*** Conching is now Erlinda's Filipino Cuisine & Ice Cream Parlor
Over the course of the last twelve weeks I managed to revisit a couple of turo turo places, which I'll post on over the next few weeks. Actually, I dropped by Tita's twice during this period, but they didn't have any sisig, so I decided not to wait in those massive lines. I've heard that they actually changed the sisig recipe when AZ(not you "AZ", the other AZ) visited; I always thought the sisig there was terrible. So it took a television thing to get them to make a better product? I guess even they knew their sisig wasn't up to par..... Well enough of that. Here's enough saturated fat for a week or so.
There was a time not too long ago, when I thought that Conching made some of the best turo turo sisig in San Diego. As of a couple of years ago, I felt that the sisig had slipped a bit. It just wasn't as good. Those thought were percolating in mi cabeza as I parked.
No matter how many times I visit, walking to the turo turo ("point point", a reference to steam table cuisine) counter, I can't help but be amused at the ice cream parlor look. Someone asked me to describe the interior once and the best I could come up with was "Farrell's meets patis". Because I had just come from the long lines and cold stares at Tita's, the stark emptiness of the place really made an impression. There were no other customers during my entire meal.
Looking over the steam table items, I saw something I never recalled seeing before, so I ordered it.
I guess it's the purple tinted red color that got me...plus this had slices of pork belly in it. Well, even more than the color, catching a whiff of it as I brought this to my table really got my nares out of the morning doldrums. I actually liked this; it was salty, in a good way, very savory, obviously from a good amount of bagoong alamang. It was also fairly spicy, a rarity in most Filipino dishes that I've had....the possible exception being bicol express and some versions of sisig. Still, I didn't know what the heck this was and the woman behind the counter wasn't in a particularly chatty mood, so I took a photo and sent it to my former coworker "MG". Who informed me that this was a dish with the catchy name of Binagoongang Baboy. The combination of pungent bagoong, garlic, chilies, tomato, and green bell peppers, adds up to salty-savory,tangy,spicy, and pretty delicious in my book. I have another dish to be on the look-out for in the future.
Of course I had the sisig.
Which was disappointing. Oh how the mighty has fallen. This was soggy, lacked vinegar, and had rather unpleasant bitterness to it.
On a positive note, I have a new dish to look out for. On the flip side, it seems that the sisig here has gone downhill. I asked MG when I saw her a couple of weeks later. She told me that the food at Conching hasn't been very good for the last six-eight months. Sad.
Conching's Cafe
3400 E 8th St.Ste 115
National City, CA 91950
ah too bad about the food.
Posted by: kat | Friday, 26 October 2012 at 01:13 AM
Hi Kat - Yead, kind of sad, not as good as before.
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 26 October 2012 at 06:12 AM
wow, they had binagoongan baboy? that's one of my faves, but i rarely eat it nowadays since it can be too salty. was that bittermelon in there?
Posted by: caninecologne | Friday, 26 October 2012 at 06:30 AM
Too bad about the sisig... so where is your favorite spot for sisig nowadays? I had Burlap's trendy/fusion version of sisig and it was "interesting", now I kinda want the real thing.
Posted by: Jason | Friday, 26 October 2012 at 07:32 AM
Kirk, I thought that top dish looks like pinakbet and I thought the green pieces are bitter melon but I know you know the difference between green bell pepper and bitter melon so maybe it is their version of binagoongan. The binagoongan I know though is cubed pork, sans what looks to be tomatoes and other vegs. I looked at their menu and they do list pinakbet. Did your dish have the other items listed in their menu? You're brave for eating bagoong.
Posted by: WeFlipBurgers | Saturday, 27 October 2012 at 12:01 AM
Hi CC - No that was bell peppers, it was pretty salty.
Hi Jason - Sorry to say I can't make any recommendations right now. I'll let you know when I find a good sisig.
Hi WFB - Funny you should mention pinakbet. Growing up in Hawaii all my Filipino friends were Ilocano, so I ate quite a bit of pinakbet. We also enjoy bagoong..... Nice spice in this one, good amount of bagoong. This would be the weirdist pinakbet (where's the green beans?), I'd ever had.
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 27 October 2012 at 09:38 AM