Overpriced with an outrageous "service charge" on top, portions extremely small, and very average. What a scam

As a huge Chef Melissa fan, I'm so happy I got to try this place! The menu feels a little more fusion than just Filipino and it has more casual fare than what you would get at Musang. We tried the lumpiang shanghai, kare kare dan dan, and pancit canton. I think this was the perfect spread because the pancit canton brought a bright freshness with all the vegetables while the dan dan was a heavier bite of short rib and rich peanut butter sauce. Both were delicious and I can't wait to come back to try more of the menu. The staff was also lovely and attentive. They had a steady trickle of customers throughout the night and I enjoyed the chatter and casual nature of the place. Mainly paid street parking in this area. I'd advise taking the time to circle and find a spot because the parking lots are often wayyy overpriced. read more

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Finally went to this place after eyeing it for a long time and Kilig definitely lives up to the hype! The vibes are modern, but not sterile--lots of personality and color in the decor and the glassware. The food was great overall as well: - I got the ube mojito more out of curiosity and it turned out to be a great drink. It tasted like a mojito but with a hint of bubblegum/cotton candy from the ube - The lumpias were solid, but nothing special to write home about - The bulong was good and nostalgic--it was like a slightly elevated version of the pork bone soup my mom would make for me. The beef was also soooo tender! - The best dish we tried was definitely the kare kare dan dan. The dish has a strong creamy sesame flavor like most other dan dan noodles but have a really pleasant beefy finish. To top everything off, the service was great! The servers were really friendly and knowledgeable about the menu :) read more

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Kilig is the sister restaurant to Musang and is a great addition to the ID if you don't want to make the trek down to Beacon Hill. Bill includes a 22% service charge. Siigang Wings - perfectly crispy but a little too much lemon/vinegar, would buy again. Summer Pancit - I expected this to be rice noodles but it was lo mein noodles. Not a bad dish but I was expecting/prefer regular pancit more. Wouldn't buy again Sisig - my favorite dish! Would buy again Sinuglaw - Tasted fine but small portion and not worth it for the price 3/10 Bulalo - yummy bone broth! I thought it was a little salty but my partner thought it was perfect. Would buy again Guava Sunset - my favorite!!! would buy again! read more

I think this might be the only bulalohan in Seattle? Correct me if I'm wrong lol. I love bulalo/nilaga and anything in between, and Kilig really nails the dish when it comes to flavor and portion. Love that marrow!! Casual and friendly ambiance that makes dining in here feel like you're eating at your aunts house with a bunch of your cousins. Service was pleasant and fast. read more

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Forced 22% tip that is not disclosed is outrageous. The audacity to present automatic tip options on the iPad with the tip pre-included just adds to the incredulousness. read more

Just a disclaimer for this review: I'm Filipino with a mom who is an amazing cook so my review may be a bit biased when it comes to the food. Before getting into the dishes, I want to comment on how esthetically pleasing this restaurant is. The green walls and ceiling as well as the decor was beautiful, reminiscent of the luscious greenery in the Philippines. Really loved the story the decor told as well with drawings of the restaurant in its planning stages as well as the bottles of the Filipino seasonings used in their dishes. I think this place is gorgeous. As for the food, the Kare Kare Dandan noodles were good! The thick savory peanut sauce had all the right flavors and a dish that is usually served with rice pairs really well with the wheat noodles they used. My main gripe was with the Spicy Adobo Rice Bowl. There was something that tasted wrong about the sauce, far too sour with an overpowering taste of coconut milk that covered the rich adobo seasonings. Also, it was not spicy at all! I can tell this was meant to be a different take of adobo, but I think the flavors were too imbalanced to be enjoyable. The meat was cooked perfectly, regardless. Despite enjoying the Kare Kare, I can't help but be disappointed with the dishes overall with how expensive they were (around $20 per dish) and how small their portions were. In addition there was a 22% gratuity added to our bill for a party of 2 people. I wish this was made clear prior to dining (it would not have changed whether I ate there but it's good for transparency as this is not a common practice). Of course, always happy to see a new Filipino spot open up and represent. If I come here again, I'd like to try more of their food and see if my review changes. For now, I believe it's a solid 3. read more

