RED ORCHIDS: Filipino Cuisine at its Best
`Walking into Red Orchids reminds me of the eateries in Manila, Philippines. Depending on what day it is, the smells of the dishes are sure to catch your nose -- Pancit, Lumpia, Rice, Bbq Pork, Adobo, Pinakbet, Sinigang, Ginataan, Biko, Maja Blanco, and more are just a few of its meal offerings.
Red Orchids is the only Filipino Buffet style restaurant in the San Joaquin Central Valley. Located in Stockton, California at 126 E. Market Street, owner Tina Zuniga and her daughters, Ann and Cheryl help out manning the front of the house, and a kitchen crew man the back of the house.
Filipino food is a cross between Spanish, Chinese, South East Asia and indigenous cooking. With the two-hundred years of the Spanish conquering the Philippines and even before the trade route that was established before the Philippines was even called Philippines, it was a group of islands ruled by chiefs, sulatans or datus and consisted of different tribes.
My favorite dishes for review are: Kare-Kare Pancit Luglug, and Ginataang Halo-Halo.
Kare-Kare
A dish that comes from the region Luzon, particularly Pampanga, also coined as the Culinary capital and is known for, is also said to be a regal dish that of the Moro elite before the Spanish arrival. According to Wiki, it could also have been from Indian soldiers who settled in the Philippines during British Invasion.
Moro’s are indigenous to the Philippines, and their presence dates back to the 13th-14th century Arab traders who settled and established religion and kingdoms around the Philippine archipelago, two hundred years before the rule of Spain.
Although, a simple dish when looked at, the preparation is extensive, and takes time. Thus, Kare-kare is usually served during festivities or special occasions. Once completed, the cook must have made it to impress royalty. The word Kare-kare originated from the ingredient Curry.
The oxtail, beef and tripe are cut, prepped, and simmered to tender for hours. Peanuts is roasted and manually ground to a paste to flavor the stew, Rice is toasted brown and also ground up to make the powder to thicken the peanut sauce, and Annatto seeds are steeped in water/broth to give the Kare-kare a reddish, orange color. That’s not all. Then, leafy vegetables and eggplant are stir fried separately – and served along side with the shrimp paste dipping sauce that’s salty to an otherwise mild tasting peanut sauce. The creativity is noteworthy, and the taste is one of a kind.
Here at Red Orchids, the Kare-kare is an oxtail stew that you must try. With the smooth peanut sauce and savory taste of shrimp paste (ginisang bagoong), it’s a staple and well accompanied with steaming hot white jasmine rice.
Pancit Palabok
Pancit to a non-Filipino is the “Filipino noodles”. Known to have originated from the Chinese influence, the Philippines has eight varieties of Filipino noodle dishes. The word ‘pancit’ is neither Filipino in origin nor did it necessarily bring to mind images of long, thin strands of rice or wheat. The name comes from the Hokkien “pian e sit,” which literally translates to “something conveniently cooked” (i.e. fast food). A birthday celebration is not complete without pancit because this signifies “long life”.
This one particularly is made with round rice noodles (specifically labeled for pancit luglug or palabok) that are the same size as spaghetti. It is smothered with a thick, golden shrimp sauce, and topped with shelled-off shrimp, chicharon grinds, quartered hard boiled egg, and green onions.
This is also a dish that is crucial to each Filipino feast as rice is to every complete Filipino meal. A variation of Pancit Palabok is Pancit Malabon where the texture is dryer and added ingredients call for squid, shucked oysters and shrimp.
It’s a favorite at Red Orchid’s and always something to look forward to on the Thursday buffet menu.
Ginataang Halo-Halo
A Filipino desert dish made with coconut milk, plantains, tapioca pearls, glutinous rice balls (bilo-bilo) and is usually served during meryenda, a mid-afternoon meal in Filipino culture. Ginataan are dishes cooked in coconut milk. The word as derived from the word “gata”, which means coconut milk. Halo-halo means a combination of different ingredients that are used to complete a dish. At Red Orchids, the Ginataan is a delicacy that customers go for seconds, and thirds. The purple yam, also known as taro root gives the mixture a purplish color and hue. I love ending my meal with this desert as well as, the biko or sticky sweet rice.
The buffet lunch starts at 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.
To check daily buffet menu, go to Red Orchids facebook page.
Price for lunch is $7.99.
Located in the heart of downtown Stockton, Red Orchids is one of Stockton’s well-kept secrets.