Spot on Filipino comfort food In all the years I've lived in the City, Kusina Ni Tess was a restaurant I had yet to try until recently. I think I may have evaded it out of homage to my Mom's own cooking, but Kusina provides the perfect opportunity to satisfy a craving for comfort food away from home. It was definitely a pleasant surprise. This restaurant is no-frills; the stars of the show are the fresh and tasty entrees you can see and choose from at the counter. They allow you to choose combination plates or ala carte depending on what you're craving. I had the Dinuguan with garlic rice, while my friend had the Lumpia Shanghai and Palabok noodles. Nothing disappointed--every dish hit the spot. [[HIGHLIGHT]]For a moment, I felt like I was at a Filipino party with a few tables for parties of 2 or 4.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff members were friendly and pleasant while taking my order. Bravo to Tess! I'll definitely be back now that I know where this hidden Sampiguita of a restaurant is, right around the corner from my downtown apartment. read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was my first time eating at Kusina Ni Tess. There aren't a lot of Filipino restaurants in San Francisco, so it was a treat to try one of their silog breakfasts. There were plenty of menus posted throughout the restaurant, but I noticed that none of them listed prices. You order at the counter and wait for your receipt number to be called, then pick up your food on a tray and bring it to your table. Water is self-service. I ordered the Pork Adobosilog ($15.50) -- savory pork adobo served with garlic fried rice and a fried egg. The adobosilog was good, and the portion size was just right, although the price felt a little high for a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The garlic fried rice was disappointing because I couldn't really taste any garlic and it tasted more like plain fried rice. The pork adobo was tender and easy to eat. If I'm in the neighborhood and craving Filipino food, I may revisit the restaurant and try another silog from the menu. read more

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Excellent authentic dishes like Mom and Grandma makes. You can taste the Love and Care in the food. I am African American but was raised by a Filipino Family. On the weekends growing up in San Diego, CA. My Mom mastered Chicken Adobo. Taught to her by my weekend Mom, lol. I have been going to Kusina Ni Tess since 2015. And I absolutely adore the family. The Neighborhood is not "rough" at all. It is located behind the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. And many of the Employee's go there for Lunch daily. The prices are excellent for San Francisco, CA. Joseph E. Hoskins read more

Decent prices for the area (if you get one entree and rice - big portions), good tasting Filipino food (Dinuguan could be spicier,chicken adobo could use a bit more vinegar - but otherwise tasty). read more

Looking for an authentic Pinoy experience? Visit Kusina ni Tess!!! Unpretentious, straight forward home cooking! It's like being back home with Mom or an Auntie cooking Pinoy comfort food! I am not from SF but work takes me to the area yearly and I come back here yearly! Nothing like good Pinoy food to bring back memories of home! read more

Delicious authentic Filipino food served with care. 5 stars, highly recommended. You won't be disappointed.

First time trying this place and it did not disappoint! I ended up getting my lunch to-go because the place was packed when I arrived -- always a great sign! I ordered the chicken adobo over rice and it was delicious. The chicken was tender and well-flavored. I personally could have used just a little more seasoning and maybe a touch of heat , but I'm not sure if traditional chicken adobo is supposed to be spicy -- either way it was still really good. The rice was perfectly cooked, and the presentation was almost perfect. It probably got shuffled around a little during my walk back to the office ‍, but it still looked great when I opened it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself was clean and welcoming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The person who took my order was very friendly, and the staff member who handed me my meal when it was ready was also super friendly and professional. Great customer service! 10 out of 10 -- I would've given it an 11 if I could! Definitely coming back to try more dishes, especially Silog Thursday (I may not be spelling or pronouncing that perfectly but I'm excited to try it!). [[HIGHLIGHT]]I stopped in today March 13 around 1:00 PM, and it was busy -- especially considering they close at 2 PM. That tells you everything you need to know![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Kusina Ni Tess 237 Ellis Street San Francisco read more

