I've got a bunch of one or two-off sets of photos consisting of visits to various "turo-turo" (point-point) shops all of San Diego. I really didn't know how, or where to place them. I was thinking of just doing a week of these "steam table" shops, which are a staple. I do wish there would be more medium range restaurants like Tribu Grill and Gerry's Grill in San Diego, but alas, whether based on attitudes or local culture it is not to be. So I've decided to do one of these places every week or so until I run out!
You may have seen the sign, so you may think that name of this joint is "Filipino Lumpia". Unless, of course, you've read Dennis's post, which you can find here.
But if you enter through the door…..
You might find a quaint "turo-turo" shop. I say "might" because the first time I ventured through those doors, right after I saw the Filipino Lumpia sign, the place was empty, totally empty, and not even my "hellos" would create a stir in the place.
My next visit would be much, much, different. I happened to walk in when Rocky was working. Rocky, along with his wife Olga run Olga's Food Place and Lumpia Factory. Rocky, originally from Cavite is a jovial and friendly soul. At first glance, he reminded me of retired entertainer Teddy Tanaka, circa 1970's in dress.
There are usually 8 steam table offerings daily, and something even more special on Fridays and Saturdays:
In case you think that Filipino and Cuban food make strange bedfellows, you wouldn't be alone. You see, Olga is Cuban, and the quiet older woman there on Fridays and Saturdays, who I believe is Olga's Mother cooks one or two Cuban Dishes. Rocky is easy to talk to, and if you show any interest or knowledge of Filipino Food, he'll undoubtedly ask you, "are you Filipino"? I saw him ask a somewhat incredulous African-American young man this, when he ordered the adobo; "you know ADOBO! Are you Filipino???" Somehow, coming from Rocky, this is just plain charming, as I've been asked three times, and can't help but chuckle……..
On this day, I went with the two item and starch turo-turo standard($5.00), selecting the just prepared Cuban Arroz con Pollo (Chicken Rice) as my starch.
In one corner, I selected the Fish Sarsiado. This sarsiado preparation used tilapia, which was on the dry side. The tomato-onion based sauce had good flavor, and this was very low on the "patis" (fish sauce) scale.
In the other corner was Cuban Chicken Fricasse (Fricasé de Pollo):
Mild in flavor but very moist, this was a rustic home-style dish.
My favorite was the Arroz con Pollo, in spite of the fact the rice was on the mushy side, was full of flavor.
On other occasions, I've arrived to find the place packed with a swarm of young folks, reading, playing, and just being kids. I think that Rocky and Olga have a huge family, and extended family.
One non-Friday I arrived and just went with the simple two item combo, this time with a version of Tocino and Adobo.
The radiation red tocino was dry and flavorless, and left me unimpressed.
The Adobo on the other hand was pretty good. Notice I say "adobo", not chicken adobo, or pork adobo. This was a combination chicken and pork adobo.
The meats were tender and moist, and the black pepper flavor in the sauce stood out. This was not bad. I'd say this was easily worth the five bucks, not "National City level" food, but I think a bit better than Phil-Am a few miles away.
Olgas main business is in lumpia. At four for a buck, it's pretty much a bargain.
The pork, and the "mixed" is better than the beef, and though not quite as good as FredCel's lumpia, you can get 100 lumpia for $25!
Overall, an interesting Mom-and-Pop-Filipino-Cuban-turo-turo joint. Now that's one of a kind…..
Olga's Food Place
2314 Morley St
San Diego, CA 92111
Please read Dennis's post on Olgas on a Radiused Corner, which can be found here.