As my friends can attest, I find it hard to pass any new restaurant without stopping in to see what it is. It’s both a function of my job as a reviewer and my character – I’m naturally curious about what is going on in my neighborhood.
I didn’t have particularly high expectations when a new place opened by the edge of El Camino because the sign said it was an “Asian American Grill.” This usually means a kind of bland fusion of Chinese and Japanese ideas, perhaps with a dash of Korean. Appearances were deceiving, though – Pastor Chef offered a short menu of Filipino and American items, and the friendly person who answered our questions said that the menu would grow with time. We were on our way somewhere else, but bookmarked it for later.
Fast forward a few months and we came back to a place with a larger menu, and an owner who really is both a pastor and a Cordon Bleu chef. Ron Melchor was happy to explain the intricacies of Filipino food, which is handy because the menu is sometimes vague. As a result we learned that Pinoy spaghetti has a very sweet tomato sauce with ground beef and chopped hot dogs, which was interesting but not a dish I’m likely to order.
We were more attracted by starters of lumpia, the tiny pork and vegetable eggrolls, and their version of hot wings. The lumpia were fairly standard, the hot wings quite different. Instead of fried wings slathered with Buffalo hot sauce, they were fried with a batter that had just a bit of red and black pepper and herbs in it – there was a suggestion of heat rather than an explosion. This suited me fine, as I like a little spice in fried chicken batter and find most hot wing sauces one-dimensional. Someone who wants the conventionally fiery and sticky version might be disappointed, but we liked it.
For main courses on that visit we tried the honey fried chicken, the sweet and sour pork hash called sisig, and a blackboard special of the boneless fried milkfish known as bangus. Bangus is regarded as the national fish of the Philippines; its flavorful but not strongly fishy meat compares favorably to tilapia. The version here was marinated in sweet black vinegar with garlic, pepper and other seasonings, then fried and served whole with a garnish of tomato and cucumber relish. The meat was firm and flaky and the spicing gave it a fine sweet and sour flavor, and since it had been deboned and butterflied it was easy to eat every morsel. This preparation was simple but effective, and if you like fried fish it’s highly recommended.
Sisig is a bit more of an acquired taste for most Americans – it’s pork cheek, jowls, and ears chopped fine and mixed with onions, garlic, and spices, then fried and finished with a mixture of vinegar and the juice of the calamansi, a citrus similar to lime. The citrus and vinegar tartness is a contrast to the fattiness of the pork meat, and is sometimes accented by a hefty dose of black and red pepper. The sisig here is served on a sizzling platter with a side of rice and is mild by default but can be made spicier. The unusual combination of flavors and soft, moist texture make it a love it or hate it dish; I like it a lot and will order it spicy next time.
The honey fried chicken is American rather than Filipino comfort food and expertly made; we noticed with approval that they use a different batter from the hot wings rather than just adding honey. I slightly prefer the hot wing batter, but my wife approved the delicate sweetness and crunch. It’s served with corn on the cob and potato salad for a traditional American repast. There are other non-Asian dishes on this globetrotting menu – they offer fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Dijon, Peruvian lomo saltado, and salmon in lemon butter among other items.
For dessert they offer two Filipino items you won’t see elsewhere in the South Bay – Halo-halo and sweet corn ice cream. Halo-halo is shaved ice topped with coconut milk, fruit jellies, and a scoop of purple yam ice cream: a sweet, cooling tropical confection. This is offered in an individual size or a gigantic family dessert platter; the small one will be plenty for one or a good taste for three.
Pastor Chef is open for breakfast too, and if you can’t figure out what to have they have a read answer – Todo-todo, which translates as the Everything Plate. The breakfast is aptly named, as it’s a massive portion of all their breakfast meats, and includes garlic bacon fried rice topped with two eggs, dried cured beef slices, the Filipino pork sausage called longanisa, and your choice of the pork-vegetable hash called torta or corned beef. It also shows a lot about Filipino flavor preferences – though there are some variations, most of the
meats are at least a bit sweet and not very spicy. The exception is the torta, and it’s worth noting that this name is used for several different items, including an omelet, a sandwich, and a muffin. The only thing they all have in common is a mix of ground pork with peas, carrots, tomato, and onion cooked in a mix of calamansi juice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. The version here is like a loose hash and is the only one of the breakfast meats I’d be tempted to replicate at home, though the chewy, tangy beef held my interest.
That monster breakfast, more than enough for one, ran only ten dollars, and nothing on the dinner menu is above $15 – Pastor Chef is a very affordable window on this Spanish-influenced Southeast Asian cooking. I’m always happy when another cuisine comes to the South Bay, and will be back to try both their Filipino and global offerings.
Pastor Chef is at 16300 Crenshaw Boulevard #9, at the corner of Redondo Beach Boulevard. Open Mo 11 A.M – 8 P.M, Tue-Fri 9 A.M. – 9 P.M., Sa 8 A.M. – 9 P.M., closed Su. Parking lot, no alcohol served, wheelchair access good. No website. Phone 310-965-9770.
