This place absolutely deserves five stars! The garlic noodles were the highlight of the meal--perfectly cooked, packed with flavor, and tasted authentic. They had that rich, garlicky, buttery goodness without being overwhelming. You can really tell they put care into their food. The rest of the meal was just as impressive, and the service was friendly and welcoming. If you're looking for a spot with authentic, flavorful Asian fusion cuisine, this is definitely one to check out. I'll definitely be back to try more of the menu. Highly recommend! read more

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This place is a little out of the way and easy to miss if you're driving by, but it's worth seeking out. The staff were very friendly, and while the music was a bit loud and the decor is fairly minimal, everything was clean and well maintained. The food is made to order and clearly prepared with quality ingredients. The lumpia were excellent. I ordered them without the ranch seasoning because I find it very salty, and I'm not a fan of the accompanying dip for the same reason. Honestly, they're good enough on their own. The Cajun Parmesan wings were cooked perfectly, but I didn't get much Cajun flavor from them. I'd probably try a different wing flavor next time. The fries were great, and the ranch was even better. The Mongolian beef was another standout. The steak was cooked perfectly, tender, and flavorful. There were plenty of onions, which I loved. It was a little heavy on the sauce, but still very enjoyable. Prices are a bit higher than average, but the quality justifies the cost. It's a locally owned business that's definitely worth checking out and, in my opinion, much better than most restaurants in Salinas. read more

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Great customer service. Thanks Jaden for all of the extra sides Large portions Tasty food Looking forward to returning read more

It's located in a small lil corner of the parking lot. The restaurant is clean simple. Give chill seat yourself laidback vibes. The food on the other hand is not laidback at all. The dishes are full of explosives flavors and seasoning. I love garlic so this is spot on for me. My only complaint is they don't offer fountain soda if that's a complaint. Will definitely go again! read more

Certified Philly’s - Lemon pepper wings and fries - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

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I really enjoyed their Salmon Katsu! It smelled amazing and was so tasty! The garlic fries were okay, but I wish they had more garlic flavor. We ordered takeout and were told to wait 15-20 minutes. As promised, they were ready on time. We will definitely come back again. read more

In Salinas buying something and needed a place for lunch. Found this on map search. Wow what a wonderful surprise. We shared garlic fries and salmon katsu which was served on a bed of rice and a side of seaweed. My friend and are were stunned. This locally owned restaurant is a gem and if you are in the area worth the stop. We will be back. read more

certified philly's was an interesting find with a smorgasbord of asian fusion options...filipino, hawaiian, chinese, etc...barebones restaurant in a strip mall location...menu provided and service is lax...dinner for 5 people and deciding to share...menu reflects cash prices and 4% surcharge for credit card payments....ordered a large poke half salmom with spicy mayo and half with tuna in shoyu $30 ($31.25 card price)...garlic prawns over rice $17.50 for 6 pieces ($18.23 card price)....kids chicken tenders $15 (15.63 card price)....charred ahi tostada $9 ($9.38 card price)...lumpia $8 for 4 ($8.33 card price)....wait for food was pretty long, but they make up for it with complimentary cheesy bread in scallion oil...the bread with the green onion oil was pretty good...lumpia was was fried hard and decent...dusted with ranch powder, so it was a small twist to the usual....the garlic prawns over a bed of rice were delicious...fresh and steaming hot...comparable to some of the best garlic prawns over rice in hawaii...huge fat prawns seasoned perfectly and covered in garlic goodness...the large poke was ridiculously enormous...mountain of rice covered in poke...forgot to take a picture of the whole thing, but it was massive...started to realize we ordered too much food...kids chicken tenders were fried well and decent...we were secretly glad when they said they ran out of the ahi tostada...near the end of the meal, they were able to make it work and it came out...it was torched, creamy and good...everybody was so full from the enormous meal...did out best to eat the main items and leave the rice behind...it was still a good casual meal for the family, but maybe order less next time... read more

