Just as the world continues to evolve, tastes in food also diversify as other cultures continue to influence the way it is prepared. But just as different cuisines are pleasing to the senses, appetites will still crave for a familiar flavor that’s close to home.
It’s no secret: Filipinos love food. A foodie by heart, they are constantly searching for restaurants that offer their taste buds a new experience in food.
The metro’s food scene does not disappoint as popular foreign restaurants begin to open shop in the country. To keep up with the increase of international chains, local restaurateurs have begun to think outside the box in order to innovate Filipino food, while retaining the familiarity we’ve all come to expect.
One local restaurant that offers this unique venture of reinventing Filipino staples is Locavore. With branches now in Pasig and Bonifacio Global City, it is gathering a steady stream of clients looking for a new favorite destination.
Locavore was established in 2015 with the goal of serving Filipino home-cooked meals with a twist. The restaurant boasts of a menu that is diverse and playful while still keeping the taste close to home. For a certified local foodie, their menu will surely be love at first bite.
But what makes the Locavore food experience stand out more on the local food scene is its advocacy of homegrown goods. From the ingredients it uses in every dish to the beers it serves, everything is locally grown and made. In fact, the name alone depicts what it aims to promote.
Derived from the words local and vore, which means “one who eats food grown locally whenever possible”, Locavore incorporates the use of local organic goods to meals, and presents it differently; one that looks new and yet tastes so familiar.
A classic example is its take on the traditional kare-kare, where chicken wings are used instead of the usual ox tail, tripe and pork leg; wings are glazed with kare-kare sauce and buttermilk ranch dressing and garnished with singkamas and mangga with bagoong, making the conventional Filipino stew more tasteful.
It also has a version of the indigenous dish pinakbet where locally grown vegetables like sigarilyas, kalabasa, okra, pickled ampalaya, zuchinni, eggplant, and mushroom are mixed with bagoong broth. Even the popular silog meals are included in the menu and boast of home- grown meat products like chorizo and house-cured beef tapa, among others.
Locavore also has a good selection of locally brewed beers, from Joe’s Brew to San Miguel and even Privo Paha. The cocktails are also one to look out for as it is infused with local fruits like calamansi, Batangas dalandan, labuyo and Bukidnon pineapple.
With all these native fruits and vegetables as ingredients to popular Filipino dishes matched with modern techniques in cooking, Locavore is able to distinctively introduce homegrown products to local and foreign palates and make them come back for more after the first bite.
From the pampagana and ulam to refreshing local beers and signature cocktails, it is sure to keep every foodie on his toes while assuring them that the food they consume is healthy, palatable, and sustainable.
Locavore is more than about keeping up with the current food trend. It is a restaurant with a goal to raise awareness about homegrown goods while satisfying local foodies’ constant quest for a unique food experience.
So if you are looking for a restaurant to satiate your hunger for a food that is unique but tastes like home, look no further. Locavore is sure to satisfy your cravings one local food at a time.
