FOB Brooklyn: Nostalgic Comforts of a Filipino Household
Hi! Today, we're going to talk about our brunch at FOB Brooklyn in Brooklyn, NYC. I came here a few months ago and I'm playing catch up on a few restaurants in New York. Sorry for the delay! FOB Kitchen is owned by Daniel alum, Armando Litiatco, and manager, Ahmet Kiranbay.
The restaurant seats around 25-30 people. Its also got a good amount of natural light during the day. It is quaint with simple decor. The natural wood accents, plates hanging from the walls, and portraits of the Philippine landscape actually did remind me of some restaurants in the Philippines.
Along with pronounced colors of turquoise on the tables and wall paint, the decor creates a sense of rural (Philippine) nostalgia with a gentle reminder that you're still in Brooklyn.
I ordered a few dishes and if you’re interested in checking out what I ate, read more below!
Overall, brunch was decent but within expectations. I want to come back and try their dinner menu, which looks really nice. Seriously. I want to go with 5 of my friends so I can order half the dinner menu. Some highlights include: Filipino BBQ (Chicken/Pork Skewers with Filipino BBQ Sauce and Atchara) and Sizzling Bulalo (3-hour Slow Braised Beef Shank with Mushroom Gravy)...
I know. It sounds phenomenal.
To start, I wanted something sweet so I got a Mango & Black Jelly Shake. You all already know about Mangoes and the Philippines so I don't need to explain how we have some of the best mangoes in the world and, thus, tend to enjoy the fruit in our cooking and refreshments.
But... FUN FACT: The Philippines' top exports are Bananas, Pineapples, and Mangoes in that order. To put things in perspective, the country exports over 95% of their annual Banana production and only 25% of their annual Mango production. As a country, I can only surmise that we prefer to keep our treasured national fruit for ourselves.
FOB Brooklyn's Mango and Black Jelly Shake also came with Black Jelly (or Grass Jelly). I love this stuff! It's herbaceous, fragrant, sweet, and slightly bitter. As a whole, I liked the shake but I thought the mango part had too much blended ice so the flavor tasted weak. Next time, I'll try the sago't gulaman or the avocado shake.
Then, my food started to arrive. I got the Tocilog. It's kind of like slang for Tocino with Garlic Rice and a Fried Egg. Tocino is thinly sliced marinated pork. It is usually made with pork that has been cured in a combination of salt, sugar, juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic for several hours. As a result, it is sweet in flavor and chewy in texture. Some places will cure the meat in 7-up.
The accompanying fried egg and garlic rice were alright. The rice wasn't amazing though. Maybe I'm biased towards my mom's garlic rice but the garlic could have been crispier and the rice could have been less dry.
For myself, I got the Tapsilog. This is Cured Marinated Beef (Tapa). Its got an elusive flavor combination of sweet, salty, and tangy tastes thanks to its marinade. Tapa is usually a bit tougher and chewy but it's great.
As you may have noticed, rice is not absent in Filipino breakfasts and brunches. For us, it's key to a hearty breakfast, which is especially helpful for weekend hangovers.
Finally, I got the Mom's French Toast Soaked in Condensed Milk Custard. It was very sweet but I liked it. The French Toast was a bit flatter and more yolk-heavy than the usual French Toast.