'Sisig Kapampangan,' other Pinoy comfort foods making waves in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Filipinos working abroad are also considered “ambassadors” of their homegrown food, bringing their cuisine with them and sharing it with the locals, who enjoy it, even fusing it with their own. 

And Dubai being an international expat city of people from about 250 countries around the world, nowhere else is it best for the “ambassadors” to showcase Filipino food on the global stage but in this city that never sleeps. 

Among the Filipino comfort food hogging the limelight lately, if you will, is “Sisig Kapampangan,” which has been making waves, not only in the Filipino community, but among the Arabs and other nationalities as well.

“Dubai is a dynamic city that embraces different nationalities. Meron pong ibang nationalities na bumibili talaga ng Sisig Kapampangan and 'yung signature Halo Halo at Palabok po namin. Isa po ang Sisig Kapampangan sa mga binabalik-balikan ng mga kababayan natin at ng mga ibang lahi,” says Ramona Mariano Sotto, a licensed nurse and one of four Filipinos, all hailing from Angeles City in Pampanga, who have pooled their resources together to open a restaurant, serving this dish, in 2022.

(Clockwise from left) Ramona Mariano Sotto, Cris Garcia Sotto, Aiza Singian Mariano and Jovito Singian Mariano.

(Dubai is a dynamic city. There are people of other nationalities buying our Sisig Kapampangan and our signature Halo Halo. Among our top sellers is the Sisig Kapampangan.)

They opened another restaurant a year later in Satwa, a Filipino enclave in Dubai; and still another in Al Nahda by the border of the city and neighboring Sharjah in June this year. Three more are set to open this year in other locations across Dubai.

With Sotto in the restaurant project are her husband, Cris, an architect; her brother, Jovito, also an architect, and sister, Aiza Grace, accountant. None of them has any background in gastronomy. They apparently just stuck to what they know best about comfort foods, which were the ones they grew up with back home. 

The original concept was to have a place where Filipinos can grab and go something for their lunch breaks at work.

“Ang Sisig Kapampangan po ay wala pong mayonnaise and egg. Nagugustuhan po ng mga customers yung lasa, timpla at pagka-crispy ng combination ng chicken meat, chicken liver and onion with our special recipe on it po,” the group said. 

(Our Sisig Kapampangan has no mayonnaise nor egg. Our customers love the taste and the crispness of the combination of chicken meat, chicken liver and onion with our special recipe.)'

Sisig, mainly made from grilled, then minced, meat prepared with condiments and spices, has different regional variations in the Philippines. Sisig Kapampangan is one of the most famous dishes in Pampanga, a province in central Luzon.

Halo Halo is a concoction of fruits, topped with purple yam, ice cream and leche flan in shaved ice. “Also our bestseller para sa mga ibang lahi is our Halo Halo Series. They always love to try it dahil sa linamnam ng lasa, especially when topped with our homemade ice cream,” the group said. 

(Other nationalities also love to indulge in our Halo Halo Series because of its texture, especially when topped with our homemade ice cream.)

The Halo Halo Series has five different flavors: Ube Halo Bravo, Langka Cheesecake Halo, Mango Bravo, Avocado Bravo, Buko Pandan Halo.

Meanwhile, palabok, which also has different variations in the Philippines, is a rice noodle dish. 

There are approximately a hundred restaurants owned or operated by Filipinos across Dubai, home to half a million Filipinos. —KBK, GMA Integrated News