written by: Allan Roman Reyes

Isla Cocina Pilipina in Eagle Rock resides in a nondescript, newly painted building of considerable size. Conveniently located where the old Barrio Fiesta (another Filipino restaurant now having moved to Glendale) used to be, familiar Filipino scents greet you.  It could be because the restaurant makes its own vinegar (more on this later), soy, and barbeque sauces, and they are featured prominently in the spacious foyer as you enter. The  staff is friendly and helpful, and though some may ask for help pronouncing some of the harder Filipino food terms, they adore the Filipino taste and are not hesitant in recommending their favorites from the menu.

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Ahh… Melon, pronounced Meh-lone and so good, so refreshing, so perfect for Summer…

Lets make a batch, shall we? Our version, the remix,  uses less water, less sugar and…wait for it…fresh basil.

That’s right, basil, the strong sweet aromatic herb. Unlike the traditional Filipino recipe, we omit much of the sugar and shreds of cantaloupe, use less water and blend it in batches.  This process takes some patience, but the resulting flavor is a billion times better than what you get at the point point joint. Since I don’t have the greatest blender, I used my Magic Bullet, but I recommend a blender or Ninja. You can drink it au natural or add a shot or two of vodka. Its the perfect thirst quenching drink for Summa Summa Time.

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We at PP&B love anyone or any group out there trying to increase the visibility of Filipino food. When we found out about kapaMEALya (a play on the word, kapamilya, which means “of the family”), there was no second thought that we’d give these Northern California Filipino foodies some shine.  They were kind of enough to answer some of my questions, so enjoy and read on. And if you’d like more information on the group, check out their website: www.kapamealya.org.

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