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    Manila Bay Express

    4.4 (66 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Order Manila Bay Express Takeout or Delivery

    Manila Bay Express Photos

    MANILA BAY EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Manila Bay Express

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    Kare Kare
    Hana H.

    Eating here put a huge smile on my face! First of all, when you walk in, the decor is cute and welcoming, and so was the lady running the front. My friend and I ordered every type of lumpia they had to start and kare kare and sisig silog for mains. The lumpias were all good but the vegetable one was our favorite. Next, the mains came out and I was impressed with the portion! My dish, sisig silog was just $14 and was a massive full plate of meat and garlic rice with a nicely done fried egg. The kare kare was $16 but they gave 3 substantial oxtails which is generous. Honestly this food was so good. After many KC restaurant visits of mediocre or disappointing food, I could have cried tears of joy. The meat was perfectly seasoned, a nice balance of savory, acidity, and aromatics, and not too fatty or salty with some nice crisp/crunch from the pork belly skin. The garlic rice was perfect, not too oily or salty with good garlic flavor and complementary to the meat. Fried egg was crispy with runny yolk, the way it should be. The pineapple was a nice treat too, it was somehow so sweet? I tried my friend's kare kare and while I'm not a big fan of the dish itself, this is the best one I've had! And the oxtail itself was delicious - soft, moist, and flavorful. The only downside I can think of is that you might have to wait a while when it's busy since this is only run by a small family. Maybe try to be one of the first parties in the door. Go support them! Great food and great value. I certainly will be back whenever I can.

    Halo halo
    Marie K.

    Great place and amazing staff, very sweet and helpful. Reminds me very similar to my mom's cooking. Love how they captured culture and cuisine. Island vibes with the decor. Will definitely be back!

    Ambiance
    Sathish N.

    Another Grandview gems that one should not miss!!! (Women owned business, I think) Has been serving authentic Filipino food for a while now. Approved by one of my Filipino friend too. If you're new to this cuisine, I'd recommend trying their Pork adobo and Lumpia. For a change, I tried Bicol express. The meat was tender and soup/gravy has some flavor to it. Served with some sticky rice. You probably end up waiting around 10-15 minutes max after ordering your food. Ambiance is clean & good enough for a good time.

    MaryLou F.

    Stopped by here on the way home for some halo halo but ended up ordering the 8 piece broasted chicken too. It was DELICIOUS!!!! The halo halo was well made with just enough sweetness and it had so much goodies in there! The chicken is fantastic! Very flavorful and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside! It was well seasoned! Definitely will be back to sit down and eat more. Fantastic place! A must try!!!

    Halo Halo
    Maggie C.

    FYI, winter hours have started and they now close at 6. I think this may be a one woman show, so it does take a while to get your food. This was my first time eating Filipino food, and it was yummy! It's kind of a mix of Thai and Chinese flavors. The halo halo was also delicious, a lot of flavors going on in one cup. This would be an excellent place for lunch or to go dinners. They close a bit too early for a sit down dinner, but the owner was very kind and let us eat and yap until closer to 7.

    Bibinka, where's the toppings??
    Shar D.

    Being of Filipino descent, this place is a disappointment. You pay full price for just the base of what you're supposed to get and service was slow. We got their halo halo and kakanin (extra rice) selection. They lacked important toppings that make the item what it is. Traditionally, halo halo is topped with leche flan, ube and one to two scoops of ice cream. Normally, ube biko is topped with shredded coconut. We didn't get any of that. I wish I took photos of the halo halo, one of them barely had any ice, my dad didn't know what to do with his but ate it anyway since it was paid for. The decor is on par with what you see in the Philippines.

    Kare-kare.
    Fiona Z.

    The food was good and the atmosphere homey, but I can't give this place 5 stars. The food is 4 stars, the quality of service (although friendly) is 1 star. I came here in a group of 4. It took 45 minutes for food to come out after ordering, my friend ordered a soup that came out lukewarm, and another friend's order didn't have the rice or egg she paid for. I ended up leaving in a rush and didn't realize until later that they also forgot the turon I ordered.

    Don't forget to take a picture in their Photo Booth!!

    From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere at Manila Bay Express was warm and authentic, and the food felt comforting right away. We ordered the Signature Platter and Pork Soup. I have a number of allergies. I am gluten free, soy free, and have several others. My friend is dairy free and allergic to sesame, along with additional restrictions. Trying new places can be exhausting, but the staff here was incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating. They were able to customize dishes to fit all of our allergies without hesitation. I was even able to take some pancit (ponsit) home, which is not something I often get to enjoy. Why we loved it * The food was Genuinely delicious, well prepared, and thoughtfully made * The staff was extremely Accommodating, showing strong allergy awareness and confidence when answering questions * The atmosphere felt welcoming, authentic, comfortable, inclusive, and genuinely Relatable * The Menu Variety allowed me to enjoy an entrée, an appetizer, a side, dessert, and a drink while staying within my dietary needs * Easy Accessibility with convenient access and parking * The overall environment felt warm and Neat, with smooth ordering and checkout that made the entire experience feel effortless Bottom line Manila Bay Express made dining out feel safe, welcoming, and enjoyable. If you navigate food allergies or simply want delicious Filipino comfort food, this spot is absolutely worth a visit. GG: 6/6

    Chicken Adobo at the top Pancit Bihon at the bottom left Sisig on the bottom right
    Stephanie N.

