Designer Food, Pinoy Inspired…read more Earlier this month with my mom, my Pinoy heart was incredibly satisfied to find steamed rice in a TWO Star Michelin tasting menu! A chance to sample Kasama, was a very good reason to revisit Chicago. The last time I was here, I went to Alinea, a formerly THREE Star Michelin restaurant (demoted to TWO). Never have I ever thought back then that I will come back to have Michelin-starred Philippine flavors in this city. Kasama offers a 13-course tasting menu, the only TWO Star Michelin restaurant that serves Phil-inspired creative dishes in the world. It was the first Filipino restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star, &one of only 4 Chicago restaurants with TWO stars out of the over 7.5 K licensed restaurants. To put that in perspective, there are over 18k restaurants in NYC's 5 boros. Only 52 have ONE Star,15 have TWO and 5 with THREE Michelin Stars, none served Phil-inspired food. In recently Michelin mapped Manila, only one has TWO Star. It doesn't cook Phil-inspired food despite its location. kasama named each creative course after a Philippine dish. Plates were called "kinilaw", "pulutan","adobo," (menu in picture) that was lovingly nostalgic of the dish it referenced. It's the essence, the unique flavors of each dish that's evoked, reminding me of that hearty dish. I recognize sinigang, but it's not sinigang. As each dish is presented, its inspiration and origin is explained. For a Filipino diner, it's warmly familiar; For those whose cultural experience is different, it's an excellent intro to the unique Phil flavors presented artfully in a form meant for haute diners. I am super proud! We met Chef Tim and wife, Korean-American pastry Chef Gwen. The chef de cuisine is the cutesie Fil-Am Chef Scott Pamatmat (watch out, foodies and ladies! He will be next in line). Thank you, Angelo &Molly. P.S. Some Pinoys say, "My friend said it wasn't worth it. The line was too long." then gives out that all-knowing disgusted face& disdain w/out even having tried the ACTUAL tasting menu. The critical acclaim isn't for bfast that probably pays for the rent. The stars are for the tasting menu for dinner. #curious_eater #kasama

Kasama was the only must visit spot on my most recent trip to Chicago…read more After checking in to my hotel on Sunday morning, I immediately made my way to this spot. You can get to Kasama using CTA, however, we opted to call a Lyft to get us there quicker. When we arrived there was a decent line. We asked a few people who were dinning outside if it was worth the wait. Everyone we asked said the food was good and worth the wait. One suggestion I have , and I wish I knew is that you can order online. I would suggest logging on and placing your order first thing in the morning. It appears that online orders still require some time, but at least you don't have to wait in the line when you arrive. We joined the line and it took us about an hour to get to the counter to order. Despite how busy this place is, the staff maintained pleasant attitudes, which I appreciate! Items ordered: longanisa, egg, and cheese sandwich hashbrown, egg, and cheese on ho yam coffee drink (Ube) reggie flores( think Arnold Palmer) Black Sesame Coconut Macaroon Ube and Huckleberry Basque Cake Total with tip: $72! After placing an order we were given a number and instructed to sit at a specific table. Our drinks arrived first, then the pasties and the last item to arrive were the egg sandwiches. The ube coffee drink was good. There was not a strong Ube taste. I did not try the Reggie Flores, but my friend said it was ok. Now for the pastries, I really enjoy the basque cake. It was not that sweet and had an interesting consistency, it was different for me, but something I would order again. I also did enjoy the macaron. I would say it is very coconut forward. As for the main event- the egg sandwich- it was good, but not great. I have had better egg sandwich! My friend did say that the meat makes the sandwich much better! I am not a red meat eater so I had to stick with the egg cheese and hash brown version, Overall, I would say that I would place an order in advance and try other items like the chicken adobe. However, If anyone asked me if it is worth the hour wait I would have to say no.

