I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE! Not many places I would give 5 stars to, but definitely this restaurant. I came here twice, and both times for the Kamayan dinner. Food: The food here is delicious. I have to admit that I never came here on a typical night when they serve normal a la carte dinner entrees, but I can imagine that it's amazing just by association of how good the Kamayan dinner is. They lay out big leaves and and just place all the food on top of it. The food includes whole chickens, fried fish, egg rolls, crispy frikin' amazing pork, very well-seasoned veggies, and very flavorful rice. It's also unique in that you can choose to eat with your hands, which definitely adds to the cultural experience. It is pricey though, as each person is ~$50 for this special dinner. A la carte entrees on the other hand is typical pricing. The place is BYOB as well, which is a plus. Ambiance/Environment/Service I would say this place is very "cozy." It's small, and can hold about under 50 customers. This place is great to come with a big group, or with a date. You can make reservations beforehand as well. If it's crowded with multiple people drinking alcohol, it can get a bit noisy. However, I never had to yell to be heard. Service is decent, and on average there is 1-2 servers. Since the restaurant is small, that is pretty much all they need. Easy to get their attention as well. Pros: Food, food, BYOB, experience Cons: Price Recommendation: YES! Definitely the Kamayan dinner at least once! read more

Perla - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Wow, what a meal! My palate was absolutely blown away. If you are interested in some culinary adventure (and topnotch service by people who are extremely enthusiastic about the food they are serving you), then there is no better place to dine in Philly. I came here on a Friday night with my fiancé and another couple. This place is byo, so we brought four bottles of wine (we like our wine). The restaurant appears to be a converted row home. It is small and cozy but nicely designed. It is definitely a classy but comforting atmosphere. When we arrived, the hostess greeted us and sat us immediately. The server was very excited to tell us about the menu. We ordered off of the a la carte menu since the family style option was not available that night (I definitely need to try that soon). We ordered so much food! For appetizers, we ordered the scallops, octopus, and sisig. The sisig was by far the tastiest appetizer, but everything was very delicious. The seafood was cooked well and tasted very fresh. The sisig is a hearty meat stew served in a skillet. It is quite heavy but the portion is not too excessive. It is a great appetizer for four. A few bites of this amazingly flavored appetizer is the best way to start any meal. For dinner, my fiancé ordered the short rib. Our friends ordered the monk fish and duck breast. I ordered the crispy mata (pork knuckle). We order the bone marrow rice dish for the table. I have to start off my saying that the bone marrow rice was some of the best rice I've ever had. The bone marrow gives the rice a rich and delicious flavor. They do not sell sides of rice so if you want rice you have to get the bone marrow (my one suggestion would be to offer sides of rice as well). The crispy mata was so wonderfully crispy on the outside and amazingly tender and meaty on the inside. I ate that thing to the bone! It instantly became one of my favorite meals in Philly and I cannot wait to order again. I will say it is a unique entree and not for everyone. If you like crispy pork, like authentic pork, and fatty pork parts, then this dish is for you. The desserts were also amazing. We ordered a chocolate mousse and cookies and ice cream. Both were out of this world. If you like to have a few drinks with your meal, then this place is actually cheaper than full bar restaurants because it is byo. If you don't drink, you may find the prices a bit high, but I find it very much worth it. I can't wait to come back. read more

