Silver Lake: Modern Filipino Eats at Ma’am Sir

 

I’m so happy to have finally made it to Ma’am Sir! The restaurant opened in Silver Lake a couple months ago and I’ve been plotting my way there ever since.

One of the most popular drinks is the Captain Barbell and it’s a perfect way to dive into the night. I was introduced to calamansi, a citrus fruit available in the Philippines years ago and I always get anything I see made with it. Yep, even the calamansi juice from Trader Joe’s! It’s such a nice citrus; not too tart but still has a level of acidity for drinks and desserts.

Captain Barbell – Torres 10-year Spanish brandy, passion fruit, calamansi, pineapple, paprika, Angostura bitters

 

We then had a few different starterts. The fresh pan de sal comes in an adorable paper bag stamped with Ma’am Sir’s logo. It’s served with salted butter and pandan curd.

 

 

We also had the squash blossoms stuffed with avocado. This is pure California fusion and I love it! Really nice piquant dipping sauce  that helped cut the richness of the dish.

 

Stuffed with savory shrimp mousse, these lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) are topped with uni. Like the squash blossoms, a bit of acid either from the spicy vinegar or the lime helped with the richness.

 

I convinced a friend to get the Burlesk Queen, a good drink to go with food. I love all the St. George gins but Bontanivore is ideal for food-friendly mixed drinks. I got the Manila by Night, a stiffer drink but still very food friendly that went well with our heavier dishes. Plus, I now know the name of those cute mini bananas I see at Asian grocery stores. They’re called Senorita bananas!

Burlesk Queen – St. George Bontanivore gin, Cocchi American, cava, hibiscus, mangosteen, lemon

Manila by Night – Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple rum, orgeat, senoritas bananas, toasted coconut, champagne vinegar, Bittermens Xocolatl bitters

 

 

I feel like I may have been Filipino in a past life because I love lechon, The crispy lechon was so good with lemongrass sarsa and pickled papaya. And you must eat this with garlic rice!

 

 

Do you love offal? Then you’ll love sisig! If you haven’t had it before, it’s basically chopped pig face (snout, cheeks, ears). Just think pork, squeeze the lime (hopefully calamansi!) and enjoy with your beer. Ma’am Sir makes theirs with sweetbreads, Maui onions, Seranno chile, green onion and calamansi. You can add crispy oysters to dish.

I can’t wait to go back to try more drinks like the Oro, Plata, Mata (Tromba tequila, Lillet Blanc, Amaro Angeleno, Ahus aquavit, Laphraoig 10-year-old Scotch whisky, grapefruit) or Scorpio Nights (Cimmaron blanco tequila, Mandarin Napoleon liqueur, mango, ginger, sherry vinegar, agave, lime).

I also want to try either the vegetarian adobo or the chicken adobo. I’ve heard good things about the prawns as well.

Ma’am Sir

4330 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029  —  (323) 741-8371

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