SIGLO MODERN FILIPINO: Traveling The Philippines Through Food with Heirloom Ingredients!

Siglo Modern Filipino celebrates its first anniversary by continuing to inspire adventurous foodies looking for that authentic Pinoy experience by traveling the Philippines through food.

Siglo (which means “century” in Tagalog), brings one hundred years of culture and cooking with Filipino heritage recipes from all over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Besides supporting local farmers, we love how they promote the use of heirloom ingredients like adlai, batuan, siling labuyo, and barako into their dishes.

Located in the popular weekend getaway of Tagaytay, here’s what to expect at Siglo Modern Filipino as we try some of their new dishes and bestsellers on the menu…

Siglo Modern Filipino
3500 Calamba Road, Sungay West, Tagaytay City, Philippines
Contact: (02) 584 4090
E-mail: siglomodernfilipino@gmail.com
Facebook: siglomodernfilipinotagaytay
Website: www.viewparkhotel.com

Siglo is located near View Park Hotel, a mere thirty steps away from Picnic Grove in Tagaytay.

They also have a Sari-Sari store the offers pasalubong goodies from all over the Philippines.

You can find items such as turmeirc tea, oyster mushroom chicharon, pancit hab-hab, jacobina, buko tarts, and signature shirts from Tagaytay.

One of the must-have items you should take home when going to Tagaytay are Amira’s Buco Tarts–one of the best I’ve tasted.

The restaurant has an outdoor seating if you’re looking to enjoy the cool Tagaytay breeze.

The indoor dining area is decorated with Filipino flare and interiors.

While waiting, you can enjoy answering some Pinoy trivia questions and puzzles.

Siglo Salad (P135)

One of their bestsellers. This isn’t your normal lettuce salad, with cherry tomatoes, salted egg, kesong puti, okra, eggplant, and a mix of local heirloom ingredients that you would typically find growing around.

Heirloom ingredients used:
Pipinito – the small cucumber
Gotu Kola – the small umbrella-shaped leaf
Pansit-pansitan – the leafy vine
Bignoya – the red/pink flower often used as a souring agent

Pair this Siglo original dish with their vinaigrette reduction made from a local raspberry from the mountain province called bignay. A must-try!

Crispy Tawilis – Batangas (Php170)

A trip to Tagaytay and Batangas won’t be complete unless you’ve tried the tawilis that can only survive in the volcanic waters of Lake Taal.

Heirloom ingredients used:
Tawilis – A fresh water sardinella endemic to Lake Taal.

Fried to golden brown crisp, you can eat the tawilis whole. Dip it in the spicy sweet vinegar sauce, mango chutney, and sukang Ilocos.

Gising Gising – Nueva Ecija (P135)

Spicy lovers will love this! Sigarilyas (winged beans) cooked with pure coconut milk, shrimp, ground pork, green chili, and sili labuyo. I’m not surprised the dish is called “gising-gising” (“wake up, wake up” in English) because you’ll definitely wake up from that spicy kick.

Heirloom ingredients used:
Chili Labuyo – A small chili pepper native to the Philippines.

Note: The chili labuyo is spicier compared to the bigger Thai version sold in the local market.

Inadobong Pusit sa Gata (Php 230)

Baby squid in soy garlic vinegar then simmered in rich coco sauce.

It’s my first time trying adobong pusit in coco sauce, and I loved the combination.

Sisiglaw (Php 220)

Heirloom ingredients used:
Chili Labuyo – A small chili pepper native to the Philippines.

Another Siglo original made of grilled liempo marinated in special sauce with pork brain. The cooking method is a combination of both the Visayan Kinilaw and Kapampangan Sisig.

I like how it’s less fatty compared to the typical sisig. Another must-try!

Kinilaw na Tanigue – Central Visayas (Php 260)

Heirloom ingredients used:
Chili Labuyo – A small chili pepper native to the Philippines.

I love the freshness of the fish and their spicy vinegar marinade.

Himagsikan Wings (P240)

Compared to the spicy buffalo wings, Siglo’s take uses honey and bagoong (shrimp paste) for the kick.

Siglo Bulalo – Batangas (Php 725 | Php 400 | Php 240). Rich and tasty beef shanks stew with corn and veggies.

For first timers, a trip to Tagaytay means having this hot steaming beef stew that’s perfect for the chilly weather.