    I absolutely love Manila Bay Express for Filipino food! Walking in, there is plenty of seating and their music was on point. You can grab a menu from the front and when you're ready, you order there as well. They brought out all the food family style on banana leaves. It made the whole experience feel really authentic! Food came out pretty quickly considering how much we ordered. Food itself was delicious. The sisig was probably one of the best ones I've ever tried. It was seasoned perfectly and the lechon pieces were still crispy! The chicken adobo was also so good. It was perfectly peppery with its hints of tanginess. These were perfect entrees for the garlic rice. The pansit was okay - I would recommend the sisig and adobo. I am so excited to go back and try other dishes!!

    Pancit Bihon
    Aaron G.

    When my wife had surgery she wanted to go here for comfort food. The phrase goes, don't judge a book by its cover. Don't judge the food by its presentation. Quite a few dishes are a thing of beauty, but if you see a popular dish and wonder why anyone would eat it... it's because the flavor overshadows all else. Service has been great for us. They have a great attention to detail. Sometimes there is a wait to get something as they are very busy, but the food is made fresh... unlike fast food where you don't wait. The ambiance does a great job reminding you of the Philippines. Give it a try. Great winter food: regular dishes warm you to the core. Great summer snacks: halo halo is amazing.

    Visiting from out-of-state, came here to eat today with family before a Chief's game. Looking for Filipino food since I'm craving, I did not have high expectations to find a good one in Kansas City, coming from someone who grew up in the Philippines. But man this place blew our expectations not only by their cute, well-thought decor and ambiance, but the food is TOP tier. Lechon, Crispy Pata, Broasted Chicken, and Pancit were cooked to perfection. Highly recommend, especially their bilao / platter meals. We will come back here whenever we're in Kansas City, and I'll surely recommend this restaurant. 5 stars and deserves more!

    Lumpia.  What a great start. Hot fresh and amazing flavor. Reminds us of home
    Lee B.

    Clean, nice decor and friendly staff. The food. This reminds us of home. Lumpia. Try the all. They are all seasoned to perfection. Adobo. Never tried as my kid inhaled it. He loved it Lechon is crispy and just right. The grilled squid is just right. Nice squid flavor and the texture is spot on. Pancit Bihon another grand slam The BBQ skewers are good. I'm a hard critic on these. I've had them in the Philippines and I make them at home. The flavor on these is good. I'd rather see pork belly or a butt roast used for more fat content. We will 100% come back. The menu has so many choices and with fresh and flavorful food it's a hit.

    Crispy pasta

    Excited to try this restaurant as we are from out of town. It's expensive and small portion for the crispy pasta. I bought an extra rice since it wasn't included with one of our order .and part of the rice has "tutong". They gave a small plastic condiment for the crispy pasta and I had to ask for another one. Slow service. Cute little restaurant with an area to take photos.

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    2 months ago

    Food was good, however very expensive. 100 dollars for 2 adults and a child. Will be a once a year thing probably.

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Great original Filipino food! We've never been disappointed with any thing on the menu. Very helpful and friendly staff

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    2 years ago

    Excellent food. Especially the lechon and Palabok (best I've ever had and I cook this at home!). Will come back

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    Manila Bay Express Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Manila Bay Express

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    Muni

    4.5
    (149 reviews)
    15.7 mi
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    Muni is one of my favorite spots! Where Thai food meets Mexican cuisine, the fusion is unique and…read moreabsolutely delicious. We've been here a couple of times and always love the atmosphere, the service, and the food. The slow pork is my favorite dish, and the pozole is excellent too. There aren't many gluten-free options, but they do have a few good choices. This last visit, we came with friends and ordered several dishes to share around the table. The drinks were great as always, and the food was phenomenal. Definitely a place I'll keep coming back to!

    Muni has been in my Yelp collection for well over a year. Maybe two. I don't know why it took me so…read morelong to get here, but I'm certainly glad that I made it. Muni is an Asian fusion restaurant that happens to have an amazing bar, wait staff and management. The menu is super creative and fun and not very big. I love all of those things. We brought our friends here for drinks and dinner after touring J. Rieger. This place is super cool, friendly and warm. I love the interior with bar seats available, high tops, and low tops. We had some lovely taquito egg roll appetizers and all four of our entrées were absolutely outstanding! We ordered churros for dessert to share and they were a big hit also. I really would love to work my way through the entire menu here. Muni is that good. The reviews brought me here in the first place, but the food and amazing staff will keep me coming back.