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This place was only a block away from the hotel we were staying at. The staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was small, yet was able to seat about 20 people total.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was a busy place especially around brunch, as several people starting coming in to order and eat inside or to pick-up/takeout.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was delicious -- comfort food that definitely reminded me of home. The portions were big and worth the price. I definitely recommend stopping by if you're looking for some good, Filipino breakfast food. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Total hole in he wall, absolutely delicious.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] In town on business, walking around with a rumbling stomach, saw the sign and decided Filipino was exactly what I wanted. Got a combo plate of steamed rice, a fried egg and a very ample portion of dinuguan, one of my personal faves. It was luscious -- rarely has a quick meal so perfectly hit the spot. Resolved to go back and try a few more dishes if I can. Somewhat abbreviated business hours; they close at 2:00 pm and are also closed on weekends. They seem to do good business. read more

I love this place! Delicious homestyle food with kind and friendly service. Many A la carte selection to choose from different sizes and mix & match combination on rice. I've had the eggplant omelette, chicaron, beef kare kare and laing. They are so delicious and the prices are reasonable. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The only thing I don't like is that they closed so early at 2 PM.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If you want to open for breakfast and lunch only, please at least make it until 3:00 or 4:00 PM. (2:00 PM is way too early) Manny is working the cashier, very nice and friendly owner. Make sure to say hello and try this place for Filipino food or if you curious about that country's food. read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Chicharon, Eggplant Omelette, Beef Kare-Kare a la Carte (Available at 10 am), Laing a la Carte (Available at 10 am). All delicious! - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've been going to Kusina Ni Tess for years. Their food is great, real Filipino cuisine! I do have favorites tho' - Sarsiadong Tilapia and Chicken Apritada and of course the turon. The owners and the staff are very nice. I always enjoy going there. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a wonderful place - friendly, with delicious food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There are just a few tables, but I arrived late and had no trouble finding a seat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The man at the register helped me figure out what was available, and offered a soup with my meal for a small extra charge - so worth it! read more

I order doordash from here all the time - pork sinigang and turon are the best! The turon or banana eggroll is perfectly sweet and crunchy. The pork sinigang is a tamarind soup with vegetables - perfect amount of sour and salt, especially paired with rice. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice Pilipino Restaurant. Simple decor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service is excellent. Manny is so nice. He is friendly and very attentive. The staff is helpful and happy. There is a lot of choices. The food is authentic and the portions are good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's like visiting an aunt's house because of the hospitality and warmth.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If you're ever considering eating pinoy food this is the place read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great food and clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I'm just a little disappointed with the lack of garlic in the garlic rice. I like it to have the effect of dragon breath. read more

Kusina Ni Tess is a great restaurant situated in the centre of the city. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside, it's calm and it looks like your average Filipino breakfast eatery.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There are some seats but it wasn't crowded.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was fast but all your food isn't served at the same time; you might have to come back after a few minutes to get the rest of your food. I got the longsilog. The longanisa servings were very generous and they tasted great. It was on the better end of longanisa I've had. The egg was ok, it was oddly shaped and tasted unseasoned. The rice servings were gigantic and it tasted nice, it just lacked a little bit of moisture to it. Overall Kusina Ni Tess was very nice! read more

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I've gotten takeaway from here multiple times and managed to walk pass this place because it's such a hole in the wall. My go-to orders are the Tosilog and Longsilog. The garlic rice always hits the spot and the portions are huge. Recommend checking this place out if you don't mind falling into a food coma shortly after, these dishes are quite heavy but so delicious. read more

Mmm, only tried this place via deliveries, but it satisfies my craving for delicious lumpia. (And yes, like chips, you never eat just one.) This place even got a seal of approval from one of my work friends who claimed that her mom makes the best lumpia, but this is pretty good and close 2nd. Haha, love that. Besides lumpia, my favorite from here is the crispy and deliciously fried chicharron. I mean I occasionally get these chicharron bags from Target, but let me tell you the fresh ones here are way better! I don't really eat rice (maybe occasional treat, yeah I know....) but I like their garlic rice. Delicious! read more