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From a Filipino's perspective-- traditional flavors really shine in every dish, and are elevated by impressive technique. My party and I came on a Friday night, so we had the a la carte menu, not kamayan. The space is small but cozy, comfortable and well decorated. The meal started with pan de sal, which is a very common Filipino bread. It brought me back to my grandmother's house and eating one too many as a child. For the small plates, we had the octopus, which was lightly breaded. The texture was exquisite. This was easily my favorite dish of the night. We had the sisig, which I usually don't enjoy despite its popularity... but it was very flavorful and the variety of textures was pleasant and exciting, as opposed to off-putting (per my previous sisig experiences). We also had the mechado, which was lamb with a coconut sauce. This was fairly good, but it was supposed to be a "remix" of mechado which is a tomato sauce based dish. Maybe if they would have called it something else, we would have enjoyed it more, but it was too disconnected from traditional mechado and left us confused. For the entree we ordered the sinangag rice with bone marrow. Rice is a necessity with all Filipino food, so do not skip this. We ordered the crispy pata which was soooo magnificent wow. The fat melts in your mouth and the skin stayed crispy. Crispy pata is usually too heavy for me after a while but I kept coming back for more. We also ordered the barramundi, which was so light and delicate. It was a pleasant contrast to the crispy pata. We demolished all the entrees. Lastly for dessert we ordered the chocolate coconut panna cotta and the ube. I have a nut allergy and the kitchen was so accommodating and took the time to separate the nut components from the ube mousse so that I could taste it. Let me say this-- I have had a lot of good ube. I have had a lot of bad ube. This ube mousse gave me all the nostalgic flavor memories of licking ube off a spoon as a kid... but had such a light fluffy texture that was nothing like I've had before. It blew my mind. The panna cotta was delightful as well, topped with toasted coconut. But wow the ube. Get it. Lastly, the service was so excellent. The servers took the time to talk us through everything, even their backgrounds, and how this restaurant is a mix of their Filipino upbringing with their classical French training. It was so nice to see a restaurant full of non-Filipinos enjoying our cuisine. Perla is doing a great job making delicious food and representing our culture. read more

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One of the most memorable meals I've ever had. This Filipino restaurant pays homage to their roots and does it extremely well. Might not be the healthiest option, so please be prepared! The food was served on a banana leaf and we ate with our hands. Gave this place a try during restaurant week and came home with plenty of extras. Well worth the price, the food itself was the star. Would highly recommend for a unique date night or some good home style cooking. Food 5/5. Atmosphere 4/5. Staff 5/5. read more

Perla - Whole Fried Pompano, Chicken Inasal, BBQ Sticks (Pork), Garlic Fried Rice - 5/5 for all! - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

*HIGHLY RECOMMEND* *4.5 Stars* If you want to try a traditional Filipino feast eaten in the traditional Filipino way with your hands, you should definitely check this place out. Perla offers Kamayan dinner, multi course meal with food served on banana leaf and meant to be eaten with your hand. For just $45 per person, this feast is definitely worth the value. You get an appetizer, main course, and a dessert. The main course includes rice, vegetables cooked in coconut oil, fried Pompano, half chicken inasal, fried Pork belly, and lumpia. The chicken was the best chicken I've ever eaten in my life, the skin so crispy and the meat so tender and juicy all around including the white meat. Literally every single part of this chicken was delicious. The pompano fish is pretty good too. The pork belly was too crispy and kinda dry. The vegetables were pretty good, but the rice was just okay. The dessert is a chocolate coconut budino which I did not like, was a bit too salty for me. Overall, I love the experience and majority of the meal was very good, minus a couple of items here and there. *VERDICT* Definitely would come back again just for the chicken read more

Came here highly recommended from our friends who are Filipino - nothing more assuring than having the stamp of approval for authentic cultural food when trying it for the first time! We came as a party for the Kamayan Dinner. What's that you ask? It's when you abandon your proper food etiquette and immerse yourself into a new culture by eating with your hands! (Though, you are not required to. You are allowed to still use forks and spoons, but are you going to be that debbie downer?) All food are laid beautifully on banana leaves, setting the ambiance as if you are eating somewhere tropical. Food includes grilled fresh fish (seasonally), roasted chicken (one of the best, juicy and tender, not a tad bit dry!), pork belly, an assortment of veggies, and garlic rice. On the side includes various sauces for dipping including a mango ketchup and other exotic flavors. It's $40 per person and requires advance notice, but one of the best experiences eating Filipino food! A definite must try. And as a fun fact, I asked my Filipino friends if this type of feast was common and frequently eaten in the Philippines -- and of course it was very rare, probably only once a or twice a year. read more

Perla - KAMAYAN style ! - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Perla is absolutely amazing - delicious food and amazing service! All the servers and staff are very courteous, attentive, and absolutely friendly to talk to. It was my first time having Kamayan and it was absolutely an unforgettable experience. When we first sat down, we received a warm pandesal which is like a Filipino dinner roll. Then the server began to slowly layer down each part of the menu. Everything was delicious and the flavor profile of everything complimented each other very well-nothing was overly salty. The crispness and flavor of the lumpia, pinakbet (eggplant, long beans, bokchoy), fried pork were my favorite. I loved that they also gave us garlic rice instead of plain jasmine rice. They also include sauces for extra flavor. It was a great experience and highly recommend and can't wait to go back! read more

