Senor Sisig - Chicken Sisig with Steamed Rice Plate

Wednesday was the soft launch of the new Off the Grid lunch location at Vallejo and Front Streets, in between the Financial District and North Beach. I couldn't be happier because now, every Wednesday and Friday, the food trucks are just a short walk away from my daytime work. For it's soft launch, OTG hosted Señor Sisig and Little Green Cyclo, and I, armed with a mission to find some healthy lunchtime options, queued up with my colleagues in front of my favorite Filipino truck.

It seems that every time I eat at Señor Sisig, I find something that becomes my new favorite. It just gets better and better with every visit! I was convinced for a while that nothing would top the Tosilog Burrito, but today it surrendered its #1 spot when I took my first bite of some straight-up Chicken Sisig with Steamed Rice.

Okay, I know that doesn't sound incredibly exciting, especially since on their menu it is listed after a burrito stuffed with french fries and a giant bowl of nachos. But I was trying to eat healthier, and this seemed like the healthiest choice on the menu. Plus, since I have eaten here so many times, it's actually the only thing that I haven't tried off of their normal menu. I expected it to be satisfying, and I expected it to be tasty. Considering all of my past experiences here, I also expected it to be fantastic.

Señor Sisig didn't let me down. My Chicken Sisig was exceptional! The platter consists of bite-sized cubes of seasoned and marinated chicken, grilled and slightly charred. They are tossed with diced onions and topped with jalapeños (though I omitted the jalapeños on mine). It's served alongside a scoop of steamed white rice and is accompanied by achara, pickled Filipino vegetables. My take-away container was fairly heavy, so it's a decent sized portion. And while I am sure that I could have eaten it all, I chose to eat only half and save the rest for later. Even after eating only half I was quite full, so it's a good amount of food.

The chicken was extremely tender and moist, and I loved the crispy charring on the outside. Though the meat sang with a subtle citrus flavor of lemon, I chose to add some extra zing with the wedges that came with my meal. The seasonings added the right amount of salt, and I enjoyed the crisp, fresh, raw onions to balance the delicate spiciness. I also appreciated that it wasn't heavy or oily; instead, it just burst with succulent flavor.

The sisig has always been delectable in all of Señor Sisig's other menu items, but I loved that here it stood out on its own. I was really able to enjoy it's flavor and texture, with nothing else to compete with it. The simple side of steamed rice was the perfect, unobtrusive accompaniment. After a small hiatus from the food trucks, this was the perfect lunch to kick off eating season once again!

Rating: 4/5 (ratings guide)

Senor Sisig (@senorsisig) $8.00 for Sisig Platter with Chicken, Pork or Tofu

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Does reading this make you want to try this vendor? Tell them that you saw them at I Left My Cart in San Francisco and support San Francisco street cuisine!