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Visiting SF and found this local place walking distance from our hotel. Came for breakfast and enjoyed traditional tocilog cornsilog and talongsilog. Food was delicious service was quick and staff very friendly calling my husband Kuya (older brother ) making us feel like we are in the Philippines. Loved it! read more

Manny, you are my lumpia and diniguan savior! The food was amazing!! Service was nothing short of making you feel at home. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside was very simple yet at home feeling, so it was perfect to take back and enjoy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All the food was perfect and comforting. Mahbuhay! read more

Never have I EVER experienced Filipino food that is THIS close to the flavors and dishes made by the ones I love. You know when people say "no one could beat my mom/grandma's cooking", well this is pretty much as authentic as it can by. I have come here on multiple occasions during lunch and I am always surprised as to how long the line can be. Let's start with the customer service. You are so welcomed and feel at home here. Manong and manangs are so kind and sweet. The food is honestly priced very cheap for the serving and the flavors...all there and more. I ordered the manoksilog and the Chicken skin was perfectly crispy. A nice crunch. And guess what, I still had rice leftover. We also ordered vegetable lumpia, chicken adobo, and fried fish. Best hidden Filipino gem honestly. I wish they had more desserts. We ordered the ube halaya and it wasn't as sweet as I hoped but still the place is great overall. Cannot wait to come back. read more

Good tasting healthy, authentic Filipino food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A very average looking place maybe even a little less than that but the food is pretty good if you like real family style food, not junk food at all.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I will go again when in the area. read more

Hole in the wall Filipino food - so good!!!! Really generous portion. I got the pork adobo -- it was so much meat! Loved the combo of the lean and fattier cuts. The fattier cuts especially just melted in my mouth! Perfect runny egg over the garlic rice. YESSSSSSSS please! read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Pork adobo silog - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I really wanted to like this place, as it was the first Filipino food i had since coming to the US, but i ended up getting disappointed. I ordered tapsilog and the taste was good, but it was definitely not tapsilog. More like beef steak. I also had the turon - this one was good. read more

Tiny spot in the TL, but one of our favorite Filipino spots anywhere. This place cooks everything perfectly. The garlic rice is the best, fried items are perfectly fried, sinigang is deliciously sour and savory. And now they have beef pares, hard to find outside of the Philippines, super delicious like a Chinese beef stew. Finish off with Turon, fried banana with a candy like coating. read more

As soon as you walk in, you know you're in for a good time, you see the 4 Lola's (grandmothers) cooking up all beauty that they do. I got the bansilog under the breakfast all day and have absolutely no regrets - maybe not asking for a To-go box. The amount of garlic rice they give you is enough to feed 3 people. The bansilog (milkfish) was cooked perfectly. Crispy edges with a tender bite. It's hard to beat! They even have fresh chicharrones they fried fresh. They package it up in a sandwich ziplock and sell them. It's not half as greasy or oily as the ones you buy in the store. It's really a no frills place to eat don't expect high end service. They will treat with family love and please do the same. Throw away your stuff after you and make sure it's nice. These Lola's are hard at work!!! Great prices read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Bansilog - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

