Comfort food!

Definition (according to Wikipedia): Comfort food is traditional food which often provides a nostalgic or sentimental feeling to the consumer, and is often characterized by a high carbohydrate level and simple preparation. The nostalgic element most comfort food has may be specific to either the individual or a specific culture.

Every one has their own comfort food and often times it can be the ones not necessarily the healthiest yet the ones that you can treat yourself once in awhile. Two comfort foods that are associated with the Filpino culture are the crispy pata (fried pork dish) and kare kare (peanut butter stew with oxtail, vegetables).

In Artesia, California, there is one restaurant that offers both of those dishes. Crispy House Inc.
The restaurant is newly named Crispy House for it was formly known as Magic Wok. It’s a place many people flock to for their many Filipino comfort foods.

It is the crispy pata here that they are well known for. Reasonably price, made fresh and oh so wonderfully crispy, the crispy pata is the trademark of Crispy House Inc. This dish is one that is often served at special occasions. It is comfort food at it’s finest because it definitely reminds the consumer of happy memories of parties and celebrations. It is also one that is for those once in awhile treats. With the crispy and crunch outer skin and tender pork meat, it is a tasty but only once in awhile treat!

Pairing well with the crispy pata is the kare kare. Similar to the crispy pata, Crispy House Inc does an excellent job with this stew. It is a savory dish with thick peanut butter sauce that is perfect over white rice. The oxtail meat is simmered to make a rich, flavorful broth. More than the oxtail though, I am a fan of the vegetables that are in this dish. There is bok choy, long beans, and eggplants!

Magic Wok and now Crispy House Inc. is a place where once can simply enjoy traditional Filipino favorites that remind one of the comfort of family and the comfort of home. Eating their comfort food, can simply make one person smile.

For more smiles, please see my recent Yelp review on Crispy House Inc.