June
2013
Lumpia,
langonisa, empanadas, lengua machado and ube rolls would make a very tasty
picnic and are some of the dishes available for takeout at the Pines Market
every Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. when Mena-li Canlas and her staff
offer their Filipino Sunday brunches. If
meat and vegetable wraps (lumpia), pork sausage links (langonisa), deep fried
meat and vegetable puffs (empanadas), sliced beef tongue (lengua mechado) and
cake rolls (ube) are some of your favorite foods stop by the Pines Market, 2
South Pine Drive in Circle Pines on Sunday, then head down Lexington Avenue to
Como Park for a truly delicious picnic.
Or eat in the store at tables and chairs that can seat about thirty
people. The menu changes each Sunday so
check the current offerings on Facebook, Tita Li’s desserts and merienda pinoy
brunch @ Pines Market.
On
a recent Sunday I stopped by to sample a number of dishes including Chicken
Afritada, a tasty example of the Spanish influence on the food of the
Philippine Islands. It is one of those
homemade dishes you would long for from your childhood if you were raised in
the Philippines. Succulent chicken slowly simmered in a bright tomato sauce
with potatoes, and green and red bell peppers is a meal in itself and costs
$5.00. Add garlic fried rice or steamed
rice and your picnic is complete. Add another
entrée and the whole cost is just $6.25.
Add two entrees and the total is only $7.50. If you want to start with appetizers pick up
meat or vegetable egg rolls or barbecued pork on a stick and suddenly your
picnic is a feast.
But
don’t forget dessert. In the Filipino
community Mena-li is known as the “cake lady” who makes amazing desserts. This Sunday she offered nine desserts
including a Ube Roll made from the island’s purple ube root and frosted with
purple icing. For something a little
lighter there were Putos, the small two-bite sized steamed breads that would be
wonderful with fresh raspberries or blueberries or just by themselves. Mena-li’s versions are as light as chiffon
cake. There is also Halo-Halo, Flan,
Cassava Bjbingka and Frozen Siopao.
Additional
Sunday entrees included Talong Torta (eggplant), Binagoongan (pork with shrimp
paste), and Palabok (noodles with beef, tofu, bacon and shrimp). While some dishes are repeated from week to
week, Mena-li likes to offer a variety of flavors from her homeland so check
her Facebook listing for this week’s choices.
Mena-li started the Pinoy Brunch and Merienda at
the Pines Market eighteen months ago and has been attracting a growing group of
Filipino food fans. It is one of just a
few places in Minnesota where you can taste the wonderful cuisine from the
Philippine Islands so stop by soon.
Buy online: Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875
