JESSE AND JERE SAT ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER at a long communal table at the newly re-opened Bourse food hall. Their plastic forks fought for the last grains of garlicky rice shimmering on a banana leaf. It was all that was left of their lunch from Lalo, a spot serving lutong bahay—Filipino comfort food.
They had shared Lalo’s lumpia Shanghai, Filipino spring rolls made with pork and lemongrass paired with sweet chili sauce, and inihaw, skewers of grilled pork with atchara (pickles) over garlic rice.
“It’s dangerous, ” Jesse says. This is the kind of place, with a tempting $9 per person lunch, that might derail the couple’s budget. They both work less than a block from the Bourse. Jesse works in HR for a telecommunication company, and Jere’s the director of executive strategy at the Philadelphia Youth Network.
To save money, they typically pack lunch. Each morning, Jere makes turkey or ham sandwiches with sharp cheddar cheese, bread and butter pickles and a small dab of mayo and plenty of Dijon mixed together and spread on wheat bread.
But they’ll be back for the inihaw, Lalo’s signature dish that comes with a sweet story. Co-owner Jillian Encarnacion’s grandfather operated a longstanding food cart across from the Bourse. His specialty was inihaw, and Lalo uses his recipe for the grilled meat with pickled vegetables.
“We remember the old Bourse,” Jere says. Smoothie King was the only draw for them back then. “This is obviously an upgrade.”
THE BOURSE
111 S. Independence Mall East
theboursephilly.com
FIVE LOCALLY-OWNED LUNCH SPOTS
Lalo
Filipino Comfort Food
lalophilly.com
Chaat and Chai
Indian Street Food
Mighty Melt
Fancy Grilled Cheese
Mightymeltphilly.com
Ka’Moon
Halal-prepared Egyptian
eategyptian.com
Bronze Table
Italian by Vera Pasta