My boyfriend and I are in Philly for the weekend for our anniversary and absolutely had to eat from Perla again! The lumpiang shanghai is delicious (better than my parents'- but don't tell them that!), with a hint of citrus that makes them super addicting. The crispy pata paired with vinegar and garlic fried rice was our favorite and there was nothing left by the time we were finished with it. I adored both the palabok and pinakbet, and though they aren't typically a favorite dish of my boyfriend, he really enjoyed them as well. Would definitely recommend anyone to try Perla out! read more

Perla - Crispy Pata Meal, Pinakbet, Lumpiang Shanghai, Palabok, Garlic Fried Rice - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I hold this place near and dear to my heart. It's my #1 restaurant in Philly simply because of the service. It's a small dining area and the people there make all customers feel welcome. I go here at least twice a month and the food never disappoints! 10/10 would recommend, especially if you're into BYOB. read more

Perla - a plate of food on a banana leaf - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Throw out all the food etiquette your parents taught you when you come here for family style dinner! Eat off the table with your bare hands! No plates or utensils (you could ask if you'd like) - just food laid out on some banana leaves for you to enjoy. For about $50-$55 pp after tip and tax, you get about 1/4 fish, 1/4 chicken, a roll, 2 pork belly pieces, garlic rice, and veggies. Everything we had was great, but for the price, I wish we had gotten some items that were more interesting... the fish is fried, the chicken is rotisserie style, and the pork belly pieces were bite sized. Overall, service was great, the food you get is great, the ambiance is neat, but would I come back for the family style? Nope, but maybe for their regular menu! Tips for family style: BYO, and make sure you come with people with good hygiene read more

Perla - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I came with a party of 4 for the Sunday Kamayan dinner and wow, what an experience. Since there are already many reviews on the dining experience, I'll keep it short. The sweet bread at the beginning was fantastic. The pork belly was a little dry and flavored purely by pork fat. Same goes for the chicken (breast was a little dry) & fish, both were good but not super flavorful on their own. But there are 4 yummy sauces you get on the side to eat with the meat so that makes up for it. The rice was so simple yet so delicious, I couldn't get enough! And the dessert was the perfect end to the meal, light enough stomach after stuffing yourself to the brim. The food is more homestyle and less fine dining than Perla's typical fare, but the price is made up for by quantity. You get a lot of food regardless, but the bigger your party, the more bang for your buck you'll receive. By far the best part of our dining experience was the staff. Our table was towards the back by the kitchen so we chatted with our waiter the entire time. I wish I caught his name, but he was just a really cool, funny, amicable guy. We laughed, joked, and had a great time thanks to him. read more

Perla - Sunday kamayan feast - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Can't comment on the restaurant menu pre-Covid, however I believe now they are only doing a set Kamayan family style menu with a bunch of different appetizers and entrees served on pieces of banana leaves with dessert to follow. Set price of $40 I believe. It's recommended to eat with your hands for the full experience but the staff provides utensils as well upon request. The food was amazing and all the flavors mixed very well. The restaurant is also BYOB. Do recommend making reservations in advance as they fill up quick. read more

Perla - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Paid almost $400 for 2 half chicken , 2 fries fish, some spring roll, a piece of Fried pork thigh, some sautéed vegetable and some rice. Over priced restaurant! Everything was so dry , it's seems like they fry over and over again . I dont know how this place get 4.5 star but this place is nothing special, the restaurant look interesting with the banana leaf on the table that's why we decided to try but it's so disappointed. Foods is nothing other than bunch of fry stuff which you can get easily at the supermarket. $50 / person plus tax . As you can see in the picture the chicken is burn (dark black) the rice was not cooked through, the spring roll was not crispy at all. We came in the table of 5 adult and a kid. Our bill came out to almost $400 . ( all the food is on the picture) They charge us $30 plus tax for the kid. But it's seem like we didn't get any extra food for her. The next table to us has 5 adult and they got the same amount of food we have. So we paid extra for my daughter just to have her come to sit with us? Be aware that They also added $60 tip in my bill which I didn't know. While we were there no body come and ask if the food was ok, until we asked for the box togo. After i left the restaurant, I called them right away concerned about the bill and the amount of food we got, the told me that she would have someone call me back, a week later nothing, i called them again the same server picked up and ask if i want to talk to the manager, she gave the phone to someone else and he didn't not know what was happening( so I waited all that time for nothing? ) So i have to talk to him all over again hope that he would give me some answers, but he said the transaction is done, it's nothing he can do and he is not even the manager or owner. ,( but I called them right after I left) he told me if I'm not satisfied with the service, I can go on online and give them a review. How terrible customer service is that. Seem like they dont care about the customer's satisfaction . I also noticed that the other table dine-in with 2 they get half of our food. I dont know how they operate the restaurant. If you sell by portion, then you should give the customer what they pay for. This is not fair for everyone. I work close by and will tell all my clients not to come here. The worst experience I ever have. read more

