Some of you might remember the bold, creative flavors of the Bad English food truck launched by Chef Juneil Cabreza back in 2019.  And if you do, you probably remember delicious offerings like the Bad English Burger made with smashed Longanisa sausage, atchara (Filipino pickles),  a perfectly crispy sunny egg and flavorful garlic aioli on a King’s Hawaiian bun.

Even if you don't remember, it's worthy to note that an updated take on that memorable burger is back – along with a sampling of other amazing Filipino dishes – at the newly launched The Bad English Filipino pop-ups at L’Incontro, 2315 N. Murray Ave. The pop-ups take place on Monday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. (or until sell-out).

I'm predicting that you'll want to set aside some time to go. After all, Filipino fare is delicious. And we don’t have nearly enough of it in Milwaukee. 

I popped in for the inaugural pop-up, and here’s a glimpse of what I tried.  

First up, there’s Lumpia Shanghai served with sweet chili sauce. You can order them filled with pork and vegetables or mushrooms and vegetables ($10) or get a platter of both ($15).  Both showcase flavorful fillings wrapped in the signature flour-based lumpia wrappers, which fry up delicate and crispy, almost like phyllo dough.

X

I’d advise adding some chicken skewers to your lumpia platter.  They’re sweet and salty and delicious topped with crispy garlic and scallions and served with housemade banana ketchup and sawsawan (the classic zesty vinegar-based dipping sauce you’ll find everywhere on the Filipino table), $8.

From there, we tried the Silog, a traditional breakfast dish the name of which is a portmanteau of its foundational components: sinangag (garlic fried rice) and itlog (egg). Silog is often supplemented with some sort of protein. In this case, there was a choice of housemade Longanisa sausage ($18), fried eggplant ($17) or both ($21).  

X

Of course we took both!  The longanisa – which pulls in all the right salty, sweet, spicy and savory notes – is delicious. And the eggplant, while less assertive in flavor, was tender and ultra crispy. The atchara (pickled slaw of unripe papaya and jicama) that came with most dishes was also delicious: tangy, savory, a tiny bit sweet. It’s a perfect foil for the rich sausage and fried eggplant.

We also went for the Mushroom Adobo, a pretty traditional Filipino dish featuring mushrooms that have been cooked and marinated in vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. Served with more delicious garlic fried rice, the dish was tangy and savory and delicious ($17).

X

If you’re lucky, you might get to try the stunningly purple ube tiramisu featuring ube, pumpkin, mascarpone, coffee and ladyfingers ($10).

X

While the menu will change weekly, items like lumpia, the longanisa smashburger and adobo are likely to be staples on the menu, which Cabreza says channels the spirit of Jolibee, the beloved Filipino fast-food phenomenon specializing in fried chicken and island comfort foods.

So, head on over and check it out.  You can watch the @LincontroMKE Instagram feed for updates and weekly menus!