For a cafe with "modern" in its name, the decor/environment actually feel quite dated. I ordered the cafe con leche and it was terrible - watery and overly sweet (I know "leche" is in the name but you can still have a balanced sweetness). I think this is partly because they used drip coffee instead of espresso, which is traditional and would have complemented the sweetness a lot better. I threw it away after drinking 1/4 of it. I do appreciate that it's a nice and quiet environment for working and studying, and I would be willing to stop in again if I were in the area to try some of the food items. Definitely not confident in the drinks, though. read more

Very cute cafe with amazing Filipino food. Got the lychee black tea which has a subtle sweetness. The lumpia is from my dreams! So flavorful, with a nice wrapper crunch paired with a tangy sweet chili sauce. read more

This place was incredible. We went up and ordered seconds we were so impressed with the first. It's counter service but they have a cozy little area to sit in and eat. Portions are a bit small but the prices are affordable so it's about right for the price. We tried half the breakfast menu and we loved everything! The ube chai is a must try! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everything on the menu is good! My favorites are tofu sisig and pandan chai. Staff are very friendly. Definitely a must stop for filipino quick bites if you're in Chicago. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay so lemme first off start by saying I love seeing new Filipino spots pop up all around chicago. It's nice to have a piece of home here in chicago. Sadly, this spot misses the mark. Food: 5/10** Service: 5/10 Vibe: 7/10 We got the longanisa (4/10) and the tocino bowl (6/10). The longanisa had a bland taste. If you like your longanisa on the sweeter side you'll be disappointed. The eggs were not consistent - one was overcooked and the other one was runny. The garlic rice didn't have much flavor either. We also ordered the adobo pulled pork sandwich (2/10) the bun was really soggy and the pulled pork didn't taste like adobo but it was more so a sloppy Joe. We also got the Ube tiramisu (4/10). We had high hopes for this as a square slice was $8 but again a miss. Great idea but poor execution all around. It's an indication of how good a dessert is when the remaining half just sat at our table uneaten. Also drinks were just okay. I wanted to like this place so bad but unfortunately it's lazy and nothing to write home about. **disclaimer: I recognize that my standard for Filipino food might be higher than the average Chicagoan read more

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I'm always one to support local businesses, but this one sadly missed the mark overall. I understand they opened about a week ago, so I'll show grace by giving 3 stars instead of 2. 1 star for hospitality/ambiance and another for the pandan chai latte. I was bummed to find that I missed breakfast upon entering at 11ish, but sounded like they had some interesting lunch options. One of the baristas did an excellent job running through each of the lunch items (a variety of rice bowls and burgers) since they don't have an offical printed menu quite yet. Based on the barista's recommendation, I opted for the pulled pork adobo rice bowl. The pulled pork (seemingly the prepackaged kind from Costco) was quite dry and chewy, drizzled in some bottled "bbq" sauce. Uncle Doug's maybe? I understand this isn't a Texas smokehouse, but I expect better quality considering how much I'm paying for the bowl, which was $14 if I remember correctly. The corn and purple cabbage/onion relish didn't enhance the flavors much, and seemed to be more for show. I couldn't put my finger on any adobo flavor either; it was next to nonexistent! The pandan chai latte, on the other hand, was my only saving grace and the main reason I came here. While unique and satisfying, it is not necessarily something I would go out of my way for again. Maybe there are a few kinks that they still intend on working out, considering they are still quite a new establishment. Wishing them all my best in their endeavors moving forward!! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Pandan chai iced latte w/ coconut milk - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Such a cute spot- I don't see much Filipino inspired food out here so I was super excited to try Mano and I was not let down! Food was amazing- I was super impressed with the vegan options that were available! The young man with glasses at the register was a sweetheart too, super friendly and had plenty of suggestions. Can't wait to go back! I had an Ube latte (8/10), rice bowl- vegan chori (10/10) and the Tiramisube (8/10)! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Rice bowl - vegan Chori - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this place! The ube chai latte tasted amazing but would probably get a little less sweet next time. Also got the longanisa wrap and bowl which were perfect breakfast items, as well as the lumpia. Fantastic flavors and great service. Solid spot to start off the morning with chill vibes. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Ube Chai Latte - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Always good and delicious. Presentation and cook on sausage/chroizo sometimes inconsistent. But always delicious