Perla - Burn food !!! - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Perla has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. I always try to go a couple of times a year, and it does not disappoint every time. Always ask for extra bread, it's really good. The service is also great! I highly recommend if you are visiting Philly. read more

Excellent service !! The staff and food were exceptional! Recommend this place . The food was well done .

I went here for restaurant week and ordered off the pre-fixe menu on a Thursday night. I booked a reservation on OpenTable that morning without any issues. The restaurant was small and got loud quickly. Service was good, but we were given the check right when we received our dessert even though there were multiple empty tables at the time and nobody was waiting to be seated. Off the menu, we tried the Spanish octopus and Kilawin (Arctic char) for the first course. We had the bagnet (pork belly) and pinaputok na isda (barramundi fish) for the second course. We had the chocolate coconut panna cotta and the ube cheesecake for the third course. Spanish octopus and kilawin were both delicious! The octopus has a nice fry on the outside and was perfectly cooked. The sauce included was perfect. The kilawin was fresh and went well with the taro purée. Bagnet - This was the most disappointing dish. There was no presentation - just the pork belly and ube with a few veggies on a big plate. The veggies and ube were refreshing and needed to offset the pork belly. The pork belly had a great crisp on both sides, but the fat was overwhelming. It would uncomfortably stick in my mouth as I was chewing. Pinaputok Na isda - nice presentation and delicious flaky fish. I'd say this is the go-to dish on the menu. All dishes were pretty tasty, but pretty small. Some dishes like the dessert and pork belly lacked presentation points and were unmemorable. read more

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My cousins made reservations for kamayan here and we were glad they were accommodating to have a high chair! Small-ish restaurant, but pretty much enough space for a place in Passyunk. The owner came over and talked to us about the menu and how to eat, which was very welcoming. There's so much food! Recommended to go wash your hands before digging in obviously, since the point is to eat with your hands. Everything was very flavorful and neat experience! Definitely a great place for birthdays or intimate celebrations! read more

The Kamayan feast was no joke. The food came out very fast. Service was great. You eat with your hands. They do provide utensils if you are uncomfortable with using your hands. This was definitely an experience. read more

Perla - Feast - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Kamayan feast was a fantastic experience. Our group of four stuffed ourselves silly and still had so much left over. For three of the us, the dinner style was completely new, for our fourth, she is Filipina AND has her own Filipino pop-up in the Detroit area and the food passed her taste buds, and that was good enough for the rest of us. I particularly loved the spring rolls and pork. The chicken was juicy, but would've been nice if it was cut up. I was way too full to even try the fish. It is a lot of food, which is probably why it's $40 but honestly, it is way too much food. BYOB! And they provide a bucket with ice to chill your bottle(s) in! read more

