From the creators of Chef’s Table, Street Food explores the rich culture of street food in some of the world’s most colorful cities. Season one explores nine countries across Asia, highlighting the stories of perseverance that bring each country’s cuisine and culture to life.
For some of the featured local legends, creating street food began as a necessity, but through generations of refining and honoring family traditions, it became their life-long passion to continue to uplift and bring joy to their communities. Street Food goes beyond the delicious food to document the blood, sweat and tears that goes into each iconic dish. From Jay-Fai who taught herself to cook after losing everything in a fire to 100-year old Mbah Lindu that hasn’t changed her recipe since she started, each dish is as unique as the people that create them.
The series celebrates the following cities:
Bangkok, Thailand
Osaka, Japan
Delhi, India
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Chiayi, Taiwan
Seoul, South Korea
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Singapore
Cebu, Philippines
About the Cebu episode
Cebu City has been a trading hub for centuries, where the locals are blessed with the freshest seafood and easy access to produce from the mountains. This geographic good luck coupled with the global influence of sea-trading and colonization makes Filipino street food totally unique.
In Cebu City, a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. With his eatery, Florencio “Entoy” Escabas found a way to reverse the cycle of poverty not only for his family, but also for the fishermen in his community. He discovered a way to make his community a destination to which people travel from far and wide.
Nilarang Bakasi is a soured stew made with reef eel. It can be made from many types of fish, but when it’s made with reef eel, it’s truly something special. It has an aphrodisiac quality that cannot be achieved with other ingredients..
Salty, juicy Lechon Cebu is the most popular street food in Cebu City. Leslie Enjambre’s grandmother started the Lechon business in Talisay in the 1940’s and it’s been passed down through the generations ever since. There’s not a party or feast that doesn’t have a lechon as its centerpiece.
Tuslob-Buwa, a thick, bubbling gravy made with sautéed onions, garlic and pig brains has been around Cebu for centuries and was historically eaten by those who couldn’t afford meat or fish. Ian Secong brought a new (and hygienic) Tuslob-Buwa into the mainstream culture with Azul, a popular restaurant for the younger generation.
To support her family, Rubilyn Diko Manayon opened a roadside carinderia in Cordova where she sells 18 different dishes. The most popular food by far is her Lumpia (Chinese-style spring rolls). The Chinese made a big impact on the street food of Cebu when they introduced the wok, allowing Cebuanos to sauté their aromatics, fry foods and make those glorious spring rolls.
For more delicious content on Street Food, visit Netflix Food on Instagram and Twitter.