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Ok guys, this place is bomb!!!!! We started with the Parmesan wings and garlic fries. The fries were crispy and full of garlic flavor. I absolutely loved them. The wings were also amazing, full of flavor (a tad bit salty, but nevertheless they were amazing). The Poke! Omg! I asked for only salmos and it did but disappoint! It was as good as the best one I've had in Hawaii. I loved it and it was super fresh like catch of the day. My friend got the magnolias beef and that was amazing too, again a bit too salty. I didn't knock them for salty because it can be fixed. Overall, our experience was amazing. The owner gave us a sample of the butter, I chose the garlic butter and all my family loved it! We put it in our steak and shrimp. Bomb!!!! I recommend this place, I will def be back. read more

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I haven't had this good of a meal since my Grandma's cooking! The food had amazing flavor and you know it was made with love I live 3 hours away and wanted to try a new spot. I'm so glad Yelp recommended this place. Chef Philip came out to greet me after I told the waiter how amazing the food was! Will definitely be coming back as soon as I can. I got the Salmon Katsu! read more

Certified Philly’s - Salmon Katsu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

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Went to visit certified Philly for late lunch. We took our order to go and ate it in the car on our way home. Fast service. We didn't wait long for our orders. We ordered 3 items prawn with Cajun, tuna and salmon poke and sweet chili wings with fries. Everything is delicious. Chicken and the fries are flavorful. The shrimp is garlicky just the way I like it. Shrimp is not overcook. The poke is fresh. They have plenty of tables to dine in. The place is clean. Also, they serve alcohol. This is a great place to hangout with family and friends and eat delicious food. read more

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My brother RJ brought me here for dinner and it will definitely be my go to when visiting in Salinas. We ordered the garlic shrimp, salmon katsu, sinigang lumpia and garlic fries. Everything was perfect! Explosion of flavors!! I absolutely loved it! I had to ask for the sinigang ranch seasoning and the special vinegar sauce. Please sell the seasoning and sauces!! I'd buy bottles of it! lol read more

Certified Philly’s - Garlic shrimp - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

so yummy! worth the walk from my house. food is fresh and they are good about requesting additions, changes, etc. read more

Certified Philly’s - mongolian beef with garlic noodles and side of seweed salas and a cheesey bread - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

Nashville fries are VERY delicious. 10/10 recommend. The service is great. Philly and his team are awesome!! Go check them out!!!! read more

Certified Philly’s - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

Absolutely incredible experience from start to finish. Every dish we ordered was packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. The steak was tender and juicy, paired with sautéed onions and rice that had just the right amount of seasoning. The shrimp dish was fresh, garlicky, buttery, and balanced perfectly with a hint of citrus and green onions. And the fried chicken wings? Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and seasoned all the way through. The fries were golden and hit the spot. No other flavors in salinas like it. You can tell there's real attention to detail in both the cooking and presentation. Portions were generous, quality was top tier, and everything came out hot and fresh. Definitely a place I'd come back to again and again. Highly recommend read more

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Regretfully I don't like to give bad reviews but I have to be honest and say that I'm not impressed with Certified Philly's. I chose to have Shrimp fried rice which was different from any fried rice I've ever had. It was very greasy and had shrimp, corn, green beans, sweet peas, & carrots. So the ingredients in itself was surprising and didn't have bean sprouts, green onions, & eggs. You would think with all those ingredients it would be bursting with flavor but it wasn't I'm very disappointed with my purchase I just don't know what made the cook think that this would be a good recipe. read more

This was our first visit to Certified Philly's, and it did not disappoint. The food was delicious, very flavorful, and served promptly. The server was friendly and very welcoming. He was attentive and answered our questions regarding the menu. The restaurant was very clean, and soothing music played in the background. Overall, we were satisfied with the service and food. We definitely will be returning. I highly recommend Certified Philly's. Thank you! read more

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Ever since I heard they were opening it, I knew it was a good concept. The fusion dishes are simply delicious. Of the three times I've eaten here I've left happy with the food, the service and the welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommended and congratulations to the chef for his great work. See you soon. read more

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You faka!!!!!!!!! Meeeeeaaan the Surf n turf fried rice!!!! Flavor is bomb no need add shoyu lol first time here and not disappointed, is worth the drive and I order poke on the go. Service is on top, cool. Going be coming back for sure. Small kine took the pic half way lol faaaaaaaak let's gooooo read more

Certified Philly’s - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

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Amazing customer service & the food was very flavorful! The ahí tuna, garlic noodles & the bread were delicious. Highly recommend

