This hidden gem is serving up Filipino dishes in Louisville. Here's what to order

I grew up in Oahu, Hawaii, with Asian restaurants all over the island. When I moved to Louisville, certain Vietnamese and Thai eateries quickly became my go-to, as the dishes there came closest to the food I was accustomed to eating back home.

Since then, lots of new restaurants have opened, some of which offer items that feature those familiar flavors.

But one kind of Asian cuisine that I still rarely see in Derby City is Filipino fare. That’s why when I heard about Xian Kitchen in Middletown, I had to know more.

I learned that Jovy Flores and his wife, Christian, opened the restaurant with their business partners, Neil and Irene Alatraca, this past December. Here are five other things I found out while chatting with Jovy.

Xian Kitchen was founded nearly four years ago

“We started the company in May 2020,” Jovy told The Courier Journal, adding that Christian has a passion and talent for cooking, while he — a Sullivan University business management student — has a knack for management.

The couple decided to combine their strengths and build a business, creating the moniker Xian Kitchen from a shorter, modified version of Christian’s name.

“We changed the ‘C’ to (an) ‘X’ so we could use a spoon and fork (in our logo),” Jovy explained, “because most Filipinos use a spoon and fork to eat.”

They started by cooking for friends, family, and people at church. Initially, the Floreses only accepted pre-orders for small quantities of food. But soon enough, the demand for bigger orders grew, so they began offering catering services.

Once Christian’s cooking was being served at birthday parties and wedding receptions all around town, they started considering a brick-and-mortar space. The Alatracas — friends from church — stepped in as partners with Jovy and Christian to help get the restaurant open.

Try the lechon belly at Xian Kitchen

Over the past few months, Xian Kitchen has continued catering services while serving a variety of authentic Filipino dishes on Shelbyville Road six days a week. Jovy said the most popular item is the first thing Christian began preparing for friends and family in 2020: lechon belly.

Also known as roasted pork belly or lechon liempo, this slow-roasted, Filipino-style porchetta boasts crispy skin and moist meat. If you’re hoping to get your hands on some, be sure to pop by — or place a pre-order — on a Tuesday or Friday.

“It’s expensive,” Jovy exclaimed, “(so) we don’t make it every day.”

Another fan favorite, sisig, is always available. “Sisig is one of the popular foods in the Philippines,” Jovy said. “(It’s) from Pampanga.”

Made from chopped pig face, ears, and pork belly, the dish is seasoned with soy sauce, citrus juice, onions, and chili peppers.

“It’s supposed to be spicy, but we don’t make it (too) spicy,” Jovy said, explaining that traditionally, sisig packs a lot of heat. They’ve toned the spice level down in their standard order, but guests can request extra spice if that’s what they’d like.

Xian Kitchen newbies should try one of three grilled dishes

For customers who have never had Filipino cuisine and want to try a dish that seems a bit familiar, Jovy recommends ordering something from the grill.

This includes Filipino pork barbecue that’s marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and then skewered onto bamboo sticks; chicken inasal, which is chicken that was marinated in a mix of lemon, vinegar, and spices before being basted with marinade and annatto, and grilled over hot coals; and pork liempo, a sweet and savory dish consisting of pork belly that’s marinated in soy sauce, lemon, garlic, and sugar, then grilled over charcoal.

For those interested in sampling a twist on a familiar favorite, Jovy suggests Filipino-style spaghetti. Served with a thick and creamy sweet sauce, the pasta dish is made with ground beef, spices, and condensed milk.

Look for these new additions to the Xian Kitchen menu

“We are planning to (start) making silog,” Jovy said, explaining that the dish is a Filipino breakfast staple that includes a fried egg, garlic rice, and meat.

Its name is a portmanteau of two words: sinangag, or garlic fried rice, and itlog, or egg. Jovy added that they will be offering sisigsilog, which comes with sisig, a chopped pork dish; as well as longsilog, which comes with longanisa, a type of Filipino sausage.

This breakfast addition is expected to be available before the end of March.

Don’t forget to try some Filipino desserts

In addition to a wide selection of noodle, vegetable, and meat dishes, Xian Kitchen offers six traditional Filipino desserts. These include everything from egg pie to biko, a cake made from glutinous rice and cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar, then topped with caramelized coconut milk.

“Our best dessert is halo-halo,” Jovy said. “It’s (a) mix of fruits.”

Served in a cup, the cold treat is made with crushed ice, evaporated milk, coconut strips, sugar palm, jackfruit, plantains that have been cooked in syrup, and nata de coco, which is a chewy, jelly-like concoction made of coconut water. It’s then topped with flan and ice cream.

“We are inviting (people) to experience Filipino cuisine,” Jovy exclaimed. “(It’s) like a little vacation in the Philippines.”

Know a restaurant that would make a great feature? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

Xian Kitchen

WHAT: This is a locally owned restaurant serving authentic Filipino cuisine.

WHERE: 12338 Shelbyville Road, Middletown

SERVICES: Indoor dining, carryout, catering, and delivery via DoorDash, Grubhub, and UberEats; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

CONTACT: xianskitchen.com, 502-365-3305

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What to order at Xian Kitchen, Filipino restaurant in Louisville