Kilig - Adobo and Kare Kare Dan Dan Noodles - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Spicy pork adobo was very good. Staff is super nice. The furniture tables all seem new. I really like the colors they painted the walls with. read more

Kilig - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A slightly upscaled philipino restaurant with a cute sign. I recommend the hamachi appetizer as it tastes great and as you put it on the shrimp cracker it makes a crackling noise that makes it a fun experience. Service was great. The portions are on the smaller side so I recommend ordering more than you usually would. read more

Kilig - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I stopped in for an early dinner and came away a fan. Upon entering I was greeted with the heavy aromas of a Filipino kitchen which was a forecast of the things to come. The place is well appointed, the lack of flat screens anywhere appreciated. The food was all very good though I was disappointed to see a local lumpia distributor making their delivery to the restaurant. read more

I had the opportunity to go to Kilig a few days ago with my friend. Kilig is a Tagalog word that translates to "butterflies in the stomach around your crush" feeling. Even though it is brand new, it has a welcoming, lived in-atmosphere. The mural kinda gives Hiroshi Nagai, but is still completely original and makes for an excellent opening visage. The food is excellent. My friend and I both ordered pancit dishes. I had the pancit canton and she had the kare kare dan dan. The canton was bursting with fresh vegetables and the Chinese sausage really made it sing. The presentation was also artistic. My friend's kare kare was hearty and I will definitely order that next time because wow. Between those and the crunchy, savory lumpiang Shanghai, we left with very happy stomachs. We are really blessed to have Melissa Miranda (chef/owner of the imitable Musang) and Amelia Franada here in Seattle, chefin' up all this deliciousness. PS The ube cereal milk is a must! read more

Kilig - Kare kare dan dan, pancit canton, ube cereal milk, coffee, and lumpiang shanghai - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I was super excited to try Chef Melissa Miranda's new restaurant. The menu is not as extensive as Musang. The restaurant serves small dishes that are Filipino fusion. I ordered lumpia, Kare Kare Dan Dan, beef shank soup, canton noodles, and lug lug noodles. The lumpia was amazing with crispy outer layer and delicious simple ingredients in the center. I enjoyed the kare kare dan dan noodles but then the peanut sauce got overwhelming; personally, I think it will be better if the sauce is a bit more diluted. The beef shank soup reminds me of grandma's homemade soup. The meat falls off the bone and fatty bone marrow. I wish the soup was hot as it was served lukewarm so it cold off very quickly. It was my first time trying cornstarch noodle and I like the texture but the flavor doesn't get into the noodles as much as the other two dishes. I like the canton noodles but wish thicker slices of the chinese sausage and more volume. read more

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Parking was somewhat hard to find as they don't have a parking lot. Luckily, there was a group of people leaving and gave us their street parking spot. We walked in, we had a few people ahead of us in the list but all in all, we didn't have to wait too long. Staff was nice and always have a smile on their face. We ordered the Kare Kare Dan Dan which i would say is totally elevated from the Kare Kare i grew up eating back home! i mean noodles!? that was genius. and the flavors didn't disappoint. The Sinigang wings' sourness hit my tongue on the first bite. it's crispy yet so soft that the meat is falling off the bones. Highly recommended! and lastly, the Spicy Pork Adobo. I've never had a Spicy Adobo before. It was good but a little too salty for our taste buds and we thought it probably had coconut milk in it which is also a first for me. All in all was good. we'll definitely have to try their bulalo next time as i see a lot of people was ordering it. read more

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This was perfect for a date night with my hubby before catching a show at the Moore Theatre. The service was great with ready tips on food and drink. Big fans of Musang we enjoyed how this menu mixed things up a bit. We skipped our typical Filipino faves of adobo and pancit and opted for sinigang wings, the sinuglaw and the mushroom sotanghon - the latter was my favorite with flavors from my childhood. The wings were also the right mix of tangy and crispy. Great experience. Will come back again! read more

