This was of the best brunches I've ever had in Jersey! I came here with my family because we saw…read morethat this place is run by a famous chef (Maricel) and that they even offer cooking classes. We were quite hungry so we ordered one of the tower sets and some other stuff like lumpia and eggs. I loved the tower- it featured a superb mix of meats, potatoes, eggs, and sweet pastries. I will definitely say either share it or come super hungry because I was stuffed to the brim by the end of the meal. Service is super fast and efficient too. The owner did rounds to talk to everyone as well which felt quite inviting. The vibe inside is also nice and cozy, and the tables are spaced pretty far apart so it doesn't feel crammed in there. Overall, highly recommend as one of the best Filipino spots and brunch spots in the central Jersey area.

Maricels Kitchen Is Bitchen!…read more What a imaginative way to serve several dishes at 1 time. Usually called a boodle or Ramadan, where the layout several dishes on leaves on the table, all dishes were served on a 3 tier tower. Cute for a celebration. The towers immediately brought to mind English tea service, with finger foods displayed on two- or three-tier stands. The customer service truly stood out, from the attentive waitstaff to the three chefs who came out to greet us--including Chef Maricel herself--the hospitality felt warm and genuine. The dining room is cozy and inviting, with a mix of sofas and chairs giving living-room vibe. They offer two preset towers, and we ordered the first: The Classic Filipino Brunch Tower, which included: Siomai, Crispy Shrimp, Ukoy (sweet potato and vegetable fritters), Pork Tocino, Beef Tapa, Bangus (milkfish), Garlic Fried Rice, Fried Eggs, Salted Eggs with Tomatoes and Atchara, Homemade Pandesal, Suman, and the Chef's selection of homemade pastries. It would be great if guests could choose items from a list or make substitutions. There were no substitutions allowed, so we had to pick the tower with the fewest items we wouldn't eat. I especially wanted the Torta Talong from Tower 2, but it wasn't available as a side dish. The siomai was the first item cooked--it arrived cold and had started to harden. Everything else was delicious. Since the towers are meant to be shared, providing tongs would be a thoughtful touch and more hygienic for communal dining. We also ordered a few side dishes. The Lumpia Shanghai were fresh and delicious, though a few were still pink inside. The Baked Siopao was dry and lacked sufficient meat and sauce. The Empanadas, however, were the clear favorite--fresh, flaky, generously filled with savory seasoned beef and vegetables, and baked to perfection. Every bite was a flavor explosion, and we were literally fork-fighting over them. The Sans Rival was the perfect ending to the meal--so good that we ordered an extra slice to take home. **BYO LIQOUR** I would love to take my Mom for a dinner.

This is my go-to establishment to cater my events and whenever I have to bring a dish to a potluck…read more Although this is not encouraged, they had been very receptive to my last minute requests. The staff here are so kind and they remember their frequent customers. My go-to orders here are fried vegetable lumpia, crispy pork sisig, and lately they seem to have a stock of their ube cheese pandesal. I tried other things on their menu such as dinuguan, beef caldereta and their meat platters which I LOVE. All their food is amazing here so far and I look forward trying their benedicts. I also love their ube latte as it is one of the most "purple" and "authentic" tasting ube latte I've ever had.

Everything was delicious! I got the Crispy Pork Sisig and was a great portion and flavor!…read more Should have taken a photo before eating haha

Small place , packed shelf's that looked well kept not a spec of dust. Extremely clean. Food was…read moregreat. The chicken or pork on a stick is a fantastic quick lunch.

Im not sure how the rating for this place is so high and definitely not the case for me when I…read morevisited the establishment today. I ordered (to go) Lechon (L) , Pork Menudo (M), Pork Adobo (S), Sinigang (L) and Palabok. Half of the lechon was nothing but fat and no meat, pork menudo was decent, Pork adobo sauce was too thick and a bit on the salty side, sinigang was also thick and hardly any meat and the palabok - good Lord! Im not sure when it was made but after heating it up, the orange sauce was still a full chunk, I've tried a lot of variations of this item and this is not palabok. Not recommending this place as I dont want to see disappointments on people faces. Very sad.