Really liked this filipino-americas coffee shop. The coffee itself was solid but you should really be going to get the longanisa breakfast sandwich. It's the right amount of food for me for breakfast. Tasty but not large enough to knock you out and throw off your day. I did think the hash brown was a bit too greasy. read more

I live around the corner and constantly walk by to catch the bus so I stopped by today. Amazing service. The barista was super nice and friendly! And the ube latte? Delicious! The place itself has more room than the previous business that was here so I might drop by and do some writing as well! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Ube Latte - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was ok but it's no Kasama. We got the breakfast sandwich with chorizo, plain breakfast sandwich, lumpia, mango juice and ube latte. Sandwiches are good but on the smaller side comapred to Kasama, although they are also cheaper at Mano. Bread was too soft imo but sandwiches filling enough. The lumpia was good, as was the mango juice, although the latte was not that great as I tasted zero ube flavor. read more

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Absolutely loved this adorable cafe! The atmosphere was so trendy and the food and drinks were delicious! It's really small so I can see how it could get crowded on the weekends but we happened to go during a weekday and it wasn't too bad. The Ube chai was to die for. SO GOOD. My sister and cousin ordered an Ube latte and they didn't like it as much as mine. The adobo was very flavorful and a good portion. We also tried an Ube cookie and Ube blondie brownie which were so yummy. The blondie brownie was a lot better than the cookie so highly recommend that! Would absolutely come back in a heartbeat! Love the Filipino representation and the atmosphere and food were amazing! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Adobo - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very cute cafe! The staff was very kind and accommodating. I really enjoyed my calamansi iced tea. It incredibly refreshing, however the food was so bland. The rice, the egg, and sausage tasted of nothing. No flavor of any kind. Definitely would like to try their coffee next time, but I think I'll skip all meals here. read more

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Went in for a quick breakfast before I went to the botanical gardens and the food was great and the drinks were cute and tasty. The place is small with lots of seating and they also sell plants which is such a huge plus in my book! I also tried the Uber twinky and it's definitely worth a try if you're a fan of southeast Asian desserts. read more

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I came earlier in the day and got an ube latte and it was amazing! I forgot to take a picture of it but it was beautiful and it was the perfect blend of ube and espresso. It was so good I had to come back for the calamansi iced tea and it was a bit sweet but SO refreshing. Would highly recommend. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Calamansi iced tea - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We loved the snacks! Poutine was great and we loved the slider and burger. We will be back! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Poutine - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The matcha was very good. I recommend their ube flavored drinks. However, it smelled absolutely awful in there. there was also a candle burning that said it was meant to get rid of the smell of weed smoke?? The smell kinda ruined the expirience for me. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - smoke candle... - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Small spot serving pure, flavorful food and drinks. The chicken adobo rice bowl was simple but hit all the right notes. Garlic rice is terrific, and the serving size was perfect. Friendly team, too! I wish there were places like this that understand all people want is clean, yummy food without all the fuss. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Chicken adobo - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's nice to see more Filipino restaurants/cafe opening in Chicago. Place was small and food was very greasy. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Ube latte - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This cafe is a breath of fresh air. The ambiance is very chill, the drinks are delicious, the food is creative and tasty and the folks there are so welcoming. I will absolutely be back! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Beef Machado - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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i was rlly excited to check out Mano since its new and my friends had heard good things, and it didn't disappoint! I've heard it compared to Kasama and although the only thing I've had at Kasama is their breakfast sandwich I feel like the quality of the food is very similar. I was debating between the tofu sisig rice bowl and the silog burger steak and the person taking my order said the tofu has been very popular recently so I ended up getting it, and it was truly a perfect lunch on a cold winter day. the garlic rice is soo delicious especially paired with the green onion (because obv garlic + onion is a match made in heaven). I only wish there was more spinach in my bowl :( it was ~6 or 7 leaves and i think there cld have been a bit more to make the bowl more proportional. overall rlly yummy!!! The space is very intimate and on the smaller side, but you can still easily talk to the people you're sitting with. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - tofu sisig rice bowl - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered an Ube Twinkie and iced Pandan latte. Loved how everything was not too sweet (highest compliment that can be given to a dessert imo). The Twinkie tastes like it's made with rice flour (not sure if this is true), but I loved how chewy, spongy, and dense this was! Definitely coming back to try more drinks in the future. Only negative is parking on Ashland can get nuts, so beware if you are coming by car. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Iced pandan latte with an Ube Twinkie - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The ube chai latte and ube tiramisu cheesecake are chef's kiss and the barista was super sweet & had a great playlist

