Because Filipino food is love.
While everyone is gushing about the latest food trends in Manila, let’s take a step back and look at the big picture: Filipino food is taking over the rest of the world. In this post we listed some of the most buzzed about restaurants abroad including the US, Australia, Canada, and even The Netherlands!
Also read the latest Top 10 Most Loved Restaurants in Metro Manila
Manila Social Club
Location: Williamsburg – North Side, 2 Hope St Brooklyn, NY 11211
Head Chef Dela Cruz’s modern Filipino restaurant made headlines with its 24K gold donuts last year which reportedly put the spotlight on ube desserts. This chic brunch spot in New York serves “inventive yet nostalgic” selections of Filipino specialties with a twist.
Fun fact: Their Golden Cristal Ube Donut retails for $100 each and a whopping $1000 a dozen! Each donut is infused with ube mousse and a Cristal gelée. Then is glazed with Cristal icing and dusted with 24K pure gold dust PLUS hand-gilded with 24K gold leaves! Chef Björn himself makes these crazy donuts so you're assured of the excellent quality of each piece. Be on the lookout for their limited edition Patron Platinum Donut which retails for $150 a pop!
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The Park’s Finest
Location: 1267 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (Echo Park)
Park’s is a Filipino BBQ restaurant that’s been serving backyard ribs and meats since 2012. What started as a catering business in 2009 eventually led to this mom and pop joint that serves “American BBQ with a Filipino twist” that’s now a popular community joint. Their one of a kind bibingka-style cornbread has been called “the best” by comedian Chris Rock, while their homemade sauce was labeled as “out of bounds delicious” by Guy Fieri.
Uncle Mike’s Place
Location: 1700 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 (West Town)
Uncle Mike’s is an all day breakfast place that prides itself in serving “the best damned marinated skirt steak” in Chicago. Imagine feasting on a fresh bowl of lugaw on a chilly night in Chicago = perfect. No Filipino breakfast is complete without Spam so go ahead and order some extra rice.
Maharlika
Location: 111 1st Ave. (at 7th St.), New York, NY 10009 (East Village)
Maharlika is an up and coming restaurant in New York that serves reinvented Filipino favorites. New York Times called this modern resto “an empire in the making” where diners can enjoy the best of both traditional and modern Pinoy creations. You’d be surprised that Maharlika’s main man behind those kitchen doors is a Dominican Chef named Miguel Trinidad; who gave a fresh take on what Filipino food is all about.
Bad Saint
Bad Saint was famously awarded as the #2 best new restaurant in the US last year by Bon Appetit and has gained an enormous following since then. It’s owned by Filipino-American Chef Tom Cunanan, Genevieve Villamora, and Nick Pimentel who all shared the passion for their childhood favorites. Bestsellers include their ginormous ukoy and their adobong dilaw.
Fun fact: They absolutely do not accept reservations. Consider yourself lucky if you score a spot at one of their 24 seats.
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Jeepney
Location: 201 First Avenue, New York, NY — 10003
Jeepney is owned by the same people behind the equally famous Maharlika restaurant which is also in New York. It’s credited as one of the first to put Filipino food on the map with its unique take on the chori burger, boodle fights, and their tiki cocktails.
Lamesa Filipino Kitchen
Location: Niagara, West Queen West, Trinity Bellwoods 669 Queen Street W Toronto, ON M6J, Canada
Lamesa’s mission is to “expose Filipino cuisine to the mainstream” and that’s exactly what it has done for the people of Toronto. Each Filipino-inspired dish is beautifully plated to highlight Chef Daniel Cancino’s mastery of the art of Filipino food. Step inside and find out if it’s truly one of the best around Drake’s hometown.
Lutong Pinoy
Location: 10 Kenway Rd., Earl’s Court, London
Lutong Pinoy promotes the “kamayan” style of eating by serving all of its dishes on banana leaves sans plates and cutlery. A minimum reservation for four adults are required if you want to book a boodle spread that’s made of different meats, seafood, and vegetables of your choice.
Romulo Café London
Location: 343 Kensington High Street, London
While Romulo Cafe is also available locally in the Philippines, this London location was a huge milestone for this restaurant chain. What sets it apart from other Filipino restaurants abroad is its impeccable dedication to deliver only the most authentic dishes to its customers. Bestsellers include their famous kare-kare, adobo, and chicken relleno.
Booky Tip: They also have set menus good for 8 or more people.
Fun fact: The General's Bar serves bespoke Pinoy cocktails like the ‘Old Fashioned Papa’, made with Don Papa Rum and Filipino brews from San Miguel.
Baryo Pilipinas
Location: Fluwelen Burgwal 51, 2511 CH Den Haag, Netherlands
Who knew that you can spot a cool jeepney while you’re vacationing at The Hague? This highly recommended Filipino restaurant specializes in boodle spreads so make sure you’re ready to get your hands dirty.
AYAN Filipino Streetfood
Lcoation: Potsdamer Straße 69, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Ayan offers street food from the Philippines like grilled meats, skewered snacks, and even halo-halo dessert! They also have weekly specials so you’re in for a treat if you score a rare menu item.
LaMesa Philippine Cuisine
Location: 19 Goulburn St, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
LaMesa (which means table) is a family-owned restaurant in Australia that promotes the rich culture of Filipino cuisine. While it’s known for its sinful crispy pata, they also serve non-Filipino fares like seafood paella and arroz valenciana.
BONUS
Cafe 86
Location: 36 W Colorado Blvd. Mills Alley Pasadena, California
This small cafe in California whips up the most beautiful ube desserts in town. Their bestselling ube leche flan cupcake is a common sight on most Instagram pages of tourists and locals alike. Other Filipino-inspired dishes are served like longanisa flatbread and an array of other ube desserts and beverages.
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