Comparing Adobo across three restaurants — an honest verdict

I ate Adobo at three different restaurants in the same week to compare. The results were illuminating. The use of bagoong shrimp paste varied significantly — only one got it right. The tangy and savoury from vinegar profile should be consistent but interpretation differs widely.

Filipino adobo was the Spanish colonisers' term for the indigenous vinegar and salt preservation technique. The best version came from a turo-turo cafeteria, which felt authentic. fresh calamansi juice was offered at all three but only one knew how to serve it properly. The gap between mediocre and excellent Adobo is larger than you'd think.