I was so happy to discover Bayan Ko Diner, a vibrant fusion of two rich culinary cultures -…read moreFilipino and Cuban - within walking distance of our ceramics class. My daughter and I came here for the first time last month on the last day of our summer session, and we returned a few days ago on the first day of our fall session. I love the beautiful, trendy décor, with Filipino and Cuban wall art displayed on opposite walls. The restaurant is clean, comfortable, and inviting. Our first visit was a solid four stars. The service was good, although not particularly memorable. The food was good overall, but not everything was a hit. We ordered: - Lumpia Shanghai ($7 for 1/2 order, 2 pieces) - Filipino spring rolls with pork, scallion, and Mom's garlic sauce. The skin was crunchy and the filling was flavorful, although the rolls were quite small. - Adobo Wings ($16 for 1/2 order) - crispy fried chicken wings with adobo glaze, served with rice. The wings were delicious, but we received 5 drumettes and only 1 flat. We would have preferred more flats, or at least an equal number of flats and drumettes. - Bistek ($20 for 1/2 order) - Korean beef short rib with Spanish onions, served with rice. The meat was full of flavor, but unfortunately quite tough. My daughter wasn't a fan, so I ended up finishing the whole thing. I was actually glad this was a small portion. I had a Virgin Pandan Mojito ($10) and my daughter had a beer ($8). My mocktail was okay, but nothing particularly memorable. Then they completely redeemed themselves on our second visit! We had the entire restaurant to ourselves at first, before two other tables arrived, so I had more time to appreciate the space and really enjoyed the atmosphere. A special shout-out to our server, Christopher, who was warm, welcoming, extremely friendly, and professional. My daughter ordered their signature cocktail, Lola's Drunk Again ($15), but then realized she might be allergic to one of the ingredients. Fortunately, she hadn't taken a sip. Christopher and another lady, who isn't always there, graciously took the cocktail away without charging us. My daughter then ordered a different cocktail, El Toro ($14), which she enjoyed. I just had an orange juice ($4). We ordered the following, and enjoyed everything: - Croquetas ($6 for 1/2 order, 2 pieces) - smoked jamón with Jufran aioli. The exterior was crunchy, while the filling was delicious, creamy, and not too salty. I would definitely order these again. - Ropa Empanada ($8 for 1/2 order, 2 pieces) - beef brisket, sofrito, and mojo crema. The crust was a little thick, but crunchy and easy to eat. The beef inside was tender and flavorful. - Ropa Vieja ($17 for 1/2 order) - beef brisket in sofrito, served with rice, black beans, and sweet plantains, which we requested to be served on the side. Even the half portion was quite generous. This was perfect comfort food - flavorful, filling, and satisfying. There was an abundance of shredded beef, and it was tender, tasty, and easy to cut apart. - Ube Ice Cream ($5 per scoop) - Since we were already full, we shared a scoop. We didn't order the banana split, but Christopher gave us a really generous scoop, which was much appreciated. The ube flavor was excellent, and the ice cream was creamy with a nice texture. I would definitely order this again. Overall, all the dishes we tried on our visits had bold, distinct flavors, and the ingredients tasted fresh. We already can't wait to come back and try a whole bunch of other dishes! Bayan Ko Diner will definitely become our go-to spot after ceramics class!

I really wanted to love this place. We went she s cubs game hoping for a delish meal. However, we…read moreboth thought the waitress was a bit cold and when we first arrived, there were only two tables with customers We ordered two teas. The hibiscus tea I had was pretty delicious. Then we ordered the lechon whole portion but we had such a good day that we did not want to sour the day and send it back it was supposed to be crispy pork but instead it was a plate of pork fat pieces - maybe 10% meat. We took the leftovers to our dog as he will eat anything. The wings were really good I'll say. The croqueras were okay Id say; not the freshest or maybe the oil was dirty. Cute place however.

Lugaw was so yummy! It is complimentary to whatever you order and it felt like a hug for my soul…read more  We opted to get two combos. I got the combo with spam and longanesia. The meats were done simple but had some great flavors and it all came with white rice and eggs. My husband got the combo with big bangus and tocino and he really liked both options too! The bangus was more like a crispy fish. Both combinations also come with a little chocolate pudding. There are options for an American breakfast and lunch but I am happy we got the Filipino style breakfast.  Overall the space is huge with a ton of seating and very much gives you a diner feel. The service is very quick.

Omg I knew this place was familiar--- first full day of my move to Chicago and craving---NEEDED--…read morecomforting Filipino food. I just saw I reviewed Uncle Mike's back in 2018-19.... And im doing the baby Bantus and longanisa this time, but have my sister in law with me who got the tocino/porkchop silog combo so we can share the viands. Same comforting feeling and delicious silogs! Glad my gut memory brought me back here!

