I always get a lot of questions about where to find Filipino restaurants here in Melbourne and I always wish that I could just recommend my parent’s or all my aunties’ kitchens as I absolutely LOVE their cooking!
Below I’ve put together a quick guide for you on where to find Filipino cuisine. For those of you who have never tasted it before, come with an open mind and ask questions at the counter so they can explain to you what’s in some of the not-so-appetizing looking dishes because they may not look like a Masterchef dish but they are still just as delicious!
1. GJ’s Grill
Shop 2, 243 Franklin st, CBD, Melbourne
Grills are their specialty and their cripsy pata meal is delicious. Other traditional Filipino dishes like sinigang are available upon request and make sure you pick up a jar of their atchara (pickled papaya). It is a great condiment with meat dishes. Check out my earlier post here to see what we ordered!
50 Errol st, North Melbourne, VIC
The newest addition to Melbourne’s Filipino restaurant scene, Reynaldo’s serves their dishes straight from the kitchen and have a variety of Filipino and Western options on the menu. Of the Filipino choices, make sure you try the Adobong Manok sa Gata (chicken adobo with coconut milk) and the kare kare. Friendly service and I liked that their dishes not only had rice on the side but also some veggies.
475 Ballarat rd, Sunshine, VIC
11/53 Synnot st, Werribee, VIC
Try their chicken and garlic rice. The lapaz batchoy (pork noodle soup with pork offal and crushed pork crackling on top) is a nice winter warmer and can be bought in a meal with siopao on the side – very tasty and very filling! And it’s also cooked at the back and not just served straight from the bain marie 🙂
4. Hoy Pinoy
Markets and Events, various locations
Currently they can be found at the Night Winter Market at Queen Victoria market and the Night Noodle Markets along Brisbane’s Southbank and attract attention with their suckling roast pork rotating on the spit. Lines can be long so best to get in early.
5. Happy Hut
85-87 Oakwood Road, Albanvale (close to Brimbank Shopping Centre)
I didn’t even know that this place was open until my cousin told me they had visited it before and were impressed with the freshness of the dishes here compared to some other locals. Since our first visit we’ve been back to get the dinuguan and fish for dinner! So yummy! Great to see they also stock GJ Grill’s atchara here too.
6. Lasang Pinoy
12 Victoria square, St Albans, VIC
I’ve heard the halo halo (a Filipino iced dessert with various toppings like beans, jackfruit and leche flan) here is pretty good. You can choose your dishes from the bain marie such as pancit (noodles) and dinuguan (stewed meat in a spicy dark gravy of garlic, vinegar and pigs blood). Click here for fellow food blog Consider The Sauce’s visit to Lasang Pinoy and some of the dishes Kenny tried out!
Shop 21-23, 100 Furlong rd, Cairnlea, VIC
5/49 Synnot st, Werribee
Dishes sit in the bain marie from menudo (stewed pork meat with tomato sauce and cubed potatoes, carrotsand liver) to fried tilapia and longganisa (Filipino sausage). Bring a Filipino friend to help explain the different choices to you.
Unit 2, 275 Foleys rd, Deer Park, VIC
Try their freshly made vegetable rolls – lumpiang sariwa garnished with sweet sauce and crushed peanuts. They also have an ihaw-ihaw platter consisting of a variety of grilled meats and seafood complete with soup and gulaman (sweet grass jelly type beverage) drinks which you need to book for in advance. Service is a bit slow. Check out food blogger Mon’s Adventure for her experience at Jasmine’s here.
With the following Filipino cafes, I haven’t actually visited them so if you have and have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment below!!
Marriott Waters Shopping Centre, Lyndhurst, VIC
Breakfast, coffee and a few Filipino items like chicken adobo with rice on the menu.
10. Munchbrunch Cafe
129 Walker st, Dandenong, VIC
Breakfast items include tapsilog while other dishes that can be found include paksiw na pata and lechon kawali
11. Nipa Hut
548 Whitehorse rd, Mitcham, VIC
Mostly Thai dishes at this place with a few Pinoy meals scattered throughout the menu.
12! Eduardo’s Kitchen! 😉
No matter how near of far I go to get my fill of tasty Filipino dishes, nothing fills me up with more goodness and comfort than when my own papa and relatives cook a meal for us! If you’re lucky enough to have a Filipino friend, make sure you get an invite to their place for dinner so you can experience the warm hospitality and fresh flavour of Filipino cuisine – including all the noise and conversation that accompanies a Filipino meal.
Let’s eat! – Kain na!
Pictured above is the epic kamayan/boodle fight table we put together for Papa’s birthday last year! Thanks to Kenny from the popular food blog Consider The Sauce for documenting the whole day we spent preparing this special meal for Papa! I will try and put up a separate post to list out all the meat and veggies included in the photo above so you too can hopefully put together a spread like this for a special occasion and enjoy a kamayan feast(eating with your hands). Tag your photos #kamayanyum so I can see and share!
What Filipino dish is your favourite or would like to tryout!?
The Urban Ma 