Perla - All the chicken, pork, fish and spring rolls. Those sauces are a must! - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Taking Philly public transit from University City to Perla, I had my anticipation for the meal grow as I walked in and saw the large leaves laid out on the table with absolutely no silverware except cups for our BYO drinks and water. With a Filipino native with my party, I learned of how we were going to eat with our hands while the food would be laid down across the table for our glorious Friday night feast. The servers came quickly to put our drinks in a cooler and provide us with a rundown of the meal. Rice, vegetables, spring rolls, chicken, fish... saliva filled my mouth, almost like the Schuykill flowing downstream. We were first served with a sweet bread roll, in which we all instantly fell in love. The warm, soft dough in the middle was contained by a wonderful crust that we quickly finished. Soon after, each food was laid down on top of the other, and I instantly fell in love with the meal that I was about to dig into. The spring rolls, crispy and made to crunch like a glorious Lays chip, the garlic rice was laid down as a bed for food made for the gods, glistering porkbelly and cooked vegetables staring right back at me, and finally, half chickens and lightly-fried fish laid out as if the other food was not enough. We immediately starting digging in, trying different sauces like vinegar with each of the foods. The fish was devoured by everyone around me until all that was left was a skeleton, eaten clean straight to the bone. It took me a solid 5 minutes to finish half a chicken, and everyone around me stared as if I was a bear coming out of hibernation and having his first meal in months. The spring rolls quickly ran out, and the pork belly soon followed. Veggies, yummy and screaming "eat me!" to all of us. We each commented about how unique the experience was eating with our hands. The delicious meal was complimented by the freeing process of eating with our hands. Altogether, we had so many leftovers, but still had room to finish the chocolate pudding dessert. The topping has a sweetness and crunch that was tamed by the richness of the chocolate. Nothing could ever top such a smooth dessert - the perfect ending to an already perfect meal. If you're in Philly for a while, you have to try this place. 100% one of the best meals I've ever had in my life and it truly is a life-changing experience. read more

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It was my first time here, and it did not disappoint! I had never had Filipino food before, but this experience was amazing! I love the concept of feasting (kamayan feast) like this, where everything is laid out on the table. The space is small, but because they only take reservations, it limits the number of people there. The food was excellent; the rice was soft and coconut-y the meats were marinated and perfectly cooked! My favorite was the bread served in the beginning, which was sweet and warm. The service was also amazing; they were very knowledgeable and accommodating. It will always be my top choice for large outings. read more

I came here with a group of friends on a Sunday afternoon ready to feast and that we did. We made a reservation for the kamayan style dinner where the food are all laid out on the table and consumed with bare hands. The restaurant is tiny so reservation is a must. The service was phenomenal but the food took longer than average to come out. For our kamayan feast, we had roasted chicken, fried whole fish, crispy cubes of pork belly, lumpia, and coconut vegetables all on a bed of garlic rice. All this also came with some house sauces- vinegar based and liver based. My favorite was the fish. It was so well seasoned and well cooked. The vegetables were cooked in this coconut based sauce and really blended well with the garlic rice. The rice was more on the al dente side but still good. We capped off the feast with chocolate coconut pudding. We also got a complimentary sample of ube mousse. Overall, a very unique experience that I would highly recommend trying at least once. At $40 per person, it's on the pricier side but worth it for the experience. read more

Perla - Family style dinner - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Excellent dining experience. Great service and food. We were mesmerized with the entire experience. The food was terrific and flavorful. The server explained what we were eating and the history behind the food. Definitely a must to do in Philadelphia. read more

Perla - Perla - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wooo mama, this was place was good. After having done an unnecessary amount of research for a dining experience that was both unique and delicious, I landed on Perla for its small-restaurant charm, simple yet delicious menu, and novel dining setup. It did not disappoint. Walking into Perla, you might think you're walking into someone's house because of its very tiny and discrete location. Don't be put off by the very small dining room, it gives Perla a cozy and homey feel that an extensive, intricately designed dining room probably wouldn't. The bustle of the kitchen sits only a few feet away from diners and the servers carefully squeeze through the narrow spaces between tables. Rather than taking away from the experience, this is really what made Perla so charming. Now, the menu. There's no menu, per se, but rather a large pile of meats and vegetables and rice is dumped right on your table for your entire party to dig into. For this reason, I think I'd suggest visiting Perla with a group you are comfortable being a bit sloppy with because eating with your hands is the way to go here. All of the selections are simple, but the absolutely necessary mixing and matching of all of the food on the table really brings each of them individually to another level. The chicken was incredibly juicy and fell right off the bone, the pork belly was crunchy and perfectly fatty, and the fish was flaky with a crisp skin. While the vegetables and rice might serve for some as a side show to the meats and fishes, they're really incredible in their own right. If you're looking to binge with friends on great food and aren't afraid to get a little dirty in the process, head over to Perla ASAP. Maybe bring a couple extra wet wipes along for the journey. read more