The stew was very thick and flavorful, and I like how their bulalo isn’t oily, which is how you would normally get it from other establishments.

Heirloom ingredients used:
Talinum leaves – Oranamental plant withh medicinal benefits.

I also found out that they use talinum leaves instead of pechay.

Sinaingan na Tulingan – Lipa (Php 165). Mackaerel slow-cooked in a clay pot flavored with camias and spicy laing.

Did you know this slow cooked meal takes a day to finish? Cooked traditionally in a clay pot that uses the juices of the kamias fruit as the liquid and souring agent to cook the fish, Siglo’s version adds a Bicolano twist with spicy gata na laing. I like how both flavors work well together.

Kare Kare Classic – Pampanga (P320). Made from base of stewed oxtail, tripe, and veggies complimented with thick savory peanut sauce and homemade shrimp paste on the side.

Siglo still practices the traditional way of making kare-kare, where you manually pulverize the nuts.

LuzViMinda Fiesta Bilao (Php 1800)

The LuzViMinda Fiesta Bilao feel like you’re traveling the Philippines with popular dishes from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Bagnet from Ilocos – Crispy golden brown skin with tender juicy pork.
Kare-kare lamang dagat from Pampanga – I tried the seafood version, but I’d still opt for the classic version with oxtail and tripe.
Chicken Binakol from Visayas – Binakol is another Ilonggo specialty that’s like tinola but with a twist–using coconut water and meat in the soup.
Lumpiang Shanghai from Negros – I liked their crispy lumpiang Shanghai.
Ubod Salad – Known as lumpiang sariwa, fresh spring roll with strachy peanut sauce.

I suggest you also try the Siglo Bilao for something more adventurous and new. Too bad they ran out of ingredients on our visit.

KKK (P90). Kamatis, Kalamansi, Karrots.

Besides all the health benefits, I like this drink for its citrusy, refreshing goodness that’ll help wash out the cholesterol from all those oily dishes.

Maruya with Barako Jelly (Php 90)

Heirloom ingredient used:
Barako – Coffee from Batangas

For dessert, I like the cinnamon coated fried banana paired with their barako jelly and coffee.

Florante and Laura. Kabute sisiglaw na may tinapa rolls at gubat chips sa alugbati sauce.

(Dish to release next quarter, no price yet)

Another Siglo original presented during Madrid Fusion Manila.

Unlike a Shanghai roll, the wrap is instead filled with tinapa (smoked galungong fish) and kabute (oyster mushrooms), then topped with sisiglaw (sisig+kinilaw) then dipped in alugbati (malabar spinach) sauce.

If you are familiar with Florante and Laura, this dish is meant to represent the mix of hardship and joy in their story through the saltiness and sweetness of flavors.

The variety of kamote chips is an illustration of the forest where the first scene of Florante and Laura takes place.

Everything is best paired with their malabar sauce. Don’t be surprised by the sweetness of the purple sauce–it contains senorita banana and pineapples in it.

Awesome Platter

(Dish to released next quarter, no price yet)

If you’re looking to sample the best of Siglo in one plate, go for this platter.

Pinalutong na Tawilis ng Talisay – Crispy tawilis that you can eat from head to tail.

Sisiglaw – Siglo original made of grilled liempo marinated in special sauce with pork brain.

Manok na binalot sa Pandan – Siglo’s take on the pandan chicken but using all Filipino ingredients like lemongrass and vegetarian chicken.

Pancit Pusit – Siglo version of the famous noodles from Asiong’s Carinderia in Cavite. It reminds me of the Spanish paella negra or squid ink pasta but with use of bihon noodles.

Lengua Estofado – ox tongue drenched in sweet tomato sauce.

Pinakbet Con Bagnet – Ilocos mixed local vegies with their homemade bagoong sauce.

Chicken Binakol – Ilonggo specialty that’s like tinola but with a twist, using coconut water and meat in the soup.

Tip: This is perfect for first timers who would want to sample each dish, so they’ll know what to get the next time. I also think it’s a good plate to impress a date.

You’ll love Siglo’s dishes. They only use the local ingredients with substitutes to ensure the dishes’ authenticity. I also love how they reinvented some of the recipes using heirloom ingredients to give them a different yet familiar twist.

Food is a big part of discovering the culture of a region. If you haven’t traveled the Philippines enough, Siglo can take you on a gastronomic journey with just a few bites.