What's the best Filipino restaurant in Metropolitan Manila?

Answer 1

That's tough! I agree that Kamayan and Cabalen are two of the best Filipino restaurants, but I'm not so fond of the overly traditional presentation and ambience. Sometimes, you just want to eat good Filipino food in a lighter and more casual setting.

The best Filipino restaurants that fit the "light and casual" category best for me are:
1. C2 Classic Cuisine (6th Floor, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong) --modern twists on traditional Pinoy food. My personal favorite there is their reinterpretation of ginataang tilapia (tilapia cooked in coconut milk).
2. Cafe Ten Titas (4th Floor, Gateway Mall Cubao, Quezon City) --really, really good food at affordable prices! the idea behind it is fun as well--the owner is basically reinterpreting classic Pinoy food with the help of her ten titas (aunts) who are Filipino but live and work all over the world. My favorite dessert there is the turon with leche flan inside (bananas and rich custard wrapped in spring roll wrapper then fried).
3. Ebun (Greenbelt 3, Makati) --I don't know if they're still open, though, i haven't been there in nearly 2 years. delicious food in a vintage-y setting. their tables remind me actually of tables my lola had in her house. my boyfriend hates pinakbet (a mixed veggie dish) but he loved the pinakbet there.

Answer 2

There are many restaurants in Manila! It would depend on what you want.

For native Filipino food, Kamayan is the eat all you can native foods. For added information, it usually is side by side with Saisaki, an eat all you can Japanese foods and Dad's which is an eat all you can American food.

Cabalen, on the other hand is an eat all you can Kapampangan food.

If you want fresh seafoods! Try DAMPA in Paranaque or in Roxas Boulevard just infront of the Department of Foreign Affairs. You will have to buy the seafoods you want cooked and there are restaurants in the vicinity who cooks it. The amount you have to pay for cooking is almost the same as the amount you buy!

There are Gerry's grill in most places and it also serves good food. La Mesa Grill also serves native food. It is located in the Mall of Asia fronting the seafront.

Max's is the restaurant serving fried chicken the Filipino way. You can also find branches of this in California.

Barrio Fiesta in the malls, serves eat all you can merienda at a certain time of the day.

Greenwhich and Shakey's are the Philippines counterpart of Pizza Hut.

Jollibbee is the counterpart of McDonald's.
It is located in almost every area.

Red Ribbon and Goldilocks are bakeshops which also serves Filipino foods. Every mall has these 2 shops.

Answer 3

I think Kamayan serves so-so FIlipino food at best, and I simply don't understand why so many pinoys like eating there. The fact that it's an all-you-can-eat place almost automatically discredits it. If only you guys knew how food is (mis)handled in such buffet places and how freshness and hygiene is a pipe dream.

I've heard that Dampa is pretty good, for all the right reasons.

For me, a chain like Chow King or even Jollibees is better in terms of consistency of the food and how its cooked, and its better sanitary controls.

Also, when i visit Manila nothing beats the Filipino food cooked in a friend's home.

Answer 4

My favorite is SENTRO in Greenbelt, Makati. We are all too familiar with the "old" Filipino restaurants like Max's, Barrio Fiesta, etc. This restaurant adds a nice modern flare to Filipino food. Try the Corned Beef Sinigang---certainly to-die-for!

Answer 5

Aside from Barrio Fiesta and Cabalen....and Dampa.

You may also try to check out some of our traditional Filipino dishes turned cosmopolitan with the likes of Masas, Sentro in Greenbelt (try the crispy gg's-my foreign friends love it!), Abe in Serendra, Chef Laudico near the Fort (his version of kare-kare is a must try!)...you'll be surprised that it's not so expensive at all.

Answer 6

Barrio Fiesta

Answer 7

a place in market, market. the theme of the restaurant is pirate and they offer set meals for four to six people "boodle style." forgot the name but delicious filipino fare and uniquely presented. quite cheap too.

Answer 8

KAMAYAN, hands down, no lie. Eat with your hands and they have sinks in the dining room to wash your hands. The seafood is the best and I recommend the squid with black ink sauce or the Kamayan Seafood platter. Very nice and clean atmosphere, great service and the prices are very good. You will be treated like royalty and have around 6 people serving you. Tell them I sent you, Po. OH, and the aircon is the best in town.

Answer 9

There are many good restaurants located in "Eastwood" located in Libis- you can google it up for more information :)

Answer 10

They don't have any. They do have people who are paid to live in the cemeteries by thousands (live with dead) and these are the nice places where people live. The rest of Manila be slums with the exception of a low amount of middle class or extremely wealthy.