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.

This was of the best brunches I've ever had in Jersey! I came here with my family because we saw…read morethat this place is run by a famous chef (Maricel) and that they even offer cooking classes. We were quite hungry so we ordered one of the tower sets and some other stuff like lumpia and eggs. I loved the tower- it featured a superb mix of meats, potatoes, eggs, and sweet pastries. I will definitely say either share it or come super hungry because I was stuffed to the brim by the end of the meal. Service is super fast and efficient too. The owner did rounds to talk to everyone as well which felt quite inviting. The vibe inside is also nice and cozy, and the tables are spaced pretty far apart so it doesn't feel crammed in there. Overall, highly recommend as one of the best Filipino spots and brunch spots in the central Jersey area.

Maricels Kitchen Is Bitchen!…read more What a imaginative way to serve several dishes at 1 time. Usually called a boodle or Ramadan, where the layout several dishes on leaves on the table, all dishes were served on a 3 tier tower. Cute for a celebration. The towers immediately brought to mind English tea service, with finger foods displayed on two- or three-tier stands. The customer service truly stood out, from the attentive waitstaff to the three chefs who came out to greet us--including Chef Maricel herself--the hospitality felt warm and genuine. The dining room is cozy and inviting, with a mix of sofas and chairs giving living-room vibe. They offer two preset towers, and we ordered the first: The Classic Filipino Brunch Tower, which included: Siomai, Crispy Shrimp, Ukoy (sweet potato and vegetable fritters), Pork Tocino, Beef Tapa, Bangus (milkfish), Garlic Fried Rice, Fried Eggs, Salted Eggs with Tomatoes and Atchara, Homemade Pandesal, Suman, and the Chef's selection of homemade pastries. It would be great if guests could choose items from a list or make substitutions. There were no substitutions allowed, so we had to pick the tower with the fewest items we wouldn't eat. I especially wanted the Torta Talong from Tower 2, but it wasn't available as a side dish. The siomai was the first item cooked--it arrived cold and had started to harden. Everything else was delicious. Since the towers are meant to be shared, providing tongs would be a thoughtful touch and more hygienic for communal dining. We also ordered a few side dishes. The Lumpia Shanghai were fresh and delicious, though a few were still pink inside. The Baked Siopao was dry and lacked sufficient meat and sauce. The Empanadas, however, were the clear favorite--fresh, flaky, generously filled with savory seasoned beef and vegetables, and baked to perfection. Every bite was a flavor explosion, and we were literally fork-fighting over them. The Sans Rival was the perfect ending to the meal--so good that we ordered an extra slice to take home. **BYO LIQOUR** I would love to take my Mom for a dinner.

Food is absolutely delicious, beautiful interior and friendly host. I had pinakbit, pork sisig and…read morelumpia. Five food. I will be back.

First time trying this spot with my friends and it did not disappoint! We ordered the mixed…read moreplatter, and it came with so much food, fried fish, lechon, and a variety of other dishes. Everything was delicious and flavorful. The only thing I didn't love was the noodles, which were a bit mushy, but still tasty overall. The place itself is small and cozy, with a nice relaxed vibe. We went on a weekday, so it wasn't too busy, which made it even more enjoyable. Service was great too! Even though there was only one person handling everything, they were friendly and attentive. They also have some Filipino treats you can grab to go, which is a fun bonus. Overall, a really nice experience and I'd definitely come back again to try more dishes!

The food was okay. I called them first to make sure they're…read moreopen and asked if they do cook to order or it's ready to serve (food) they have. The lady I spoke with on the phone said it's a buffet - eat all you can. And then she said they do combo, so I was a little confused but decided to just go there and find out myself. We drove an hour from Atlantic city and I was visiting from California. We stepped inside and found out that they don't have a buffet style but it's ala carte and combo food to go and you can also dine in coz there's table and seats also. My friend and I were in line next to the people ordering their food. When it was our turn, this older lady (server) was helping my friend with her order first, but the lady already got sinigang with rice and asking what else did my friend want. (Both of us were ordering 2 entrees) We were wondering why would she serve sinigang when we didn't order it. So we told the server we didn't order the sinigang. The lady then started acting weird and mean - telling the young lady (also a server) that she heard sinigang. She didn't get back to us abt what we want and didn't even apologize or anything. She just ignored us leaving us hanging and just helping someone else instead. The young lady ended up getting our order instead and she was nice. I was so upset how this older server (maybe she's the owner) made us feel! You have to treat your customers right when you're in business. I was visiting in NJ and drove far to try this Filipino food and she made us very uncomfortable. She's not friendly and very unprofessional and seems like a typical toxic "tita"! I'm sorry but I don't recommend this place. I can cook better. All the foods were served cold because they're just hanging there (display) for the people to buy them. Right after eating, my tummy was hurting a little. 20min later, I had an upset stomach and badly needed the restroom when we got to Costco!

Everything is fantastic the food the atmosphere the people everything the food is fantastic value…read moregreat food

Just a great place to eat & shop! The owners are delightful. They were patient with all our…read morequestions and made excellent suggestions!

Their food is delicious. Also tried lumpia for the first time. I should have gotten like 3 more…read moreorders! I live 40minutes away and most certainly will make a special trip for their food.

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 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 at 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.

If you aren't paying attention, you will miss this spot. I thought the pork egg rolls were the…read moreperfect app. They were crispy and delish. I could have eaten 35 of them. We ate there, but it looks like most people take out food from here.

Very cute spot! The lumpia is delicious and comes out hot and crispy. There's a selection of…read morefilipino snacks like pastries and ramen inside as well. I've tried some ramen & corn nuts, both were delicious. And the owners are very kind and nice to talk to. There is some casual seating inside to eat in & the prices are good as well!

The food was great (in turo-turo fashion), the Titas are friendly and provided great service…read more Caldereta was really flavorful and the dinuguan very good (tender meaty, not a lot of fat...and no pig's ears!). Pork BBQ used pork belly. Small rice was $2, and was plenty. Prices very reasonable. Store sold Filipino supplies and groceries. Plenty of tables and chairs in adjoining room. Nice, friendly atmosphere!

Comfort food at its best! Excellent Filipino cuisine, served deli style in small, medium and large…read moretakeout containers. They do not do combination platters, so everything is à la carte, and doesn't include rice. You really only need one entree and one rice and you're good to go. This food is phenomenal. Some standouts from this local white guy... - Pork stewed in blood. It's black, it's delicious and packed with iron! - Coconut curry green beans and squash. Sweet, delicate and flavorful. - Lumpia. IYKYK.