One nice thing about Dubai is that being an international expat city, you are always treated to dishes you never thought existed.
Take for instance the Balbacua, a dish popular among Filipinos hailing from central and southern Philippines which is prepared either with beef parts or goat skin, cooked with various spices and black beans for hours.
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Various stories abound about the origins of this exotic dish with some culinary experts suggesting that the word Balbacua was derived from the Spanish “barbacoa” or barbecue – actually a method of cooking that originated in Mexico where lamb or goat is slow roasted for hours in a pit topped with maguey leaves.
The Philippine version is a lot different and makes use of peanut sauce, leeks and annato oil.
Various restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi serve Balbacua, with some preparing it with pork hocks.
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Word has it that Kusina Natin ‘To, a Filipino restaurant located in Al Bada Oasis 2 Building, Near Iranian Hospital, Al Hudaiba Road, Al Satwa, has one of the best balbacuas in Dubai.
Have you been there lately?