Excited
Bistec from Sol Food
A few months ago, my cousin suggested we grab lunch at this joint in San Rafael called Sol Food. I had never had Puerto Rican food prior and was more than willing to give it a shot. As we were peering through the menu, I had noticed there was a dish that looked all too familiar to my own roots as a Filipina American called Bistek.
I grew up in a household where my mother was the primary cook. She would cook the traditional stews such as Kare Kare (Oxtail with peanut butter and vegetables), Adobo (Chicken or pork with soy sauce and vinegar), fry up some tasty Lumpias (eggrolls) and bake a mean Bibingka (rice cake.) On the days that she wasn’t up to preparing such a heavy feast, my family was relegated to numnuming on Bistek, which consisted of thin slices of sirloin steak, onion rings, garlic, kalamansi (citrus) juice and soy sauce. I was always excited to have Bistek with rice for lunch or dinner. It’s one of those meals that is so simple to prepare yet so tasty, it leaves you wanting more than you can chew.
When I saw it on Sol Food’s menu, I couldn’t help but want to try it out. Could it be that it was similar to the Filipino style of Bistek? When it was time to place my order, I had to ask what it came with. The woman at the register said that it came with red beans, rice, mafungo (plantain mash), salad and a plantain chip. I did not hesitate to add fresh limonada to my meal. After we were seated, my cousin and I got to chat about how the weather was so sunny and the other plans we had in store for the rest of the day. Ten minutes passed and the Bistek finally arrives. My cousin and I were gnawing at the beef and were pleasantly surprised that it was like how our mothers made it. I felt a sense of connection almost immediately between both cultures and of course, with our mothers. It’s funny how eating Bistek had a way of bringing me to a different place and taking me right back home all in one sitting.
How does this post make you feel?
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
NOTE: 8Asians.com is a community, and we thank you for being a part of it. While we welcome and appreciate differences in opinion, if you're rude or you're promoting spam, we have a right to edit or delete your comment. Read our comment policy for more information.
If you see a comment that violates the 8Asians.com comment policy, you may flag the comment by mousing over the comment and clicking "FLAG."
I grew up eating both Asian and Puerto Rican food. My mother is Cambodian and Thai, and my father is from Puerto Rico. So i grew up eating all kinds of great food and learning very different cultures as well. Although many different countries were influenced by spanish cuisine Puerto Rican cuisine is influenced by other cultures as well. Puerto Rican food is influenced by native Puerto Rican Indians (Tainos), Spaniards, and Africans. So its different in many ways from Central and South American food. I love different cultures and am constantly fascinated by their influences in other countries!
I grew up eating both Asian and Puerto Rican food. My mother is Cambodian and Thai, and my father is from Puerto Rico. So i grew up eating all kinds of great food and learning very different cultures as well. Although many different countries were influenced by spanish cuisine Puerto Rican cuisine is influenced by other cultures as well. Puerto Rican food is influenced by native Puerto Rican Indians (Tainos), Spaniards, and Africans. So its different in many ways from Central and South American food. I love different cultures and am constantly fascinated by their influences in other countries!
Nice. I like how you made a post that also brings out the other cultural influences in your own Filipino one.
Perhaps someone can make a blog about how Vietnamese has foods influenced from the French as well, or even the words like Daixa has kindly mentioned how Spanish is influenced in Tagalog. Vietnamese also has its own influences in their alphabet and language. .
Nice. I like how you made a post that also brings out the other cultural influences in your own Filipino one.
Perhaps someone can make a blog about how Vietnamese has foods influenced from the French as well, or even the words like Daixa has kindly mentioned how Spanish is influenced in Tagalog. Vietnamese also has its own influences in their alphabet and language. .
We have a lot in common including a lot of words in tagalog are same words in spanish...Hope you enjoyed every inch of our Island and our food!
We have a lot in common including a lot of words in tagalog are same words in spanish...Hope you enjoyed every inch of our Island and our food!
Food porn, and by a "Rosemary" no less! :-) "Sol Food" sounds like a place that I want to try out.
The Spanish colonial connection is an explanation for a lot of the commonalities between Filipino and Latin American cuisines - food like Flan and Cerviche are obvious examples. The Spanish also brought over food like corn from the Americas to the Philippines.
Food porn, and by a "Rosemary" no less! :-) "Sol Food" sounds like a place that I want to try out.
The Spanish colonial connection is an explanation for a lot of the commonalities between Filipino and Latin American cuisines - food like Flan and Cerviche are obvious examples. The Spanish also brought over food like corn from the Americas to the Philippines.
What is it with us and food porn?! That looks amazing...
There actually is a lot in common though between Filipino and South/Central American cuisines...so this isn't much a surprise to me. :)
What is it with us and food porn?! That looks amazing...
There actually is a lot in common though between Filipino and South/Central American cuisines...so this isn't much a surprise to me. :)
i'm salivating looking at the pic this early in the morning.
i'm salivating looking at the pic this early in the morning.
mmmm. Food porn. mmmmmm.
mmmm. Food porn. mmmmmm.
Custom Search
Recent Posts
- Chinese New Year Lanterns
- Is Kim Jong Un Dead? Assassination Rumors Hit the Internet
- Help Fight Stereoptypes With Asian Crew Clothing
- Deftones’ Chi Cheng Wakes Up From His 3-Year Coma
- SXSW 2012 Has a Nice Handful of Asian Movies
- Woman In China Gives Birth To 15 Lb Baby
- Naruto & Dragonball Now Available On Barnes & Noble Nook
Recent Comments
- : @PhucDat You've obviously never heard of the "no asians, no fats, no fems" that's commonly referenced in the gay community. It's very frustrating and makes... – Asian Men Have The Highest Salary
- : @Biffer I find it interesting how you've managed to transform this great story into launching an attack against african- americans. It's quite offensive for you,as... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
- : This whole article was kinda frustrating and ridiculous. "And maybe this will help put a little more desirability for Asian males in the dating pool."... – Asian Men Have The Highest Salary
- : while it was pretty hilarious, it's a little disconcerting that most of the people who responded didn't use spellcheck. – What I Learned From Posting A Dragon Lady Personal Ad
- : @dcj125 Riiiiiiiiight.... cuz that's exactly what I meant with my comment. – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
APA Events
Feb 16: Adam WarRock and Kirby Krackle: West Cost Tour Dates!!!
Feb 16: (New York, NY) Amar Chitra Katha: Monica Ferrell, Chitra Ganesh, Keshni Kashyap, and Himanshu “Heems” Suri of Das Racist
Feb 17: (Los Angeles, CA) All My Sons
Feb 18: (Stanford, CA) Stanford’s 16th Listen to the Silence Conference- Feb 18: (San Francisco, CA) NAAAP-SF Lunar New Year Gala 2012
Feb 25: (Los Angeles, CA) Past Present I Future Imperatives: Queer Space Time
Mar 3: (New York, NY) Vong Pak’s ‘Electric Shaman’ Concert
Apr 30: (Sacramento, CA) California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit 2012: iAdvocate
Staff and Contributors
- Editors
- Ernie Hsiung - Founder, Editor-in-Chief
- Moye Ishimoto - Co-Editor, Editorial
- Joz Wang - Co-Editor, PR & APA Outreach
