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    Perla

    4.6 (317 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Perla Photos

    PERLA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Perla

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    Reviews With Photos

    Carrie S.

    This is a unique experience. Not for everyone. I highly recommend it!! Coming from NJ, It's not very noticeable when walking up at night and not being familiar with the neighborhood. It's not a bad thing. Just very nondescript. It's a small place but I love what they did with this concept. It's unique and I wish them much success!! This is a set Kayamanan menu. No substitutions or accommodations. The food is plentiful and delicious. The garlic rice has a nice rich flavor. The vegetables are in a coconut milk sauce. It's flavorful but a little too heavy for my liking. The chicken was probably my favorite then the pompano fish. The chicken skin was crispy and the meat was moist. The fish was cooked perfectly. Crispy skin and flaky fish. The pork belly!! Not really my thing but it was on the meatier side than expected. Loved it!!! The highlight for me was the lumpia. I never had it before but now I need this in my life! Is this the best out there? I have no idea but they are now on my list of favorite things!!!! Due to my allergies I couldn't have the dessert, which is a chocolate and nut thing. The server was so gracious and brought me one of the pre-dinner sweet rolls. Then a coconut gelatin dessert. It was totally unnecessary but greatly appreciated!!

    pork, Whole Fish Meal, Chicken Inasal
    Gabrielle L.

    Such a cool place and a unique dining experience. I love any excuse to eat with my hands. Such a fair price for how much food you get and the condiments are so tasty. As always the service is friendly and helpful and none judgement. Fun group dining or date!

    The pile! Paloma Pompano, Spring Rolls, BBQ Chicken, Pork Cubes, Garlic Fried Rice, and vegetables.
    Michael G.

    My friend and I came to try Filipino food at Perla for the first time. We made a great choice. Based on what I've read from prior Yelp reviews, I was expecting this BYOB to have a menu and the ability to make some decent choices. But not anymore. It's family style only at $50 a head not including tax and tip. But believe me, you'll go home full and probably with a doggie box. The restaurant has less than ten tables and thankfully only one was occupied when we arrived without a reservation. The tables were covered in banana leaves and we almost weren't prepared for what to expect. You eat with your hands (but they'll give you utensils if you dare)! The food is served piled high in the center of your table! You'll start with a nice sweet roll, and then the pile starts. First some garlic rice, then multiple types of vegetables. You'll get a wonderful Paloma Pompano fish, half a BBQ chicken, and crispy pork belly cubes. You'll also receive some spring rolls. Three sauces will come with your pile. Both of us almost burned our hands with the attempts to rip open the chicken and fish. But everything tasted so good. The table and our clothes got messy rather quickly. The meal ended with a chocolate budino with almond crust. For that, we did have a spoon for. Our server was more than happy to answer questions and complimented how "well we cleared our pile." We did have more than enough vegetables and rice for a meal at home. $150 for two including tax and tip. We did also purchase a lemonade type drink each, too. I recommend Perla for something different but really good food! I liked the fish the best.

    Alice L.

    such a fun experience! cozy byob restaurant with a unique kamayan menu. here, it's recommended to eat with hour hands as per the traditional filipino style. my friend and i chose to honor the tradition, but we did see that other tables were using utensils, so that is an option if you're not up for using your hands. the food was great, and the quantity was massive. my friend and i ate until we were stuffed and still had enough leftover for two full meals. i personally really enjoyed the lumpia and pork belly. the only caveat is that it is a tasting menu, so not suitable for picky eaters or people with dietary restrictions. i also am not sure if the tasting menu changes, so i wouldn't come back unless it does, but i would recommend! i think this is an especially fun dinner if you have a large group. overall, great experience!

    Main Course
    Madison C.

    DAMN! This was the best Christmas dinner my family's had in a whiiiile.... Definitely a hole in the wall especially with all the other bangin' resturants around Passyunk. That being said, this is worth every dime. The group portion is generous, and everything is absolutely delicious. This BYOB served garlic fried white rice, with curry fried veggies, grilled chicken, roasted pork, and a fried fish I've never had before called Porgy. If I lived closer to Philly I'd make it a mission to eat here at least once a year. This is authentic Filipino food at its best; its clean, filling, and honestly heals the soul. It was exactly what I needed to wrap the year up. Yes, they do provide boxes, and best believeee I was eating the leftovers for days (yes, DAYS, there was so much food...) after visiting here. You eat with your hands and share food with the people you invite, so be sure to invite your bestest of friends.