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    Ika Grill Sushi & Pan Asian

    Ika Grill Sushi & Pan Asian

    4.5
    (174 reviews)
    6.6 mi
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    We have eaten at a few different Thai places over the years but once we discovered IKA Grill, we…read morehaven't been anywhere else. We usually sit at the bar and the service is great. They are friendly and the food is amazing. We always start off with the Kun Pun chicken as an appetizer and then the Pad Thai with beef and shrimp. We have also tried other items on the menu such as the Spicy Mongolian Beef and the Kung Pao combo but the Pad Thai is our favorite. We try to eat there at aleast a couple times a month

    I tried Ika Grill for the first time with my friend today. We were celebrating her birthday…read more We arrived a little before 2pm on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty busy. While we didn't have to wait for a table, almost all of them were full when we arrived. Ika is a smaller space in a strip mall off of 119 in Leewood, so there's not a ton of seating but the restaurant went further back than where we sat so there's probably more room than I could see. The kitchen/sushi bar is right up front when you walk in and takes up a good amount of room toward the front but it's aesthetically pleasing. The decor was very nice and everything was clean. They have a big chalk board near the front door, on the wall with their specials. They have quite a few. The menu is very large and our server came over about 5 minutes after we were seated. We ordered some edamame but asked for some more time to look at the menu. When the edamame came out, we placed our order. We decided to both get a side salad with ginger dressing and share two of their special rolls. We got one of the specials off the board, the Hidden Dragon. It was really good and by far my favorite out of the 2 rolls we got. My friend also really liked this roll and thought it was the better of the two. The other roll we got was the Rainbow which is a California roll topped with various types of fish. Neither of us are big fans of salmon so we asked for it to be left off. I didn't really like this roll. I normally love tuna but I prefer it cut a bit thinner and I'm used to it almost having a butter texture where it melts in your mouth. I'm not sure what was going on but all of the tuna had a very strong flavor and yes, I'll say it was fishy. I realize some people like that but I don't. Maybe it was the Hamachi (yellowtail) but it was not for me. I tried 2 pieces and that was enough. My friend liked it better than me but definitely preferred the Hidden Dragon too. I would probably give them a 3.5 if that was an option because the Hidden Dragon roll was very good. The service was efficient and quick. Not overly friendly. They never even acknowledged my friend's bday even though she was opening gifts and we sat a small birthday pop up paper cake card on the table. Not that we expected anything but maybe just a comment about her birthday. Maybe they were too rushed for anything extra. My disappointment in the tuna on the Rainbow roll is my reason for the lower rating. The rolls are $18 each so getting one I really couldn't eat is unfortunate. They also use the crab salad and not just a piece of crab in their rolls. I prefer the latter because I'm not too fond of all the extra mayo from the crab salad. I missed taking pics of our rolls! The Hidden Dragon looked fantastic and the Rainbow looked better than it tasted, lol. My friend still enjoyed her afternoon birthday lunch! I would possibly try them again to explore something else on the menu since there were so many options but I won't go out of my way to return.

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    Blue Koi - Leawood

    Blue Koi - Leawood

    4.3
    (463 reviews)
    6.7 mi
    $$

    Had the seafood congee with crab, shrimp and scallops. It was excellent for a cold day…read more The wontons were fresh and delicious. The pork with noodles was was a pleasant surprise, and when it came out, I thought it almost was like a stroganoff. The pickled cucumbers were an interesting delight that gave it a little saltines to its sweetness. The service was excellent and I was surprised at how few people were there for lunchtime on a Saturday. FYI, they don't take reservations for parties less than six The special dessert for the day was the cream cheese wontons, which were very delightful and like most Asian restaurants not very sweet, but a yummy accordingly, and they were served with a side of mango almost like a chutney.. We split the tea and selection is excellent. I hadn't had Boba in a while so that was fun to chew on.. it's just a party in your mouth The ambience is simple but for an area like this, it's very appropriate.

    Stopped by Blue Koi on our last trip to Kansas City. When you arrive parking can be found in front…read moreor off to the side of the restaurant. When you walk in the restaurant feels warm, inviting, and inviting dumpling house. To be seated you'll check in with the host and then be shown to your table. To start we ordered the Chili Pepper Wontons (wontons are filled with a shrimp, pork, and chicken mixture and then topped with cilantro, scallion, and a chili sauce) which were not as good as I remembered and the flavor seemed off. For our entree we split the ginger basil chicken (Bite size tender thigh meat sautéed with sesame oil, ginger and fresh basil) which was good but the noodles were a bit undercooked. If I'm in the Kansas City area I may stop here again.

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    Manila Bay Express - filipino - Updated July 2026

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