Find real-deal Filipino flavours at this new Fitzroy spot
Palay offers affordable Filipino fare inside an old bluestone building.
Filipino$
Filipino chef Fhred Batalona has opened Palay with Ralph Libo-on and Michael Mabuti (Askal, Kariton Sorbetes). The star of the brunch menu is arroz caldo, a nourishing Filipino chicken rice porridge flavoured with a heady hit of ginger and fish sauce, and topped with boiled eggs, fried garlic and chives.
From 5pm, a Filipino “tapas” menu kicks in. Sydney rock oysters are dressed with an adobo sauce that “slaps you in the face”. Sizzling sisig combines pig’s ear, cheek and belly into an unctuous dish that gets extra smoky from being fired by the grill, then the wok.
There’s also a “secret” vegan menu to cater to plant-based fans. The above-mentioned arroz caldo uses vegan chicken stock, and adobo fried tofu can be added. And instead of serving Filipino liver spread with the house-baked pandesal (quintessentially Filipino bread rolls), the vegan alternative is an umami-rich mushroom paste.
Plus, nothing on the menu is over $30. And if you’re on a budget, you could just pop in for a few skewers: the inihaw (grilled) section is priced between $5 and $7.
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Tomas Telegramma is a food, drinks and culture writer.