There is no feeling quite like indulging in your favorite Filipino comfort food—if you are craving the familiar flavors of home, these five restaurants make them best.
Whether it is sinigang, nilaga, kare-kare, caldareta, or halo-halo, many Filipinos have local comfort foods that they hold close to their hearts. To countless diners, these simple yet delicious staples are reminders of home. They are also attached to memories of family members like mothers, fathers, lolas, and lolos.
Though you can make these dishes at home (and some people even have their own heirloom recipes), there are days where you might seek a quick bite, some instant gratification, or even a fresh twist to old favorites. For that, here are five restaurants offering Filipino comfort foods that will surely satisfy your cravings.
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Milky Way Café
While it initially began as a dairy bar in the 1950s, Milky Way Café now stands as one of the country’s foremost institutions when it comes to quality Filipino comfort food. Long run by the Gamboa family, it continues to be a beloved spot for countless families, largely due to its comprehensive menu of delightful local favorites.
Go-to dishes include Adobong Pusit, Pancit Luglug, Ox Tongue Asado, Kare-Kare, and many renditions of sinigang (such as Sinigang na Boneless Bangus, Sinigang na Sugpo, Sinigang na Baka, and Sinigang na Salmon). Milky Way’s Baby Crispy Pata and Lechon Kawali are also specialties that are always in high demand, so much so that the restaurant often advises customers to reserve them. From breakfast staples to merienda bites, the restaurant offers plenty to make up a Filipino feast. As a nod to its roots, the restaurant still serves an unparalleled halo-halo, and other sumptuous frozen desserts like Mais Con Hielo, Buko Sherbet, and Ginumis Ice Cream.
Manam Comfort Filipino
Manam serves both classic and contemporary flavors, promising comfort in every bite. These include their Sinigang na Beef Short Rib & Watermelon (a longtime favorite that uses an original family recipe), House Crispy Sisig, Crispy Pancit Palabok, and Kare-Kare with Oxtail. The restaurant even offers a vegan option for the kare-kare in the form of a Shiitake and Tokwa Kare-Kare.
Also on the menu are an assortment of bite-sized, merienda-worthy treats, such as Fresh Lumpiang Ubod, Tokwa’t Baboy, and Chicharon Bulaklak with Sinigang Floss. Not to be missed are breakfast favorites like the Super Arroz Caldo, House-Made Tapsilog, Chocolate Champorado, and even an Ube Champorado. Manam’s pampalamigs are also great accompaniments to any meal, serving cherished flavors through ice-cold drinks like Ube+Sago, Buko+Pandan+Sago, Choco-nut Shake, and Strawberry+Camias.
Fely J’s
Fely J’s is yet another restaurant with a strong roster of Filipino and Asian delicacies. Its menu builds upon heirloom recipes from founder Larry J. Cruz’s family, namely his mother Felicidad de Jesus-Cruz (whom he named Fely J’s after). As such, diners can expect the comforting flavors of a mom’s homemade food. Must-try dishes include Fely J’s Sinigang Pork Ribs, Pork Estufada Bisaya, Crispy Patang Bawang, and Bistek Tagalog ng Kano (which uses U.S. Black Angus sirloin). Items like the Tilapia with Sweet Plum Sauce, Piniritong Hito, and Seafood Kare-Kare are also great options for seafood lovers.
No Filipino comfort meal is complete without its grains, and the restaurant offers an extensive line-up of rice dishes besides the usual plain rice. These include the Piña Rice (fried rice with chicken, shrimps, pork chorizo, and pineapple); Fely J’s Dilis-cious Rice (deep-fried dilis with taosi on top of steaming rice), Garlic Rice, and Sisig Fried Rice (garlic fried rice with savory sisig). After the meal, diners can enjoy traditional desserts like Fely J’s Halo-Halo (with stewed fruits, leche flan, milk, and shaved ice), Sans Rival, and Minatamis na Saging (sweet saba banana with milk).
Abé
Kapampangan food is among the country’s richest in terms of culinary heritage and flavors. Whether you hail from Pampanga or simply appreciate the province’s cuisine, Abé is a go-to spot for all things delicious (or as the locals say, manyaman!).
Some of its Kapampangan delicacies include Spicy Sisig Pampanga (the province being the birthplace of the popular dish), the seasonal Arobung Kamaru (an dish of sautéed rice field crickets in tomatoes and onions for the adventurous diner), Balo Balo (salted rice and shrimp paste with mustasa or mustard leaves, best eaten with fried fish), Tidtad (dinuguan or pork variety meat stewed in vinegar and peppers, Pampanga-style), and Biringhe (a Kapampangan version of paella). Their selection of desserts will end the meal sweet and include Ube Jalea with Macapuno (wild mountain yams cooked in a large pot the traditional way) and Maja Blanca (white ground rice cake with young corn, cooked in sweet coconut cream).
Mesa
Mesa has become another integral addition to the Filipino comfort food canon since its establishment in 2009. With more than 70 branches across the country, many diners return to the restaurant to enjoy fresh spins on regional classics from all around the archipelago. Over the years, Mesa garnered numerous awards for its dishes, including “Best Binakol in the Philippines” and “Best Crispchon In The World” from Taste Atlas.
Aside from those two items, other house specialties include Crispy Pork Belly, Bangus Belly Sinigang in Pineapple and Guava, Tinapa Rice, Pomelo Salad, and Laing 2 Ways. The restaurants desserts are also a must-try for every meal. Sweet treats include Crispy Leche Flan, Turon, Suman 2 Ways, and Sapin Sapin 2 Ways. On top of this, Mesa serves beverages with local flavors like Sampaloc, Dalandan, Calamansi, and Kamias shakes, as well as Sago’t Gulaman (a classic rendition and one that is a fruit tea).
Banner photo by Airam Dato-on via Pexels.
