Allow me to kindly take a break and deviate from the fancy schmansy dining. Would you believe that I also enjoy eating at Turo-Turo restaurants? As the term suggests, Turo-Turo literally means pointing out the food you desire behind the glass enclosed food container. As a typical Filipino, you probably have the basics down to pat. Get in line with a tray, pick your viands and don't forget to ask for a plate of hot rice and a bowl of free soup, pay the tindera your unbelievably affordable bill and find a free dining table that's near a functioning electric fan and maybe facing a TV.
The common Turo - Turo restaurant has a lot of viands to offer, from veggie based side dishes, soups, fried favorites, fish alternatives for the diet conscious kuno and to grilled delicacies. You want it, they've probably got tray fulls of it.
The beauty of eating in Turo-Turo restaurants is that if you want multiple viands, you can always order half of something. Oh diba, tipid! However, if you are a glutton you can always go for a full order of everything that catches your fancy. You can also share with a friend, the more the merrier indeed!
Most Turo-Turo restaurants have a vast variety of grilled food. You can even ask them to reheat your grilled liempo order. Don't forget to ask for a bowl of dipping sauce made from either vinegar or soy sauce drowning in heaps of garlic, onion and chili flakes with a squeeze of calamansi.
Grilled chicken thighs are always a best - selling hit in carinderias and get sold out almost immediately. Maybe it's our penchant and addiction that's been fed by Inasal restaurants all over our country or maybe because they're just so freaking delicious? Maybe it's both?
As a frequent carinderia diner myself, I've already come up with my default orders. These are my comfort food or my blame it on the PMS food, but whatever the excuse I come up with, I can never ever pass up on these when I see them. A good serving of titillatingly spicy and crunchy pork sisig, monggo guisado, ginataang langka and more. Yes, I'm a simple girl with simple pleasures, believe it or not.
It's always nice to change the game plan up a bit from time to time. As long as the carinderia is sanitary and has an overall pleasant atmosphere, you can count me in for a food trip or two. Remember that good food can also be found in places like this. You can throw away the fancy china, the jazzy atmosphere and the snooty, hoity-toity attitude of servers in some high end restaurants and just appreciate the simpler pleasures in life, like dining in a turo-turo restaurant near you. No-fuzz, no pretensions, plus you can come in your best attire, your pambahay clothes, what else? See you on my next pig out session! :)
Your pig out buddy,
Madz