The second I walked into Boonie's, I knew I had discovered something special. I was greeted by an…read moreexcellent wait staff, and my server was extremely friendly and welcoming. I ordered the daily special, which consisted of chicken and rice, along with their fried pork spring rolls and sizzling sisig. Everything was absolutely delicious, with bold, robust flavors in every dish. For this being my introduction to Filipino food, I definitely was not disappointed. My only complaint is that it's an hour away from my house! This is definitely a must-try if you're looking for some great Filipino food.

This was a great, cozy spot to try a different take on Filipino food. Being a Filipina myself, I'm…read moretorn between labeling it because I feel like some of the dishes are more Filipino-inspired while others are definitely elevated-Filipino. Either way, it's a good place to try a twist on your favorites or dip into something new. I especially appreciated that there were a lot of vegetarian options which is hard to find in Filipino food, like our "veggie" lumpia usually has small bits of meat in it, lol. We were warmly welcomed, seated relatively quickly, and the service was attentive and timely. The place is cozy and on the dark side so my pics aren't the greatest. We had the Inihaw ng Talong which is basically grilled eggplant that came brushed with sunflower butter, loaded with tomatoes and garnished with cilantro. This was a nice start but a small one. The eggplant was smoky and creamy and complimented by the bright tomatoes. The Satti Manok, skewered grilled chicken, with cornbread sticky rice was good, but I've definitely had better for a lot less. This is usually a staple you'll find at any Filipino family's BBQ but the cornbread sticky rice was a surprisingly nice treat. If you've had this before, somewhere else, I'd skip it to try something else. The Sinigang Caesar was such a nice twist that totally made sense! My only complaint is that it was served with Bibb lettuce instead of a crunchy romaine. I enjoyed this so much I've been making my Caesar dressings with a sprinkling of Sinigang powder now and my family loves it. The Kare Kare gulay was nice and I enjoyed it. The charred cabbage gave it some extra depth that I think is needed to pull this off because this sauce is made with sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. This was great for me because I'm allergic to peanuts but it definitely changes the flavor, making it a little sweeter and lighter. I wish they would've made this with cashew or almond butter to keep it closer to the rich, deep flavors of a Kare Kare. The Maitake mushrooms -- I absolutely loved. I've never had this before and it reminded me of a good Laing which is also made with a spiced coconut sauce. I definitely could've eaten this all to myself with the garlic rice. Yes, the garlic rice is good but I was surprised to see it go for $6 a bowl. Rice is usually so cheap, if not complementary in Filipino restaurants and garlic rice is quite common, especially for breakfast (yes, I sabreakfast). It was cooked perfectly though. The mango float was delicious. Not sure why it's called a float but it was mango and mascarpone ice cream nestled in a mango sauce and topped with a delicate, crumbly butter cookie. I will definitely come back for more if I'm ever in the area again. I'd be excited to try other things on their menu.

So good! There are a lot of hyped up Filipino places on social media but Ruby's is legit and also…read moreone of the OGs. Lumpia, BBQ pork, and pancit were made fresh to order. Nice fatty cuts in both lumpia and skewers and some nice char bits. Pancit had all the right flavors with a good ratio of ingredients and good portion size. Ready-to-eat kare kare and bistek were also solid. Rich sauce, accurate flavor and tender beef chunks. I don't usually crave or recommended Filipino food because you can't beat mama's cooking but Ruby's is an exception - 10/10!

I ordered Crispy Pata came with Garlic Rice and Pansit Palabok for delivery. Packaging was secure…read moreand thoughtful. Delicious and portions are generous. Highly recommend

If you gather more than four people and reserve two days ahead, you can have this amazing spread of…read morea Kamayan feast! They lay banana leaves on a table, and everything is eaten with your hands. You start with the oysters that will act as a spoon, then you have your choice of where to start between the chicken, shrimp, pork, fried fish, garlic rice, pancit noodles, ceviche, sisig, & fruit salad. We were so stuffed, but I cannot have Filipino food without ending with Halo Halo! It's $59 / person + tax & tip. What a steal! There's an outdoor patio, or an indoor space by the bar. Great service and a memorable experience.

Food: If you're looking for something genuinely tasty, boodle dining probably isn't for you. The…read moregood thing is, we were warned beforehand to enjoy the vibe rather than expect too much from the food, so the sausage and pineapple actually surprised me--in a good way! Service: 6/5 Great service. No complaints at all. Ambiance: Eating on a patio in the summer sounds lovely... until you leave with 7 huge mosquito bites. No kidding--they've been killing me for the past 3 days, to the point where I can barely walk comfortably. Overall: Definitely a ONCE-in-a-lifetime experience for me.