Absolutely loved this spot! Filipino breakfast is a absolute must. I got a breakfast bowl and it was the perfect blend of all the right flavors. The service was fabulous and had great suggestions. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wanted to check this place out and stopped by on my way to Kasama. Order counter is in the back, and a good amount of seating to stay and relax or eat. The Ube latte was good, but not the best I've had in the city. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Inside - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Both the Coffee and food that I ordered were really good! Will definitely be back. Love supporting these types of businesses

I stopped by the cafe with a friend this past week for breakfast. I got here around 9:30AM and most of the tables were empty, so I grabbed a spot by the window. I ordered the longanisa slider with egg, cheese, and Pinoy Bang Bang sauce. Everything was perfectly cooked and the sweet/saltiness of the ingredients together was really delicious. I also got the Ube Latte which was not overly sweet. My friend is vegetarian and ordered a rice bowl without meat, as there weren't any vegetarian protein alternatives that were offered to her when she ordered. When it came out, it was just one egg on top of white rice, so she went back and talked to the staff. The chef ended up adding fried tofu and peppers to the bowl. A man, who I presume is the owner, later came up to us and apologized for the lack of vegetarian options, and said that they were working on getting meatless alternatives shipped to the store. Despite this hiccup, I think Mano Modern has great potential, and I'm excited to come back to try out more of the menu. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Longanisa, egg and cheese slider with brioche bun - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I went with our dogs. They were allowed inside. We had seen the place on social media. Super cute and busy, but there is plenty of seating. To place your order, you have to go up steps, but they bring the order to you. The ube latte was a miss not very strong in ube. But they had a fun selection of drinks, snacks, and food. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place was okay. their price points is decent especially for the breakfast bowls. However, in terms of the flavor of the food, I'm used to better tasting Filipino food made by my mom or myself. I got the longanisa breakfast bowl and the sausage itself didn't have enough flavor, I'm not sure if those are made in house or bought but the ones you get from Asian grocery stores taste better. The rice was also SO greasy and could use more garlic flavor and salt. The worst part is I couldn't finish the last few bites as there was a puddle of oil at the bottom of the bowl. I make garlic fried rice often and can't even imagine why there would be that much oil. I also got the Ube latte, which was delicious and the tiramisube. The tiramisube was tasty but sweet and you get a decent amount so it can definitely be shared with a few people. Overall, it's an okay spot for food, good spot for the drinks, and the space was nice and chill, the service was good. During lunch or dinner rush, you might have a hard time finding a seat with a table to eat as there are people who were there with drinks on their laptops, working or studying. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Longanisa bowl and Tiramisube - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love the concept, local coffee shop, great vibe. But the issue is the good just doesn't live up to the scene. Overall, there is just a total lack of seasoning that leaves everything bland. Lumpia had a nice crunch, but the meat was just generic. Silog had a great egg and nice garlic touch, but the rice need more than just garlic. Bacon was solid, longasia was not. Disappointed. read more

