Sizzling Fillo

What is Sizzling Fillo?
One of the few Filipino restaurants in Sydney serving traditional dishes for homesick expats.

What's it like?
Silk chair covers, folded napkings and freesh orchids on every table give this suburban restaurant a bit of awedding reception vibe. A karaoke unit in the corner gets an enthusiastic workout on Saturday nights, but most other times the restaurant is reasonably sedate.

What should I order?
Crisp pata ($19) is a must for anyone with a taste for crackling. Pork hocks are boiled, air dried and then deep fried until the surrounding skin blisters into crackling. Traditionally served whole, here the hock is chopped into chunky pieces.

How should I eat it?
Use your fingers and take your time to savour the crisp, shattering skin before dunking the meat into the bowl of dressing (a mix of vinegar, soy and garlic) that will refresh any dry bits of meat and counter the richness. The bones are the best part, especially if you manage to tease out bits of tendon that are deliciously sticky.

What else?
Abodo chicken ($13.50), a national dish of the Phillipined, is a simple dish of chicken legs slow cooked in soy sauce and vinegar with garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns.