Guerrilla Street Food Unveils New Takes on Filipino Favorites

Guerrilla Street Food introduced a new menu of Filipino and Filipino-inspired dishes for its flagship location in St. Louis at 3559 Arsenal St., along with a new website for the growing concept. Even with Guerrilla Street Food’s fast casual menu, the chef team, led by Chef/Owner Brian Hardesty, changes the offerings of creative takes on traditional Filipino fare throughout the year.

Co-owners Brian Hardesty and Joel Crespo have had a busy summer. The duo recently opened a new location inside 2nd Shift Brewery (1601 Sublette Ave) with plans to open another restaurant in The Grove neighborhood of St. Louis inside of a new Tropical Liqueurs location later this year. As the only Filipino concept in St. Louis, Guerrilla Street Food (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives; #32 on the Daily Meal 101 Best Food Trucks in America 2012; one of top 20 restaurants on St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s STL100 list; and more) has introduced the cuisine to the Midwest city. In addition to their new locations, Guerrilla recently launched their long-awaited website. It offers pictures of each dish with an interactive feature encouraging users to like their favorite menu items.

Guerrilla Street Food honors the traditions of Filipino food and culture with everything from new takes to classic interpretations. For example, the Sisig Taco features the conventional braised and sautéed pig ear, tongue and belly with ginger, calamansi, garlic, soy and chilies in an uncommon wonton taco shell. The traditional dish was recently praised by Anthony Bourdain as the dish to lead the charge in Filipino food’s rising international recognition. Rotating dishes also include classics like the Tofu Sarciado with marinated tofu, palm sugar, garlic in a green and red tomato sauce. New side items include: Fried Rice Tots with local Jasmine rice, Togarashi, served with banana ketchup; Laing with taro leaves, coconut milk, bagoong (a favorite fermented fish condiment of Chef Hardesty’s), garlic and Thai chile; three new kinds of Fried Rice (garlic, crab fat or smoked fish).

The new menu highlights Midwest summer with a Filipino twist. For example, guests can try Spam Fries, deep-fried and dusted with ginger and served with housemade banana ketchup. The dish is a result of owner Joel Crespo’s desire for a SPAM take on “chicken fries.” Guerrilla uses tocino SPAM, a special imported variety of the beloved Filipino ingredient. The Longanisa Corn Dog is a new take on the traditional Filipino pork sausage that is dipped in corn dog batter, fried and topped with atchara, a pickled green papaya salad. The Ube Potato Salad ups the ante on the traditional picnic side with purple yam, Kewpie mayo, calamansi, garlic and sesame seeds.

“Old School” or GSF classics remain on the menu like the Chicken Adobo; Bicol Express with pork, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, shrimp paste and chiles; their most popular dish, the Flying Pig with braised pork, hoisin, siracha, calamansi, fried garlic, sesame and scallions with a 63-degree egg; and more.

The complete menu includes:

Merienda

Garlic Peanuts

Fried peanuts, garlic, chili flake, soy sauce

BBQ Skewer

Marinated meats and veggies, skewered

Sisig Taco

Pork ear, tongue, belly, ginger, garlic, chiles, egg

Veggie Ukoy

Pan fried fritter of bean sprouts, cabbage, onion

Longanisa Corn Dog

Pork Sausage, corn dog batter, banana ketchup, atchara

Spam Fries

Ginger dusted spam, banana ketchup

Fresh Lumpia

Veggies, garlic, crushed peanuts, wrapped in a crepe

Arroz Caldo

Roast Chicken rice porridge, ginger, garlic, patis, egg and lemon

Sides

Fried Rice Tots

Local Jasmine rice, Togarashi, served with banana ketchup

Fried Rice (Choose One)

Garlic/ Crab Fat/ Smoked Fish

Laing

Taro leaves, coconut milk, bagoong, ginger, garlic and Thai chile

Side Salad

Seasonal salad, calamansi/sriracha vinaigrette

Ube Potato Salad

Purple yam, kewpie mayo, calamansi, garlic and sesame seed

Old School

Chicken Adobo

Boneless, skinless, chicken thighs braised in soy sauce, cider vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns and bay leaves until the chicken is falling apart tender, then served over steamed local jasmine rice with the braising liquid and garnished with scallions

Flying Pig

12 hour roasted pork shoulder, pulled and sauced with sriracha, hoisin, and calamansi, topped with a 63-degree egg, fried garlic, black sesame seeds served over steamed local jasmine rice, and garnished with scallions

Wandering Pig

12-hour roasted pork shoulder, pulled and sauced with sriracha, hoisin, and calamansi, topped with fried garlic, black sesame seeds served over steamed local jasmine rice, and garnished with scallions

Tofu Sarciado

Marinated tofu, palm sugar, garlic, green and red tomato sauce

Bicol Express

Diced pork shoulder braised in coconut milk with shrimp paste, ginger, garlic, chile peppers and served over steamed local jasmine rice

800 Lb. Guerrilla

Chicken Adobo & Flying Pig Side by Side

Beef Caldereta

Stewed beef, tomato, carrot, potato, liver, anchovy and green olives

New School

All City Burger

Local beef, Thai chile jack cheese, pickles, onion, Calamansi mustard

Pancit Guerrilla