Kuya Lord fan? These top 10 LA spots also celebrate Filipino flavors
Photos from Lasita/Facebook;dollarhits;pointpointjoint;arkofoods;hifikitchen/Instagram
With many Filipino restaurants spread across Los Angeles, experiencing the island flavors has never been easier.
Home to a large number of Filipinos and Asian Americans, LA has become a melting pot of cultures, boasting a food scene that offers a diverse fusion of flavors.
With rising culinary stars like Kuya Lord taking center stage, Filipino food is finally getting its well-deserved recognition — thanks to Chef Lord Maynard who recently clinched the James Beard Award for Best Chef.
Best Filipino restaurants in LA
California is teeming with Filipino restaurants, especially in Southeast LA, Northeast LA and the South Bay. If you’re ready for a Filipino food journey, these LA spots offers a savory feast for every palate.
Lasita
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- Chinatown
- 727 N Broadway #120, Los Angeles
Welcoming guests with a hip setting, vibrant artwork, soft lighting and breezy interiors, Lasita has become a go-to spot for LA creatives.
This restaurant boasts of their natural wines and dishes like Sizzling Pork Belly Sisig and Chicken Inasal (grilled chicken with citrus juice, vinegar, achiote and lemongrass) to name a few. Vegans can opt for their Sizzling Mushroom Sisig which offers the same bold flavors without the guilt.
Neri’s Casual Filipino Dining
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- Koreatown
- 3377 Wilshire Blvd #100A
This Pinoy comfort food haven, originally nestled in Historic Filipinotown, has been serving authentic goodness since 1984.
Neri’s is thriving in a busy mall at Wilshire and Alexandria. Its proximity to the Philippine Consulate makes it a perfect spot for a quick stop for Filipino comfort foods like pancit, sisig and classics with a modern twist like tocino burgers.
L.A. Rose Cafe
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- 4749 Fountain Ave
Making waves in the heart of Hollywood since 1982, this restaurant has been a staple for local communities for more than four decades. Serving authentic Filipino favorites, L.A. Rose Cafe offers kamayan feasts.
If you love boodle fights featuring a bountiful spread of fried milkfish, chicken or pork adobo and veggies laid out on banana leaves, this is the place for you.
Plus, don’t miss out on their lumpiang sariwa (fresh spring rolls), sweet corn suman and calamansi drinks.
You may also like: Roll up your sleeves and enjoy these kamayan feasts in California
Arko Foods International
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- 1425 E Colorado St., Glendale, California
Not only a Filipino grocery store offering local ingredients and a fresh fish market, this spot is also a hot food counter serving up kare-kare, lumpia, crispy pata, turon and more. Families usually order huge trays of their crispy sisig for special occasions.
Dollar Hits
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- Historic Filipinotown
- 2432 W Temple St.
Another Pinoy food haven in Historic Filipinotown, this beloved barbecue place exudes street food vibes reminiscent of Manila.
With humble beginnings as a food truck in 2013, it has now expanded to several locations, including a space on West Temple Street. A feast of affordable and juicy meat skewers like chicken BBQ, pork BBQ and beef liver awaits guests.
Non-meat street foods like fish tofu and kwek kwek (fried flour-battered quail eggs) are also available but if you’re adventurous, you can check out beef intestines, pork ears and grilled chicken butt on the menu.
Point-Point Joint
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- East Hollywood
- 4627 Santa Monica Blvd.
Since 1988, this Filipino restaurant in LA has been the go-to for quick and reliable Pinoy food. Founded by Rebecca and William Tan, this eatery adapts the “turo-turo” (point-point) practice, presenting a wide array of home-cooked choices with fast food ease.
A classic favorite, pork lechon is a perfect blend of juicy pork meat with its crispy skin served with sauce made of pork liver, vinegar and other spices.
Chaaste Family Market
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- 296 Allen Avenue, Pasadena
This Pasadena gem tucked in a quiet strip mall on Allen Avenue and Corson Street has been a Filipino food staple since 1987.
Owned and run by the Esteban family, this market headlines its rotating bar with a selection of delectable dishes like lechon kawali, lumpiang shanghai, fried fish, Filipino spaghetti and more.
American Ranch & Seafood Market/Mga Lutong Bahay
- 1001 N Vermont Ave
A Filipino eatery and market for grab-and-go items on Vermont Avenue, Mga Lutong Bahay offers siopao, siomai, empanadas and foot-long turon.
Conveniently located next to a Red Line stop and LACC, this Filipino grocery features a hot bar offering fried shrimp, ginataang gulay (vegetables in coconut milk) and picadillo.
HiFi Kitchen
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- 1667 Beverly Blvd
Launched by Chef Justin Foronda in 2019, HiFi Kitchen blends classic dishes with a modern take, catering to younger Filipino Americans.
For starters, you might want to try their veggie laing or veggie sisig with marinated tofu, roasted eggplant and shiitake, or their LA-inspired HiFi tacos covered in tocino pastor.
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