A blogger once criticised JP Anglo for his Sinigang Chicken. “She said ‘it was tasteless,’” shrugged Sarsa’s rock star and Generation T lister chef. 

Many begged to differ but this wasn’t the last to be heard of this poultry dish. “The sinigang fried chicken is making a comeback in the form of chicken wings!” Anglo excitedly shared yesterday during his menu launch. This updated format seemed to immediately click with the diners (and die-hard Sarsa fans) who came out in full force to sample Sarsa’s 11 new additions to the menu. 

Sinagang fried chicken

Mongo

To keep things on a roll and their clientele on their toes, explained Anglo, “Every six months we usually add 10 new dishes to the menu.” In addition to the big wing comeback is the Sizzling Mongo with Lechon Kawali. “This is our third variant of a mongo so I guess we never give up! After three tries, finally, this one is the best one,” said the chef. “Every Filipino menu needs a mongo!”

Coconut grilled liempo

Another third attempt and Anglo’s personal favourite is the coconut grilled liempo (pork belly). “This is the best version as well,” he said. Apparently good things come in threes for Anglo.

Kansi rice noodles 

A comforting newcomer to the menu is the kansi rice noodles. This dish has just the right amount of kalamansi to complement the juicy, crispy beef chunks mixed into the soft and slightly chewy noodles. 

spicy chicken isaw

His sister, Tracie Anglo Dizon, the visionary behind the group, encouraged Anglo to re-invent street food. As such, the wild card on the new menu, comes by way of the isaws or intestines (spicy chicken, pork, and beef). “I’m really happy and proud about the isaws because no one ever does beef isaw. I’ve seen pork isaw, but it’s not very common. That said, I’ve never seen a spicy isaw,” said Anglo. The spicy isaw is a must-try!

Adding to the traditional inasals (vinegar marinated chicken) is Anglo's never-before-seen Gata (coconut milk) marinated inasal, as well as a spicy inasal.

One dish that might not earn the chef street cred but that his writer finds particularly addictive is the Atay (liver) with tsokolate (chocolate) sauce. Odd, very rich, but so very good.   

Atay: liver with chocolate 

“When you open a restaurant, it’s not just about the food. It’s about everything – it’s a holistic approach. It can’t just be about the flavours, which I was solely focused on before. Now, we’ve fixed it up a bit: the plating, the improved service, the new uniforms of the wait staff, the Filipino music – the entire experience,” he said, adding, “It’s our Sarsa cooking culture. We always try to evolve, fix a flaw or make something better.”

Experience the new Sarsa now!