Ruffles have ridges. These ruffles have the inside line on pure pork goodness, too.
Chicharon bulaklak ($5.25) is often called pork ruffle fat, probably from the way it contorts when deep-fried. Your butcher is more likely to know it as caul fat, a peritoneal fold also called the omentum that surrounds the addominal organs; varieties used in the kitchen generally come from pigs, sheep, or cows. Try some with the vinegar.
Salvesam offers dishes with "an international touch" — "balsamic," "marsala," and "alfredo" all show their faces on the menu — but it's strongest on straight-ahead Philippine cuisine. A cheerily garnished laing ($6) elaborated on the typical, creamy version of taro leaves cooked with coconut milk; you can eat shoots and leaves that retain some structure and save the creamed spinach for another occasion. Palabok (pah-Lah-book; $5.75) was a comforting mass of rice noodles smothered in a shrimp-and-pork sauce, and topped by ground pork rind, ground smoked fish, spring onions, and quarters of egg.
Dining alone, I managed nothing further than a complementary flan. On a return visit, with backup, I'd hope to try the sinampalukang manok, tamarind-flavored chicken soup; ampalaya con karne (sic), sautéed bitter melon with beef; and the deep-fried pork hocks called crispy pata.
Salvesam
216-18 Jamaica Ave., Queens Village
718-468-4188
Closed Tuesday
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