10. Karenderya
248 Main Street, Nyack, New York, NY
This humble restaurant inspired by roadside eating establishments in the Philippines has had people flocking to its doorstep ever since it was included in Esquire Magazine’s 2018 Best New Restaurants in America. It serves familiar Filipino classics such as the Pork Ribs Adobo, Pork Ribs Sinigang, Mini Duck Empanadas, and the Lumpia.
9. Oriental Mart
1506 Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA
This 30-year-old establishment never fails to serve authentic Filipino food as the last standing Filipino restaurant in Pike Place Market. It’s located within their Asian grocery and serves home-cooked classics from their quaint kitchen. It has earned recognition from the likes of Bon Appetit mag, Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods, and has even been awarded the coveted James Beard Foundation Classics Award. Come for their longganisa, salmon sinigang, pancit, and adobo.
8. The Park’s Finest
1267 W Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA
A Southern BBQ restaurant, Filipino style! The Park’s Finest is the “ultimate backyard barbecue” joint that incorporates the flavors of Filipino cuisine. If you’re a lover of meat, this is the place to go. Try their Mt. Malindang Pork Ribs and Riblets, Mt. Mayon Hot Link Medley (longganisa), and Ann’s Cornbread Bibingka.
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7. Sari Sari Store
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA
Named after our local neighborhood sundry stores, Sari Sari Store was established by James Beard Nominated Chef Margarita Manzke and her husband Walter. There are only three different categories included in the menu — rice bowls, desserts, and pulutan or finger food. Try their Adobo Fried Rice, Tortang Talong, and Halo-Halo.
6. Purple Yam
1314 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY
At Purple Yam, you get Filipino classics made for the New York foodie. It makes use of Asian and Filipino flavors to create a meal that’s both unique and familiar. Its menu features lumpia, dumplings, pancit, rice bowls, and desserts. Must-tries are the Pancit Bihon, Goat Curry, Lechon Kawali, and Halo-Halo, and Bibingka.
5. Flip Sigi
525 Hudson Street, New York, NY
Flip Sigi brands itself as “The Original Filipino Taqueria®” serving tacos, burritos, burgers with a Filipino twist. Though the food they serve isn’t exactly recognizably Filipino, it definitely makes use of flavors we know and love. Try their longanisa poutine, adobo-rito burrito, jack fruit tacos, and sinigang flip bowl. And don’t skip their specialty drinks: Pinoy Colada and Cebu Libre!
4. Ma’am Sir
4330 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Barely three years old, Ma’am Sir in LA has earned nothing less than rave reviews from its daily visitors and has been recognized in GQ Magazine’s Best New Restaurants in America for 2019. It serves a variety of homey traditional dishes but with a little more oomph — such as the homemade lumpia topped with sea urchin, Deviled Eggs with palabok egg salad and celery hearts, pork sisig burrito, and corned beef pan de sal with house-cured Angus brisket.
3. Jeepney
201 1st Ave, New York, NY
The Philippine Jeepney has stolen the hearts of New York City — and by that, we mean the restaurant. It is the gastropub sister to the well-loved Maharlika restaurant which closed down last year and serves authentic Filipino food and refreshing signature cocktails. It also hosts a kamayan foodservice wherein your meals are served on banana leaves and eating is done with your hands. If you’re craving for a whole lechon, you can find it here too!
2. LASA
727 N Broadway #120, Los Angeles, CA
With its delicious menu of Filipino classics with a modern twist, it’s no wonder that LASA earned the title of 2018 Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year. It even appeared high up in esteemed food critic Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants in 2017 and thus cementing its place as one of the best Filipino restaurants outside of the Philippines. Must-tries are the Twice-Cooked Pork Belly, Beef Kilawin, Kesong Puti Dumplings, and Crispy Duck Arroz Caldo.
1. Bad Saint
3226 11th St NW, Washington, DC
Bad Saint has garnered numerous accolades since it opened its doors around four years ago, including the coveted James Beard Award in 2019 and Bon Appetit mag’s number two Best New Restaurant in the United States for 2016, and it has since been one of the most sought-after restaurants in Washington DC. It is known best for its ukoy, sinigang, ensaladang palapa, and adobong dilaw.
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