Even for the most adventurous, informed foodie, there’s usually at least a cuisine or two into which you haven’t had a chance to venture. There are many little-known cultural cuisines out there that haven’t yet had the spotlight, but definitely deserve some love! Lucky for Louisville foodies with a penchant for the unexpected and intriguing natural fusion, our city is rife with dining opportunities of all kinds, from all cultures. If you’re looking for a departure from old favorites (like Latin American and various Asian cuisines) stop by Sari Sari on Frankfort Avenue for a Filipino lunch.
Filipino food is made with a blend of Chinese, Spanish, and Malay cooking techniques, and characterized by a unique range of spices and a reliance on three flavor profiles: sweet, sour, and salty. A meal at Sari Sari that can be as healthful or indulgent as you like, with creative use of vegetables and protein sources like seafood and pork.
Sari Sari’s interior is surprisingly tiny, and decorated with wall hangings and paintings. When we visited, we were lucky to easily grab a table at the top of lunch hour, the restaurant filling quickly after we were seated.The two soups we ordered from the respectably-sized menu (which includes a small beer list) to start our meal were comforting with a little twist of the unexpected. The spicy chicken soup was hearty with chili powder, a tomato-based broth, and a bright splash of sour lime; and the mung bean and coconut soup was nothing short of perfection, appealing to my taste for Thai.
Our entrees arrived quickly. The Filipino fried rice was toothsome and fragrant with coconut milk, redolent with jasmine. The portion size was hearty, with enough left over for lunch the next day. Our other order, the lunch special of the day, was chicken tacos with spiced black beans and white rice boosted with pandan, a leafy herb used mostly for aromatic purposes. The spiced chicken kept us talking for hours after the meal.
It’s worth mentioning that Sari Sari is extremely affordable; the most expensive fish entree (the pineapple curry seafood combo) is under $13 for a sizeable portion. Two of us ate for just over $20 with leftovers to spare. We finished our meal with a new favorite location to add to the GPS--and the unanimous conclusion that Sari Sari might be tiny in size, but it is mighty in taste.
Sari Sari is open Wednesday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Tuesday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday and Tuesday
Sari Sari
2339 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 894-0585
Image courtesy of yelp.com
Cover image courtesy of Madeleine Dee