So, I grew up around here... and when I think back to this area, the highlights I remember are an…read moreArmy surplus store, Garcia's, and a Gap. Fast forward to today... WHAT HAPPENED?! LOL! This place has had a serious glow-up, and I am here for it! I'm both excited and slightly shocked that this is now my old stomping ground. We had to stop in and give this place a try, and I'm happy to report--the coffee drinks and food did NOT disappoint! I'll let the pictures do the talking...Definitely coming back!!

came for dinner reading others' reviews, it sounds like brunch-time has a different menu and…read moredefinitely looks more appetizing? anyways whoever thought of adding pork and shrimp in lumpia needs a chef's kiss calamari breading wasn't too heavy. next time, it's either lumpia or the calamari. i might just come back just for the ube latte. pandan latte was okay, more coffee than pandan. sisig was mehz. pork belly was more dry than i'd expected. i was actually more excited to try both their lechon and ube pandesal, but they ran out by mid-dinner time so maybe next time halo-halo was great! i needed more appetite to fully enjoy it though. unpictured was the adobo glazed salmon. this was really tasty and paired well with some garlic rice. they had some broken peanuts scrambled on top of soy baby bokchoy as well!

Been seeing this place for a while so finally decided to go in and try it…read more They do have a bit of food options, they also have ready-made food that you can just grab and go there is no dining area so this is an order to go place parking is okay it's in a small Plaza and service was good. I had the oxtail combo plate. Plate comes with tice, 2 pcs eggrolls, and noodles. Im a bit disappointed the taste was good but rhe oxtail wasnt tender at all. Felt like i wasted this order. I also ordered their lechon belly and that wqs really good although some parts of the skin wqsnt as crunchy. I would still go back and try more stuff. Happy eating!!!

We ordered lumpia and garlic fried rice for a work event, and almost everyone kept returning for…read moreseconds and thirds. The rice was garlic flavor-filled with the crispy bits on top and not greasy, like some other Asian restaurants' fried rice can be. (Throw a fried egg on top and it would remind me of my mom's Sunday Filipino breakfast rice). The lumpia was lihht, crispy, and tasty and filled with well seasoned pork. I cannot wait to return and try other dishes, like pancit, for our next party or event.

This place was booming yesterday! Luckily, we had planned on ordering to go which worked out great…read more There was no seating available. The owner, Kathy was cranking in the kitchen walked the floor. The Sinigang sandwich hit the spot perfectly:) Loved the pork lumpia! Although, we didn't stay to dine, I can say that the lighting was a little dim. You order at the counter in the back. There's two chaulk boards with the handwritten menu. I hear that they try to mix it up with introducing new specials. The next time I get back here, I'd like to sit and have a more full experience. But so far, I love it!

Went here for lunch and tried their lumpia, pork belly with garlic rice, sinigang fish sandwhich,…read moreand ube cold brew! Service was great; you go to the counter and order while they bring your food as it's ready. Ratings per item: - Ube cold brew 4/5 (Ube flavored and strong) - Lumpia 4/5 - Pork Belly 4/5 (good crisp but needed more seasoning) - Fish sandwhich 4/5 (good flavor but wish there was a bit more fish) - Ube cookie 5/5 Will def come back to try more items especially their icecream sandwiches!

I loved the furniture and set up of this hotel rooftop bar, we got a table almost next to the pool…read morebut it would have been nice to be a little closer . They have plants and stuff so I feel like each table is pretty separated from the other I like my mezcal mango milk punch drink, it was smooth and sweet enough Ube flan was actually pretty good! The ube flavor was strong! the texture was a little too thick so once we ran out of ice cream Vibes 9/10 Drinks 8/10

Came here for a girls night here and it was so cute, our drinks came out quickly but was really…read moredisappointed and gave only three stars because they ran out of the puffer glass and our waiter didn't even gives us a heads up but I saw the other table was able to get parched puffer drink which was weird because our waiter said the ran out! Service was good but didn't like how our waiter was a little rude. Ambiance inside is more like a date night, but it's also good for a girls or guys night as I saw the table next to us.