The food was okay. I called them first to make sure they're…read moreopen and asked if they do cook to order or it's ready to serve (food) they have. The lady I spoke with on the phone said it's a buffet - eat all you can. And then she said they do combo, so I was a little confused but decided to just go there and find out myself. We drove an hour from Atlantic city and I was visiting from California. We stepped inside and found out that they don't have a buffet style but it's ala carte and combo food to go and you can also dine in coz there's table and seats also. My friend and I were in line next to the people ordering their food. When it was our turn, this older lady (server) was helping my friend with her order first, but the lady already got sinigang with rice and asking what else did my friend want. (Both of us were ordering 2 entrees) We were wondering why would she serve sinigang when we didn't order it. So we told the server we didn't order the sinigang. The lady then started acting weird and mean - telling the young lady (also a server) that she heard sinigang. She didn't get back to us abt what we want and didn't even apologize or anything. She just ignored us leaving us hanging and just helping someone else instead. The young lady ended up getting our order instead and she was nice. I was so upset how this older server (maybe she's the owner) made us feel! You have to treat your customers right when you're in business. I was visiting in NJ and drove far to try this Filipino food and she made us very uncomfortable. She's not friendly and very unprofessional and seems like a typical toxic "tita"! I'm sorry but I don't recommend this place. I can cook better. All the foods were served cold because they're just hanging there (display) for the people to buy them. Right after eating, my tummy was hurting a little. 20min later, I had an upset stomach and badly needed the restroom when we got to Costco!

AS OF 11JUN2022…read more Food: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 I stop by here everytime on my way to the beach because I can't get Filipino food where I live. They've got your pre-prepped hot food where you can get a combo box, small (can't remember price), medium for $9, or large container for $17. I had the pork adobo, pancit, a beef tomato carrot dish stew, a slightly spicy, lemon, vinegar pork dish and a shrimp, jackfruit and coconut milk dish. All were pretty good - except the jackfruit / shrimp dish which probably something I wasnt as used to. The jackfruit had the texture of cooked down bamboo (no crunch) and was good, but the flavor was a bit bland for me. The two pork dishes were on point though. I haven't had too many Filipino dishes, so I was a little intimidated going in but the staff is super nice and patient ! I'll be back to try other things.

Having my late lunch on weekday here…read more I ordered their lunch combo of white rice, fried veggie roll (lumpia gulay) and pork on tamarind soup (sinigang pork). Not a busy place I late afternoon. Self service like a cafeteria set-up. Server is friendly and helpful. Very clean, well lighted and uniquely decorated Filipino Restaurant. New owners took over from former owners of Phil-Am Restaurant. They modernize the place and upgraded the lighting fixtures and changed the whole setup of the place. They have catering service too.

When they first opened a couple of years ago, they were so stingy with the food portion and food…read morewasn't that good, so I didn't go back until after 2 yrs. I'm glad I gave them another shot because they are 10x better now! Food wise, everything is pretty good. Also, they give you a decent amount of food now for the combo meal. I usually get their sisig and their bbq liempo and white rice. I've also had their dinuguan (pork blood stew), chicken afritada, pakbet(veggies with shrimp paste), sinigang(pork with sour soup). You choose 2 dishes for your combo meal and a choice of either pancit (rice noodle) or rice . I haven't tried any of their desserts yet so I can't speak about that. Staff is very welcoming and happy. Ambiance is pretty much your typical filipino restaurant. You pick your food, pay, then you seat yourself. I keep coming back to this place pretty much once a wk lol. The combo I usually get is $12.99. But I think their combo meals start at $11.99, depending on what dishes you get. Also, they have a grocery store with lots of snacks, frozen food, ice cream, etc. I highly recommend this spot :-)

This place was OK. Funny thing is when you go to order your food, they have a set price for a…read morecombo special. Two entrees and rice/noodles for a set price, but when you select your two entrees, if it contains beef or pork, which is the WHOLE menu, they charge you extra. Now what starts out as a combination plate with rice/noodles and two entrees for $11, becomes + $2 for beef and + $3 for pork, and you end up paying $16 with tax. Inflation is a B!tch and everybody is taking advantage of it in their own way. I cook better than these restaurants anyway. We were just trying to patronize to show support. I'll be cooking from home until this lunacy ceases to persist.

