San Francisco, California: There are only two ways to explain the sprouting of many Filipino restaurants in the Bay Area. Either the mainstream palate is finally getting familiar with our unique cuisine, or the Filipino consumer has evolved into a strong, independent—and solvent—clientele able to support eateries catering to our particular ethnic taste buds.

Both explanations may be true, but judging from the steady and consistent flow of customers in, say, Ongpin and Goldilocks in South San Francisco, Kuya’s, Patio Pilipino, Ihaw-Ihaw San Bruno and Tribu in San Bruno, Kadok’s, Lucky Chances and Manila Eatery in Daly City/Colma, one would be more inclined to favor the second.

On Easter Sunday, for example, Kuya owners Giles Bautista had his hands full catering to diners who had opted for professional restaurant service instead of traditional home cooking. Ongpin’s loyal customers keeps it busy with orders for their famous Filipino-style lechon and piping-hot sinigang, among others. Chef Barry Picazo (great grandson of President Manual Roxas) keeps Patio Pilipino customers lining up and waiting for his uniquely-inspired entrees that would be described as “fusion.”

However, it is at Luneta Bistro in predominantly mainstream San Mateo, where innovative Filipino cooking is making a big hit with both Fil-Ams and adventurous American customers who have discovered that classy presentations, tasteful but non-greasy meals (though still packed with cholesterol, but who cares?) and great Filipino standard dishes with surprisingly unique variations, are great dining experiences too..

Luneta Bistro is the brainchild of Janet Guanzon (and her husband who kept his day job—and takes over in the weekends), and executive chef Manuel Santos, both “graduates” of the five-star Mandarin Hotel in Makati. Santos in the late ‘90’s was first assigned to the Mandarin Oriental Manila’s front office, but his love of cooking gravitated him to culinary school and eventually, to Luneta Bristro!

When Janet left the Mandarin to move to the US, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom until her daughter was ready for school. Then Janet returned to the work scene with a vengeance, bravely pioneering a Filipino restaurant in downtown San Mateo, which is already crowded with Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Hawaiian, Mexican, Italian, French and even famous mainstream restaurants like Astaria and Spiedo.

But great cuisine will out, and one by one, curious diners were at the door, like Mona Lisa Yuchengco and friends, Linda Victoire and Dave Byers, and real estate executive Gemma Lim, who works up the block on El Camino Real. Bistro Luneta customers are mostly return diners who enjoy classy meal presentations, great service and uniquely tasty dishes.

According to Janet, their best-selling specials include kaldereta (lamb or beef), a fried lumpia that looks like a siomai but tastes like something delicious and kare-kare that is of a thicker and tastier consistency. My personal favorite is their Filipino salad that consists of singkamas, okra, onions, mango, tomatoes, leafy greens—and bagoong!

Yes, mainstream America is opening the doors to Luneta Bistro on a steady stream, mostly in the evening, according to Janet. At noontime, it’s mostly pinoy, rushing in for a hurried lunch break before returning to work.

Filipino cuisine is definitely going places!

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I will pay those restaurants a visit since they're in the SF Bay Area. I bet they're worth the drive.

We have Barrio Fiesta, Goldilocks, Red Ribbon, Jollibee, and several mom and pops eateries in San Jose.

Anyone been to Gerry's Grill USA, yet?: http://www.gerrysgrill.com/us/main.php?go=location

Although I'm not usually into that kind of food (I prefer "classic" Filipino cuisine), I do stop by Gerry's Grill often when I am at the marina & yacht club in Subic. Not bad food at all.

^ Cool, they have a branch in Union City, CA. I gotta check it out.

dinuguan is the best

i heard puerto ricans say that there are filipino restos in jersey and nyc.

it's weird how we are one of the largest minority groups, yet we are barely opening the doors to our cuisine

our cuisine is not as exotic as other cultures. ours can juz pass a lil over western standards bcuz our food is closely influenced by the west. many ppl tend to eat more on something diff.

^hindi ba exotic ang fried insects? hehehehe

my thinking is, ours is not mainstream over here yet. heck, there's only one pseudo filipino resto within 100 miles radius of columbus. what we need here is a good ol' side street karinderia. that would wake these puti up, lol

yea there's a couple of resto here in NYC( Queens & Manhattan)

There is a Red Robin in Jersey City

We ate there once...I wish they had one over at DC

Seems like no matter where you go you'll find a random Filipino restaurant that also has store that sells imported Filipino stuff. I found this one in the middle of Texas called Mang Dedoy's which I might check out some time.

don't forget to eat Alidos South San Francisco...it mom and pops resto..like them better then goldilocks.

because filipino food is an acquired taste.

naw b/c others just think lowly of filipinos but those are the ones that never hung out with us or want to but don't get chance to.

TRUE! like jollibee

not so much the taste...it's how it looks and smell.

Some cheese in Europe are eaten while maggots are feasting inside. Imagine the smell of that.

lol true. i think our food takes learning to like it. lots of people probably find it weird how we like the taste of bittermelon

I hate it when we go to American Style restaurants in the Philippines. I live in the United States why would I want pizza and chicken? I'll take Jollibee over the fancy American Restaurants any day. For some reason my relatives keep taking me to these expensive American restaurants.

I live in Michigan, right in the middle of U.S., there are no Filipinos around me and most definatly no Filipino Restairants. I really miss it.