PrintFatty Filipino Pork Chunks at Pistahan
While at Filipino restaurant Pistahan in the East Village, my friend and I split an order of lechon kawali, pork belly that's boiled then deep fried, but we couldn't finish it. I blamed it partly on just having devoured an order of halo-halo (eating dessert before the main course is acceptable in my world), and partly on the lechon kawali being composed of 99% pork fat.
Oh, I knew what I was getting myself into, fat chunk-wise. What I wasn't prepared for was the complete sensory experience: the sweet porky scent; the loud potato chip-like crunch of the skin on the first bite; the combination of thick, crispy skin with an inch of tender fat-oozing flesh; the rich "I think I'm eating pure fat" flavor. I dampened the pork's effect by dipping it in the accompanying vinegar-based sauce and alternating bites with mouthfuls of rice. At the end of the meal with just three chunks left on the plate, my friend and I hugged our bellies in slight discomfort and satisfaction with the intention of doing it again.
Pistahan
229 1st Avenue, New York NY 10003 (b/n 13th Street and 14th Street; map)
212-228-9000
Related:
Off the Beaten Path: Filipino Sausage From Renee's Kitchenette
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
14 Comments:
that looks like heaven...
foodinmouth at 12:15PM on 07/22/08
I walk by all the time (usually on the way to Momofuku Noodle) A few months ago I noticed a for sale sign on the business -
http://eater.com/archives/2008/05/on_the_market_p.php
Did you notice if it was still up? Or maybe it was already sold....
Nick Solares at 12:28PM on 07/22/08
@Danny: Yes!@# I just wish heaven weren't so detrimental to my health..
@Nick: Oh, they did have a sign! I don't remember seeing that one, but there was a larger one on the window that seemed to be looking for buyers. :'(
roboppy at 12:34PM on 07/22/08
I hope they don't sell the place before I get a chance to eat that amazing looking porktastic goodness
Zach Brooks at 1:17PM on 07/22/08
OMG, that would be MY dessert!
simon at 6:03PM on 07/22/08
I miss lechon kawali!!!!
YUMMM!
shan :-)
http://the-f-word-blog.blogspot.com/
christian_s_a at 4:17AM on 07/23/08
Must get lechon before closing...
missbhavens at 10:42AM on 07/24/08
Sooooooo gooooooooooood .... AND halo halo? Lucky.
OneWallKitchen at 11:43AM on 07/28/08
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~! Ay WUZ DARE!!!
if ur ever hankering for crunchy slices of meat chips attached to melt-in-yo-mouth pork fat and juicy meats, u must get ze lechon kawaLi.
MEAT CHIPS!!!!
::ga-DUNK!::
BobbLeBot at 10:51AM on 07/29/08
Oh my goodness! That looks unbelievable! I must have!
Goldilocks Finds Manhattan at 9:18AM on 07/31/08
Is the pork floating in midair in that second pic?
sushijerk at 4:06PM on 07/31/08
BobbLeBot: HAHA, meat chips, that's such a good way to put it. ;)
Goldilocks: You can get! Next time I plan on filipino fooding, I'll give you a heads up.
sushijerk: Floating...by way of a (out of focus) fork. ;)
roboppy at 11:10PM on 08/01/08
Mmmm one of the many reasons why I'm proud to be Filipino :D Yum! I just moved to NYC and have been looking for a good Filipino restaurant. I'll try this one out!
krizias at 1:08AM on 08/09/08
ROBYN! You ate LECHON! :D
Had some a couple of months ago. Huge roast pig laid out on a table, with people slicing bits straight off it. Here's a picture:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/luisk/lechon.jpg
(The guy with glasses is my former teacher, genius poet Jimmy Abad.)
For someone who grew up with it, I never really acquired a taste for lechon though. But I do like "the loud potato chip-like crunch of the skin on the first bite." :)
luiskatigbak at 8:42PM on 08/18/08