Went for a late birthday dinner with a large group of friends. A couple of my friends are known to be always late but for whatever odd reason I thought they would be on time this time- wishful thinking, I'm saying this because Perla didn't give us a hard time as half the party sat there waiting almost an hour- awesome customer service. The food was delicious, everything from the rice to veggies and I'm a huge carnivore lol. However, I was disappointed we got the pork shank instead of the pork belly. I would take 1/2 star off if I could. I guess I have to go with just a party of 2 next time to guarantee the pork belly as it appears all other parties that were there got pork belly but us. You are first given a warm sweet bread that reminded me of a Chinese pineapple bun. Most of us was slowly trying to savor it throughout the meal. They give you 3 different sauce and the whole party only used 1- the dark sauce (sorry forgot what it was) and mainly for the fish. Chicken was tender, juicy and flavorful. My husband don't really eat spring rolls but said Perla's was really good. Dessert was ok but we forgot it was part of the experience so most was stuff. We had so much leftovers that didn't all fit in the 2 boxes we packed. Will definitely go back. read more

I get what they were trying to do here. Filipino cuisine doesn't get enough representation, especially on the East coast, and they wanted to elevate it. That said, I think they missed their mark. To take something like Sisig, which is a great dish, made from cheap parts of animals most people don't want, and just charge 18 dollars for it, didn't sit well with me. It also didn't taste that great in my opinion. That said, the adobe was good, and the waiter was really nice and very professional. Also, I really liked the ambiance, very intimate. Good date spot. I don't think I would go again, unless I went with a group for Kamayan to give that a try. read more

Our group of six had dinner at Perla this past weekends and it left me with a mix feeling about this place. We wanted to try the family style dinner this past Sunday (they only serves on Wednesdays and Sundays). When we arrived, there was one group in the restaurant, it seemed empty but perhaps our dinner was a bit early, around 5:30pm, or perhaps they only accept reservations so each group has a set time...The restaurant itself is a decent size with simple furnitures and decorations. The tables were covered with banana leaves as tablecloths. The hostess greeted us and sat us to our table. When my whole group arrived, the hostess and the two chefs came to greeted us and began to explain and arrange the food. My table of six people ended up having one and a half chicken, three fish, lumpia rolls, roast pork cubes along with a variety of vegetables over garlic rice. We each also got a piece of bread to start our dinner. Food: The garlic rice was nicely done. The chickens and the lumpia rolls were decent, the flavor was just right. However, I feel like the fish was a bit bland, it would be great with some spicy fish sauce aka nuoc mam. The roast pork was a bit greasy to our taste, a lot of fat and not enough meat portion. The bread was good, it has a nice sweet flavor to it. There are also desserts in the end. You can box the leftovers as well. Service: everyone was very attentive and friendly. Even the chefs came out to check on us. I really like the service here. Cleanliness: There were flies flying in the restaurants while we were there. Perhaps because the door was open and it was a warm day, but I did not like to see flies near our food when we eat. We eat with our hands and they provided wet wipes for us to clean our hands. There is only one bathroom, it was clean. Overall, I think this place is a bit pricey for the quality of food we get. I would come back to try other items in the A La Cart menu but I would not likely to do family style dinner again. If you have not and want to experience the family style dinner, try it and see if you like it! This is a BYOB place so bring your drinks to add some fun to your dinner :) read more

Perla - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It started when I saw a photo of my friend enjoying a kamayan dinner in LA. I was like, what is this amazingness on bamboo leaves? It looks like happiness. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that Philadelphia has a kamayan restaurant! I don't venture to Passyunk area frequently but each time I do I'm pleasantly surprised, and Perla was no exception. The kamayan dinner is only served on Wednesdays and Sundays which is tough for out of town guests that are visiting for just the weekend but eventually coordination worked and four of us went on a Sunday night. The table next to us was also a table of four and we overheard how good they thought the food was and omg we're so full and can we please get take home containers? Umm.... our table completely decimated our dinner because I was amazing. The rice, the fish, the lumpia, the sauces, the eating with your hands: heaven!! No leftovers. Just happy bellies. One caveat: I kept referring to the restaurant as La Perla which is NOT the same establishment..... read more

Perla - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This was one of the most fun and yummy places I have been to. It was our first time and it definitely won't be our last. Glad we got to experience the family style eating. read more