First time visiting this restaurant. Very friendly people and very clean place. We usually go to…read moreJersey city, but one of our friends suggested this place. We came on a Friday at lunch 11/8/24. My husband and myself ordered food and ate it at the restaurant. I can only speak for the food I ate. Our food was places in a black to go container. I ordered sour soup, rice and Lechon kawali. The food is good. My husband ate all his food. We also had take orders Pork bbq on a stick Beef and chicken empanadas Dried fish Suman sa lihiya and I also requested additional brown sweet sauce. I was so happy ! We went home- unpacked the food I was excited to eat by suman- I opened both brown sweet sauce to find MOLD GROWING ON BOTH CONTAINERS. This is unacceptable. It just killed my vibe. You as restaurant workers who represent the food you make and sell, should know better. This is not good business! I am not to sure if I will return. It may be closer to home , MOLD ON THE FOOD YOU SELL IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! At least in Jersey city , I can look at the food that I am buying. Advise to owner and employees: please look before selling food to customers.

Stopped in around 5 PM on a Saturday. The restaurant wasn't busy, although the kitchen seemed very…read moreactive filling what looked like catering and takeout orders. The food was excellent. We had the lumpiang Shanghai, chicken barbecue, pancit Canton, and a vegetable dish in coconut sauce. Everything came out fairly quickly and was flavorful and well prepared. I'd definitely come back for the food. Service was the weak point. Our order was taken right away, but our drinks were forgotten and no one checked on us again until we were basically finished. At one point, a street vendor even wandered into the restaurant and approached tables trying to sell baseball caps without any apparent response from the front of the house. The restaurant looks like it probably gets much livelier later in the evening. They were set up for music and advertise live performances, so 5 PM may simply have been too early to experience the place at its best. Overall, excellent Filipino food with service that could use some attention. I'd return, probably later in the evening next time.

The gang decided to make the trip from NJ to Queens in support of our friend, Cutuy Here to, lead…read moresinger of the band, Key of C. The place used to be called, Promdi, back in the 2010s. The place has changed a bit, slightly different decor from the last time we were there. The atmosphere was more "bakya" than Kabayan (from across the street). Still nice. They kept the bar, which is good. The staff was friendly, but kind of rushed us to get our orders before the show started. They explained it would have been more difficult to take orders later. The food was really, really good. All the flavors were on point. For the appetizer, we had some Crispy Chicken Skins. It was nice and crispy, but it needed some more salt. We had the Port Belly Kare-Kare, Beef Salpicao, the Pancit Palabok, Laing and Gambas. The one that stole the show was the Bagnet. That was mind blowing! Very flavorful and I highly recommend it. Dare I say that the food was better than Kabayan. The Key Of C band rocked the whole night through. Everyone was dancing and enjoying the great music. It was such a fun-filled night. Definitely worth coming back to whether it's for the food or the music.

I always love coming here. The food is very good and affordable. They're a great alternative to…read moreTropical Hut. Their pansit bihon is more flavorful than Tropical Hut's, IMHO. The place is clean, even though the outside environment may not seems as appealing as other strip malls around. Ate Salve is great to work with. The staff is always friendly. Just be aware that when ordering trays for the holidays, they can be overwhelmed a bit. Be patient and you'll get your order.

The place is very nice, and Salve, the lady at the register, is super friendly and accommodating…read more The food is amazing and absolutely delicious--especially the palabok lug lug, which is a must-try! All I can say is, definitely come check this restaurant out. In my opinion, it's one of the best Filipino restaurants in New Jersey. Don't believe the previous reviews--this spot is truly worth visiting!

