Manila Inasal

While Manila Inasal isn’t my absolute favorite Filipino restaurant in town, the former catering operation serves a chicken inasal that actually satisfied my uncle who grew up in Bacolod, a city in the Western Visayas widely considered the birthplace of the grilled chicken dish. Unlike most places, Manila Inasal has yet to figure out how to scale down its cooking—the restaurant practically demands a group of four or more to enjoy a meal with a variety of dishes. I can award points for creativity when it comes to the slightly over-the-top fusion dishes, such as squares of focaccia bread served with a side of laing (stewed spinach and taro in coconut milk). Still, dishes here generally tend to run on the heavier side, even for Filipino cuisine. The kare-kare, for example, ran too mild and sweet for my taste, and the crab tortang talong smeared with aioli and tobiko fish roe felt downright greasy. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the chicken inasal, and vegan-friendly jackfruit and tofu adobo—so maybe stick to that?