Perla - Wonderful experience...great food and fun atmosphere...will definitely be going back! - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My new favorite spot. I LOVED the Whole Fish for 2. Generous portions and every single element is seasoned perfectly. Nothing is boring. Highly suggest getting the side of bread with the meal for two. There's plenty of rice but we liked having both, and had a bunch leftover. We are going to have the leftover bread with over easy eggs in the morning. Will be going back for sure. Probably... next week. read more

If you're looking to expand your horizons, check this place out. I am so glad someone had the courage to start a Filipino restaurant and do it well!! The food and ambiance is clean and simple. The freshly-baked filipino bread was awesome. Service was great, too! read more

I cannot deny the excitement I felt when I learned that there was a "Filipino" joint opening up in South Philly. It did not strike me until after that in some pockets of South Philly, some ethnic brands of cuisine end up being inextricably changed (i.e. appropriated) to cater to those with tastes of a (let's say) paler pigment. Unfortunately, Perla suffers the same fate that befell Bing Bing Dim Sum; jacked up prices for food stuffs that are almost unrecognizable from the original source material... kind of like casting Scarlet Johansson in the live action "Ghost in the Shell" (the main ingredient is inexplicably changed to attempt to appeal to the pale majority); but unlike "Ghost in the Shell" it would appear that the 4.5 average cume star rating would indicate that most have been fooled into buying into this farce of Filipino cuisine. That's not to say that the food here isn't carefully crafted by masterful hands. Not at all. It will be the most fancifully presented "Filipino" food you will ever dare to gaze upon (at least in my lifetime, I've not set my eyes on "Filipino" food that bore such a garish facade). Not to sell my people's food short... but our stuff was made for peasants, by peasants, to appeal to peasants (i.e. the masses). They took trash ingredients and, like the ever innovative Filipino is wont to do (that's my people for you), created something very special. E.G. sizzling sisig... it's pig face; they say you can put lipstick on a pig, but it'll still be a pig... developed during the great war when soldiers would discard pig heads (since so one at the time knew how to use them). Some time later, the soldiers "donated" the pig heads to Filipino people to do with them as they would... as necessity (a desire to eat) spurned innovation, my people developed a way to make pig face not only palatable, but actually delicious. Sisig - chopped up pig face, skillet fried with peppers and spices, finished off with an egg cracked on top. Pairs perfectly with a cold beer as it's still served "sizzling" on a skillet. Not a pretty presentation, but you can't deny the allure of the hissing sizzling of the skillet and a golden yold on top. However, at this place, the sisig isn't sizzling... and they essentially top the (not diced nearly enough) chunks of pig parts with an egg that had lost the golden yolk (i.e. they pre-cooked the egg, overdone it, and topped off the bowl of pig parts). Another miss was the adobo. Adobo is another signature Filipino dish that was borne out of necessity, and made overly complex here (and ironically inferior despite the quality ingredients and stellar visual presentation). The adobo concoction came from the need to preserve meat without need for refrigeration, so the combination of salty soy sauce and acidic vinegar proved to be an effective agent in keeping meats tasty and unspoiled; hell, the stuff tends to taste better the longer it sits. As Perla likely doesn't engage in letting their duck ferment in the soy/vinegar mix, they've overcompensated by making the sauce too salty and too tart (with the tartness being more that of a citrus-y flavor as opposed to a vinegar one). Disappointing. Perhaps I should visit on a Kamayan night (on Sundays). Seems like they do a more simple preparation of the food (instead of being so try-hard). That said, looks like they've engaged in the time honored YT people appropriation tactic of price gouging for that as well -_- read more

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Go for the family dinner. the food is fantastic regardless but the family dinner is a wonderful experience-served family style on banana leaves covering the table. And it has plenty for the vegetarian in your group while pleasing the meat eaters too. read more

We went on a cold winter night so getting a table was not a problem. We got the Octopus appetizer, as well as the steak and trout entrees. All were visually and palate pleasing. We'd definitely come back- next time for the Sunday night feast. read more

Perla - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Sick of eating the same cuisine. Need a different taste and flavor, def try out perla! I've been waiting for a filipino restaurant to open in Philadelphia, luckily its only 7 blocks from my house. It's not your traditional filipino it modernized with a delicious twist. Make sure you make room for dessert! Everything was amazing! read more

