The late great Anthony Bourdain was quoted to be saying: ‘‘Sisig is everything I love about food. Sisig is everything I love about food.” During his first visit in the Philip pines for his TV show Parts Unknown back in 2008. Also in 2017, Bourdain was also documented saying that “Sisig will win the hearts and minds of the world” during one of his interviews with CNN. It was partly him that brought the Filipino cuisine to the international stage as he had a soft spot for pork sisig, which he believes will lead the charge in Filipino cuisine's rising international recognition.
Sisig is a popular Filipino dish composed of minced pork, chopped onion, and chicken liver. It is a favorite dish with beer/alcoholic drinks, and it can also be a pairing for warm steamy rice for any meal during the day. It’s originally a Kapampangan dish and it has been a culinary tradition of Pampanga and the Kapampangan people feel very strongly about it to the point that the city government of Angeles City, Pampanga, through City Ordinance No 405, Series of 2017, declared Sizzling Sisig Babi (Pork Sisig) as an intangible heritage of Angeles City.
Sisig was first mentioned in a Kapampangan dictionary in the 17th Century meaning "to snack on something sour" and "salad". It usually refers to fruits, often unripe or half-ripe, sometimes dipped in salt and vinegar. It also refers to a method of preparing fish and meat, especially pork, which is marinated in a sour liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper and other spices. Although, there is no mention of how long this cooking style has existed prior to the coming of the Spaniards during the Age of Conquest.
Authentic Sisig Kapampangan doesn't have egg nor mayonnaise but since it became popular so many varieties of it started to exists. It is commonly accepted that the use of the pig's head in the dish came from the excess meat from the commissaries of Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga. Pig heads were purchased cheap (or free) since they were not used in preparing meals for the U.S. Air Force personnel stationed there during the American Occupation of Luzon and Visayas. Aling Lucing known as the Sisig Queen, became popular when she grilled the pig's ears and to add her use of the cheeks to accommodate the bigger demand, a recipe she learned from the next door stall owner in Crossing, Ricardo Dinio. The evolution of Sisig moved forward when Benedict Pamintuan of Sugay's, a restaurant also in Angeles City, thought of using a sizzling plate as a serving vessel so that the pork fat does not go cold and turn into lard when it is served as pulutan (appetizer taken with alcohol). Sisig still has many variations with recipes varying from city to city, and sometimes family to family, in the Kapampangan province.
Centuries or decades later, all over the Philippines you would find restaurants offering different varieties of Sisig. But as of now, only one restaurant specializes sisig together with other reinvented Filipino dishes: Sisig Society. It started serving guests in March 2015. Many are smitten by its quirky but refined interiors, accented with colorfully subversive wall art. With its chic façade it won't be mistaken for your typical sisig and beer joint. What really draws the crowd, however, is Sisig Society's irresistible promise to create the "sisig of your imagination".
I visited their branch at the Fort Strip in BGC with my ex-officemates a couple of weeks ago. I never knew they had a branch there even if Fort Strip is just across where I used to work. I learned about Sisig Society when they sent me a sisig-flavored lip balm (check it out here). But only that time that I get to eat at their restaurant.
We ordered Classic Chicken Sisig Solo, Bacon Cheese Chicken Sisig Solo, Nilagang Bulalo and Dynamites. All the orders except for the Dynamites came with free rice and sinigang soup. The Classic Chicken Sisig contained chopped chicken, chicharron, caramelized onions and their secret sauce. It was tasty with a little bit of bitterness probably from what I’m guessing is the chicken liver from their secret sauce. The Bacon Cheese Chicken Sisig included bacon bits, chopped chicken, generously drizzled with cheese sauces and sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese. This version had a lot going on and was extra flavorful. I liked it because it had bacon and cheese. A little bit on the salty side but tolerable.
The Nilagang Bulalo was my other officemate’s order as he wanted to eat some soup for lunch. The serving was big and the soup of the bulalo had a very good beef flavor. The Dynamites were my order as an appetizer but shared it with everyone. It’s a simple Filipino chili filled with cheese, but I like these so much that whenever I have a chance or a restaurant offers them, I make sure to get my fix.
To be honest, I don’t like anything cooked on a sizzling plate because the food tends to get too hot and I’m having a hard time eating the dish as I always have to wait for food to cool down so I can avoid burning my tongue. But then again, this is sisig so I have no choice haha! Overall, we enjoyed our lunch at Sisig Society. I might come back once in a while to try their other sisig offerings.
SISIG SOCIETY
The Fort Strip, 28th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Contact Nos: 09175035379
09175121212
Sisig is a popular Filipino dish composed of minced pork, chopped onion, and chicken liver. It is a favorite dish with beer/alcoholic drinks, and it can also be a pairing for warm steamy rice for any meal during the day. It’s originally a Kapampangan dish and it has been a culinary tradition of Pampanga and the Kapampangan people feel very strongly about it to the point that the city government of Angeles City, Pampanga, through City Ordinance No 405, Series of 2017, declared Sizzling Sisig Babi (Pork Sisig) as an intangible heritage of Angeles City.
Sisig was first mentioned in a Kapampangan dictionary in the 17th Century meaning "to snack on something sour" and "salad". It usually refers to fruits, often unripe or half-ripe, sometimes dipped in salt and vinegar. It also refers to a method of preparing fish and meat, especially pork, which is marinated in a sour liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper and other spices. Although, there is no mention of how long this cooking style has existed prior to the coming of the Spaniards during the Age of Conquest.
Centuries or decades later, all over the Philippines you would find restaurants offering different varieties of Sisig. But as of now, only one restaurant specializes sisig together with other reinvented Filipino dishes: Sisig Society. It started serving guests in March 2015. Many are smitten by its quirky but refined interiors, accented with colorfully subversive wall art. With its chic façade it won't be mistaken for your typical sisig and beer joint. What really draws the crowd, however, is Sisig Society's irresistible promise to create the "sisig of your imagination".
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| Classic Chicken Sisig |
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| Dynamites |
We ordered Classic Chicken Sisig Solo, Bacon Cheese Chicken Sisig Solo, Nilagang Bulalo and Dynamites. All the orders except for the Dynamites came with free rice and sinigang soup. The Classic Chicken Sisig contained chopped chicken, chicharron, caramelized onions and their secret sauce. It was tasty with a little bit of bitterness probably from what I’m guessing is the chicken liver from their secret sauce. The Bacon Cheese Chicken Sisig included bacon bits, chopped chicken, generously drizzled with cheese sauces and sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese. This version had a lot going on and was extra flavorful. I liked it because it had bacon and cheese. A little bit on the salty side but tolerable.
 |
| Bacon Cheese Chicken Sisig |
The Nilagang Bulalo was my other officemate’s order as he wanted to eat some soup for lunch. The serving was big and the soup of the bulalo had a very good beef flavor. The Dynamites were my order as an appetizer but shared it with everyone. It’s a simple Filipino chili filled with cheese, but I like these so much that whenever I have a chance or a restaurant offers them, I make sure to get my fix.
 |
| Nilagang Bulalo |
SISIG SOCIETY
The Fort Strip, 28th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Contact Nos: 09175035379
09175121212
Email: franchise@sisigsociety.com
Website: www.sisigsociety.com
Facebook: facebook.com/sisigsociety
Instagram: instagram.com/sisigsociety
For more information, complete menu and restaurant reviews, check out their Zomato profile:
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