I'd like to give this place 4.5 stars! First off, I really enjoyed the ambiance. It seems like a great place to have a coffee and get some work done. I also really enjoyed the flavor of the ube latte. The espresso had a nice, mild taste and the ube was just the right level of sweetness. I ordered the sausage (can't remember how to spell it) breakfast bowl. It was really good but I wish there was more to it! Maybe there was an option to add sauce and I missed it. I finished the egg and sausage and then I just had a lot of plain rice left to eat. It was good but I would have liked more flavor. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Sausage breakfast bowl and ube latte - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's a super cute Filipino cafe! The workers were very friendly. Love all of the plants and natural lighting. Would be a great place to work and chill with friends. We got ube lattes with pistachio milk (incredible). My friend got hers hot, mine iced. Both delicious. Also got some tofu fries, lumpia, and an adobo pork bowl. All amazing. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We saw their booth at the Taste and I was really set on trying the Uber Twinkie. When went up to their booth, they turned away from us. I don't know if it was because we're Filipino too but that's a turn off. Wouldn't you want people to try your food? That's why you're there. read more

Cute and small Cafe. Reasonable pricing. I got the spam and sausage breakfast bowl. Portion size was good but the garlic rice tasted just like white rice so not super flavorful. Would have been good with some sauce. Probably wouldn't go back considering uncle mikes is around the corner unless they had something new and exciting on their menu. read more

The ambiance is cute with a couple of tables of different sizes from 1 to 6 (yes they have singular desks for one person). I tried the Philippine sausage rice bowl and pandan latte. The rice bowl was very filling, but a little oily in my opinion. It came with 3 sausages and an egg. The pandan latte was great but after sitting overnight it became very heavy on the coffee flavor. read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Such a cute little cafe! The person who took our order was super helpful when giving suggestions. They gave suggestions for drinks and food. My friend and I both had the Ube latte.( the recommended drink). We absolutely adored it. We also tried the Adobe rice bowl. It was alright but I'm willing to try more on the menu. Will definitely be back again! read more

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Been here couple of times, and their drinks are a hit or miss. Cant say for food, but I ordered the black sesame latte and pandan latte and they are oddly bitter with minimal flavoring. Black sesame 5/10: I usually love black sesame drinks so maybe it was my fault for having expectations, but it was extremely bitter and had an odd texture. I had to add some extra milk and sugar at home and blend it a little more to make it palatable. Generally, I don't like my drinks that's sugary to begin with, but it was even hard for me to drink. Pandan latte 7/10: Much better, it was light and sweet. Pandan flavor was strong. Service: Like the coffee, hit or miss. I've had very nice and welcoming service, but also times where they were on their phone and I barely got the time of day. Ambience: During the afternoon on weekdays, there are less people and a solid study spot. There's a wall with cushions that's quite comfy. Weekends are busier and lively. Overall, I've had good coffee here previously, but could be hit or miss. read more

Had the taro latte it was really good! Prices were very reasonable as well! I'd definitely recommend!

As a fellow Filipino-American, it brings me great joy to support my people. I enjoyed trying this new spot! The cafe was busy when I entered and I could tell that people were enjoying their meal. I shared a pork adobo rice bowl with my friend. It was genuinely one of the best adobo I've ever had. The meat was sooooo tender and flavorful. I got to try the Salamat cookies as well! Both tasted great. I preferred the pandan over ube though. For the chai tea lattes, my friend and I tried the Pandan Chai and Ube chai. Although both were tasty, the Pandan was a little too sweet for my taste buds. Both were still good though so I don't mind recommending it to anyone who has a sweet tooth! I also got to meet the owner who was super nice. I didn't know this place only opened 3 weeks ago. Hopefully the cafe can hire more people to help handle the amount of success it's been acquiring already I am super people who excited to see this place grow! read more

Mano Modern Cafe - Pandan and Ube cookie! The ube cookie is also labeled gluten free! - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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