Sinuglaw aka “Surf and Turf Kinilaw”

Soft, cremy, raw butterfish and pork belly marinated in sugarcane vinegar, lime juice, and coconut milk, with chiles, and cilantro oh my goodness I gizzed in my pants.

Here is its creator, Tim Luym and his little mini army of  “Surf and Turf Kinilaw”.

I learned that Kinilaw may have been one of the first ways insular South East Asians prepared food, taking fresh fish and shellfish alike straight from the ocean and prepping them seaside washed with cool ocean water and flavored with kalamansi limes and other citrus fruits.

Grilled meats or Sinugba is also popular, if not another early way of cooking for all societies across the globe. Why? Because Sinugba means to cook over a fire! Fire was invented like hella years ago. The term Sinugba is possibly derived from the Filipino word for burn, “Sunog.”

And when you combine both Kinilaw and Sinugba together, you form the most powerful element in the universe: Sinuglaw. Or in Tim’s terms, “Surf and Turf Kinilaw.”

Special thanks to the Asian Culinary Forum in San Francisco for giving San Franciscans the opportunity to learn, share, and eat Filipino fare both traditional and contemporary!