Kilig - Mushroom sotanghon - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Kilig has some pretty darn tasty food amidst some nice busy ambiance and stylish decor. The service was friendly and quick. I came here with a friend and we were immediately captivated by all the noodle dishes and we wanted to try everything on the menu. Unfortunately, we could not, so we settled on the Sinigang wings, Adobong Pusit, and the Filipino Spaghetti. Everything was so delicious that I would be hard pressed to choose my favorite dish- the wings were so appetizing and tangy and the mango sauce balanced the acidity and fattiness of the wings well with a little sweetness. If I had to pick my favorite dish, it might just be the Adobong Pusit where the squid was cooked to perfect tenderness. The flavors of this dish were super umami and the squid ink with the noodles were amazing. Finally, the Filipino Spaghetti was also equally delicious and it felt like an elevated rendition of something that is comfort food. My only minor criticism is that I would have preferred more spaghetti like texture whereas the noodles used for this dish felt more like egg noodles that gave less resistance. Other than that, I really enjoyed everything I tried here and would love to come back to try their other menu items. read more

Kilig - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great vibes, friendly service, and good food, albeit a little overpriced. Our table got the canton pancit, kare kare dan dan, lug lug, bulalo beef shank soup, and wings. No complaints from anyone. I'm not sure I would come back since $20 a plate is a hard sell given that there are so many great and inexpensive places nearby. But we had a great time! read more

Kilig - Canton pancit with chinese sausage - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food is very good! It definitely felt like elevated Filipino food. That being said, it had elevated prices as well with a 22% mandatory service charge. The service was great and I did not mind the charge. My friend and I's favorite was the Dan Dan noodles, that had a great mix of textures and flavors. read more

Kilig - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Having had traditional Filipino food in both SF Bay Area and in different parts of the Philippines let me tell you I was NOT disappointed. It was a very busy Saturday night so I called to check availability and was told that they'd be able to fit me and a friend in SWEET! Upon arrival the place was buzzing with good music (not too loud) conversations and the bar tender doing his thing. We were greeted with smiles and and acknowledgment the moment we walked in and were shown a table. I was a little parched so it was a must that I try the Pacquiao Punch that pleasantly attacked my palate with its bursting flavors. Followed by equally flavorful Sinigang Wings that were cooked and seasoned to perfection. Kenzo disappeared and soon returned with Sizzling Sisig that taste as good as the presentation. We also shared an order of PORK BELLY KARE KARE (2 side orders of rice too) that were on point! All I have left to say is salamat po! I'll be back next time I'm in Seattle. read more

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Enjoyed a delicious Filipino lunch at Kilig in Chinatown! Strongly recommend the dishes shown in this review The sinigang wings are so crunchy, slightly tangy and so delicious! The ginataan mais (corn) is a fantastic savory version of the dessert. Tender corn on the cob are smothered with a creamy coconut sauce, sprinkled with vegan bagoong (don't know how you make shrimp paste vegan but this was briny and so tasty) with lime. This dish is an incredible burst of flavors! The restaurant is very popular and requires reservations. The owner and her staff are so welcoming and attentive to their guests, embodying the Filipino hospitality that just adds to a fantastic dining experience. Restaurant is tastefully decorated with Filipino art and a very cool bookcase that holds some Filipino books and decor. Kilig is awesome if you're looking for Filipino food with the volume turned up! read more

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the good: bulalo and pancit tasted great. wish the portion was bigger though. and that they put more noodles on the pancit the bad: kare kare was a sad disappointment. it wasnt good at all, i packed it to go and when we got home i just threw it away. no bagoong either yikes. AND expect to pay a 20% mandatory service fee!! read more

Don't remember the last time I've had Filipino restaurant food (Yelp claimed I did once in the past), but I've enjoyed many wonderful meals at a half-Filipino friend's house over the years, so was excited for Kilig. SINIGANG WINGS ($16) -- 3/10 -- first time trying sinigang taste, and I found this farrrr too salty, even with rice. For reference, I drink lemon water each morning so I'm not stranger to sour tastes. The combination of saltiness and oiliness made my lips feel inflamed just halfway into a wing. Mango sauce was a nice touch but didn't help. KARE KARE DAN DAN ($26) -- 7/10 -- this was delicious. the savory peanut sauce and tender meats were well blended into the dan dan. A bit pricey for the portion size in my opinion. read more

