Scantily clad young women roll giant dice and dance suggestively to American pop songs. A small man is pulled out of the audience and starts to sing — badly. But he’s given a wad of cash as the crowd and dancers cheer.

This is “Wowowee,” the No. 1-rated television show in the Philippines, which — no matter the time of day — always seems to be on the big-screen TV at Gingerroot, a new Filipino restaurant on the northwest corner of Alma School Road and Chandler Boulevard in Chandler.

The zaniness of the show stands in stark contrast to the almost chic dining room, an intimate space where nine tableclothed tables are carefully arranged in three perfect rows. Still, the evening’s 10 other diners, all of whom appear to be Filipino, are watching with rapt attention.

Now, I must admit, I’m not experienced with Filipino food. But I like Asian cuisines — Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese — so I’m excited to try Gingerroot, which replaced the Boracay Grill, another Filipino place, and still has some of the same staff.

An appetizer of a dozen crispy spring rolls filled with ground pork, water chestnuts and carrots accompanied by a sweet-and-sour sauce ($7) is familiar enough. From there, though, I quickly discover Filipino food is not what I expect.

Chicken adobo ($9.50, pictured at left), for example, is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. Large chunks of boneless chicken are marinated in a vinegar-and-soy sauce. Although I’ve never been a big fan of soy sauce, I can see why Filipinos enjoy this.

Like many of the menu items at Gingerroot, it’s a simple dish, served with white rice. There’s no spiciness or bold flavors. It reminds me of the hotdishes I grew up on in the upper Midwest: just a meat and a starch bound by a sauce.

At lunchtime, Gingerroot foregoes table service in favor of a more casual potluck-like approach (another hotdish flashback). Ten items — they change daily — are offered in chafing dishes; you can choose any two for just $6.50.

There’s chicken afritada (think vegetable soup with pieces of chicken), adobong sitaw (green beans mixed with ground pork) and guinataang langka (jackfruit in coconut curry), just to name a few.

Jackfruit, which tastes a little like bland pineapple, also is featured in the halo-halo ($5, pictured at right), a dessert I’ve been wanting to try since it made an appearance on the most recent season of “Top Chef.”

A mixture of jackfruit, sweet beans, sugar palm fruit and coconut is placed in the bottom of a parfait glass and covered with a layer of shaved ice. The ice is then topped with vanilla ice cream.

It’s an exotic treat, one perfect to enjoy while watching “Wowowee.”

Gingerroot
Where: 1076 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler (northwest corner of Chandler Boulevard and Alma School Road).
Open: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 aa.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Two-item lunch combo $6.50, appetizers $7, entrees $8.50-$17.95, desserts $5
Info: (480) 917-1240 or gingerrootrestaurant.com.

First Tastes offer first impressions of new East Valley restaurants. Full reviews, based on multiple visits, aren’t written until restaurants have been open at least a couple months.

• View a slideshow of Gingerroot
• Check out Gingerroot’s menu

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