Say kare-kare

title_image

And that is veggie kare-kare. What is that? You ask.

Kare-kare is a Philippine stew complemented with a thick savory peanut sauce. It is made from a variation base of stewed oxtail, pork hocks, calves feet, pig feet, beef stew meat, and occasionally offal or tripe. Kare-kare can also be made with seafood (prawns, squid, and mussels) or vegetables (sometimes exclusively vegetables, becoming Kare-kareng gulay). Vegetables, which include eggplant, Chinese cabbage, or other greens, daikon, green beans, okra, and asparagus beans are added—usually equaling or exceeding the amount of meat. The stew is flavored with ground roasted peanuts or peanut butter, onions, and garlic. It is colored with annatto and can be thickened with toasted or plain ground rice.

At the entrance of this restaurant on both sides are these menu poster stands. Both are boasting the veggie kare-kare which is the most affordable meal set on the menu. That even comes with unlimited rice option. Isn't that sweet?

Their version of kare-kare in this restaurant is exclusively vegetables unlike other versions which vegetables are used as just extenders.

I placed my order and took a seat on the first floor. I usually take seats upstairs when there are many diners but not this time.

There are fewer seats upstairs but there are more on the terrace which is in an open air. You will notice the seats on the terrace on top of the first photo above. The seats were turned though. I guess hat is due to available tables inside.

It did not take long when my order was served. Rice, chicharon, the yummy veggie kare-kare and a saucer of bagoong.

I felt like drooling with the thick sauce of the kare-kare. It was funny but I started with it instead of the rice or the main viand itself.

The veggies - eggplant, pechay and string beans - tasted fresh and crunchy. I just wish the pechay stalks and leaves were cut into two thus shorter. That is because they served with the whole petioles to leaves still intact with each other. I guess the length can go as long as 15 cm. In spite of that, it did not stop me from cleaning my plate. It was really good.

For those who are not vegan or at least arevegetarians, the bagoong is a perfect match for the *kare-kare. Bagoong is another original Filipino condiment.

Bagoóng (Tagalog pronunciation: [bɐɡuˈoŋ]; Ilocano: bugguong) is a Philippine condiment partially or completely made of either fermented fish (bagoóng isdâ) or krill (bagoóng alamáng) with salt.[1] The fermentation process also produces fish sauce known as patís.[2]
The preparation of bagoóng can vary regionally in the Philippines.[3]