Every ethnic community has restaurants serving its...

Every ethnic community has restaurants serving its traditional cuisine, and the South Bay’s growing Filipino community is no different. But few Filipino restaurants enjoy the popularity of Palayok in Carson.

“Palayok was an instant success,” says owner Connie “Chit” Lejano, who opened the family-run restaurant in 1985.

What separates Palayok from some of the other Filipino eateries are the 27 to 30 hot dishes available on a steam table. Diners, usually after a brief wait in line, may select two dishes ($3.50), or three ($4.50), served with steamed rice. No dish lasts very long on the table and the bustling kitchen is constantly preparing new offerings.

It may be difficult to select a dish when your turn comes, especially since there is no menu and none of the dishes are labeled. But this is no problem with a manager like Luis Vargas, who is only too happy to describe them.

For non-Filipino first-timers, Lejano explains there are three popular picks: adobo (pork or chicken sauteed with garlic, vinegar and soy sauce), pancit (noodles with chicken and vegetables) and lumpia (a well-known Filipino egg roll stuffed with ground beef, celery and onions).

Also, consider the most popular dish of Palayok’s loyal following: kare kare. This intensely flavored dish is made by sauteing small chunks of oxtail with green beans, eggplant and garlic, and is served with a sauce made of peanut butter.

Another favorite is the lechon kawali , roast pork with a sauce containing ground pork liver, onions and bread crumbs. Also consider ordering sinigang , an intriguing tamarind-based soup with boiled beef, onions, green beans and spinach. Tamarind, sometimes known as the Indian date, is a sweet/tart fruit that adds a strikingly original note to the broth.

The success of Palayok prompted Lejano to open a second restaurant in San Gabriel. Perhaps fortunately for the South Bay, she felt it was taking time away from the original so she sold it to concentrate on the Carson location.

Palayok is at 22200 S. Main St., Suite D, Carson. Open seven days, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Phone: (310) 834-6061.