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I'm going to have to stop myself from coming here every single Sunday. My boyfriend and I did the Kamayan Feast last weekend with friends and everything was amazing: garlic fried rice, vegetables in a coconut sauce, crispy pork belly, fish, chicken, and the little spring rolls. The only items that weren't gluten free were the rolls in the beginning, the spring rolls, and the chicken. I still had plenty of food to pick from, and everything was incredible. Even between five people, we still had leftovers, and I was the lucky one who got to eat almost a full fish for lunch the next day. With tax and tip, the meal comes to about $50 per person--definitely not bad for the quality and quantity of food you get. Truly a hidden gem in Philly! read more

Read an article on Bloomberg about filipino food that mentioned Perla and lo and behold, it was close to where I stayed! I've had filipino food and this place puts a clever improvisation to the cuisine. We had their version of sisig, pinkabet, adobo and a grilled octopus. Tasty! Tried the kamayan dinner there a few days later and that was a fun experience. Eating with your hands is recommended but if that's not your thing, I'm pretty sure they have utensils for you. There was a ton of food (their 4-people-worth of food can probably be shared with 6) and it was heavenly. read more

There are some restaurants where the menu makes me nervous . This was one of them; each dish contained ingredients that I do not like and I was worried the flavors would be overwhelming for me (I like milder flavors that come from the main ingredients vs spices). Everything came out looking like a work of art and was SO delicious. The bread that comes out in the beginning is the most delicious bread I've ever had. Ever. Staff was knowledgeable and friendly, interior is well decorated, Also BYO is always a + in my book. Seriously wanted to go back the next day. read more

Just called to confirm a reservations for next week. I expect the host to be more friendly and less dismissive for a place like Perla. I've dine here before and the servers are superb and knowledgeable. My sister called last week as well to confirm the same reservations and was told someone will call her back but never did. Which is why I had to call in and I feel I had the same issue with the host over the phone. Now I understand why my sister didn't want to call back. I just wanted to leave a review for the host. read more

I chose Perla for a special occasion recently and we fell in LOVE. Everything from the sticky rice to the chicken, fish and veggie Kamayan feast to the utter dining experience and forks-free environment itself was incredibly fresh and liberating! This was one of the cooler experiences I've gotten to partake in lately and I will most certainly be back. Warning: Do not come here with anyone whose general hygiene you may have in question (spoiler alert: you'll be eating with your hands, unless you request other arrangements which, in my opinion, seriously deters from the entire vibe of this stellar spot) and do not come here if you are not interested in broadening your culinary horizons. Everyone else, get here ASAP! read more

Very good service, I've never had it but apparently the best Sigsig in the us per my Filipino friend. Really nice atmosphere and love that they are BYOB! read more

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My girlfriend and I came in on a whim. Meal started with salted butter and a Filipino dinner roll. Simple. But super good. We shared the octopus starter which was solid but also fried. To be honest the octopus could have been any protein and tasted good. I ordered the lamb kare kare. I have had a version of this previously that was ox tail and had more of a pronounced peanut butter flavor. I guess this was the more refined version of that dish. The accompaniments really elevated the meal to the next level. The bok choy and especially the egg plant almost stole the lamb's thunder. My gf ordered the prawns and seemed to like it, but less than I enjoyed my dinner. We ordered the ube for dessert. When it arrived I was incredulous. It didnt look pretty but I was incredibly surprised by how good it tasted. Not sure how they make all the components - but it was well balanced. Not too sweet - and the cookie portion ( not sure if cookie is accurate) was light as air. read more

Feeling pretty darn lucky right now. Literally just walked out of Perla after enjoying the Kamayan family dinner, feeling absolutely stuffed - I don't have just a food baby in my belly, but probably food twins. My husband and I walked in without a reservation (not even knowing that the menu was going to be the family style prix fixe) and luckily were seated immediately. Turns out the Kamayan dinner was recently expanded to Wednesdays, open to tables of 2. (Normally on Sundays with minimum res of 4. Turns out we got someone's cancelled res. Perfecto.) The table was covered in banana leaves, no plates or utensils. (They're available if you want them, but traditionally Kamayan is eaten with your hands.) Chef Lou brought us some sweet rolls, then came back to pour some aromatic deliciousness onto the table: sinangag (garlic fried rice), pinakbet (veggies), lumpia (spring rolls), 1/2 chicken inisal, a whole fried fish, lechon kawali (pork belly).. as well as two housemade sauces. OH MY GOD. It was nuts. It was delicious. It was serendipity. You just have to try it and experience it for yourself. It was one of the most delicious and interesting meals I've had in a long time! And the pork belly... SO crispy. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't catch the servers name, but he was super friendly and was very attentive to our drinks. Happy belly = happy girl. read more

