by MATHILDE RABBAT

On a recent expedition to Decarie to collect a bamboo tray I scored from Freecycle, I realized there remain traces of the quarter’s old charm, from the time before it was so brutally divided by the expressway. Among my discoveries was the Pearl of Manila on Decarie proper, between Côte-Ste-Catherine and Van Horne. A Filipino joint like this is a rare find in Montreal.

Having spent some time in the Philippines, my dining buddy said that just one whiff of the place brought him right back to his stay. Good sign, I thought. They also scored points for authenticity when it came to their modus operandi, as this is a turo-turo establishment. The term is apparently derived from a Tagalog verb meaning “to point.” You probably get the idea by now—at this resto you pick and choose from a set number of dishes displayed in a refrigerated case, in addition to about half a dozen selections presented buffet-style. No menu. If you want to know what’s what, you just inquire from the friendly staff. Each turo-turo selection feeds two and is priced between a reasonable $4–$6. As for the buffet, the low price of $6.99 will fill your plate and provide you with a Filipino dessert.

The uninitiated might associate this type of cooking with the hot spiciness of Thai, Chinese or Japanese dishes, but compared to those more boldly flavoured treats, Filipino dishes may lack pizzazz or appear bland, despite the foreign influences of the Spanish, Malay, Chinese, Japanese and American flavours. The thick chicken soup starter is a case in point. A pale, murky broth came swimming with rice noodles, bokchoy, onion, some chicken bits and the occasional strip of beef. I would’ve appreciated a little punch in the stock, and I frankly found it to have been over salted.

Along with the appetizer, the following dishes make up buffet selections, typically enjoyed slopped over some sticky white rice. Bright orange spheres turned out to be bite-size fish balls, which weren’t too fishy tasting and had an interesting, sort of chewy, slightly gelatinous texture. They hold together like a matzo ball, thanks to the egg that is mixed in with the minced white fish, which incidentally tasted more like crabmeat. I did however enjoy the lumpia rolls—meat egg rolls resembling little golden cigarillos, stuffed with minced beef and finely shredded carrot and kraut, then deep-fried, infusing them with crispy goodness. Besides okra, string bean and green peppers, the mixed veggie stew incorporated chunks of an ochre, starchy little fellow termed kalabasa, which I’d define as a cross between a potato and a squash. Despite the crunchy tastiness of the veggies, the dish was far outshone by the flesh preparations, one chicken and one pork. Both were done up Filipino homestyle by hacking at the whole slab with a cleaver to section it before it’s cooked and served, bones and all, which translates into picking shards out of your dish and your chops—very authentic. The poultry was done up with a nice ginger and garlic sauce. Quite tasty. As to the pork chunks marinated in vinegar and onion (adobado style), they had a nice sweet and sour thing going on, and were as tender as baby back ribs brushed with sweet sauce.

Now for the turo-turo. Of the duo I tried, the crunchy, shoestring bamboo shoots dashed with vinegar and cooked in oil, onion, oodles of garlic cloves and a dash of black pepper, far surpassed the coconut milk-spinach-shrimp concoction. They do score points for presentation however, as the shrimp antennae and heads, eyes and all, are left on for you to bite off, Ozzy style. This seafood dish left me a little disappointed as I found the shrimp to be overcooked.

The banana fritter dessert (turong saging) though, proved to be a very good way to cap things off. Bananas, sugar and some deep-frying equals a winning combo.

The all-Filipino eats and the Filipino waitresses, who chopped veggies together while giggling behind the counter and singing along to American hits from the ’50s and ’60s, made the whole experience feel like a Fantasy Island throwback to some other time, in some distant land.

Pearl of Manila
ADDRESS: 5839 Decarie
PHONE: 344-3670
HOURS: Mon, Tues 2–9 p.m.; Wed–Fri noon–9 p.m.;
Sat, Sun 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
BEST FEATURES: Fresh food, Filipino authenticity
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: No
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Limited
CREDIT CARDS: Cash only
PRICE: $7–$10 a head, includes everything
RATING: ** 1/2 out of ****