Just ate at Certified Phillys We had the Garlic Shrimp with Garlic noodles it was excellent we also had The wings and the Garlic Roll plenty of food and we will be back Service was great and welcoming read more

Certified Philly’s - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

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What a great and much needed addition to the list of Salinas eateries. I have nothing but positive things to say about my first visit to Certified Philly's: Staff: Immediately upon entry, we were kindly greeted by associate by the name of Mikey. He shared his favorite dishes along with popular items that other patrons order. He remained attentive throughout and always made sure we were okay and that our drinks were never empty. Customer service = A+ Food: Flavorful and PLENTIFUL! We ordered the garlic lemon pepper wings, charred ahi tostada and the poke. The garlic lemon pepper wings were perfect! Nice exterior crunch and juicy on the inside... Tasted more lemony than garlic, but overall excellent. My husband and I both noticed the decent size of the wings in comparison to other establishments. The poke (yellowfin tuna and salmon) did not disappoint. The portion was very generous and the quality of the fish was top notch. Coincidentally, a delivery man walked in with seafood as we were dining. Mikey informed us that fresh fish is delivered daily... Bravo! The fish / rice ratio was perfect in my poke bowl and the fresh texture of the fish was beyond amazing... talk about tenderness! Lol.. Wasn't sure what to expect with the charred ahi tuna, but I was blown away. Nice crunchy tostada to complement the flavored protein (see photo). I have never had poke served this way so the introduction was appreciated. I'll definitely order this as a continued appetizer... Restaurant: * Large parking lot in plaza with shared parking * Clean establishment * Very well maintained bathroom * Perfect music videos playing on large mounted tv screen. Loved the old school jams!! Chef Philly: Talented and humble! He was a sous chef at a restaurant in Pebble Beach for many years. No wonder he has a creative menu... Appreciated the time he took to greet us and the other patrons dining in the restaurant. He intends to continue introducing different menu items along the way... Can't wait to see whatever other creative items he comes up with! This spot will definitely be on my list of must-haves whenever I visit Salinas. Can't wait to try the other menu items... Certified Phillys: Where quality and quantity meet!! read more

Certified Philly’s - Charred Ahi Tune - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

Certified Phillys is a total gem! I had the seared ahi tostada and it was out of this world -- so fresh, flavorful, and just the right balance of textures. They bring in fresh fish daily, and you can definitely taste it. Gino and Phill were super friendly and welcoming. You can tell they love what they do and it shows in every bite. If you're looking for good food, good people, and good vibes, Certified Phillys is 100% worth checking out. read more

Certified Philly’s - Charred Ahi Tostada - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

I saw certified philly's on TikTok and and saw that it was down the street from where I live. And I got the chicken chow mein honestly did not disappoint the food taste so amazing. Exploding with flavors. Will definitely be back. :) read more

Certified Philly’s - Chicken chow mein - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

The atmosphere lends itself to both casual dining and take-out. We found their simple, clean environment perfect for relaxed dining. The service staff are amazing--friendly and attentive--and they provide excellent customer service if you choose to dine in. I highly recommend dining in if you prefer to be pampered. I ordered the poke with salmon and tuna (small portion) and still had plenty to take home for lunch the next day. My wife ordered the 5-piece prawns (small portion) and also had leftovers. The portions are definitely generous and tasty. Overall, Certified Philly's should be well-regarded for its quality food and fresh ingredients, making it a favorite spot for Asian-fusion and seafood enthusiasts. The location is tucked into a corner of the Food 4 Less shopping center, with ample shared parking. read more

Really good poke bowl. The service was great. Very nice guy working the front of house. It took about 15 minutes to prepare, so they might want to speed that up for lunchtime. Overall, a good experience. I'd recommend and I'll be back as the bowl was simple, fresh, and delicious. read more

Hi everyone, If you are anywhere near Salinas, I highly recommend checking out Certified Philly. It is located in a clean shopping area just a few minutes off Highway 101. While the exterior is modest, the food is exceptional. We tried the poke--which was the best I've had since Maui--along with the garlic noodles and the salmon. The fish was incredibly fresh and delicious. The owner and chef is very friendly and previously spent ten years as a chef at Pebble Beach before opening this unique spot. It was easily the best meal of our weekend. I definitely suggest taking the short detour to give it a try. read more

