Jeepney & Maharlika, Manhattan, New York City
I'VE EATEN at Jeepney; haven't gone to Maharlika yet.
Jeepney is worth a stop if you're in New York. If you ever wondered why so many Filipino dishes are kinda luke-warm, that's because they were originally meant to be eaten by kamay (hand). You don't want heat blisters from eating, right? Jeepney has a pub-like ambiance and features a kamayan meal on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Its gotten so popular you have to make reservations. Check out their website for more details on those finger-licking meals. Those t-shirts are so cool!
NOTE: Bring wet wipes.
NOTE: Bring wet wipes.
Besides, any restaurant recommended by the Smithsonian Museum website is a place that deserves our attention.
CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this post said it was the Guggenheim Museum. My apologies.
If Jeepney is your casual dining experience, just a block away is its sister restaurant, Maharlika, which serves "modern" Filipino fare in your rich auntie's dining room. (Read "upscale.") I know, Filipino food CAN be upscale. You have to use utensils; no one will blink an eye if you ask for the big spoon, too.
Together, the restaurants have teamed up to sponsor the popular Balut-Eating Contest during the 1st Ave. Street Fair. Winners have come as far away as ... uh, exotic Queens.
Both restaurants are the brainchildren of California transplant Nicole Ponseca. Favorable reviews by local media have given it New York stamp of approval and the much sought-after gotta-try, foodie status.
Is a San Francisco branch in the future? "It would be so good to come back home," says Ponseca, who attended the University of San Francisco.
Is a San Francisco branch in the future? "It would be so good to come back home," says Ponseca, who attended the University of San Francisco.
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| Newcomers to Filipino cuisine sometimes complain that there isn't enough vegetable dishes. Are you kidding me? |
Patio Filipino, San Bruno, California
BACK WEST, in the San Francisco Bay Area where there are more Filipinos than New York, Filipino cuisine is having to struggle against intense comparisons with other exotic Asian cuisines. First it was Chinese food, then Japanese, then Vietnamese, followed by Thai, Indian and Malaysian. Even esoteric Ethiopean, Burmese and Cambodian restaurants get more attention. When will Filipino food get the respect it deserves?
Nevetheless, in my never-ending quest for good eats, no matter the nationality, I think I found the best Filipino restaurant in the Bay Area. Patio Filipino is better than your nanay's cooking. Read my Yelp review here. It also got good reviews from the public television's award-winning foodie hit, Check, Please. Check it out below.
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