This week, we’ve got another exotic matchup: Senegal v Philippines. Let’s be honest, this one had us more than a little freaked out.
Why? Well, we’re huge wimps. Even though NYC has a pretty rich African food culture, including one hell of a restaurant week, we’ve just never had the guts to try it (might have had something to do with that one Moroccan scene in Along Came Polly).
On top of that, Filipino dishes serve up delightful ingredients like bone marrow, cow glands, and the infamous balut. We’re so hesitant about that one, we’re not even going to tell you what it is.
So, can you blame us for being a bit nervous? Maybe, because in the end, we were totally off base. The food was astounding, the environments charming, and the people, some of the friendliest we’ve ever met. But, only one could win this week’s matchup.
Food
Senegalese Café rue Dix really drew us in, because as New Yorkers, we can’t say no to a restaurant with a brunch menu. And also a fixed Senegalese menu, which helped us overlook the mixed French-Senegalese fare.
Unfortunately, the Senegalese menu was discontinued, but we were still able to sample most of their delicious dishes. Like what, you ask? Well if you like spicy, then everything! Especially the Fataya beef empanadas, which taunted our pansy palates with an incendiary side sauce.
As for the main courses, both the Theibou Jen (“the rice of fish”) and the Dibi Senegal (stewed lamb chop) kept the burn going long and low throughout the entire meal. We even got to try cassava root
(tapioca in its whole-root form), and plantains that would make you want to be stranded on a desert island with only one food in the world.
To balance the burn, we tried another classic Senegalese ingredient: hibiscus. In the form of a delightful, refreshing little drink, the Jardin de Senegal was as delicious as it was fragrant and herbal.
But that’s right about when Filipino stole the show. In the words of our guest judge, the lovely Stephanie, “it was a raging mouth orgasm.”
That may sound kind of wrong (this is not that kind of blog), but she’s pretty close. Jeepney knocked our socks off, and with the delicious food and ever-flowing liquor, almost knocked our pants off, too.
Filipino food is renowned for mixing flavors between sweet, sour, and salty, creating a trifecta of OMG-goodness that we got to experience over and over again in dishes like the Banana Ketchup Ribs and the Sinigang na Sweetbreads, which, by the way, actually turned out to be glands from a cow’s throat—not the delicious carbo-load we had imagined. Even so, they turned out equally scrumptious.
Another major victory? We put on our big-gender-neutral-pants on and tried the two-pound-whole-fish, which is terrifying because eyeballs. And fins. It too, was ridiculously delicious. And so beautifully displayed, we almost forgot that it was fish at all. Plus, it blended beautifully with the coconut rice.
Then, we washed it all down with unforgettable drinks, like the pinoy colada, and deserts, like the candy-filled coconutty, fruit-loop-tasty halo-halo, which translates “mix it all up.”
Long story short, we loved every second spent at Jeepney, and will definitely be back. If not for Tiki night, then for the all-hands, no-plates Kamayan night. But, for the next Foodlympics, we’ll probably take one of their many excellent recommendations to try out something even more authentic.
Service
Both restaurants made us feel right at home, but only Jeepney was so friendly, hospitable, and downright delicious that we almost moved in.
Everyone at Jeepney treated us like lifelong friends, urging us to have the very best—and fullest—Filipino experience possible. We were devastated to leave. But don’t worry Gelo, we’ll be back!
Atmosphere
We were thrilled with the authenticity of each of the restaurants we visited. With a dimly-lit, heavy-curtained atmosphere, Café due Rix teleported us half-way across the world to an earthy Senegal. While Jeepney’s tiki theme taught us where tiki culture was born: In the heart of the Philippines.
Plating
Jeepney’s plating scored a million points with our very first dish: a full pineapple filled with banana leaves and a little rhino on top. Then, it scored a million more when they were able to make a whole fish with fins and eyeballs appear elegant, surreal, and not in the least bit scary. Honestly guys, bravo.
Value
Don’t be deceived by the scores: Jeepney is no cheap trip. But with food and service that are 100% dazzle-your-tasebuds worthy, it is absolutely a small price to pay for an amazing time spent with amazing new friends.
Ready for our next adventure? Check out our next matchup: Chinese v Vietnamese
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