Mabuhay!
(...and they got an "A" for sanitation!)
Many of you (my theoretical readers...) may not be familiar with Filipino cuisine, so I ate a LOT of it the other night so that I could show you what it's like (okay, maybe that wasn't the reason...). I am somewhat familiar with Tito's offerings- I traveled to the Philippines for three summers with a group called Cultures in Harmony, a New York based NGO that brings people together through music!
Tito Rad's is tucked away on a lesser known chunk of Queens Boulevard next to a strip club called Secrets (formerly Honey's). It is not the most glamorous of locations, but, as advertised, it is indeed the finest Filipino cuisine.
(almost as good as the real thing... sorta not really.)
The best thing about Filipino food is undoubtedly the mangoes. Unfortunately, you can't find fresh ones in NYC (from the Philippines), and we are stuck with the oversized, fibrous ones from Mexico. A Filipino mango is small, super sweet and has the texture of the smoothest sorbet. I opted for a glass of mango juice at Tito's to start the meal off right. My eating-adventure companion had some Buko (coconut) Juice.
One of the things I noticed immediately was that we were surely the only
non-Filipinos at Tito Rad's, and one of the only tables with fewer than
10 diners. Almost every inch of the modest restaurant was filled with
families- we even saw a birthday celebration complete with a giant
purple Ube cake!
(I will be dreaming about this.)
We started things off deliciously with some Sizzling Sisig, a dish I ate at pretty much every restaurant we went to in the Philippines. It's so good. Finely minced (well, Tito's version is a generous chop) spiced pork belly served hot on a skillet ($7.95). Our incredibly cheerful waitress suggested an egg mixed in... obviously we agreed.
We squeezed a little lemon on it and chowed down with some rice. It was pretty much out-of-this-world.
(noods)
We decided to mix things up with a noodle dish, and we tried this Pancit Bihon with Chicken, Pork, Shrimp and Chinese Sausages ($7.95). The "Chinese sausage" is very sweet and has a really unique flavor. The only other place I've seen it was at the (sadly, now closed) Isan Thai restaurant in Astoria called Poodam's. My friend said it tasted like Chinese beef jerky. The noodles were tasty, but seemed like more of a side dish.
(there's a whole 'nother fish under that one!)
We took things out to sea with some Daing na Bangus ($8.95), or fried Milkfish. We ate this just about every single day in the Philippines, and it was very good here at Tito's, not to mention you got 2 whole fishes....!
(it's basically a giant chicharron...)
There was one dish that just about every party at Tito Rad's had on their table, and so we decided it must be a must-have! The Crispy Pata, or fried pig knuckle ($8.95), certainly delivered. It was a monstrous hock of tasty pork, fried to perfection: thick, crispy skin on the outside that cracked open to reveal the tender, juicy meat within.
(...but look at that juicy meat!!)
For dessert we sampled two of my favorite Filipino treats. The most unique is called Halo Halo (pronounced: "hollow") ($5.95), which translates to something along the lines of "all mixed up." (literally: "mix mix")
This concoction is usually based with shaved ice and condensed milk, and then you throw whatever the hell you want inside. Ours included Ice Cream, rice krispies, red beans, Ube paste, gelatin, mango, lychee, flan and probably a few other things I couldn't identify. I was a little bit disappointed/relieved that there was no corn inside, something that you'd usually get in your Halo Halo in the Philippines.
(Hello, my Halo Halo!)
My favorite Filipino dessert is Turon with Ice Cream ($5.95), a mini banana spring roll. Tito's version is crispy and sweet, with a hint of a vanilla sauce drizzled on the plate (which I really would have loved more of!!)and served with strawberry ice cream to dip into.
(in the Philippines they are often served with a caramel sauce... I can roll with that...!)
As you can see, the prices at Tito Rad's are extraordinarily reasonable. The atmosphere is fun and unique- like the food!
If you're looking for a culinary adventure (or just a delicious meal!), Tito Rad's is worth the short trip out to Sunnyside. And don't forget, it's near plenty of (ahem) ...recreation.
!!!
Tito Rad's
Grill and Restaurant
49-12 Queens Boulevard
Woodside, NY 11377
http://www.titorads.com/
Tel. (718) 205-7299