    Whole Fish Meal
    Liz M.

    We had an amazing experience. Family style and part of the whole experience. The fish and pork shank were amazing. All The food was delicious. The service was on point and we had food beyond what we could eat in one sitting. If you are afraid to eat with your hands and share from the table with your friends and family... not the place for you. But if you are in for a delicious culinary experience... this is a must try.

    Linda L.

    Cozy restaurant that emulates a first floor south philly apartment. It is a set menu and the staff caters to the amount of people eating... with plenty of leftovers. There is a bathroom to wash your hands, since you'll be eating with your hands. Staff does ask if you want utensils, which I took advantage of. 10/10 recommend to do at least once! In comparison to Marrakesh and Casablanca.. I would come back to Perla for their set menu

    Incredible experience. Just go... We had a large group (12) and they accommodated perfectly. Just go.. trust me.

    Olivia N.

    Great restaurant to go to with a group of friends. We had a lot of food left over with six of us at the table. Food was fresh and came out steaming hot! My favorite was the fish!

    Michael C.

    This was a really cool experience eating with my hands off a banana leaf. The food was extremely rich and heavy, but also lacked flavor at the same time. Service wasn't great, even for how small the place is. The meal was very expensive for what you get also.

    Fish and chicken
    Jeremy W.

    When friends ask for a unique spot in Philly, I point them to Perla. Perla, located in vibrant part of town, Passyunk, showcases Filipino food in its authentic form. For $50 per person, you are given a ton of food on a huge banana leaf that covers the table. No utensils are provided as the food is meant to be eaten with your hands; however, you may ask the staff for utensils and they will kindly bring a set for you. For the spread, you are given fried pork belly, chicken in a soy and lemongrass marinade, fried whole fish, fried rolls, fried pork, assorted vegetables, and dipping sauces, all on a bed of garlic rice. Fair warning, this gets messy especially with all the oils. No shame in asking for some utensils if you're not comfortable with oily fingers, but I recommend embracing the culture and giving it a try! Everything is super flavorful, especially with the garlic rice. It is on the heavier side because most of the ingredients are fried or stir fried in oil, so come with a large group. I've seen groups ranging from 4 to even 12 here. It's really a great time especially since it's BYO. Come celebrate with your friends! However, I might recommend you try another place for a date night because it gets messy, unless you and your date are cool like that haha I think Perla has its place in Philly. Great food and service, with BYO. Can you beat that? I typically pay a visit when a group of friends are in town or if I want to introduce family to a unique experience. Ignore the calories for the night and indulge!

    The whole meal
    Shannon S.

    Be ready for something different. This place has a fixed menu. Everything is cooked and brought out and dumped on the table on banana leaves. You eat with your hands. The crispy pork belly was tender inside and cripsy on the outside. There is a whole fish on top that was flavorful and tender. The rice and veggies were cooked in a mild curry and coconut milk. Everything was fresh and tasty. The portions were enough for 8 people. Fun experience , good food, good service.

    Sophie W.

    Such good food for such a great price! Nothing feels more celebratory than digging your fingers into rice and deep fried pork belly. They started us off with this bread roll that was deliciously sweet and soft, then followed it up with a heaping pile of fish, pork belly, chicken, and lumpia. There were also curried veggies. I thought the chicken was a bit salty but the rest of the food was excellent, especially when paired with the sauces that were given. My favorite was the whole fish, which came off in tender flaky pieces. It definitely needed the vinegar sauce but was absolutely delicious combined with that and the fragrant garlic rice. Service was also prompt, and we got hand wipes to clean our hands before the dessert of coconut chocolate pudding. I left stuffed and the two of us had two big boxes of leftovers that we brought home too. For the $50 pp price, this can't be beat!

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Perla

    Is this place even good?

