Patok by Rach

Have you ever ranked your favorite meats? We were mid-meal at Patok by Rach—specifically, eating their lechon kawali—when we decided that our #1 is definitely pork. This casual Filipino spot in Inwood knows its way around a pig. The deep-fried pork belly chunks are equal parts thick, crunchy skin and thick, melty fat: a match made in lechon heaven, and, according to the person at the next table, "exactly how my aunt makes it."

Come on a weeknight, and order one more pork-forward dish from the short menu of Filipino classics than you think you'll need at the counter. Get the eggplant adobo too. Then take a seat under the large fake tree, and spoon vinegared onions and cucumbers onto each cube of pork belly until you’re way past full.

photo credit: Willa Moore