Port of Manila, Hammersmith, Restaurant Review

Even though the concept of Brackenbury Village was created by ingenious estate agents, the area does have a sense of community, pretty cottages and family houses as well as local shops. Brackenbury Road has for many years been a bit of a hidden gem in Hammersmith, home to a number of intriguing little restaurants, including the one I visited recently. Port of Manila offers the tantalising cuisine of the Philippines, which has some of the most exciting dishes you’ll find in London.

First of all, Philippine dishes are an intoxicating blend of Hispanic, Chinese, American and other Asian influences. So you’ll find dishes such as paellas, roasted pig and noodles with a twist, combining salt, sour and sweet flavours.

Port of Manila has a homely feel, where you can kick back and relax after a stressful day. On the evening I was there, we were joined by a lively party of Philippinos who were friends of Felix, the proprietor.

For starters I ordered the mango salad and enjoyed the refreshing taste of the fruit combined with the strong flavours of onion and tomato in a coco-vinaigrette. The Chinese influence featured strongly in the lumpia – crispy vegetable spring rolls which were served with a sweet chilli. They were very similar to those you’d find at a dim sum breakfast, but the Philippino version was chunkier and more filling than their Chinese counterparts.

I asked Felix for some typical fare and he suggested the spicy laing, which was a steaming dish of spicy taro leaves cooked in coconut milk, chilli and ginger with shrimp paste seasoning. Taro has a similar taste to spinach (I’m sure Popeye would approve), and is thought to have originated in the Indo-Malayan region, perhaps in eastern India and Bangladesh, and spreading eastward into Southeast Asia. It was surprisingly filling, and I enjoyed the rooty veggie taste which was given a subtle creaminess due to the coconut milk.

Drinks included San Miguel beer, which the restaurant was also calling ‘Filipino beer’ and I also tried the Sago’t Gulaman, which was practically a dessert in itself. Served in a tall glass, it was a blend of tapioca, gelatine, syrup and ice. It has an incredibly sweet taste, and I feared for my fillings. I was on a sugar rush for hours afterwards.

The restaurant must be such a boon for Philippinos longing for a taste of home cooking – but also for Londoners looking for Malayo-Polynesian fusion food.

129- 131, Brackenbury Road, W6 OBQ, 0208 741 2099,

http://portofmanila.co.uk

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