Papillon, Filipino food in El Segundo [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
There was a time when the French language was so identified with fine food that steakhouses in mid-America printed their menu offerings first in French, and only grudgingly in English below. While this has rightfully come to seem pompous, French still appears in unlikely places. Visitors to the South Bay sometimes visit Versailles restaurant in Manhattan Beach expecting Parisian food, and are surprised to find that the fare on offer is Cuban. Another place with a misleading name is Papillon, a very good Filipino restaurant in El Segundo. Calling the restaurant “Butterfly” in some language is a good idea since El Segundo is best known for its indigenous blue insect, but what’s wrong with the name “Paruparo.” That’s the word for butterfly in Tagalog, the major indigenous language of the Philippines. I think it’s a pretty word, though admittedly not one with which many South Bay locals are familiar. We generally aren’t familiar with Filipino food either, which is a shame because it’s excellent stuff. The flavors are a mix of Chinese, South Asian, and just a touch of Spanish from the centuries of Colonial rule, and they’re combined in a way subtly different from other South Asian…
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