Getting to the Heart of Cora’s -- Taste of Manila

I was drawn to 2502 Tanner Drive in Cape Girardeau by the possibility of dynamite. I wanted to feel the heat. While it is an honor to walk alongside those learning how to traverse the damage, destruction and pain evil leaves in its wake, it can take its toll on one’s psyche. Escaping through culinary exploration offers a convenient and accessible opportunity to cleanse my palate, literally and spiritually.

Though unchecked “emotional eating” can be unhealthy, emotions are always involved in our search for any type of nourishment. Maybe you’ve heard of the term “hangry”? While some judge food as “better than sex”, others describe dishes as being so good the emotions they elicit may cause you to commit the moral and criminal offense of “slapping yo’ mama.”

While comfort foods serve as connections to the past, new cuisines are my “reset”, a reminder of a whole world full of possibilities to explore. A reminder that not one single person, place or thing is meant to meet all our needs, a beautiful yet humbling fact.

I drove to Cora’s Taste of Manila seeking that dopamine hit through one of their current specials: dynamite lumpia.

They describe it as “a popular Filipino street food that’s crunchy, spicy and cheesy” with the “perfect punch of heat.”

I arrived along with a sweet young couple who, based on a bit of small talk, were on an epicurean expedition. Andrew Bard appeared in the doorway of the kitchen answering questions and making suggestions while his wife, Michelle Antallan, whom he describes as the ringleader and star of the operation, hustled behind the scenes preparing orders.

As the conversation flowed, I found a point of fusion, where miscommunication and circumstances threatened to derail their dreams but later resulted in something better.

The backstory? In 2018, Bard, a newer resident of the Philippines, and local Antallan hit it off on the dating app Bumble. Before Bard could make his move, Antallan came to a bleak conclusion: Bard was boring. What she didn’t know? Bard was smitten but behind the scenes quietly battling a case of Dengue fever. Love persevered, and they had their first date at the Tipsy Pig Gastropub on December 2, 2018. The rest, as they say, is history. They became an item and were in the midst developing a flourishing business when that “c” word everyone is sick of saying brought the world and their business to a standstill.

Plans to retire in the Philippines thwarted, Bard returned to Cape Girardeau with Antallan, where Antallan was inspired to share the flavors of her culture with the local community through her grandmother’s, (Cora) recipes.

In a short time, Antallan gained a loyal following of lumpia lovers and those seeking her flavorful BBQ skewers.

In addition to lumpia and BBQ skewers, Cora’s menu offers dishes such as tapsilog, bistek Tagalog, pork mechado, chicken adobo or Korean chicken bites bowls, pansit bihon, and Sioman dumplings, to name a few.

While attempting to narrow down my options, another couple arrived. A question about an accent led to another international love story about a Missouri man who found love with a woman oceans away on the app everyone loves to hate, Facebook. Their deliberating led to my decision: “I’ll have what they’re having.”

What were they having? The pork liempo rice bowl, lumpia, dynamite lumpia, and three kinds of crinkle cookies: ube, buko pandan, and chocolate. Was it a lot to order for a party of one? Sure, but still less than everything I wanted to try.

The cookies were fantastic, but my favorite was easily the bright green colored buko pandan, which Bard explained is a combination of coconut and subtle sweetgrass lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Next, I sampled the lumpia and dynamite lumpia and found both to be light, crisp and perfectly executed. If you enjoy heat, you don’t want to miss out on this appetizer. The mixture of crunchy and creamy combined with the hot pepper and intermittently dunked into a bright orange house made sauce is satisfying to the senses.

Last, I enjoyed the packed with flavor and filling pork liempo rice bowl, which consisted of chunks of tender marinated pork belly served with veggies and a side of their very own vinegar sauce.

If you’re looking for a passport free culinary escape, I can’t guarantee you’ll find love, but I can attest Cora’s lumpia, liempo, and everything else on the menu are worth a trip…or two.

Mary Ann Castillo has over 50 years of eating experience with no plans to stop.