So excited to write this review as I was excited to go to this restaurant ! The food was made with love. Clearly the chef loves what he does and the cooks, cook with passion. They really represent the culture through their food. I enjoyed every last bite! It was so damn good! They seem to get a kind of snobby crowd but it was whatever I was there for the food. They were very accommodating as I was only a party of one but really wanted to try this place out. I'm on keto but I tried the dessert anyways because it wasn't something extremely sweet and he utilized dark chocolate which is actually really good for you. The ingredients were simple so I was like why not. It tastes like a very delicious pudding/custard almost. Lumpia was that deal. The pork belly was fresh. I loved that I was able to take what I wasn't able to eat to go. Everything was genuinely Great! Thank you! read more

Perla - Fish - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I was looking forward to coming to Perla for some time. Sisig was my girlfriend's favorite dish while we were in the Philippines, and after seeing it on their menu and how incredible all the reviews were, I decided to make Valentine's Day reservations here. First off, parking is difficult as to be expected with South Philly. We drove around for about 40 minutes before parking all the way on Broad, but the people at Perla were so nice to hold our reservations. The service was wonderful, friendly, attentive, and was always smiling. We were handed a Valentine's Day pre-vixed menu and, unbeknownst to us until that moment, that is all they would be serving that night. Unfortunately, no sisig, our reason for coming. Furthermore, the pre-fixed menu had completely non-filipino options. But hey, we waited quite some time for this meal and finally found parking, so let's give it a shot. The first course, butternut coconut soup tasted nice but was served cold. We split two appetizers. The ceviche also had good flavor, but the shrimp seemed under "cooked" even to ceviche standards, the middle looking and feeling translucent and raw. The beef rolls tasted like stuffed cold cut roast beef; enjoyable, but not something you'd expect at a nicer restaurant. For main, the duck was incredible. Perfectly cooked, tender, and pink with a crispy, savory skin surrounding it. By far my favorite dish of the night. The squid ink pasta has a delicious sauce actually made with squid ink (unlike just infused into the pasta like typically seen), but the scallops were over-salted and the pasta was undercooked and hard, overall underwhelming. The desserts, the champorado and the creme brulee, were both well constructed and a nice end to the meal. Although this meal was a bit of a let down, I want to come back to Perla and give their actual Filipino menu, whether the a la carte or Kamayan dinner, a shot because of all of the wonderful things I've read about it. I'm still looking forward to having that Sisig. read more

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tl;dr a modern, upscale take on a Filipino cuisine, complemented by the option to BYOB As is the case for most Passyunk restaurants, Perla's unassuming outside doesn't do it justice. Only a barely visible sign even indicates to you its very presence. Built into the first floor of a townhouse, you walk through the front door of what seems like a residential building, then open up another door to the left. Wooden two-seater tables line the walls, and an open-kitchen concept is situated toward the rear of the floor. Perla opts for a modern mid-century decor with its minimalistic whitewashed walls and hardwood floors. Angled accent lighting illuminating an otherwise safely traditional wall mold. Meanwhile, the all-glass front is a portal to the bustling Passyunk Square. My first visit, I had the opportunity to try the Kamayan Family Style meal (served Wednesdays and Sundays): Sinangag, Pinakbet, Chicken Inasal, Pampano, Lechon Kawali, and Lumpia, all served on a banana leaf covered table. Everything was so fresh and authentic, that I've been itching to come back and try Perla's a la carte menu. And I had that opportunity this past Friday. My partner and I picked up a few craft beers from across the street, then headed in for our 6PM reservation. Immediately, the scents of stewed meats and seafood greeted me, and my belly was rumbling even before the hostess escorted us to our table. The restaurant was full but not packed, filled with a low buzz of conversation. Service was attentive and friendly, with our waitress happily putting out beverages on ice and thoroughly answering any questions we had about the eclectic menu. I started off with a calamansi juice, which was fresh and sweet, almost like the child between lemonade and orange juice. As we awaited our appetizers, our waitress brought out fresh cornmeal bread. This was the perfect appetite whetter: with a crisp outside and pillowy, warm inside, it was so buttery it (almost) didn't need the side of butter. For our appetizers, we shared the Spanish Octopus and the Paksiw (vinegar-cooked pork). The octopus was perfectly cooked -- the batter was light and crispy, and the meat itself soft. The plate was decorated with two vibrant sauces: a chili sauce and a soy sauce. The pork was stewed with banana hearts. The result was a soft, robust pulled pork with banana hearts that took on the flavors of the pork fat and gave the dish a nice starchiness. My partner and I split the Pork Shank Kaldereta, the Pinaputok Na Isda (an oven-cooked barramundi), and the Siningag (garlic fried rice) for our main course. The pork was stewed and served with a tomato-based. While the dish was overall flavorful, the pork felt a tad tough. Meanwhile, the barramundi was flaky and tasted distinctly like the banana leaf that it was cooked within. The soy vinegar that it was served with, though, brought the dish to another level. The garlic fried rice was enormous and served with bone marrow to mix in. While the marrow was a pain in to get out the bone, and the rice ended up lukewarm when I finally got to try it, the very garlic-y, crispy grains of rice went well with the sauces from our entrees. Finally, we decided to finish with the Ube and Babingka desserts. Ube is a purple root similar to a yam. The dessert was actually a subtlety delicious ube parfait, complemented well by vanilla-bean macarons and freeze-dried ube. Babingka is a coconut-milk rice cake. It had a chewy, with a cartelized exterior reminiscent of creme brulee, and topped with salty preserved eggs. While my partner wasn't a fan of the egg, I thought that it was a nice contrast to an otherwise overpoweringly sweet cake. Our meal rounded out to $110 after tax and tip -- definitely on the affordable side for one of the better dinners that I've had in Philly. Perla is arguably the best Filipino food that I've had that isn't in the Philippines, and it's definitely worth the trip out of your way to South Philly. read more

