By Denise Ortuno
Besides their famous sandwiches, Alkobar Grill in Indio offers up some flavorful Filipino dishes, perfect for foodie fun!
The Alkobar outlets in Palm Desert and Indio have been well known for having superior Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches for many years. If you have yet to try a one of these awesome sandwiches, I highly suggest that you give them a whirl as soon as possible, as they are super delish! There are a variety of steak sandwich versions to select from, including the traditional Philly style (thinly sliced rib eye steak with grilled onions, topped with provolone cheese), Bacon Cheese Steak (all the above and add bacon, Swiss, and American cheeses), Philly Mexicanos (jalapenos and pepper jack) plus others. As well as a plethora of hot and cold subs.
But what sits in the shadows of their fabulous “wiches” are their Filipino dishes. I will admit, as many times as I have enjoyed one of their Philly’s, I never really paid attention to the other non-sandwich part of the menu. My awareness came about from something that I saw on Facebook, which made mention of their Filipino menu items….so I had to check it out. I stopped by the Indio location in the late afternoon one day, after the lunch rush dust had settled. I looked at the menu, laser focusing on the Asian Favorite side, and after some assistance from Edwin, one of the Alkobar team members, I decided on the Lechon Kawali with rice. The traditional dish is comprised of deep-fried pork belly, served with a sweeter than savory dipping sauce and rice.
Pork belly is a fatty cut of pork from the belly of a pig, and has gained popularity in recent years as a culinary must, a step up from regular old bacon. As is does have a lot of fat, deep frying it is a great way to prepare it, as it lessens the fat a bit, giving it a crunchy texture. Alkobar’s pork belly had that crunch and went well with the provided dipping sauce. I topped it with a big spoon full of rice, and it made for a seriously tasty bite! Other Filipino dishes include Tapsilog (marinated beef, rice and fried eggs) Bangsilog (fried milkfish, rice and fried eggs), Longsilog (sweet pork sausage, rice and fried eggs), as well as other Asian style selections such as Korean BBQ, Teriyaki Chicken or Steak and Lumpia Shanghai with rice ( spring rolls filled with ground pork).
Eating can be an adventure, and I love trying different dishes. It’s amazing what you can find when you just look at a different section of a menu…it can open up a whole different world of flavors.
Alkobar Grills menu can take you from Philly’s to Filipino flavors in one fell swoop. Great for those looking for something new in foodie fun.
Alkobar Grill is located at 82590 Hwy 111, Indio California, 92201
