>> Ethan's Belly Boink | Eat the World Los Angeles

Monday 10 October 2022

Ethan's Belly Boink

Figueroa Street facade

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ PHILIPPINES
๐Ÿ“ 21620 S. Figueroa Street, Carson, Harbor
๐Ÿ…ฟ️ Small plaza with parking
๐Ÿฅค No Alcohol

The logo of six-month-old Ethan's Belly Boink has a fire lit underneath the feet of an anthropomorphized chicken and pig, telling a large part of the story. Whole rotisserie chickens and crispy pork lechon are the name of the game here, a quick service offshoot of the seven-year-old Ethan's Restaurant which resides two doors down in the same plaza.

That restaurant is like many Filipino places around Los Angeles and with a higher concentration in this part of Carson; a daily steam table operation called turo-turo (point-point) where you select two or three options and get a side of rice to eat them with. You can also find the beautiful dining experience known as kamayan where a large group shares an even larger meal placed on banana leaves and eaten with nothing but your hands.

Rolled cebuchon seen at entry

The Belly Boink seems to have been set up more for delivery and takeout, as quite a few customers and delivery drivers came in during this meal for pickup. The pork lechon belly roll preparation known as cebuchon (above) is the first thing you see when you open the door, and this is certainly the star of the show. Named for the city of Cebu where it originates, this pork belly is not served alone but instead stuffed with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger, and spices before being rolled and tied up tight.

To prepare for your meal and the delicious oily coating that will come with everything, order a simple but bright halo-halo ($6.50, below). An edible straw is pressed into the top layer of smooth ube-flavored ice cream. Under this are corn flakes and shaved ice and further down a mix of jellies and syrups near the bottom. It takes expert levels of skill to stir up without getting everything on the table.

Halo-halo

If you plan to eat at one of the small restaurant's two 4-tops with your halo-halo in hand, try one of the made to order dishes like crispy pork sisig ($12.99, below), which is now available daily despite originally being weekends only. This is a wonderful assortment of pig parts chopped up and usually served on a sizzling platter, here transferred to a takeout container as most meals are made to go.

Despite having less theater when not on that plate, the dish holds up well when eaten immediately, with standout pieces of crispy skin and ears mixed in with more meaty bits, onions, and peppers. Spike it with some of the tasty vinegar concoction that it comes with, which also helps cut the fat and oils.

Crispy pork sisig

The bulk of orders here are one of the available combos, which come with your choice of two sides and the house special sauce which has some resemblance to Mang Tomas All Purpose sauce. The sides available are garlic rice, Java rice, steamed rice, salad, or fries, but to be honest every order should grab at least one garlic rice as this is one of the stars of Filipino cuisine and could be eaten alone and still provide enjoyment.

Since that smiling chicken put to the flame is part of the logo, a half chicken combo ($11.99, below top) was ordered for takeout with some of that garlic rice. The marinade is fine and the chicken itself is a good bird, but it becomes clear pretty quickly that the pork products here are what to stick with. Dips in the special sauce and scoops of the lovely rice help round out the flavors.

Cebuchon and half rotisserie chicken combos with garlic rice

The lechon belly combo ($14.99, above bottom) is what unlocks that shining cebuchon mentioned earlier. A section is cut off the roll and hacked down into smaller pieces that includes everything from ultra-crispy skin to meat to soft silky fat. A combination of all of these in your mouth at once is the sweet spot that causes your eyes to close and a string of m's to verbalize.

Like at the parent restaurant, you can order full cebuchon rolls or a host of catering trays if you want to bring the party back home. On a follow-up visit, the promising seafood items will probably be sampled, especially the stuffed squid which was always a favorite on trips to the Philippines when close to the beach.

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ

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