A Taste Of The Philippines - Chicago

We were excited to try out a new Filipino restaurant in the area. The ambiance was a bit strange as it's a counter service place, but the lighting gave it a cozy feel suitable for a date night. We tried the lumpias, chicken adobo, and another chicken dish with coconut sauce. The lumpias were tasty, but we thought the portion size was small for the price. The chicken adobo tasted mainly of soy sauce, and the coconut dish lacked flavor. Both dishes seemed to be boiled rather than seared. The sauces were too thin and could benefit from being thicker. There was no tap water available, only bottled water. Overall, we were disappointed with the pricing and flavors. However, since it was their first week, we understand they may still be figuring things out. We may give them another try in the future. We have enjoyed Filipino food in the past at other restaurants and homemade by a friend's mom, so we are not sure if this restaurant's style is just different from what we are used to.

After reading a review in Chicago Block Club, I decided to visit this restaurant, but I was very disappointed. As a Filipino American, I did not find the food to be authentic. The breakfast lumpia was overpriced for only 2 small pieces and the use of hot sauce instead of sweet and sour sauce was strange. The lechon was tough and dry, not at all like traditional lechon. The Chicken Tocino was bland and the Longaniza Scotch Eggs did not taste like longaniza at all. Overall, the brunch menu did not offer traditional Filipino dishes like Longsilog, Tocilog, and Tapacilog. Instead, it featured Asian Fusion dishes that did not meet my expectations. Additionally, there was no free complimentary water provided.