Kamayan Sundays are awesome!!!!!!! Garlic rice, fish, pork and chicken all laid out! It feels good to see a Filipino restaraunt be this great in my section of the city. Will def come back to try the regular menu. Amazing chef/ staff. A nice intimate BYOB. read more

Perla has been a welcome and not too pricey comfort during Quarentine! Tastes just like mom's cooking, but so much fancier. Ordering online for pickup is super easy and as always the entire staff is exceptionally wonderful. Salamat!!! read more

Love this place for so many reasons! I was curious about Filipino food and this was my first foray. The ambiance, service and food were absolutely top notch the entire meal. We started with the octopus and the sisig. Both are must have items and packed full of flavor and texture. For mains we went with the short rib Kare kare and the bagnet. The short rib was just so-so, needed a little more salt but the accompanying eggplant and bok Choy were lovely. The bagnet (short rib) was absolutely fantastic. We ended the night with their Ube mousse which was also a delight. Service throughout was perfectly timed, kind and thoughtful. Well done, Perla! We will be back soon! read more

Beautiful restaurant and the sweetest staff, but the limited and somewhat adventurous menu kept me from feeling the five star love everyone else seems to be feeling about Perla. My two girlfriends and I had reservations for a Friday night at 8pm, and the restaurant was packed. We were seated at a roomy, comfortable table by the open window to the kitchen. Ice buckets were delivered for our many wines, and champagne flutes and wine glasses were produced. An amuse bouche of a delicious corn soup was served. We ordered the octopus and mackerel to start. I had a bite of the octopus which was nice, though didn't partake in any of the mackerel as I'm not a fan of this fish. For the mains, we had the prawns, duck breast, and bone marrow fried rice. I transferred a bit of that rice onto my plate before my friend scooped the bone marrow on top (I know, I know - I'm basic with my proteins!). I thought the prawn dish was just okay but I was happily surprised to find that I really enjoyed the duck and especially so when combined with the rice. I didn't partake in dessert but they looked very nice. I'm curious to see how Perla's menu changes over time and with the seasons. Perhaps the menu when I went just didn't mesh well with my tastes. I'll keep an eye out because I'd love to give this place another shot sometime. If you are into what's on the menu, definitely give Perla a shot because you'll probably love it as much as everyone else! read more

They created a new twist to filipino dishes and it was a great experience. Place is not big and you can actually have a quiet dinner. I believe it's byob so bring your alcohol of choice for a more enjoyble evening. We've tried Sisig and it has slightly bigger chunks of meat than the typical sisig and it's topped with a med cooked egg with a splash of calamansi ( phil lemon). kaldereta is very tender but I wish they removed the fat from the one we got. It was a big chunk of fat. Bicol expreas has big cuts of veggies and definitely not the typical Bicol Express. Parking is an issue in that area. So take Uber or I dont know if you can park at ACME without getting towed. read more

Went on a Wednesday and experienced the Kamayan (pre-fixed) menu. And I mean experienced. I could drone on about the expertly marinated whole chicken that was slow cooked and then lightly fried, or the mountain of fresh rice and delicious vegetables, or the whole fish...but it was the experience that set this place apart. Well, that and the four sauces that somehow complemented everything on the table. You're encouraged to eat with your hands (rice and all) but you don't have to if that doesn't suit you. And the staff is friendly, including the owner/Chef who slowed down just enough to chat about his influences and inspirations. A must-try--experience for yourself! read more

Second time at this little gem off passyunk. Last time we were here for kamayan which was excellent. This time we ordered from their a la carte. We tried their kinilaw, garlic rice with bone marrow and kare kare and ube mousse. Everything was delicious. Can't wait to try the rest of their menu. This place is also byob which is nice. read more

