Marielle’s Taste of Asia: Tempting Filipino cuisine merits return visits

MARYSVILLE — I haven’t had a lot of Filipino food, so I’m no expert on what it’s supposed to taste like. That said, I do know that this food tastes good.

I’m talking about the fare served at Marielle’s Taste of Asia. This little slice of ethnic heaven stuffed inside a shoebox-sized storefront in a bland Marysville neighborhood is a surprisingly delightful find.

The food is hearty, inexpensive and plentiful. And after my meal I didn’t feel like I needed to drink a gallon of water.

The service is friendly and, as a relative newcomer to Filipino cuisine, I felt gently guided through the ordering process.

That guidance was necessary because the menu was a bit intimidating at first glance. But I say to you, be intrepid; Marielle’s will make the journey worth it.

Start by ordering a merienda or snack of fresh vegetable lumpia ($2.99 for three pieces). They are made fresh when you order. These are the Filipino version of egg rolls, skinnier but just as yummy. Get the three-piecer, too; you won’t be able to eat just one.

During our visit, a co-worker and I quizzically studied the menu in front of the steaming hot case to select the entrees. Our friendly server noticed we were in trouble and immediately helped us by describing some of the steaming dishes.

She told us that the entree selection changed daily and described current choices.

We were both relieved by not having to figure out the pancit (noodles) from the crispy pata (deep-fried pork leg).

With her help, I decided to try something different and ordered the day’s version of sinigang, a soup of tamarind broth with milkfish.

My co-worker ordered the “chocolate soup,” an onyx-colored pork stew.

We also ordered chicken adobo, a chicken stewed in soy vinaigrette with garlic, peppercorn and bay leaf, and, for good measure, tacked on an order of what our server called pork stew.

The entrees aren’t individually priced but based on a combo plate of steamed rice with one, two or three entrees at $4.99, $6.99 and $8.99.

We brought out meals back to the office, along with sides of rice and dished them out to share with another co-worker.

In between bites, we declared Marielle’s good eating, exotic but perhaps not too spicy, to suit American eaters’ tastes.

The broth for my milkfish dish was delicious and tangy with a tinge of vinegar and nice crunchy vegetables. The fish was mild and not at all fishy. I was challenged by the bones, but I blame that on my inexperience.

The pork stew, which had a nice peppery kick, and the chicken adobo, not greasy at all but moist, were both fall-off-the-bone tender.

The co-worker who ordered the chocolate soup is, for the most part, an admitted finicky eater. It speaks volumes about Marielle’s quality that she gave a thumbs up to this dark pork stew flavored with rice vinegar and ginger, even after she learned that it was thickened with pork blood.

There are lots of dishes still to taste at Marielle’s Taste of Asia: beef brisket stewed in brown sauce (beef kaldereta) or the braised beef and eggplant (kare-kare), or the shrimp cooked in coconut milk (ginataang gulay).

And we haven’t even sampled from the dessert selection of leche flan ($1.99), cassava cake ($1.50) and the Filipino version of ice cream, halo-halo ($4.99).

So then a return to this eating adventure in Marysville is a must.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.