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Paksiw describes a family of Filipino dishes cooked with vinegar and aromatics. Seafood versions are sharp, savoury and deeply comforting, with recipes changing from household to household.

Paksiw is found throughout the Philippines rather than belonging to only one province. Its vinegar-led structure reflects a broader Filipino language of preservation, acidity and appetite.

Chef Fhred had rarely seen seafood paksiw represented on Melbourne menus. When Fisher Farms offered smoked bangus, it immediately felt like the right opener—especially because Palay loves skewering food.

Smoked bangus becomes a bright, savoury first course. The written guide reveals its flavour direction, but not its final shape.

Jackfruit Paksiw: young jackfruit carries the vinegar, aromatics and savoury structure while offering its own fibrous texture.

Their smoked bangus inspired the course itself.

The dish stayed in Chef Fhred's memory through the comedy of Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo. For this menu, the idea became seafood-forward after Sunny Seafood's crab claw and clam meat suggested a new direction.

Palay's Brown Sugar Pandesal forms the base, with crab and clam pochero served over it. Guests learn this structure here, but the finished presentation remains unrevealed.

Pandesal—literally “salt bread”—became a daily Filipino staple through the country's colonial bread-making history and local adaptation. Despite its name, the modern roll is gently sweet, soft and commonly eaten at breakfast or merienda. Palay serves its own Brown Sugar Pandesal regularly, and here it is used to absorb the tomato-rich sauce.

Chickpea Pochero: chickpeas supply body and richness while preserving the tomato, vegetable and comforting stew character.

Their seafood shaped this version from the beginning.

The team realised the menu was becoming very heavy with meat and seafood—and everyone was craving pinakbet. Sometimes the menu philosophy is honestly that simple: we cook what the team wants to eat.

Garlic fried rice sits underneath the vegetables, which are finished with Palay's own bagoong sauce.

Pinakbet with vegan bagoong: the vegetables and fried-rice structure remain, with a plant-based fermented savoury sauce replacing seafood bagoong.

Chef Fhred is allergic to fresh prawns and shrimp, but strangely not bagoong.

Bistek Tagalog traditionally brings together thinly sliced beef, soy, calamansi and onions. It balances savoury depth, citrus acidity and sweetness in a dish recognised across many Filipino households.

Bistek Tagalog is one of those familiar dishes that immediately carries the feeling of home. For Buwan ng Wika, Palay gives it a precise sous vide steakhouse form while keeping the soy, calamansi and onion profile recognisably Filipino.

Sous vide Black Angus steak is served with Bistek Tagalog jus and red onion frites, allowing the beef to lead while the familiar savoury, citrus and onion flavours remain.

Beetroot and Mushroom Bistek: beetroot gives sweetness and colour, mushroom provides savoury depth, and calamansi, soy and onion retain the bistek profile.

Piaparan is a traditional Maranao dish from the Lanao region of Mindanao. Chicken is cooked with coconut milk and finished with piapar—a deeply aromatic mixture of grated coconut, turmeric, ginger, chilli and local aromatics. Its vivid yellow colour, gentle heat and layered coconut flavour reflect the richness and distinct identity of Maranao cuisine.

Palay first served Chicken Piaparan last summer. Chef Fhred had been intentionally exploring Mindanao after dishes such as Pyanggang and Tiyula Itum, and was struck by how vibrant Piaparan was.

This course is a clear example of why Filipino cuisine cannot be reduced to Tagalog food. It asks guests to look south and recognise distinct culinary traditions on their own terms.

Banana Heart Piaparan: banana blossom carries the coconut, turmeric and aromatics while offering a substantial plant-based centre.

Dinakdakan is an Ilocano preparation of grilled or boiled pork dressed with acidity, aromatics and a creamy element. It is sometimes explained casually as a cooler relative of sisig, though it has its own identity and lineage.

The dish began at Palay through Kamille, a team member from Baguio City, who told Chef Fhred about this “cold sisig.” Palay first served a beef version for summer; this time it returns to the original protein of pork.

Kamille tried the dish and said it tasted like what she knew. That kind of recognition matters more than a clever description.

Charred Tofu Dinakdakan: tofu supplies smoke and texture while the dressing retains the acidity, aromatics and creamy savoury quality.