"Goto" (Beef Tripe Congee)

Goto is the Tagalog word for beef tripe. In the context of a carinderia (eatery), ask for goto and you will be served lugaw (rice congee) cooked with strips of beef tripe. Aside from beef fat, goto may also include other protein-rich ingredients such as heart and intestines. Chopped leeks and gingers are also added to goto.

You may also add pepper and patis (fish sauce) until the desired saltiness is reached. Goto is comfort food to me. Every Sunday at Lina's Refreshment in Malolos, it has become my habit to eat the goto that eatery offers. The store owner even claims that goto is their best-seller. For only 30 pesos per bowl, you can have a filling snack or meal.