So this little gem was featured in eater.com's 24 affordable eats in San Francisco. Not only is the food reasonably priced but it's bomb food too. The ladies are so friendly and motherly that I couldn't help but thought of my grandma for a minute. Although grandma was a firecracker too and I learned early which buttons not to push. Right, moving along, I'm in this neighborhood pretty often because it's so close to Chinatown but I can't recall seeing this gem. Man, I had better pay better attention of my surroundings... Be advised that it's takeout only. As this was my first visit, I stuck with the standards: Lumpia, Adobo (shredded chicken) & Tapsilog combo. The verdict: It was awesome! Kudos to the chef! I've had adobo where it was super greasy & salty but not here. I feel it was just right and the sauce was great with the rice. read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Delicious homestyle food served with hospitality. The staff is warm and welcoming. I will definitely be returning. read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Tosilog - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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If you're looking for an affordable and quick Filipino food, this is the spot for you. They have preset breakfast menu that comes with an egg. You can also get the meal without an egg. I love their garlic fried rice that is severed with a side of protein. read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Menu as of Nov 2022 - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Super unassuming spot for great Filipino food!!! It's a bit of a trek away from downtown so as we ventured further and further away from our hotel, we started to second guess decision to try Kusina Ni Tess. But I have absolutely 0% regrets because the food here was so delicious!!! Prices were good which is always a plus!! The only thing was that the food took a little bit longer to prepare than we expected, but it's honestly worth every minute. We got: - Tapsilog (special of the day): it came with garlic rice and a fried egg. So delicious!! - Chicken Adobo: Savory, flavorful and tender chicken adobo. We ate this with the garlic rice from the tapsilog plate and it was delicious!!!! - Sinigang: I've never had sinigang before but the sour soup was such a delight! Super flavorful and delicious. We got the smallest serving of soup and it came in this little drink cup, but hey, no judgement here. As long as it tastes good, I'm all for it!!! Don't be deterred by the surrounding area here. Kusina Ni Tess is DELICIOUS!! read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Tapsilog - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I have repeatedly ordered from this joint for work parties. Lumpia, pancit and turon (fried plantain coated in brown sugar). Their trays are great options although on the pricier side. The delivery is prompt. The food is packaged well and nothing is ever missing. I have not been to the restaurant but plan on making that visit soon! Looking forward to trying their silog plates. read more

I don't have much experience with Filipino food so I was super stoked to see this place. The restaurant is a cute family owned business. I ordered a chicken adobo and lumpia (again, not too much experience so I got the most basic stuff). And then they sat me at a table with a Filipino couple who were THE LOVELIEST. It really felt like I was at a family gathering, everybody sitting together and just chatting it up. Even though we were strangers, I think this place does a good job of creating an environment where people can get comfortable with each other. Food came around (pretty quickly, I might add). Chicken adobo was incredibly tender but that LUMPIA UGH. I WILL DREAM OF THE LUMPIA. WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PLACE and would love to come back and try all your other stuff. Didn't have room for dessert (ugh heresy, I know) BUT that halo halo was very tempting. read more

I walked in and was greeted very kindly! It feels very familial here. I originally came with Chicken Adobo on my mind but they didn't have any today, as they're on a schedule of dishes during the week. I got great recommendations from the kind man in the front and I chose the Tinola to try. It was super light for a stew which I deeply enjoyed and the ginger came through perfectly next to the chicken pieces. I OF COURSE couldn't finish my order without lumpia, which was honestly perfect. Super crispy and perfectly seasoned. Calamansi was my drink of choice and I finished with a turon to-go. For the cusine and how it's a skip away from Market/downtown, it was soooo worth it. read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Tinolang Manok - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's ok. Got the picadillo pork (like pork guisantes but ground), along with some garlic rice and a fried egg. It tasted fine but the portion for $15 is pretty small and usually these kinda hole in the wall filipino joints are pretty generous with their portions. read more

The Kusina is more like 4.5 stars so it's more than just Good - Good-er - More Good - Good+ how about, Pretty Good. Let's save the semantics for later . . . more about the food. Lumpia is legit and hella people know it. crisp. fresh. not oily. and the ratio of wrapper to filling make it way too easy for me to eat a dozen without blinking an eye - so good we've even ordered a tray on more than one occasion. And this is how you know that other people know they're good. We were putting in our order for a tray, place it and pay, and then they call us to let us know they've run out. They've run out?!?! Once we get over it, we realized that maybe a) they don't make enough to begin with or b) they do make a good amount but the demand is so high they can't keep up. I'm going with choice b. The tselog plates are good - nice variety. The other Filipino dishes are tasty as well, but those lumpias are instantly addicting. I kinda want to order a tray right now. Gotta go. read more

