We Dropped By All The Best Filipino Restaurants In New York for The Crawl NYC
Bringing Pinoy pride in the Big Apple!
Remember how we toured Spain and Italy for The Crawl last year to taste the best that their cities have to offer? This year, we’re taking a bite of the Big Apple—New York City! Alongside hosts Chef Margarita Fores and Edu Manzano, The Crawl is visiting the most popular and successful Filipino restaurants in New York that have placed Filipino cuisine on the international foodie grid.
READ: Our Favorites From Platea, Europe’s Biggest And Most Interesting Gastronomic Center In Spain
The Crawl New York is still filming but we followed the crew as they sample some of the best Filipino food New York has to offer—and here are all the restaurants you can look forward to on their launch.
Ugly Kitchen
Don’t let the name draw you away from this Filipino-American Bar restaurant that serves up amazing Asian fusion dishes! For a night of drinks with your friends, there’s the usual American finger food options like fries and wings. But if you’re here for some kick-ass Filipino dishes, they’ve got traditional Pinoy favorites like Bangus Belly Sisig, Sweet and Sour fish, and something as sinful as the Beef Bone Marrow Salpicao.
Images from Ugly Kitchen
It’s also nice to hang around at the Ugly Kitchen for some much needed chill because they invite Filipino artists to jam and play every now and then.
Check them out at 103 1st Avenue, New York
Mama Fina’s House of Filipino Sisig
Probably one of our most popular pulutan-slash-ulam is the sisig. This dish dates back to 1699, where Kapampangans would cook unripe fruit with vinegar. Slowly, the fruit has been replaced with meat, and nowadays, you can enjoy sisig in all its meat variants—pork cheek, fish, chicken, crispy pork belly, etc.
Claiming they have the best sisig in New York’s East Village is Mama Fina’s, where they serve six different sisig varieties, plus other Filipino favorites. Sometimes tucked in a bun, but most of the time served with rice—it’s sisig heaven in this part of New York!
Images from Mama Fina’s
Visit Mama Fina’s at 167 Avenue A, New York (Between E 10th St. & E 11th St.)
Jeepney
Born from the genius of Nicole Ponseca and Chef Miguel Trinidad, Jeepney has managed to put on the American map the amazing flavors of Filipino cuisine. More than its modern and unique take on Filipino food, and its Kamayan Nights where people from different cultures come together to share a meal on a large banana leaf, Jeepney has also been recognized by different media outlets as the #1 Tiki Bar and home to the #1 Burger in New York.
Images from Jeepney
Drop by for a round of Mahalo Halo—Jeepney’s entry to the Booze and Infuse 2019 that won 2nd Place—or indulge in a platter of chicharong bulaklak or fried tripe. Cheers!
Visit Jeepney at 201 First Avenue, New York
Karenderya
Imagine how amazing it is for Karenderya owners Cheryl Baun and Chef Paolo Garcia Mendoza when their Filipino-inspired restaurant was named one of the Best 20 New Restaurants in the whole of America in 2018. The interest was overwhelming for the once quaint little restaurant, who began receiving reservations and dealing with queues outside their store.
But when you serve unpretentious Filipino fares and sumptuous comfort food, you just can’t keep that hidden from the rest of the world!
Images from Karenderya
Check out Karenderya at 248 Main Street, Nyack, New York
Flip Sigi
We caught wind of Flip Sigi when Catriona Gray shot in the restaurant with the New York Post earlier this year. It was during her media tour of the US after winning the Miss Universe crown. Described as a Filipino taqueria, Flip Sigi is owned by Filipino-American celebrity chef Jordan Andino, serving up tacos, burritos, rice bowls, and burgers, and bao buns inspired by the Philippines.
READ: All The Highlights From Catriona Gray’s Media Tour As Miss Universe
Images from Flip Sigi
They’ve got a pretty straightforward menu to try, but try not to crack a laugh at their signature dishes like the F.U.C. Me (short for Filipino Underground Crunch wrap) and Bi-Curious Tacos (which is essentially two pieces of your tacos of choice).
Visit Flip Sigi at 525 Hudson St., New York
Tsismis
Word travels fast that there’s a new Filipino-American restaurant in town. Owned by Stephen Young and Reggie Aguinaldo, both of whom have Filipino roots, Tsismis aims to offer an eclectic menu of Filipino and American favorites that promote the use of local and sustainable ingredients. It’s about putting the Upper East Side twist to Filipino classics like using kale instead of taro leaves for their laing, mushroom and squash sliders instead of your traditional meat, and Caesar salad garnished with tuyo flakes.
Images from Tsismis
Curious yet? Drop by Tsismis at 143 Orchard Street, New York
Want more New York eats? Catch The Crawl New York soon on Metro Channel!
Top Stories
Metro Beauty Picks Of The Week
BEAUTYMar 14, 2023
