inside 751 Wharf Street, SW via Kaliwa
From a press release:
“Fans of Restaurant Eve may remember the Old Town Alexandria restaurant’s popular Lickity Split Lunch as being one of the one of the best deals in town. Now, Chef Cathal Armstrong’s Southeast Asian hotspot on the Wharf, Kaliwa, has launched a new lunch special, the “Masaya” Lunch Box, a compartmental lunch box packed for adults.
Box compartments will change often, with diners able to sample dishes from Thailand, Korea, and the Philippines.
First up is a Filipino favorite–a Spam and egg sandwich with kimchi mayo on house-made bánh mì bread. But don’t expect your typical canned Spam, as Kaliwa’s is made in-house, using heritage pork and Irish rashers (a nod to Armstrong’s Ireland), combined with secret spices.
Armstrong was introduced to Filipino food by his wife Meshelle, a Manila native, who grew up eating Spam and eggs. “When we first opened, Cathal wouldn’t put Spam on the menu because we are committed to using all-natural ingredients, but the other day he surprised me with his own version of the porky goodness,” said Meshelle. “I was so happy! In Tagalog we say ‘Masaya ako’ when we are happy, so we named the lunch special that.”
Other dishes in the box can include lumpia (Filipino egg rolls), mandu (Korean dumplings), picked cucumbers with chili, garlic fried rice, and a green papaya salad.
The Masaya Lunch Box is $16 and is available from 11:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., for dining in or to go.“