Philippine Independence Day Festival

Festival-goers and chefs both felt the squeeze.

Grilled meat was everywhere, but perhaps due to the crowds, I never spotted the chicharron bulaklak or the balut from festivals past. This year's best find: the laing from Grill 21, a restaurant near First Ave., just around the corner from Ess-A-Bagel. It's very rare to find green things at street fairs, so I get them when I can, even when the greens in question — chopped taro leaves — have been seductively adulterated by a slow simmer in the presence of coconut milk, spices, and shrimp. Their grilled pork belly wasn't bad, either.

Chicharron bulaklak and balut notwithstanding, lots more was on offer (mouse over the photos below for descriptions; click for access to larger sizes and more photos), but the crowds seemed much larger, much earlier than in prior years, and I didn't get to buy, or try, all that I could see.

Philippine Independence Day Street Fair
Madison Ave., 24th-26th Sts.
http://www.aratilis.org/pidci/
Early June

Comments

[TCho]

I was really excited to attend this because I've never had Filipino food, but the crowds were terrible. After waiting an hour in line for food, me and my friend just left, pretty disappointed. I hope next year, it's a little better organized.

It was so bad that I considered going over to the Shake Shack, even though the wait there looked to about 45 min. At least at Shake Shack there was a line. The festival was just an awful mess.