While not my blog’s main focus, I do try to go to as many Filipino restaurants as I can, especially since it is my main fare and I love to know where the best dishes are made.

Most Filipino restaurants are of two types – either you order off a menu, or it is turo-turo style (loosely translated as point-point) as most food offerings are already cooked and in warmers that are easily viewed and you just point at what you want adding rice as a side.

Silogs is a new start-up in New Westminster and they are trying to be different from those two main types and I think they can succeed. They are using the niche of specializing in the quintessential Filipino breakfast: ‘Silogs. Silogs is the end part of a Tagalog mish-mash that begins with the protein you choose. For example, longsilog is longanisa (sweet cured sausage), sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (egg).

Silogs takes it to a whole other level offering not-so-common proteins such as the chopsilog that I had. It included a lightly-battered fried pork chop that was cooked well, not oily, nor heavy. The same could be said for their fried rice. My eggs were over-easy (as ordered). I loved their ‘Epic’ vinegar, which I’m guessing had either Tabasco sauce or sambal oelek or chili paste mixed in with the vinegar. It was the perfect dipping sauce to the chop.

As I was sharing with my little guy, I ordered Combo 1 which allows for two proteins. We went for the made in-house, skinless longanisa. It was a little peppery for him. It also had a slight glaze on it, which didn’t add anything for me. I would have enjoyed it much more without it.

D. ordered the lechonsilog but found the pork belly to be a bit average (her words).

Since it was our first time we made the unusual decision of having dessert after lunch. D. chose the leche flan which is sort of like a creme caramel. The portion was quite generous. In terms of taste, the caramelization on top was a bit bitter almost to the point of burnt and the texture overall wasn’t as creamy as I like.

Other than the food, at lunch time on a weekend, this seemed to be the place to be as we bumped into four different people that we knew. For full disclosure, one included someone who worked there, which I didn’t know beforehand. I think my avid fans would agree that it did not bias my review either way.

On my Mmm…Sarap! rating scale, I would grade Silogs a mmmmura because the food definitely filled all three bellies for less than $25 and I was in a food coma afterwards as proof! I also like their quirky signs, including the license plates from Manitoba and the Yukon Territory where the owners have had previous restaurant