Perla - Scallop kinilaw - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I made a reservation with 4 of my friends to try the traditional kamayan style dinner. No regrets! On layered banana leaves that covered the table, there was plenty of rice, moist and tender chicken, beautifully cooked and crisp fish, an array of vegetables (eggplant, asparagus, etc.), and some interesting sauces on the side. There was more than enough to go around, the amount of food was absolutely worth the $40/person price. We even got to pack what we didn't finish to go home. The dessert at the end was a textured cake; that was ok. It was a bit difficult trying to eat with only our hands for the first time, but the experience was incredible. The serves were quick, attentive, and very friendly. They filled our glasses of water up for us throughout our entire meal and checked up on us periodically. One of my friends is a strict vegetarian so the servers were kind enough to section off a vegetarian side just for her! They even differentiated the sauces to ensure that it was completely vegan. The restaurant itself is very intimate and cozy. Due to its small space, reservations are a must! This is also a BYOB joint. If you're in the area and you want to try a very authentic Filipino cuisine, I definitely suggest trying Perla! The food will not disappoint; very homecooked and delicious. read more

Skip the steakhouse and take your date here instead. The ambience is calm, peaceful and you can actually hear each other speak. The food was just perfectly seasoned and not over cooked. I have a sensitive stomach and I can't stand it when chefs go heavy on the oil or grease just to increase the flavor . Perla does not do that at all. Everything had a mild and yet complex flavor. I normally don't like octopus because it's always chewy or slimy, but theirs was crispy and light. The Arctic char was the perfect texture - creamier than raw salmon and milder than raw tuna. The service was excellent, as well. The staff was attentive and was perfectly fine with the fact that my parents ran 15 minutes to our reservation. The space is cozy, though, so you definitely want to get a reservation. Buy local tip: I didn't realize it was a BYO but my sister was clever and hopped over to the Bottle Shop on East Passyunk and got us some wine to pair with our meal. Although the prices were slightly above what I would normally pay for dinner, if you compare it to any of the steakhouses or churrascurrias in town, you would likely pay the same amount and get a much more crowded atmosphere and food cooked in big batches with a lot of oil and with less refined flavor. Love love love, I'll definitely be back. read more

Magnificent, elevated, accessible Filipino food. Super warm and sweet and engaged staff. Octopus is crispy on the outside but not chewy. Shortrib kare kare is both homey like your Lola makes but would also win on Top Chef. Lamb caldereta is complex and spicy but not overwhelming. One dessert is a crispy meringue on an ube puree that is an incredible harmony of textures. Cannot recommend enough. Glorious. read more

We came for traditional family style Sundays and were blown away. Louie, GF, and staff were attentive throughout the whole meal, explaining each dish and how it could be paired. Ate with our hands on banana leaves, make sure to not put your personal items on your banana leaf plates!!! Pork belly and the vinegar and chili vinegrette, mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Going to come back for the fusion nights. read more

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I came here for Sunday's Kamayan (family style Filipino meal) with a group of four and had an awesome time. The meal consisted of fish (pampano), pork belly, grilled chicken, lumpiat (spring roll), vegetables and garlic rice. You also get house made Filipino bread to start and a special desert to finish. Everything tasted very authentic and really reminded me of being back in the Philippines. Additionally, the house made sauces complemented everything quite well. The meal was $40 per person, and considering that we had enough leftovers for an entire second meal, it's a great value. The service was super fast and friendly. We will definitely be back for more great Filipino food! read more

Came for the a la carte menu on a Friday night and everything was spectacular. I got the vegetarian dish and it was so flavorful and presented beautifully. Friendly waiters and byob- will definitely be back. read more

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This was one of my favorite dining experiences ever. Not only was the food excellent, but we have never received better service. Drop what you're doing and go to Perla read more

I emailed Perla a few months ago with questions about having a private party there on a Saturday night. They were great & easy to work with and last night was the big day; my guests were so impressed with the ambiance, the experience and the food's quality and quantity. We did the Kamayan dinner, there were whole fish, halved chickens, delicious bok choy, eggplant, onions & carrots, lumpia, pork belly and delicious rice. There was more food than we could have possibly eaten in one sitting, but we sure tried! The staff was extremely gracious & accommodating, we couldn't have had a better experience. Thank you to Linda and the rest of the Perla team! read more

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We went on Sunday for the family style. It was very unique. The table was covered by banana leaves and they piled food in the center. It was a combination of rice, vegetables including okra and eggplant, fried fish, and chicken. You eat it with your hands or you can ask for utensils. Overall good food but just a bit on the expensive side. read more

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The Kamayan which is only done on Sunday and Wednesday was a great experienced. This experienced is unlike any other restaurant be been to because you're required to eat with your hands, with that said, licking your fingers might be something you might not be able resist because the food served is so tasty and delicious. read more

