secret passions and fine cuisine

I'm not sure if anyone back in riverside ever saw, but one of my bookmarks on my Opera and Camino internet browsers is yelp.com. It's basically a website in which you can input any location that sells a service, thing, or type of food, and what you will get are countless of reviews by people who have "yelped" this particular place.

I'm an avid yelper since late 07, and I've yelped 138 times.

I think I brought it up one time how Filipino restaurants are utter crap compared to other cultural bistros. Now don't get me wrong, I love filipino food. It is my culture. But to quote Kat, "[filipino] food just isn't that interesting." I guess being vegetarian, she is limited in her options with fine filipino cuisine. I digress.

But it isn't only that, and I can't really couldn't point my finger at what is wrong and why Filipino food just isn't as popular as, per se, thai food restaurants. Now to backtrack, Thai food was only introduced to me in I think early 2008 by a good friend, so excuse me if I seem like projecting some sort of hindsight bias when I continue talking about how Filipno restaurnts aren't too popular.

Well, back to yelp.com. Along with reviews, there are also many threads on yelp.com, and after searching up a restaurant that I was meaning to yelp for, for about a month, there was a related thread simply titled, "You Hate Filipno Food. Why?"

Most arguments and rebuttals were dumb, but true. But finally, some guy by the name of "AJ B." stated it clearly:

I'm filipino... you know why I don't like filipino restaurants?

1. Invest some damn money on the decor... I don't want to feel like I'm eating in halfway house.
2. I know you like watching the filipino channel, but does that have to happen within blaring earshot of the customers?
3. When I do go, I get looked down at because of how I look. I'm not your son or nephew. I can have purple, green or red hair and still make an amazing living. Don't look at me like I'm trespassing on your property.
4. I pretend like I don't speak the language, because, inevitably, I will be talked about... not behind my back, but right in front of my face. No thanks.

There are exceptions, of course, but since the thread topic is straight-up full of generalization, I'm just going with the flow.

Show me a Filipino restaurant that's decked out like as nice as a Thai restaurant (but with Filipino decor, of course); where the people are proud of their heritage and show it in the space and the ambiance; and are proud of their cuisine so they actually spend some time on presentation; where they are respectful of the clientelle and actually focus on good service... and I'm there. 5 stars on yelp, even.

He brings up several good points, and I really can't counter any of them. I then realize that this is exactly why no one raves about "DJ Bibinkahan," or "Pinoy Pinay," as they do for "Sweetey Hut," of West Covina or "Thai Specialty 2 (lol)" located in Rowland Heights.

As for telling him about a Filipino place that is as "decked out as nice as a Thai restaurant," however, Pondahan Fusion Bar, Cafe, and Grill is definitely the spot. Too bad this restaurant is the only place where the trifecta of impeccable service, food, and price come together at a Filipino food joint.

5 stars. even.