Perla - Paksiw - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Come for their Wednesday or Sunday night kamayan feast and you will blown away. It is best enjoyed with friends and it's a BYOB!!! Simple food, prepared with love and care is the name of the game here but with everything so full of flavor, the fried fish and pork belly and roasted chicken were all spectacular. And at $40/person is it one of the most affordable tasting menus out there. Also ask for the mango habanero sauce, it give everything a little extra kick that was absolutely to die for. If you are on the fence. about eating with your hands, get off that fence and dive in hands first with both eyes open. This is undoubted one of the best places in the city. And I do not say that lightly. I kept going back over my meal wondering if there was anything that I could find fault, and I'm really picky and honesty I could not. I will sing their praises until everyone I know has been here. Run don't walk to Perla, I'd love to try their regular menu sometime as well, and will update review once I do. read more

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Had Kamayan feast here. Had been on our restaurant list for a while. Did not disappoint. Loved the experience. This is a nice thing to do with close friends or loved ones. Food was delicious from start to finish. Started with a warm pan de sal which tasted of my childhood. My favorites were the lumpia shanghai, pork belly, and eggplant. Our party of four nearly ate the entire feast! Dessert was a tasty finish. Would do it again! read more

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There's a new policy - no take out and they only offer a $45 option. I was a single diner and even though it's just me they would've made me get the meal for 2. Makes absolutely no sense. And we're still in covid-times. Not everyone wants to dine in at a restaurant. read more

A cool experience, but a very pricey one. Definitely quantity over quality for average food. read more

Omg best BYOB in northern liberties I would say. Food is amazing!!! Try the lamb it falls right off the bone. The appetizer with all the different dips and pita bread is amazing too. Honestly anything you order will melt your mouth. service is great and very quick. You can't make reservations unfortunately and it may be hard to walk in with a large party most nights, but it is SO worth the try!! Perla is the GOAT! read more

World, it has been 5 days and I'm still irrationally upset that I forgot my leftovers at Perla. 6 of us went for the traditional Kamayan Sunday Dinner ($40 pre tax and tip, byob, and yes they accommodate vegetarians-she got extra different vegetables!). Banana leaves cover the table and an unreal amount of food is spread (nay, piled) in front of you. Mountains of rice, piles of vegetables, whole fried fish, half chickens, generous dollops of chicken liver and sauce for incredible lumpia spring rolls and thick cut pork belly lechon. You eat with your hands and I dare you to not be a sticky mess by the end. It's impossible because the food is so good and the atmosphere is so fun and with your hands covered in rice no one is checking their phones and all focus is on the food, wine, friends, and all the hot waiters and hot chef and where did all these hot people come from? The Philippines apparently. But I digress. It's an awesome fun experience if you're not one of those meat and potatoes must eat with a fork and knife types. The food is delicious and you will have enough to each fill a giant takeout container. And hopefully you won't make the worst mistake of your life and forget them at the restaurant like I did. RIP My Perla Leftovers. Definitely want to come back for regular meal service but I also want to come back for another Sunday dinner... read more

