still nicely cooked. Like an al dente pasta, if I may. It wan't tough, but wasnt soft either. I think that's green papaya in there. I detest ripe papaya, but can eat green in tinola.
I can't quite remember if it had a lot of papaya in it as I can't really eat a lot of fruits/vegetables because my skin reacts to them. It had a few chili leaves, which I was so tempted to eat, but didn't because I worried that I might get a reaction, too.
Now let's talk about the most important element of this dish - the broth. It was wonderful! I think my son and I finished everything. I saw my son drinking the soup from his bowl. It was flavorful, without the overpowering taste of ginger. It wasn't too garlicky also. The soup was light and did not taste like chicken cubes. I could tell that the chicken was simmered in it.
I like that they sent patis (fish sauce) with this, as that's how most Filipinos eat it - with patis and calamansi. I did use some patis, but the flavor can hold it's own even when poured over rice.
This tinola was only Php255! Such a good price for something so delicious and filling.
Will definitely order again. As a matter of fact, I'm writing about this because I'm missing it already!
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’Til our next shared bite,
Stay cozy. Stay curious. Stay nourished.
LET'S EAT.
With grace, warmth, and a full heart,
Lady E
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