Indulge in the best Filipino cuisine around Singapore. Here’s where you can tear into a hearty plate of chicken inasal, or even order a juicy whole barbecued roast.
Calle Real
Located at Changi Business Park, Calle Real whips up a fusion rendition of Filipino cuisine inspired by Spanish, Chinese and Western styles. The diner’s highlights range from kare-kare (oxtail in peanut sauce, $18.80), rellenong bangus (milkfish stuffed like a sausage, $18.80) and crispy pata (pork knuckle, $28.80).
Best for: Check out the cheap buffet at $10 on Sundays, or try the lumpiang Shanghai (deep fried spring roll, $8) and rellenong bangus ($18.80).
Gerry’s Grill
With outlets at Makansutra Gluttons Bay and Cuppage Road, and also in countries such as Qatar and the US, Gerry’s Grill is a household name in Philippines that’s popular for grilled seafood and of course, classic Filipino dishes.
Best for: Order the kare-kare ($16.85), an oxtail stew cooked in thick peanut sauce, or the sisig ($11.95), bits of pig offal served in a sizzling pan.
Jollibee
This fast-food chain needs no introduction. Pride and joy of modern Filipino dining, Jollibee’s debut Singapore branch saw fans queueing for its famous fried chicken and spaghetti when it opened at Lucky Plaza in March 2013. Three years on, and Jollibee’s fried chicken frenzy has led to two more outlets at Novena Square and Changi City Point.
Best for: Fried chicken—prices range from $3.50 for a 1-piece a la carte ChickenJoy meal to $32 for a 12-piece bucket.
Inasal
This gritty eatery on Lucky Plaza’s fourth floor is where you go for its signature chicken inasal ($8), which comes with a generous chunk of chicken thigh, rice and pickled vegetables. If you’re game, try the sisig ($11), a delightfully messy dish comprising chopped pig’s head and liver served on a sizzling pan and cooked with calamansi and chili peppers.
Best for: Chicken inasal ($8). Unlike other Pinoy eateries at Lucky Plaza, they cook their food a la minute, this means if you want your sinigang hot and fresh, this is where you get it.
Iskina Cebu
This proudly Cebuano stall, previously operating at a non-descript Paya Lebar coffee shop, is now firing up its charcoal grill at open-air food truck concept Timbre +. Come here for its popular barbecued roasts like spicy belly chon (slow-roasted pork belly), inasal manok (grilled chicken) and liempo (grilled pork belly), all at an affordable price range of $6-10 for set dishes. There’s also the option of ordering a whole roast—just drop them a line four days in advance.
Best for: Lechon Cebu (roasted pork).
Tapa King
It’s not just Jollibee that’s dishing out quick meals—Tapa King is another authentic Filipino chain serving baskets of battered chicken and signature rice dishes at Lucky Plaza. Diners can choose sides ranging from smoked bangus ($8.20), cornsilog (corned beef. $6.20) and their specialty, the Tapa King (marinated beef jerky, $7.80). Other options include beef brisket noodles ($6.80), spaghetti with chicken ($6.80), beef kare-kare ($12.50) and beef sinigang (tamarind broth with vegetables, $12.50).
Best for: Tapsilog; strips of cured beef served with garlic fried rice and egg (from $7.80 to $8.20), and the Tapa Queen ($7.80), a sweet and spicy version of the dish.
