3/27/10

Lenten Delight


It's Lent which means many of us Catholics are on a "diet" once more, abstaining from eating red meat at least on Fridays. For me, this calls for seafood. In my neighborhood, there's plenty of Chinese fishmongers who sell all variety of oceanic creatures. But one thing I sorely miss is eating grilled fish. And not just any fish. Growing up in Davao, I was exposed to the grilled specialty of the region: Inihaw Na Panga or grilled tuna jaw. That's what I want.



Here comes my savior: Tito Rad's Grill & Restaurant. Like many Pinoy establishments in New York, it's based in Queens which means it's really close to where I live, just a train ride on the No. 7 line. We decided to come here for one thing only which happens to be their specialty, the grilled tuna jaw. No surprise here, the restaurant owners are originally from Davao.

Inihaw na Panga (Grilled Tuna Jaw)

It's not the first time I'm eating grilled tuna jaw in New York. Before it was moved up to the Bronx, the old Fulton Fish Market in lower Manhattan was where everything from the sea was brought in. In the old days, tuna jaws were simply thrown away until some Pinoys specifically wanted that part, much to the surprise of fish sellers. That part of course became for sale since then. When my parents visited me some years ago, we were able to buy one large tuna jaw that had to be cut up because it wouldn't fit in my fridge. My father couldn't be happier eating one of his favorite dish for days.

Sinigang na Hipon (Shrimp In Tamarind Soup)

Since I don't want to go all the way to the Bronx just to buy an unsightly part of a fish, it's way better now that I can just order it cooked at Tito Rad's and even order it in three sizes - small, medium and large. Eating simply in observance of Lent also meant we were not going to have a feast of their other dishes. We just had a steaming bowl of Sinigang na Hipon (Shrimp in Tamarind Soup) to accompany our excellent grilled tuna. The tuna meat was succulent while the sour soup was not overpowering in its tartness. Truly a heavenly combination.

28 comments:

  1. my jaw dropped on tuna... yum.

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  2. grabe naman nakakagutom. lalo na ang inihaw na panga ng tuna! hmmm... nice idea for mahal na araw..

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  3. lent lent! sacrifices worth doing and yes not eating meat would be a good one if you're really into it. nice that restaurants now have options.

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  4. lent lent! sacrifices worth doing and yes not eating meat would be a good one if you're really into it. nice that restaurants now have options.

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  5. lent lent! sacrifices worth doing and yes not eating meat would be a good one if you're really into it. nice that restaurants now have options.

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  6. That jaw looks so tempting. One thing I am looking forward to when I head back to Manila this summer is to find a very fatty tilapia, and simply fry it. The fat would be so oozing I could eat one whole fish.

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  7. I'm also a big fan of Davao's grilled tuna, almost every part of it i think is being grilled and sold there.

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  8. Hey Dennis...what can u get from a jaw of Tuna fish? Somehow I can't visualize what meaty part is in there....Eric D

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  9. who says Lent cant be too much fun?! ;)
    may i know how much each dish costs?

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  10. londoncaller3:10:00 PM

    The best part is its head!
    Ha ha...

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  11. wow wow wow i like grilled fish... be it tuna or salmon or whale or.... =p

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  12. The Nomadic Pinoy8:17:00 PM

    I do all the time - it's my fave.

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  13. The Nomadic Pinoy8:18:00 PM

    kaya hinanap ko talaga dahil I don't get to eat this all the time.

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  14. The Nomadic Pinoy8:19:00 PM

    even if it's not lent Dong, I would want to eat grilled tuna.

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  15. The Nomadic Pinoy8:21:00 PM

    fried Tilapia. . .wow, a very simple yet satisfying dish! I buy mine already fried at the Fil-Am store since it stinks when I fry it myself at home.

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  16. The Nomadic Pinoy8:22:00 PM

    oh yes, there were other tuna parts I remember that was grilled at Luz Kinilaw in Davao.

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  17. The Nomadic Pinoy8:24:00 PM

    I didn't know you haven't tried this yet Eric. Check Pinoy restaurants in Richmond, there might be one that sells grilled tuna jaw.

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  18. The Nomadic Pinoy8:26:00 PM

    Chyng don't be shocked: the large tuna we ordered cost $16.99, enough for 3-4 people. Hwag mo na lang i-multipy into Philippine pesos hahaha!

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  19. The Nomadic Pinoy8:26:00 PM

    Head? What head? hahaha!

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  20. The Nomadic Pinoy8:27:00 PM

    Whale is something I wouldn't try. Salmon is a great source of good cholestrol!

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  21. hmmm! tamang tama nga ngayon papasok ang holyweek!

    nice info, time to eat vegie and fish, a week of sacrifice, but delicious delight!

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  22. I've seen this first featured in a travel channel show, can't remember which, must be andrew zimmern. I'm from a landlocked province in Luzon and we didn't have this delicacy growing up. I'll find a way to sample this tasty treat one of these days.

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  23. wow, dennis these are truly mouth-watering! regardless of the season, sarap ng seafood!
    have a blessed holy week! God bless us more.

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  24. I have to try that "inihaw na panga" - parang ang sarap just looking at your pic. The next time I'm in New York, I'm going to check out that place.

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  25. these look like comfort food to me. hehe. that sinigang na hipon makes me want to have some myself at this moment. sarap humigop ng sabaw na mainit! :)

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  26. I wanna run to the nearest Chowking or Goto King right now. That's in their menu in UAE branch(es).

    Happy Easter!

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  27. kakagutom naman itong post na'to! :D anyway, happy Easter bro!

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  28. woah...sarap! nakakagutom

    dito sa pinas...alam mo na kung ano ang uso..

    binignit...puto....biko...haha....ayun

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