Filipino restaurant Chibog opens Footscray store
Authentic Filipino cuisine has made its way to Footscray with the grand opening of a new restaurant. And there’s plenty of unique tasty treats on the menu.
North West
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A taste of the Philippines has finally found its way to West Footscray.
Chibog, off Barkly St, opened its doors this week with an array of delicious authentic Filipino dishes.
Owner Janine Barican, who grew up in the Philippines, decided to open the restaurant with her friend Alex because they couldn’t get enough of the cuisine in Melbourne.
“We visit the Philippines almost every year and when we come back here we crave the food,” she said.
“I love cooking for my family and friends and we decided why don’t we just open one here?”
The word Chibog is Filipino slang for “to eat”, and there’s plenty creative and decadent treats on offer to do just that.
The Chori burger has proved the most popular so far, made with half Filipino chori – a cured pork – and half beef with banana ketchup.
“It’s half red and half brown when it comes out, but it’s not raw!” Mrs Barican said.
A fried tofu dish with vegetables and a secret sauce is also a popular dish on the menu.
But Mrs Barican said she couldn’t get past the Ube waffles made out of purple yams with ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce and fresh strawberries.
“People love seeing a purple waffle come out, it’s amazing,” she said.
Mrs Barican said she even had a specialised Filipino mixologist come in and design four cocktails just for Chibog – Pinoy Old Fashioned, Lychee Sour, Calamansi Smash and Ube Macapuno Colada.
“Calamansi Smash is my favourite because it’s very refreshing, it’s the Filipino version of wine,” Mrs Barican said.
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Imported Filipino beer is also on tap.
Chibog is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am and 3pm for lunch and 5pm to 10pm for dinner.
More information about Chibog can be found online.