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I ordered pick up. I got the chicken meal, the chocolate coconut budino, and the ube cheesecake. The chicken meal was good! The chicken? SHE JUICY! and the rice was somewhat flavorful. My favorite part was the lumpia. Sooo goood! Nice and crispy on the outside, delicious pork on the inside. The pinakbet was good, I like the sauce that's used. The chicken meal serving is large enough that I'll probably eat it over a couple of days. Now for the desserts... I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan. The chocolate coconut budino would have been better without the honeycomb on top. The honeycomb just made it too sugary and took away from the chocolate coconut. The ube cheesecake, I wouldn't actually call it a cheesecake. It's more like very smooth mashed sweet potatoes topped with a custard and graham cracker crumb. The custard and graham cracker crumb - delicious!! The serving size is decent. I'd say that it would be difficult for one person to finish one of these desserts, but that's what (COVID safe) sharing is for! I'll probably come back to this place and try their other menu items, particularly the Halo Halo. read more

We celebrated my partner's 40th birthday here with a large group and it was a great experience! The fish, pork (shank?), lumpia and chicken were all expertly cooked, tender with crispy skin. So so much delicious food! read more

So fun with a group! Delicious variety of so much great food, and eating with your hands off of banana leaves really makes it memorable. Great service and homey feel, too. read more

Best Filipino in Philly high class with too notch chefs there pandesal bread and crispy pata are amazing

I've been here twice already! The experience and the amount of food given is well worth the visit, they give so much food and my party could never finish it. Its even BYOB so it is great with a group of friends. Everything is always so delicious. read more

I wasn't too excited when I looked at the menu of this BYOB place in advance, but was actually pleasantly surprised. Shared a bunch of small plates with my fam and though it wasn't my style of dinner, everything was pretty and better than I expected. *Octopus- fine flavor, nice and tender *Ensaladang talong- thin slice of grilled eggplant topped with fresh tomatoes. This was very good- not at all what I was expecting from an Asian-ish restaurant *Pancit- razor clams were sandy and chewy, but the noodles were flavorful. Not the rice noodles I was expecting, but pretty good. *Pinakbet- mix of maitake mushroom, pattypan squah, carrots that all tasted better once dragged through the coconut flavored sauce. *Pork belly- Disclosure, I didn't actually taste this one, but the boys said that the skin was tough instead of crispy *Rice- a little chewy for my liking. Didn't try the bone marrow that was served with it They brought my dad a birthday treat- a tasty dessert that reminded me of a pavlova with some type of light cream. This might have been my fave dish of the night. Service was fine, though the place was cooled with just fans so I wonder how hot it gets on a warmer night. The kitchen is open and we definitely left with clothes that smelled like grease. Not a place I would return to, but glad I tried it. read more

Perla - Eggplant and octopus small plates - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I first heard about Perla's "Kamayan style" dinners through one of my best friends and so I decided to round of a whole group of people and give it a try. The special Kamayan dinners are only served on Wed and Sun nights. It's $40 a person and the place is BYOB. If you are a big group (we were 8) gratuity is tacked on to the bill. Once we were seated at your table you will only see banana leaves on and water/wine glasses. No utensils because this mean is meant to be eaten with your hands only! The meal is as follows: a bed of garlic infused white rice with a bed of an assortment of veggies. We had okra, eggplant, string beans, and brussel sprouts. Then a whole chicken, pork belly bites, and a whole fried fish are placed on top. Four condiments were placed on the table and properly explained to us (ranging from vinegar to spicy tang). This food is divine. I mean you can really taste the freshness of the meat and fish. I had never had garlic rice before and i was blown away by the taste. The veggies were cooked to perfection and honestly our entire group enjoyed the entire experience. The chef came over and introduced himself to us and thanked us for coming to his restaurant. You could just feel that he cares about the service and the food here. It was one of the best meals i had eaten in a long time and i cannot wait to go back! read more