I am a woman who counts calories, and as such, I really love writing the Eats column because it means I can cave in to some of my worst cravings and pretend it’s “for work.” So the other day, when it came time for me to tackle this week’s food review adventure, I knew exactly which craving I’d aim to indulge: I wanted something greasy and crunchy. Meaty. Delicious. Something that’d make my heart sing and my arteries cry.
But my typical Chinese takeout and go-to Mexican food trucks simply wouldn’t cut it—I wanted something different.
I wanted Filipino food.
Until three months ago, Santa Maria was devoid of a traditional Filipino eatery. But then Jade’s Filipino Food came to town to remedy our lumpia deficiencies, and the place has since racked up a 4.5-star Yelp rating and plenty of rave reviews—plus it’s garnered the much-coveted one-dollar-sign (“$”) price rating, which always sparks my interest.
Allegedly yummy, apparently inexpensive, and guaranteed greasy. I had to try it.
At the suggestion of one friendly Yelp reviewer (wassup Tess S.), I opted for one of Jade’s combo plates. For $8, I was given the options of adobo (pork or chicken), sesame chicken, BBQ on a stick, breaded fish, bistek, or whole tilapia, and each came with rice, pancit, lumpia, and shanghai sauce on the side. I chose the chicken adobo combo plate. It was an awesome choice.
To illustrate why it was so awesome, I’ll now explore the many demands of my craving that day, and how my meal from Jade’s satisfied each of them.
Craving No. 1: Greasy and crunchy. The lumpia had that covered.
Lumpia, or Lumpiang Shanghai, are essentially the Philippines’ take on spring rolls. They’re fried, with pork, beef, shrimp, and/or vegetables bundled up tightly in a pastry-like wrapper. And they’re finished with an egg binder, which makes them super dense and awesome—and so, so magnificently crunchy.
Craving No. 2: Meaty. For that, I turned to the chicken adobo.
I mean, the whole dish is just meat. I chose chicken, but adobo can also be made of pork, seafood, or vegetables (though Jade’s menu only offered chicken or pork options). The meat marinates in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic before being browned in oil and simmered in the marinade. Adobo is kind of the Philippines’ flagship food, sometimes referred to as their hallmark or national dish.
And there’s no question why the stuff is so popular—it’s really damn good. I’ve had chicken adobo that’s served in wings, where bones were involved, and in order to eat it I was forced to employ my fingers and a knife in addition to a fork, which is far beyond my limited phalanges-related abilities. (I am a simple person.) But the dish at Jade’s used tender, boneless morsels of chicken. So I only had to use a fork, and the whole experience required very little finger coordination, for which I am grateful.
Craving No. 3: Delicious. On second thought, maybe that’s not even a craving and rather just a standard for food quality … but whatever.
Each aspect of my chicken adobo combo plate was, in fact, delicious. The adobo, lumpia, and pancit were flavorful and intriguing—though in full disclosure, I skipped the rice. By the end of my meal, I was satisfied enough to utter the phrase, “I’m never going to eat again.” That phrase is my official stamp of approval. I’ve said it after every awesome meal I’ve ever consumed. (But I always eat again shortly afterward, because duh.)
Craving No. 4: Something that’d make my heart sing and my arteries cry.
Yes. That actually literally happened.
Overall, I recommend a trip to Jade’s next time you’re looking for something a little different and utterly unhealthy. The venue is table-less, so make sure you’re prepared for takeout—but beyond that, prepare for a lot of happy feelings.
MORE TO EAT
» DOG FRIENDLY
Sometimes, taking the whole family out to eat means taking the dog, too. Luckily for you, the following food joints around Santa Maria welcome puppy patrons:
• Moxie Café, a health-conscious breakfast, lunch, and dinner place located at 1317 West McCoy Lane in Santa Maria.
• Maya Restaurant, a lively Mexican restaurant at 110 Lincoln St. in Santa Maria.
• The Mayor’s Place, a breakfast and brunch spot at 181 West Tefft St. in Nipomo.
• Willow Nipomo, an all-day deli with great outdoor seating, located at 1050 Willow Road in Nipomo.
• Sylvester’s Burgers, the name says it all, and it’s worth the drive to 1875 Front Street in Oceano.
» WINETASTIC
William James Cellars has several upcoming events for wine enthusiasts:
• Wine club pick-up party
Wine club members can enjoy a “Taste of the Vineyard” at the legendary Hampton Family Vineyards at the corner of Roblar Road and Brinkerhoff in Santa Ynez from 4 p.m. to dusk on May 28.
Stroll the vines as you sip syrah from their oldest vintage, 2005 to the most current vintage, 2013. Their winemaker classifies these wines as classic, silky, and smooth. Learn the terroir of the land—soil, weather, and grapes. $10 per club member, $15 per guest.
For reservations contact Robin at wine@williamjamescellars.com or 478-9412.
• First Friday Open Late
All Orcutt merchants stay open late and celebrate good friends with old fashioned family fun.
• Port, Chocolate & Cigars
May 6. Name says it all.
• Wine & words
The Girl on the Train, a psychological thriller by British author Paula Hawkins. Discussion is May 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the tasting room.
All are welcome.
• Ladies night out
The theme is Iris Apfel—May 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. Bring your girlfriends for a well-deserved night out. Fashion icon Iris Apfel wears outlandish clothing, chunky long necklaces, elbow high bangle bracelets, bright multiple colors, and large rimmed glasses. New theme monthly.
» FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS
All through Old Orcutt on Friday evenings you can dine and wine from a local food truck vendor. New trucks come weekly to keep it fresh and exciting. WJC also pairs wine and WineTinis to the truck’s menu. The event takes place from 5 p.m. until things sell out.
» SIP WINE ON THE RIVIERA
Join Happy Canyon Vinyard Wine Club on June 25, along with world-renowned polo player and Ralph Lauren model Nacho Figueras for the fifth annual SYV Polo Classic at Piocho Ranch and Happy Canyon Vineyard in Santa Ynez.
Piocho Ranch offers a spacious venue and perfect playing field with fast, action-packed polo. All guests are invited to dress for the occasion, with creative hats for the ladies encouraged.
VIP guests, including patrons, sponsors and individual VIP ticket purchasers, will once again be treated to priority parking, shuttle service, private tented seating and dining area, champagne and appetizer reception, entertainment, three-course luncheon, goody bag, silent auction, and the ever-popular hat contest.
Happy Canyon Vineyard Wine Club, located adjacent to the VIP area and exclusively for wine club members and their guests, will offer private tented table seating, buffet luncheon, and limited beer and wine.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company Mug Club, located adjacent to general admission, will offer private tented table seating, lunch from gourmet food trucks, and limited beer and wine.
General admission tickets with bleacher seating will offer lunch options from gourmet food trucks, beer, wine, sparkling wine, soft drinks, and dessert available for purchase.
There will also be a silent auction and hat contest for club seating and general admission guests.
At the conclusion of the featured match, an awards ceremony is conducted at midfield for guests to gather, mingle with the players, and view the presentations of the perpetual winner’s trophy, Carlos Gracida Sportsmanship Award, Best Playing String of Ponies, and Best Playing Pony.
All tickets can be purchased with bus transportation from stops within the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, and Westlake. Prices for transportation are posted on the ticketing website, syvphp.org/events/poloclassic and vary by point of embarkation.
Brenna Swanston LOVES LUMPIA A LOT. Scream at her about the things you love at bswanston@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 12-19, 2016.