We had already come from a tapas dinner nearby and then more drinks at a bar when we passed by Krystal’s Cafe 81 and found sisig on their menu. If you’re not Pinoy or a Filipinophile (yet), sisig is a popular drinking dish made with pork face and ear skin and cartilage. It is usually served in a sizzling cast iron plate along with some San Miguel Beer, which incidentally Krystal’s also serves to those familiar with the magic of SMB.
Sizzling sisig topped with egg.
Krystal’s sisig was crunchy and delicious, a little meatier than the usual sisig, but it still brings me back to drunken evenings at Treehouse, long ago and oh so very far away….
Lechon Kawali (Deep Fried Pork Belly)
While we were already on the heart attack menu, we decided to just enlighten the other diners in our company and ordered everything else that could cause our death that evening.
Chicharon Bulaklak
We normally trek to Queens for some authentic Pinoy food but in a bind and in the late evening, Krystal’s Cafe 81 was not bad at all. I wish I had more belly space for the cholesterol feast!
Krystal’s Cafe 81
81 E 7th St
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 473-4900
