Cafe Adriatico's Lola Ising's Adobo

If you ask me, the national dish of the Philippines is adobo (pork stewed in vinegar and/or soy sauce). If stumped for choice when eating out, this my default order. There are myriad ways of cooking adobo--each household seem to have a unique way of cooking adobo. The rare times I cook adobo, I omit soy sauce and use lots of garlic.

During a night out at Malate's Cafe Adriatico with some friends, I shared an order of Lola Ising's Adobo. And what an excellent dish it was! The meat was superbly cooked--so soft and delicate, with a crisp outer layer. I love the whole garlic cloves that come with the dish. Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of imported garlic--they're hefty, but not as flavorful as the small local ones. But for this dish it was perfect, as it balances the richness of the meat. The accompanying garlicky fried rice appears to be cooked in the remaining sauce, and cooked just right. 

cafe adriatico moa's adobo. i prefer the malate branch's adobo, pictured below.
 i posted this picture because it's clearer

this one's both pretty and tasty

Cafe Adriatico

1790 Remedios Circle, M. Adriatico St.

Malate, Manila

(+63) 02 738-8220