Perlas Ng Silangan

On Saturday we met up with my bro, Una, and my neice Maeve at Perlas Ng Silangan (Pearl of the Orient) in Woodside. Perlas is a busy homestyle Filipino restaurant, serving traditional Filipino dishes you would find both at a family gathering/celebration or on a random night of the week for dinner...

When going out to eat Filipino food, I usually get items that are more difficult to make and take lots of prep time, otherwise, I prefer to just eat my Dad's cooking. I think what we ordered is good advice to first time eaters of Filipino food here, or anywhere.

MENUDO

My bro loves Menudo (yes, like the band!) which is a diced pork dish with garlic, onion, lots of chickpeas, potatoes and peppers. Some people add liver for the really traditional recipe. Everything is cut up about the same size so you get a bit of everything in one bite.

LUMPIANG SARIWA (Fresh Lumpia)


I got the Lumpiang Sariwa--which are thin crepes stuffed with vegetables, served with a peanut garlic sauce and chopped peanuts.
Usually, the crepes are stuffed with cabbage, carrots, and bits of pork or chicken for flavor, but here, they stuff it with shredded carrots and Labanos/White Raddish without any meat. Very easy to eat, and very very light. I would definitley get it again. They also add lots of fresh chopped garlic on the side.
Also ordered one BBQ Pork stick, which was nice and crispy, juicy and had a sweet vinegar taste. DEFINITELY get the BBQ. You can either get the meal, which comes with 2 sticks and rice, or one stick of chicken or pork for $2.25.

KARE KARE


Joel got the infamous Kare Kare, a peanut butter saucy stew made of vegetables and different meats. Here, they use beef tripe and ox tail. If tripe or ox tail is not your thing, you can still get the Kare Kare experience just from the sauce and the vegetables. Very impressive. It really takes a good filipino cook to master the Kare Kare. I love my Dad's, and Joel's mom's is actually better than my Dad's, but Perlas's Kare Kare is definitley in its own class. The sauce goes perfect with some steamy hot rice and of course, Bagoong, which is a fermented ground shrimp paste, usually found in filipino household pantries. Not a big fan of the Bagoong because it is too salty, and I can usually handle a lot of salt, but to enjoy Bagoong, you need to have an aquired taste.

BAGOONG


HALO HALO (mix mix)


For dessert we ordered one of the most popular filipino desserts, the "special" Halo Halo. Basically, Halo Halo is shaved ice and evaporated milk mixed with sweet beans and fruits like kidney beans, coconut sport (Macapuno), jackfruit (Langka), and any other kinds of fruit that may be on hand. You can really add anything you want to Halo Halo. Here they add Sago, Langka and Kidney Beans and top it with Vanilla ice cream. Got an ice-shaver? Then you have a 'Halo Halo' machine! You can make Halo Halo at home and add anything you like. My favorite is crushed ice, evaporated milk, Splenda and avocado.

You can also buy a ready made mix of beans for Halo Halo at your Asian Supermarket.


Definitely a comfort food spot for me and I love that you get a lot of food for a reasonable price. Everything is family style, and served just like it would be served at home so you could share almost everything (if you want.)

Too crowded? Then go across the street to either Ihawan or Krystal's for the same kind of food for around the same prices. I've eaten at them all and I would totally do the same.

What should I order? If you want simple, homestyle Filipino food,just order the items above and you won't be disappointed.

Table for 10? No problem as this place tends to be pretty spacious allowing large parties to eat together without a problem.

Customer service was pretty no-frills, but I didn't mind since the food was good, and it was really busy on this Saturday night.

Perlas Ng Silangan
69-09 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 779-3272