Oak Park’s Only Filipino Restaurant: Lola Tining’s Cuisine

Oak Park has a Filipino restaurant, Lola Tining’s Cuisine (1141 Garfield), right across from the Volvo tower, in a small, unprepossessing shopping mall. I drove by it a dozen times before I stopped in. I was glad I did.

The first time I walked into Lola Tining’s Cuisine, the nice lady at the hot table looked up at me as though to say, “Are you sure you’re in the right place?”

My appearance, I suppose, screams gringo, but I’ve long been a fan of Filipino food. Based on that first visit, I wrote a piece for the Chicago Tribune/Redeye in praise of the lechon kawali, incredibly delicious cubes of boiled and fried pork belly:

“glistening nuggets of pork, alternating layers of fat and meat, crunchy and soft, oozing glorious juice with every bite. You feel you probably should stop after one piece; you know you definitely should stop after two pieces; shame vanishes with the third piece, and then you’ll likely keep eating it for as long as humanly possible. Take note, it’s dangerous.” [http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-food-eat-this-lechon-kawali-lola-tining-oak-park-0228-story.html]

When I went back to Lola Tining’s Cuisine last week, I got a medium-sized lunch combo; in the photo above, from upper left, clockwise, you will see pork adobo, kinapusan, ginataan calabasa, garlic rice and a skewer of longaniza.

Adobo is perhaps the most famous food of the Philippines; it’s a stew, usually pork but any meat can be used, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar and various spices, chef’s choice (garlic, usually, but like many traditional dishes, adobo is open to individual variation and improvisation). Sarahlynn Pablo, my friend and co-founder of Filipino Kitchen [http://filipino.kitchen/], once told me that ““Adobo is a comforting childhood memory, but the aroma is strong. When we made adobo, we’d close all the doors to our rooms. Some people may not like it, but for me it’s a beautiful cloud of smells.” [url]http://plateonline.com/marchapril-2016/filipino-adobo-puts-country’s-heart-and-soul-single-pot[/url]

Adobo is probably my second favorite Filipino food (lechon Kawali is first), but one thing I like a lot about Lola Tining’s Cuisine is that they make new dishes all the time, and aside from a few standards, you’ll always find something new. The last time I visited, I had kinapusan, a kind of fried bacon and, as manager Ashley Strong mentioned, “it’s pretty much the same as lecon kawali, but meatier.”

The ginataan calabasa is also an item I hadn’t seen before: it’s squash stew, with green beans, coconut milk, and shrimp, very mild, and a good foil to the lush pork that I also had on my plate.

With the lunch combo, I always get garlic rice. The alternative is white rice, which is okay, but why would you not want something tastier?

The longaniza is a sweet sausage, which I just adore. I met a smaller version of these sausages in Bangkok, where I bought them every chance I had; I like the ones at Lola Tining’s Cuisine even better because…they’re bigger.

Lola Tining's Cuisine
1141 Garfield St
Oak Park, IL 60304
(708) 616-8000
https://www.facebook.com/lolatining/

I like Lola Tining's especially for halo halo, fried peanuts, garlic rice, and soups. The steam tray entrees / held sausages don't seem quite as strong to me as other places around (Uncle Mike's, Isla) but I'll keep trying. The best lechon I've had lately is at Aloha Wagon on Western. More info above and below this post including pictures.

Everything is good especially if you visit on the weekends when everything is fresh for visits from FFAR (Friends, Family and Relatives). Stopping by during the week can be dicey as the steam table items turn a uniform dark brown and black as they caramelize.

It is even rumored that Uncle Mike is a regular.

As good as you will find anywhere else in Chicago. Convenient to get to as it is within feet of the Harlem exit on the Eisenhower.

It is a small place and can fill up fast.

Their lumpia is also very good and if you have a preference as to length they will often accommodate you (it comes in long lengths and is cut to order). It is not strongly advertised.

Often their roasted pork (usually a small suckling) is sitting on the warming table calling out to you.

Often when I visit I WAY over-order (two bags) as the items look (and taste) so good and with their urging to try additional and maybe new items.

Often with my large order I will walk out with an item or two comped (often lugaw).

I hope they can maintain a good level of business in that tucked away corner that does have a reputation of being cursed.

Keep in touch with their daily specials on their Facebook page.

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5 ... ent_filter

Lola Tining's Cuisine
1141 Garfield St
Oak Park, IL 60304
(708) 616-8000
https://www.facebook.com/lolatining/

Since we have a new addition to the family...


We have restricted ourselves to dining Al Fresco for a few weeks and yesterday, with the beautiful weather and a park a block away made Lola’s a great choice!

What a great meal as all the items ordered were perfectly cooked and had a different flavor profile.

The standout of the day was a very traditional American beef stew but once again they worked their culinary expertise to up the level of a common dish into the clouds. Beef perfectly roasted, gravy flavorful and unctions, carrot, potatoes, green pepper.

Perfect!

Don’t get me wrong as everything was outstanding without a clinker in the group.

Once again a few days worth of food...

Being a Saturday the steam table was full and fresh...


Forget it! Even after 4 tight crops I cannot get images to load.

See my Facebook post.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... =bookmarks