Ever since my bestie introduced me to Filipino food in 2018, I have been absolutely OBSESSED!! I can't help crave Filipino breakfast nearly every day of the week - it is so yummy, I get hungry just thinking about it! This is our go-to place to order Filipino food in San Francisco. My husband and I always order the 2 of the tosilog and a side of the longanisa! We also order 2 additional fried eggs because we love eggs and well - why not! The tosilog is my absolutely favorite, I also love that they give a little side of vinegar cuz I want it on EVERYTHING! If Ben is extra hungry, we also get the lumpia too! AND if we order after 10am, I also order the pork dinuguan! It is sooo good - i just order a bunch and eat it for 2-3 meals. lol! Highly recommend for breakfast - if you've never had Filipino breakfast before, you are in for a delightful treat! Pro Tip: After you've eaten all the things, as my bestie says, "go eat some vegetables" cuz there isn't really much of that on the menu! read more

Great Filipino home cooking and service. I ordered tocilog and tortang talons. Garlic rice was flavorful. Tocino was not too fatty and good flavor. Service was good. Small place, but they get a consistent flow of people that were coming in. read more

Kusina serves Filipino food and is located in the to-go only Charter Oak food hall. I ordered the Bilao with 1 main dish, 2 veggies, rice and assorted appetizers. For the main dish, I chose Bangus (milkfish) Sisig and yam leaves and banana blossoms for the sides. When I picked up the order, it was heavy and they stressed that I need to keep it right side up. So far, so good...a big bag of food for $34. When I got home and took it out of the bag, I was not prepared for the delight I saw before my eyes. There was a beautifully arranged assortment of food. The Bangus Sisig had the skin of the whole fried fish sliced in half, with the inside of the fish scooped out and mixed with the other sisig ingredients, then placed back on top of the fried skin. On the side were dark green yam leaves on top of diced tomatoes, and an endless supply of pickled banana blossoms. There were even lumpia and a savory fried ube tapioca dessert. All of this was on a gigantic mound of Java rice, and served on a traditional plate covered in banana leaves. The taste was equally exquisite. The bangus sisig was of course the standout with a creamy tangy mixture of fish, onions and spices, and that went well with the crispy skin. The banana blossoms were tart and pleasantly chewy, the yam leaves were earthy, and the ube tapioca balls were like nothing I'd ever had before. Maybe like mochi, but more interesting. The only thing I wasn't blown away with was the Java rice, which just tasted like rice. But it probably didn't need much flavor considering how flavorful everything else was. read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Bilao with Bangus Sisig, Yam Leaves, Banana Blossoms, and Java Rice. Lumpia and Ube Tapioca balls. Truly a work of art. - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

Unsuspecting delicious find in the middle of the Tenderloin that offers a variety of Filipino traditional and comfort foods. Behind the counter glass are steaming hot pans of seasoned pork, chicken & beef; your choice of adobe, stews, braised dishes. Pick your protein (you can choose from S,M,L size) and add a side of white rice for $2, extra $1 for garlic rice. I ordered the small beef bistek and rice (don't let the small size fool you). The calamansi (lime) flavor was subtle with a little peppery kick and the beef was very tender. Couldn't help but pour the gravy over my rice and tuck in. You have the option to top your meal with a fried egg (for an extra cost). They also serve Filipino breakfast (meat, egg & rice) ALL DAY! It is definitely worth a trip to the TL. Everything is a la carte and it's CASH ONLY. read more

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Delicious tosilog and lumpia!! The food is very good, but the reason I knocked out a star is because of the really slow service to order. We were standing there for a long time before getting assisted. We flagged someone down and still had to wait before ordering. The tosilog and lumpia are delicious though! read more

Kusina Ni Tess - Tosilog - Filipino Near Me - San Francisco, California

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