

30

"The claypot adobo rice that drifted past our table smelled heavenly, but since my dining partner abstains from pork, we set our sights on the Kanto fried chicken ($16)—a pyramid of what were essentially thin, thoughtfully deboned dark‑meat tenders with a ruffled, ultra‑crisp batter. Inside this slip of a restaurant after a long day of travel, each piece was juicy and well portioned, especially good dragged through the creamy, pale‑yellow garlic aioli." - Bettina Makalintal