Was able to make dinner reservations the same day on a Friday! Awesome. Location: Walking distance for me so not a problem. I know Passyunk is hard to find parking but if you're into valet, there is a stand right across the street at the Singing Fountain. Atmosphere: Cozy, like most of the Passyunk area restaurants, but not uncomfortable. Can get loud as everyone goes deep in their BYOB choices. Loved their music choices! Dress code is casual. Price: $45 prix fixe. For 2 people, just order everything on the menu! Again, BYOB. Service: Top notch. Kept everything clean, our cups and bread refilled, plates cleared and always making sure we were satisfied. The front of house staff were very pleasant. Food: Their pan de sal is housemade and it's delicious! But I like all pan de sal. I like mine just a little more toasted. First course was a mackerel dish and it was yummy. Next up was the arroz caldo and the lechon kawali. We mixed the dishes together because I like to eat lechon with rice! Part of me also wanted to ask for some Mang Tomas. Next was the pinakbet and the duck adobo. The pinakbet was ok, nothing to rave about but I love duck and I love adobo! Finally, the dessert! SO GOOD. I was never huge on bibingka, but I liked it and their was SO good! I loved how nice and warm it was. The other option was the coconut panna cotta which was also wonderful and I couldn't stop raving about how good the dessert was when we left. Overall a really great experience and holds up against the nearby heavyweights. I am hoping the best of luck to this restaurant and am very happy to have a high end Filipino restaurant in the area! read more

Three stars for the food plus one star for the environment. So the experience with Kamayan style was amazing, but the food itself was just ok for 40 bucks per person. Basically you pay almost 50 bucks (incl. tips) for very regular southeast asian food. It's fixed menu/price, and the chef choose what to serve you. They first give you fried rice on the table as a base. It's very dry and hard almost like half cooked, A food truck can do better fried rice than that. Then traditional southeast asian taste veggie over the rice. After that, one whole chicken cut into half over the veggie, as well as a whole fried fish. The chicken is regular roasted chicken that you can get anywhere in Acme. Some part of the chicken was not even fully cooked. The fish is probably the best thing on that table. Also you will get a few spring roll and pork belly chunks. So that's pretty much ALL what your 40 bucks pay for. I have been to Marrakesh (a Moroccan spot where you also eat with hands). You pay less than 25 bucks for 7 courses of meal. And in Perla, we ended up paying more than 200 bucks for four people. With that much money, you probably can dine in Buddakan and get way better food. But overall, what I am trying to say here is, yes go there and try the Kamayan dinning style once in your life. Then don't do it again unless someone pays you to go. read more

Stopped by for the Tuesday night pre-fixe. I tried to make a res for 5 people at 7:30 and was thwarted on line with only an 8:30 availability. However, was there at 7:30 with just 4 peeps and found plenty of room for a fifth, dunno what the issues were. Maybe calling would have been better. I was happy with the overall execution of the dishes, but I wasn't wowed by most of the dishes in general. Some of it due to my own tastes and some due too things that I don't think that worked. The Spanish Mackerel ceviche smelled too fishy for my tastes, but the sweetness of the fruit mix did not make it taste any better, maybe needs more acidity? My friends liked the arroz caldo but I found the flavor lacking. The arancini was delicious. The pinakbet was interesting and delicious. The bagoong-demi was not as salty as a regular pinakbet, so you can get away with not having any rice. For myself, I did not care for the rare duck but Chef was nice enough and took pity on me and cooked it to medium. My friends and I then devoured the medium cooked duck, so know your duck preference and ask for it. The kabocha(?) mash under the duck was too sweet and didn't work with the adobo sauce, in my opinion. The panna cotta and warm bibingka was delicious. Bibingka is generally served cold, so warm was a nice surprise. The pacing of the meal was very helpful and we were quite stuffed. I was afraid we would still be hungry afterwards. But the wait for dessert was too long. I understand it was baked fresh, but it feels as if they were waiting to serve dessert to all the patrons at the same time, even if we started at different times. I do look forward to see what other dishes Chef has cooking up, pun intended. read more

Perla - Arancini w/ chicharron crumble - Filipino Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Perla was one of the best meals that I've ever had. And I don't say that lightly - the Sunday night dinner was an amazing feast of fish, chicken, and garlic vegetable rice that you eat with your hands. But what really set it apart was the service. Carlo (the chef) really made us feel at home and came by to talk to us for most of the evening. At times, it felt like a warm, homecooked meal at a friend's home (just with much much better food) more than one at a restaurant. We'll be back! read more