Filipino food at Chadz Chickenhaus

The Philippines are a truly unique part of Asia.  Colonised by the Spanish for over 400 years, Iberian culture has been indelibly infused onto a template already influenced by Chinese, Indonesian and Malay traders.  Many Filipinos have very Spanish-sounding names and Christianity is an integral part of the culture.  The cuisine comprises empanadas, vinegary adobo braises and European-style breads - yet pancit (fried noodles) are popular as well as lumpia, like spring rolls.

There's a huge Filipino presence in the western suburbs.  In Sunshine, Chadz Chickenhaus (which sounds like a German restaurant run by an American frat boy) is actually the second branch of a Spanish-style chicken shop that also offers a range of traditional Filipino dishes (the original is in Werribee).

If you don't know what you're looking for, Filipino food can sometimes be a little forbidding - lots of dark, mysterious braises in a bain marie.  At Chadz there are lots of lighter options and they are happy to explain everything to you.  From top left, we have pork hock, fish in a clear soup, pork blood stew, braised chicken and vegetables and braised beef.  From the bottom left, lovely-looking fried chicken drumsticks, white radish with minced beef, water spinach in a creamy sauce and pork chop.

There's also great-looking butterflied chicken, a la Nando's, with chips if you like.  $10 will get you two choices with rice and your choice of drink.

Halved eggplant with beef mince and egg, cooked to silkiness.  I think this is called rellenong talong.  It was quite mild in flavour but tasty, even better doused in lots of spicy vinegar available at the counter.

This was a yummy fish cutlet, very fresh and quite firm, somewhat like mackeral.  I think it had been lightly fried before being served in delicious, lip-smacking stock.  The green veg were really good too.  It had bones and I was feeling wussy, so I mainly ate the stock and vegies.

Empanada, $1.00

Flaky, super-short pasty filled with potato cubes, a little minced meat and other goodies like sultanas.  Chadz is connected to the Filipino grocery next door where, among other things, you can buy balut (instructions: "boil for 30 minutes") which are fertilised chicken eggs with a chicken embryo inside.

Desserts for next time!

If Filipino food is new to you as it is to me, I think Chadz is a great place to start.  It's sparklingly clean, the food is very fresh and it's made with evident care.  They have batchoy, a clear soup with pork offal, noodles and crushed pork crackling from Thursday to Sunday.  Looking forward to heading there for the next lazy chicken and chip night, gravy or no gravy.

Thank you Clint via Facebook for the tip!  You can also check out Dahon Tea Lounge in South Melbourne for Filo-style baguettes and more.

Chadz Chickenhaus (Facebook)

475 Ballarat Road, Sunshine  

Hours:  Tues-Sun 11am-7pm

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