From comforting classics to lesser-known Filipino fare, we take you through a tour of British Columbia’s beloved Filipino restaurants.
With over 174,000 Filipinos calling British Columbia home, there’s no shortage of places you can go to for a taste of Filipino cuisine.
There are many casual eateries where you can experience cafeteria-style, or the turo-turo (point-point) way of ordering food.
However, some days require a sit-down dinner to savour unique flavours to be enjoyed on your own or with a bigger party.
We’ve got you covered with a list of the Top 6 Filipino restaurants that will satisfy your cravings and curiosities.
Pinpin Restaurant
Vancouver, B.C.
Pinpin has a rich history that goes back to the Philippines.
A product of the union between two restaurateur families from Manila’s Chinatown, this long-time favourite restaurant opened its doors in 2006.
Pinpin offers quintessential Filipino-Chinese fare like miki bihon (rice and egg noodles), chami (noodle dish), chopsuey (vegetable dish) and beef broccoli.
They also offer an extensive menu that includes kilawin (Filipino ceviche) and even seasonal items like lato (sea grapes) salad.
Kulinarya Filipino Eatery
Vancouver and Coquitlam, B.C.
Drawing inspiration from post-Sunday Mass feasts, Kulinarya evokes nostalgia with dishes like nilagang baka (beef stew) and creamy kare-kare (peanut oxtail stew).
What sets it apart is its vegan specialties such as fresh lumpia (spring rolls), vegan kare kare, pinakbet (vegetable dish) and okoy (deep-fried fritters).
For those wanting to experience kamayan (eating with your hands)— they offer a bountiful spread of Filipino dishes enjoyed boodle-fight style, laid out on banana leaves for $50 per person.
Max’s Restaurant
Vancouver, B.C.
A household name in the Philippines, Max’s Restaurant is renowned for its 78-year-old recipe for crispy fried chicken.
But it isn’t only known for its must-try fried chicken, their sizzling chicken sisig is a fan favourite too.
And if you’re feeling like grabbing some snack to go, another popular home-grown franchise Potato Corner is just around the corner.
Epic Grill Silogs + Sans Rival
New Westminster, B.C.
Epic Grill offers an ideal introduction to Filipino cuisine through its quintessential breakfast menu items known as “silogs.”
These dishes, a fusion of sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (egg), combine a protein source with sinangag rice and eggs.
What makes Epic Grill stand out is their broad range of selections.
Three options that you won’t usually find in other restaurants are pusit silog (dried squid), biya silog (dried sole fish), and household favourite cornsilog (corned beef.)
This hole-in-the-wall restaurant also serves a much beloved Filipino dessert that barely gets the limelight—the sans rival cake.
Sans Rival is a dessert cake made with layers of buttercream, meringue and chopped cashews. It’s sweet and salty with a crunch.
La Meza Grill
Delta, B.C.
Venturing further out of the city, you will find a small family-style sit-down restaurant that serves a broad range of Filipino comfort food.
Apart from their grilled specialties, you can get hard-to-find street food like kwek kwek (orange-battered quail eggs), or find nourishment in a hot bowl of goto or arroz caldo (chicken with rice and broth).
The restaurant also serves beef pares, a stew of braised beef with a serving of garlic fried rice and a bowl of clear soup.
Other meals you won’t find in most restaurants include beef and chicken mami, the Philippines’ version of chicken and beef noodle soup.
Liberte Cafe
Vancouver, B.C.
A five-minute walk from the Joyce Skytrain station, this cafe is the perfect spot for breakfast, brunch and merienda (snack.)
Their silog dishes are beautifully plated and the tapsilog remains one of its best sellers.
For merienda, there are many options to choose from including nostalgic Filipino pastries like ube crinkles paired with a cup of ube latte.
Liberte Cafe has evolved into a beloved neighbourhood spot, attracting not only Filipinos but also a diverse range of customers.
Astrid Agbayani is a B.C. based journalist, filmmaker and communications professional. Born in Manila, raised in Mindanao, and a young adulthood spent in Canada—she embodies an evolving identity, with a unique worldview shaped by many lives inhabited in one lifetime. Rooted in her multicultural background, she aims to contribute to a diverse Filipino identity in the diaspora, offering insightful perspectives into the human experience. Her work can be found in BC Living, Vancouver Magazine, Western Living, CityNews and CBC News.