Qsina 8 in Union, NJ, is an acclaimed Filipino-Asian fusion restaurant. Diners and costumers like…read moreme praise the authentic homestyle dishes, standout flavors, generous portions, and exceptionally very friendly and warm service, though some of my companions note a plain ambiance and higher price points ( for me their pleasing food quality and taste outweighs the price ). The Chicken Sisig, Palabok, pork BBQ and sizzling Biko with ice cream are a must-try from the food menu. The appetizers, like the piping hot vegetable lumpia and their humongous portion of Halo-halo as dessert are highly recommended by me and other reviewers. When we dined at this place, the whole staff gave me a feeling as if I was eating at an aunt's house, with the owner and staff providing very welcoming, family-style care. I have been living in NY for more than 30 years, have already eaten in so many low and high-end Filipino restaurants, in terms of food quality and taste, I may say this by far is the best that I have experienced. If given the chance to be in New Jersey again, I will definitely, 100% be back to this place for their delicious and flavorful food. Some of my companions point out that the seating area is relatively small, which can lead to limited availability during peak times, and a few note the interior decor is fairly plain but it did not matter to me because the food that I ordered/tried were great and amazing (properly spiced, cooked very well and soooooooo delicious!! ). Food portions are generous, presentation was appetizing and excellent, staff service was attentive and great ( I noticed that our water glasses were always filled up which is a service very consistent in so many high-priced restaurants that I have been ). Table setting is good, food utensils and plates were very clean ( yes, I checked it! ). I am extremely satisfied with my food experience and the hospitality of the owner and their staff in this Filipino restaurant. HIGHLY RECOMMENDABLE!!!

I have given this place a few tries they were much better the first time around but this time…read morearound I decided unfortunately it's not for me . Service wasn't that great and we were the only customers there at the time then other guest staggered in . I'm all for restaurants thriving and always wish them luck but holy cow prices are crazy average appetizers are $16.50 or more and entree dishes are $25 or more for serving sizes and flavors are really lacking in a lot of dishes . Lechon was cut thinner not the usual big chunks and the oil tasted old and was greasy . Sinigang with the Baboy was very underwhelming the Baboy wasn't boiled down enough . The sisig has too much of a soy sauce taste and way too much mayo on top . The chicharron bulaklak was okay could have used a bit more seasoning and seemed to be a popular item that day . The BBQ stick was decent but not for $18 . Being Filipino myself I know everyone has their own way of making certain dishes so people may like it but in my opinion I've had better at a few other spots . Wishing them all the best .

Hubs had been wanting to give this place a try for a while, so we decided to give this place a try…read more We ordered the following: Banana lumpia- I thought this wasn't bad. It was a bit sticky but ok. Hubs said he remembered this in the past when Chinese restaurants did this. He thought it was a little sweet for his taste, but it was delicious in a nostalgic way. Lumpia - This tasted like a Chinese vegetarian egg roll. I'm used to lumpias being thin and small but this was more like an egg roll. It was still pretty good. Lechon with sausages and bean vermicelli with vegetables. Hubs said the lechon was tasty. This is similar to Chinese roast pig. He said that the sausages had a sweet and salty umami essence and that it was also delicious. The bean vermicelli with vegetables were a nice high fiber filler which we're familiar with. Bitter melon with pork belly and gravy on rice. We thought the bitter melon was a little undercooked for our taste. But, when reheated, it was delicious. The pork belly with gravy was mixed nicely with the rice. The spare ribs and potatoes were also pretty good. Hubs said that he liked it and thought it was a nice mix with the rice. This place is a hole in the wall. There was only one table in there which someone was eating when we were there. We ended up eating in the car. Service was friendly . Will return to try other items on the menu.

Still my favorite place to stop and grab Filipino food. Ready to go food and the roice is very…read morereasonable, all in all my go to for Filipino comfort food. Dinuguan, here is absolutely the best and I have eaten a lot of it in my lifetime, I buy the large size container and over steamed rice with a little vinegar it's FANTASTIC, it isn't for everyone, I am sure, because it is pork blood dish and people tend to think it will taste strange, but it is a such a savory dish, I literally have it twice a month. Again, this store has a lot of spices and sauces you can buy and I have to urge you to go by and try the hot plate food, don't be shy to try new stuff. Start with the pancit and lumpia, two favorites of mine and probably will be for you too!