This or That: Best Voted Thanksgiving Filipino Dishes

Written by Niko Del Rey

It’s official, Mariah Carey has come out of hibernation, we’re trading in our swim trunks for sweatpants, and pumpkin spice lattes are all the rage, the holidays are almost here! Of course, we are starting off the winter season with everyone’s favorite family feast, Thanksgiving. A night to be thankful for all the blessings in our lives and to ceremoniously celebrate by bringing your best dishes. Because let’s be honest, having the best dish of the night is always the cherry on top to a successful thanksgiving.

Well, we took a survey of over a thousand votes to help you narrow down what everyone is craving for Thanksgiving, helping you bring that perfect dish to all your family gatherings. Time to dig in into This or That: Best Filipino Thanksgiving Dishes.

Best Appetizer: Fresh Lumpia or Lumpia Shanghai

When other cultures think of Filipinos, a dish that typically comes to mind is our world famous, deep fried pork rolls, Lumpia Shanghai. But if you’re like me, Fresh Lumpia (our version of spring rolls) is a breath of fresh air as you bite into the crisp vegetables wrapped in rice paper and drenched in sweet sauce. However, the people have spoken and the tried and true champ still sits on the throne of best appetizers, Lumpia Shanghai.

Best Soup: Sinigang or Bulalo

One of the best kept secrets of the Philippines is our famous Sinigang with its signature sour and savory profile that really wakes up the taste buds and adds so much depth with your favorite jasmine rice. But many  foodies would argue that Bulalo (Beef Shank with Bone Marrow soup) is the most delicious soup in our cuisine, that tender meat falling off the bone is unforgettable. But our extensive survey between non-Filipinos and Filipinos have voted Sinigang the best soup from the mainland. 

Best Noodle Dish: Pancit or Palabok

Pancit is the Philippines marquee noodle dish that comes in numerous variations but the most common is the thin rice noodle version served with peeled shrimp, veggies, sometimes pork, and a squirt of lemon. However, the common rival to pancit is the heartier palabok counterpart. Palabok has a thicker noodle made from cornstarch sticks with additive textures like crushed chicharon, tinapa flakes, contrasting other textures like hard boiled egg and orange sauce. This poll was neck and neck the entire time, with Palabok narrowly beating out pancit 52% to 48%. 

Best Stew: Kare Kare or Kaldereta 

Filipinos love their soups and stews, so if you mention Kare Kare, people’s mouths will water thinking about the savory peanut flavor and if you have a similar palate to my own, that shrimp paste on the sauce that truly brings the dish to its full potential. Kaldereta, also very savory, would be considered more hearty in flavor and often used with goat meat due to its semi-sweet characteristics but can also be cooked with beef. The numbers are in and we care for Kare Kare as our best stew!

Best Chicken Dish: Chicken Adobo or Chicken Inasal

Chicken Adobo has to be the most iconic dish when anyone thinks of Filipino cuisine, stewing chicken in vinegar and soy sauce to bring a bold taste that is indescribable and unforgettable. However, Chicken Inasal has been growing in popularity on social media as consumers rush to places like dollar hits to get their street food fix. Chicken Inasal is grilled skewered chicken with marinating and spices iconic to Illongo region of the Philippines that is considered one of the Philippines best kept secrets. Be that as it may, Chicken Adobo is known worldwide for a reason and is still the best chicken dish according to our survey. 

Best Pork Dish: Lechon Kawali or Sisig

Lechon Kawali is not to be confused with our national dish, Lechon (whole pig roasted over an open fire). Lechon Kawali is pork that is typically pan fried and then later deep fried to give it that crispy skin that we all have grown an addiction to. In the opposing corner, Sisig is a crispy dish that is pork that is boiled and later grilled to give it that texture, often with other veggies and spices to resemble a crispy version of fajitas to say the least. The second closest survey finishing at 53% to 47%, Lechon Kawali closely finished on top as the Philippines best pork dish. 

Best Comfort Food Dish: Bistek or Bicol Express

One of my favorite dishes as a kid, Bistek is made of thinly sliced beef with a generous amount of onions, pepper, and lemon, that harmoniously melts over a bowl of rice. Bicol Express on the other hand, is a pork stew cooked in coconut milk and chili peppers that bring both sweet and spicy with every bite, it's rich, creamy, spicy, and delicious. With one of the biggest wins in our survey, 83% to 13%, people have voted that there’s no place like home with a plate of Bistek waiting for you.

Best Mixed Dessert: Halo Halo or Taho

Everyone knows Halo Halo, it is the most colorful dessert you’ll ever see. Halo Halo meaning “mix mix” is exactly that, crushed ice, ice cream, evaporated milk, ube jam, sweetened beans, coconut strips, flan, etc. all mixed in a cup, joining forces into a sweet treat we all remember as kids. But am I the only one who would light up when I would hear the Taho man ringing his bell down the street in the Philippines? Taho is a classic sweet treat in the Philippines made with silken tofu, sago or tapioca pearls, and a simple brown sugar syrup. It put up a valiant effort but Taho lost to its colorful icy opponent, Halo Halo.

Best Cake: Sans Rival or Cassava Cake

Sans Rival is a nutty dish that leans into both chewy and crunchy textures, featuring a meringue layer, buttercream filling, and crunchy cashews that are a playground for your tastebuds. Cassava cake is a classic sweet Filipino dessert made from grated cassava that gives a chewy texture similar to tapioca that’s fun and sweet to eat with every bite. If you don’t believe me, maybe you can join the other 655 of voters that put Cassava Cake as the best cake dish from the Philippines. 

Best Handheld Dessert: Bibingka or Turon

This question had most of my voters in turmoil, voicing their anger to me, unable to pick just one. Bibingka is considered a Christmas treat, specifically designated for the holidays. Bibingka is an oven baked rice cake that is traditionally wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in a stone pot. It can be prepared in a variety of ways depending on which region of the Philippines you are from but we can all agree that it is a buttery, sweet, and fluffy dessert that reminds us of Christmas. Turon on the other hand is a banana, dressed in sugar, wrapped in lumpia paper, and deep fried, delivering that iconic sweet crunch we all have enjoyed time and time again. Who doesn’t love caramelized bananas that’s fun to eat? But at the end of the day, there can only be one winner, and our best handheld dessert according to our voters is the crunchy, fun, sugary handrolled treat, Turon. 

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Written by Niko Del Rey

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