Crisgard: A Carinderia (Eatery) in Pasig City Serving Kapampangan Dishes
Last Monday, I wrote my review of Apung Quintin Restaurant, which is a carinderia (eatery) in Manila serving Kapampangan cuisine (read my review here). The day after our visit there, we went to Crisgard in Pasig City. We didn’t know that they also serve Kapampangan dishes.
Crisgard is located inside a house that’s converted into a carinderia. So it really gives a homey vibe:
But what is Kapampangan (ka-puhm-pang-gn) cuisine? It is the cuisine of Pampanga, a province north of Metro Manila. Popular dishes include Kilayin (pork and pig liver cooked in vinegar and spices), Tidtad (the Kapampangan version of dinuguan or blood stew), and the world-famous Sisig (a Kapampangan dish made of chopped pig parts and chicken liver). There are even exotic dishes such as Betute (stuffed frog) and Camaru (deep-fried crickets).
Anyway, I tried researching for Crisgard’s history. But like Apung Quintin Restaurant there’s a lack of resources about the carinderia in the Internet. So let’s go straight and talk about their food.
Beef Caldereta (tomato-based meat stew): This one is on the savory side. It also has huge chunks of tender beef.
Buro Gulay: This is a Kapampangan dish consisting of steamed vetetable and buro, which is a fermented rice dip. It’s sour and has a strong fermented taste.
Lechon Kawali (deep-fried pork belly): The meat and fat are tender but on the plainer side. But this is offset by its crispy and salty skin.
Lumpiang Shanghai (deep-fried meat rolls): It has crunchy wrapper. It looks big but is actually full of air.
Papaya Salad: It’s like Thai papaya salad but with Filipino fish sauce instead. The unripe papaya and veggies are crisp, and the overall flavor is refreshing and has umami. This is one of my favorites in Crisgard.
Here’s a tip: Eat this with the lechon kawali. It’s like eating bagnet (Ilocano deep-fried pork belly) with KBL (an Ilocano condiment consisting of kamatis or tomatoes, bagoong or fermented fish sauce, and lasona or onions).
Pork Steak: It’s garlicky like salpicao. It also has onions that add sharpness.
Sisig: It’s fatty and gelatinous. But it’s not the Kapampangan style.
While there are dishes that could use some improvement, Crisgard makes good Filipino food overall. In fact, I think they serve more Kapampangan dishes than Apung Quintin Restaurant. So if you’re in the area and are looking for affordable food, then this can be your option. I recommend it to you!
P.S. They also serve Buko (coconut) Sherbet, which is a popular refreshment in Pampanga. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to try it.
Crisgard
Address: 5A Bartville Rd., Bartville Subdivision, Dela Paz, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines | Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8AM-8PM; Sunday, 8AM-2PM | Contact Nos.: 0917-5123045, 0917-1663711, (02) 8682-1970 | Facebook