Kilig is one of my favorite spots in Chinatown! The food is amazing and the sisig and the sinigang wings are definitely a must try. I also love the set up of the restaurant and it's very cozy and beautifully laid out. The workers there are also very sweet and accommodating. Would highly recommend checking Kilig out! read more

Food & Service was excellent. The 22% Service charge is total bullshit! The prices are too high.... Then they tack on a 22% "Service Charge" on top of that. If I hadn't driven so far to eat here, I would've turned around & left when I found that out. I will not be back! read more

As a Mindanaoan, Kilig is the first time I've gotten to try bulalo and it did not disappoint. It was hearty, beefy, and simply delicious. I wish there were more pork-free options though! Also, I was skeptical about ube soda as a concept but it ended up being a delight. Lastly, I wanna give a special thanks to Vyvy; she was attentive and overall lovely as a waitress. read more

Food was incredible, but the service really stood out. I came in with my dad. We both don't have a ton of experience with the cuisine, but heard a good recommendation from others. The service was impeccable. Vy really took her time walking us through the menu, explaining every dish and ensuring we 1.) knew what we were ordering and 2.) would actually enjoy the meal, based on our preferences. The lumpia was fabulous, as well as everything else. Aside from the food, the scenery and aesthetic of the place is super pleasing. I highly recommend this place to anyone curious or familiar about the cuisine. I will absolutely be back! read more

Nice place and good parking. 22% service charge, which is fine, but I think some of the staff are not doing their job. One server seemed high and did not have much experience as a server. He needs training. Perhaps that is the downside of pre set tip. Food was mediocre. Top price, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING special. Flavors were muddled and nothing very interesting. The worse was things were WAY over salted. I like salt, but drank 8 glasses of water. Chicken wings way over salted, as was the Adobo. Adobe was like day old BTW. Pancit noodles were way over salted, and got the "chicken" add on. Probably 2 teaspoons of shredded chicken. Again salt was the main flavor. Would not recommend, would not go again. Sorry I went. read more

It's a busy, buzzing spot on the edge of the ID. Best part: the cocktails are great! We especially liked the grilled pineapple mescal drink. Servers were very friendly although a bit hard to find. My main 3* reason is that the vegetarian options are pretty thin (maybe 2 mains and 1 app). My companion tried the non-vegetarian Kare Kare Dan Dan and wanted more chili oil to counterbalance the oily sauce. I enjoyed my veggie mushroom soup but I wished it was spicier as well. Since there's not a lot of veggie options on the menu I don't think I'd go out of my way to go back, but I would not be mad about stopping in for a drink again. read more

ONE THING TO SAY: those sinigang chicken wings. Would go back every day just for those. They're tangy and salty and perfectly sour. And the mango sauce on the side compliments them with the perfect amount of sweetness. I also had the kare kare dan dan noodles - creamy and a bit heavy, but delish nonetheless. The bulalo was amazing as well, but not very warm when it arrived. All in all, loved Kilig. Also to note - there's a 20% service charge added into the bill already. We didn't see this all the way on the bottom of the menu (past desserts, as we didn't order dessert) and tipped on top of this. read more

Kilig - Bulalo - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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got to try this new filipino spot in the ID, and i had such a fantastic meal! i'm so happy to see more filipino food that is more accessible to us in cap hill/downtown area! came here on a thursday for lunch and it was poppin', but luckily did not have to wait for a table. there is plenty of seating and even some bar seats, which could be very fun for a hang out/date night! the space is very beautiful and inviting, definitely a more vibey spot. they had some goooood music playing, mostly sza, r&b type songs, which was so fun. their menu is pretty simple, about 7 dishes to choose from, a handful of cocktails, beers, and n/a drinks. we ordered the beef shank soup (bulalo), the kare kare dan dan, the pancit canton, and the lumpiang shanghai. the dishes were enough to share family style, but you could also order one of these for yourself and it would be plenty of food. amongst the three of us, this amount of food (the 3 entrees and an app) was perfect! the bulalo was incredible, such an rich yet clear beef soup, full of the most tender beef and beef bone, lil baby potatoes, and sweet corn cob. this was my first time having bulalo and we basically finished every last drop of the soup because it was that good. the lumpiang shanghai was crispy, cronchy, straight out the fryer, and paired with a sweet/tart/vinegary dipping sauce. the kare kare dan dan was very rich and creamy, maybe a little too heavy for my taste but if you like that peanut-y flavor, it's a good option. i think by far, my favorite dish was the pancit canton... wow, it was filled to the brim with veggies and various other toppings, and had such a refreshing citrusy taste throughout, and i mean, it was just plated so beautifully too. their drink menu is so intriguing, i wanna come back to try allllll of their drinks. they're very fun and there is an undeniable filipino twist to all of them. this time, we tried the ube cereal milk. it was good but i think the pineapple juice might have overpowered the ube, or really any milky part of the mocktail. overall good food, a bit pricey, but a fun experience and probably somewhere i would go again or bring friends to for a comforting meal! read more

