It’s no secret that sinigang is a Filipino favorite and a staple in almost every household. Whether it’s paired with beef, pork, or even prawns, the salty-sour taste brought about by different sour fruits and spices is simply comforting and even bordering on being addicting.
Recently, the dish gained even more popularity by claiming the top spot on TasteAtlas’ list of vegetable soups with a rating of 4.8. With the longevity of the dish, it has evolved and paved the way for chefs to create “spin-offs” or twists on the said dish. Here’s our list of awesome and unique takes on the classic sinigang dish:
1. Canh Chua Tôm – Vietnamese Sour Soup with Prawn/
Vietnamese Prawn Sinigang
Restaurant: Crustasia Asian Seafood Market
Branches: Newport Mall Pasay, Venice Grand Canal Mall McKinley Hill Drive, Ayala Technohub Baguio, and Ayala Malls Abreeza
Vietnamese cooking meets the Filipino flavors in this rather unique dish containing vibrant citrus notes from rice paddy herbs and lime. Quality and fresh ingredients are what Crustasia Seafood Market prides itself in especially in this sour, spicy, and slightly sweet concoction. We interviewed their Abreeza branch and they said that the dish is quite popular especially for online orders—even more during rainy days.
2. Sizzling Sinigang
Restaurant: Locavore
Branches: Kapitolyo Pasig, F 1880 Eastwood Ave. Bldg. , Forbes Town Center BGC, S’Maison Seafood Boulevard
Imagine the sourness of sinigang reinvented as a tasty sizzling stew dish with sumptuous Sampaloc gravy. Locavore does it brilliantly—so much so that there are websites that tell you how you can make the dish yourself. There is nothing that beats Lovacore’s version however so we highly suggest that you order straight from this restaurant.
3. Sinangag Sinigang
Restaurant: Kanin Club-Kusina Filipino
Branches: Westgate Centre Alabang, MAAX Building Pasay
This crowd favorite fuses two Filipino favorites, sinangag and sinigang. The result is sour fried rice paired with tempura vegetables and pork belly. The flavors we all love from the soup are embedded within the rice, assuring jampacked flavors of the classic dish in every bite. The proverbial cherry on top of this dish is a succulent slice of pork belly that amps up the overall flavor of the entire dish.
4. Crispy Sizzling Sinigang
Restaurant: Manam
See link for branches.
Manam describes the dish as a mouthwatering twist with chunks of crispy pork kawali soaked in a rich, tangy sinigang gravy. A mix of vegetables like cherry tomato, kangkong, radish, and, sitaw add color and texture to the dish. All of these components add complexity and a sense of freshness that makes this dish simply irresistible.
5. Watermelon Sinigang
Restaurant: Manam
See link for branches.
The Watermelon siningang is one that may elicit raised eyebrows from most Filipinos but it is also one of the dishes that has made Manam a go-to Filipino restaurant. The absurdity of the name shouldn’t deceive you into trying this irresistible concoction of sweet and sour flavors which actually works. It’s a dish that would surely increase your amount of rice intake for the day but trust us the few added calories, is worth it.
6. Sinigang Fries
Restaurant: Flip Sigi
Branches: NYC, New Jersey (Coming Soon)
We wouldn’t want our fellow Filipinos from the United States to feel left out, so we have added in this list a must-try twist on the Filipino staple from the Big Apple. East literally meets west with this interesting offering from Flip Sigi. Flip Sigi is a US-based Filipino restaurant with a menu that features unique takes on various Filipino dishes such as an Adorbo-Rito or an adobo burrito and of course their Sinigang Fries. It’s a blend of crisp and salty fries with a tangy sauce that will set to transport our fellow Filipinos in the U.S. back home.
7. Sinigang Flip Bowl
Restaurant: Flip Sigi
Branches: NYC, New Jersey (Coming Soon)
Order those Sinigang fries with Flip Sigi’s Sinigang Flip Bowl and you are good to go for the entire day. The dish mixes short ribs over some creamy and delectable garlic coconut steamed rice with tomatoes, carrots, bok choy, and scallions. This is a well-rounded dish in terms of flavor and textures which despite an absence of soup makes this dry version still a very mouth-watering meal in itself.
This list of unique takes on the classic sinigang dish shows us the flexibility and endless creative possibilities of Filipino cuisine in general. Lately, there has been an amount of good reception and recognition for Filipino cuisine which is what we Filipinos have really been hoping for. Thanks to creative chefs in the food industry our culture and cuisine continue to push forward and transcend time and place. Which of the unique takes on sinigang is your favorite?
For more food cravings check:
- Andok’s Litson Baka Lives Up To The Hype
- So Sarap NYC, Authentic Filipino Street Food, Invades New York City
- We Should Really Talk About these Potato Corner Flavored Chicharons
