Good Philippine food, little known to most Chicagoans, fits right in with many of today's popular tastes. It is exotic, often spicy and chock-full of vegetables, usually with a minimum of fat.
Many influences shape Philippine cuisine.
Centuries of Spanish rule contributed kitchen techniques such as cooking food in lard or olive oil, the use of chocolate and roasted whole poultry. Cafe de Manila's bright, sparse and spotless dining room quickly comes alive when the food arrives, carried to us by owner Alcorn. The dipping sauce for the okoy is made from soy sauce, vinegar, ground pepper and fresh garlic. A stir-fried rice noodle dish, it uses bits of chicken or pork and shrimp, green pepper, onion, vegetable, carrots and pea pods all flavored with a sauce made from soy and chicken broth. Here, chicken pieces are marinated in a tangy combination of vinegar, ground pepper, soy sauce and garlic.