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This place is ridiculously overhyped and is far from the quality you get at musang. Keep in mind - I love musang so I had high hopes. Yikes not sure what happened this place was ROUGH. Kare kare noodles tastes like peanuts butter mixed with ground beef. The beef soup was flavorless. The wings were mediocre at best. The food is borderline bad and not worth spending your money here. I would say avoid. they tack on a 22% service charge... Ambiance is fine but nothing to write home about. read more

Came here for a late lunch on a Saturday. We were greeted and seated right away, and the restaurant was already fairly busy. Started off the meal with cocktails--ube mojito and a grilled piña mezcal--and both were great! The ube mojito was smooth and sweet and reminded us of SunnyD for some reason. We got the sinigang wings and spicy pork adobo to share. The wings were excellent, and even better with the mango dipping sauce! The adobo was a pretty small portion and isn't what I'd call spicy. We ended up also ordering the Shanghai lumpia, which was good but so hard to beat homemade. I'm in the area almost every week, so I'm definitely going to come back and try some of their noodle dishes! read more

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Overhyped. The food is very expensive for the amount and quality of the food. The sinigang wings are very good but may be an acquired taste for some. The adobo is not worth getting and I felt the flavor was not very deep. For everything else, it was okay. The meat in the soup and noodles were nice and tender. The staff was a bit friendly but prepare for a 20% mandatory gratuity for all party sizes. read more

Kilig - Bulalo, sinigang wings, pork adobo, kare kare dan dan - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Absolutely the best Filipino food experience in the International District! The chef is Melissa Miranda, a James Beard candidate :) ! She's super friendly and has so effectively brought forth a casual filipino/american fusion menu, it's scrumptious! Take the time to have lunch, or dinner at Kilig. It's a very enjoyable experience. read more

Elite food. Great service. Went during happy hour with two friends. Wings, lumpia, adobo, bulalo, and kare kare were all excellent.

I've been anticipating this place opening for a whole year and came all the way from Stockton, CA. It did not disappoint. Kare kare Dan Dan noodles were bomb and did a mushroom bulalo since we had a vegetarian in the group. The mango custard was a great finish. Have to come back more times to try the other items on the menu. And glad to support a Filipino owned business in the CID. read more

Kilig - Filipino Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had a great time trying different Filipino dishes. All very flavorful and fun! Don't miss out on the Lumpia appetizer and Dan Dan Kare Kare dish. read more

Great Filipino fusion! Ambiance of the restaurant was very modern but cozy. The service was meets expectations.

After a lifetime of travel, I've found the best fried chicken I've ever eaten. I'd return only for the wings, but everything I've tried is excellent. The servers are super friendly, just like at sibling restaurant Musang. The ambiance is a bit more comfy and casual than the Beacon Hill mothership, but still well engaging to bring out-of-town guests. The last one I did gushed about Kilig. read more

We ordered the palabok, sinigang chicken wings, and the beef soup. Palabok: it's a bit salty, portion is somewhat small. The textures of pork rinds topping was nice touch to the noodles Sinigang wings: I really like the wings, super crispy, love the profile of the sinigang seasoning. Beef soup: very hearty yet light, the beef is super tender and bone marrow was a nice touch. Service was good. Con: automatic 22 percent gratuity...for party of 4. Was not notified at all about it until we got our bill. read more

22% automatic tip and the waitress never even refilled our water. I guess she has no incentive to serve if she already gets 22% tip.