This place is amazing! I love the service and the food! It's a vibe for sure. Come here and go home belly full and HAPPY

Had the wings and poke and it was absolutely delicious! Very fair pricing for everything and very kind staff members :)

The food was wonderful. The service was great. This is a new place with young people running it. I would recommend everyone to try it. Get these young people a try. read more

Salinas finally gets a place that sells poki that reminds me of the poke in Hawaii!! SOOOOOOO GOOD! My favorite place to get poke in Salinas! read more

Tasty grub, such a cool vibe, and easy parking. I wish all of the success to Chef Phillip Pasalo, but keep Certified Philly's a secret so they never change! Perfect textures, flavors, and acidity with his dishes. Should have a Michelin Green star for sourcing local products and no table clothes. Also perfect amount of napkins for food! read more

Certified Philly’s - Food - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

Came to Salina's from San Jose to check out a thrift store and found Certified Phillys on TikTok. Wings, garlic noodles, and lumpia were a standout so we had to investigate. We ordered the Garlic Lemon Pepper wings, Soy Garlic Wings, Ottosbread Cheese rolls and the lumpia. Forgot to try the noodles (will be back) Lumpia was nice and crispy, yet decadently melty when you take a bite, it's a veggie filled lumpia and I would love to have tried a meat filled version, from what I've seen on the chefs posts and the gravy topping the cheese rolls (more on that later) I'm sure it would be amazing. Cheese rolls were amazing, softest rolls I've had in a long time served hot, looks like they collab with a local bakery and it's definitely fresh. They cut half way down the roll and that made it perfect to drop the topping in and enjoy, gravy topping is a staple you can dip anything in. (Like a meat filled lumpia!) ;) Wings are a hitter for sure, I could hardly share the GLP wings with my wife, they were that good! Crispy but dredged in a nice garlicky lemony sauce.. 10/10 wing. Soy garlic was awesome too, good sauce ratio wings cooked to perfection and kept the crisp even being sauced up like they were. Left satisfied and with a few leftover wings which we threw into the air fryer and are eating now as I'm writing this. Still better than any wings I've found around me. Thinking back, if there was a way to get that GLP on the fries, now that would be heaven for me.. My only complaint is that they are so far away... I'm gonna have to drive a hour to get this amazing food again... Definitely worth it though! Customer service was above and beyond, Owner/chef came out, super humble dude. wish him the best on his endeavor, Thank you Chef Philly read more

As first time customers I felt like I was being served by family. The service was amazingly accommodating and friendly. Our portions were huge, &everything tasted amazing. Me and my friend especially loved the flavor of our Cajun parm wings, they spiced but not spicy or too salty. A great balance of flavors. Will be bringing more of my friends and family to this spot! read more

Cajun prawns over garlic rice was delicious. Service was friendly and fast. Good lunch spot. read more

Certified Philly’s - Prawns over rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

Service was amazing, loved loved the poke! Only thing i kind of wasnt a fan of was the lumpia- there was no meat it was ok, i recommend not to dip in the sauce, it was watery vinegar consistency- i ate the rest when we got home with sweet&sour sauce. Garlic noodles were good, was expecting a little more garlic flavor- tasted even better when i squeezed lemon on! Would def be coming back for poke! Garlic bread was delish! read more

Certified Philly’s - Garlic Roll fire - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

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Stopped here on our way through Salinas from Big Sur and loved it!! Authentic Hawaiian poke and shrimp. Great flavor and super fresh fish. Definitely would come back. read more

Certified Philly’s - Cajun Shrimp - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

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You have to try their garlic noodles at least once (or twice idc), the shrimp fried rice was flavorful and the house made chili sauce is definitely worth taking with you read more

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The seafood is very fresh this is the salmon katsu I've also had the poke and prawns in the past. The food is super tasty and customer service is very nice. I like to go early in case they end up selling out of something read more

Certified Philly’s - Salmon Katsu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

Salmon katsu smacks my mom and I loved it. I will say the garlic lemon pepper wasn't for me but it still was decent read more

Certified Philly’s - Salmon katsu over rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salinas, California

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Great food and service! Everything was fresh and flavorful from the garlic bread, sinigang lumpia, chicken katsu, mongolian beef, and chicharon poke! Definitely coming back! read more

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