    Went for the feast on a Sunday night. AMAZING!!!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Tabachoy

    4.2(163 reviews)
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    My cousin and his wife had Tabachoy on deck outside of their wedding for some culture that reminded…read moreus of home. They've been hyping up this spot for ages and I was glad to have our new extended family all give them a try! Mad props to having laing on the menu, the former pescatarian in me ate that on the regular, and it was a great match and offering for those with dietary restrictions.

    The food isn't bad here, probably one of the better Filipino options currently in Philly, but that…read moremight not be saying a whole lot considering Philly seems to have a not-so-great track record with Filipino cuisine. For our appetizer, we ordered the Lumpia. Decent enough, but nothing special. That said, not sure how special lumpia can get since it's a simple spring roll. We ordered the South Philly Laing for a small plate, which was surprisingly bland. Because it was broccoli rabe in coconut milk, I excepted a little sweetness from the coconut milk, but no...nothing...not sweet, not savory, not anything. No flavor whatsoever. For the entree, we ordered the large Sisig with Garlic Rice, which was actually pretty good! It was pretty much everything I expect from a good sisig -- crispy, chewy, and tasty. In fact, this standout might be the best sisig I've had so far in Philly! I might even come back with a couple San Miguels (BYOB) and have it again! Finally, we ordered the Turon for dessert, which didn't dazzle me but pleased my dinner partner. Since it is basically a banana spring roll with caramel sauce, I'm not sure how dazzling this dessert can get, but it wasn't bad. I'll try the cheesecake next time. Lumpia: 3/5 Sisig (Large): 4/5 Garlic Rice: 4/5 South Philly Laing: 2/5 Turon: 3/5 So, again, not bad, but they could definitely work on some things... The major one being service, which was friendly but kind of slow and inattentive. Our appetizer (Lumpia) and small plate (South Philly Laing) arrived at the table in a timely manner, but it took a WHILE for our entree to arrive after that. We actually wanted to eat our laing as a side vegetable with our entree, but it took so long for our entree to come out that the laing got cold and we finally broke down and had to finish it before the entree arrived. No one checked in on us until... The entree (Sisig & Garlic Rice) arrived. After these hit the table, no one checked on us again until we were halfway through the meal (first and only check-in), but then the server disappeared again! Once we finished the entree, we wanted to grab some to-go boxes and the desert menu. Again, we waited for a WHILE for the server to return, but eventually had to flag him down, which wasn't easy because both servers were a little too busy entertaining the customers at the counter. We were just trying to respect the "house" rules (written on the menu) of eating and getting out of there in 90 minutes, but the house wasn't really trying to help us help them. No shade on the "time limit," though, as the space is cozy -- yet minimalist and cute. And we did come early enough (5PM) that it wasn't super-crowded, so maybe the staff were trying to be cool by not trying to rush us out of there.

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    Tambayan - Filipino Sweet Spaghetti

    Tambayan

    3.5(121 reviews)
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    Tambayan at the Reading Terminal Market on a weekend feels like a survival challenge, so I was…read moregenuinely shocked to find an actual chair to sit on. If you're coming with a group, may the odds be ever in your favor. The Tocilog was delicious, though halfway through I realized it was begging for vinegar (it needed that extra kick of acidity). The ube turon was decent fresh, but somehow after sitting around for a few hours and despite losing all crunch, the flavor got better. Overall, Tambayan was a solid . A good introduction to Filipino cuisine.

    I know it can be quite overwhelming when visiting Reading Terminal Market especially when it comes…read moreto choosing what to eat. Stopping by Tambayan will not leave you disappointed. It's a nice little corner stall with some stool and countertop seating which is a life saver especially when it comes to seating in the market. Staff is friendly and always willing to help you choose a dish or make a decision on what to eat. I ordered the pancit. It was a generous helping! It also has a nice savory sauce to it, which unlike many pancit dishes if you've had it before, don't usually have. It was filling and delicious. Lots of noodles topped with ground pork, veggies and eggs. I also ordered the BBQ Skewers. First bite and I knew I already loved it! Juicy and tender meat. Nice glaze and char served with a side of rice to compliment the robust flavor. Will definitely make an effort to stop in again especially to try some other traditional Filipino dishes especially breakfast!

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    Kusina Ni Inang

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    4.1(101 reviews)
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    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.

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    Perla - filipino - Updated August 2026

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