Tapsilog's 'Royal' Family

It’s been said countless times, the simplest meals are usually the best. For the most part, this is true. Take the case of the tapsilog. It takes its name from the items that make up this particular dish: “tap” from “tapa”, “si” from “sinangag” and “log” from “itlog”. Tapa is simply jerky (either beef or pork, it doesn’t really matter), itlog is an egg (usually fried sunny side up but some people argue that it can be cooked any way), and sinangag is fried rice, Filipino-style, with lots of garlic. The sinangag is an important ingredient here. It definitely has to be sinangag, otherwise the dish would be called tapkalog if plain rice was used, the “ka” coming from “kanin” or “kan-on”. But that’s beside the point, best left for another article.

Three simple things making up a great and filling meal: tapa, sinangag, itlog. Who wouldn’t enjoy these three all at once? And the question arises. Where do we get this? Where else but Tapa King, at the Banilad Town Centre. A pioneer in the industry, with over twenty years experience in serving great tapsilog, Tapa King can probably be considered tapsilog royalty.

Several versions of tapsilog are served at Tapa King. The house special, called Tapa King, is actually the regular kind, with ordinary beef jerky. The Tapa Queen is served with a combination of sweet and spicy jerky, while the Tapa Prince comes with a slightly sweet version of beef jerky. A considerably bigger serving, christened the Tapa King Royale, comes with two fried eggs and tapa that’s a bit crispier than the regular kind. Whatever version you choose, you’ll certainly get the kind of tapsilog that’s been famous in Manila for the past two decades. Portions are very generous, and simple as the meal is, you’ll find it very enjoyable.

While tapsilog is the specialty at Tapa King, other silog items are also available. There’s the Longsilog (with longanisa), tocilog (with tocino), which some purists insist should be spelled “tosilog”, and dangsilog (with danggit, the local dried fish), something that is usually out of stock in the Manila branches. Fortunately for Cebuanos, running out of danggit here in Cebu is practically impossible. Again, all these are pretty good.

Those who don’t need a whole lot of meat to go with their rice can opt for a solo order of Mixed Rice, which is rice with shreds of scrambled egg and tapa and tocino (highly recommended!). Still with the unique Tapa King flavor, it kind of resembles Chinese-style fried rice and is a meal on its own. Not only that, it won’t make a dent on your pocket. Besides the silogs and the Mixed Rice, rice toppings, corned beef and burger steak meals are also offered, as well as salads, merienda and dessert items.

Choice merienda items are the palabok, which is really tasty and is big enough for two to share, and the champorado with tapa or danggit. For dessert, the sago’t gulaman, chocolate cake and leche flan will certainly please your sweet tooth. Highly recommended though, is Tapa King’s Flanna Banana, which is sweet banana with leche flan.

Of course, there is no way it can be considered a gourmet meal. Even with a name that denotes royalty, it is basic and uncomplicated. Still, the humble tapsilog does the job of satisfying one’s appetite. And when it’s as tasty and satisfying as Tapa King’s, then you can perhaps say it’s a job well done.