It's Filipino Eats Week in Portland Next Week

Thanks to Randy Philbrick of Veloso’s Filipino Cuisine food cart in Montavilla, I’ve learned that it’s Filipino Eats Week next week! It’s a way to celebrate Filipino-owned restaurants and businesses in the PNW. I’ll focus on restaurants and other eateries here. Filipino Eats Week goes from Sunday, October 24 to Sunday, October 31. It’s organized and promoted by Portland’s Foundation for Philippine Progress.

If you haven’t eaten Filipino food, you are really missing out. Filipino food has incredible flavors, textures, and ingredients in its cooking traditions. Some of dishes I have come to love over the years are sizzling Sissig (add an egg, please), an addictive crispy pork-belly dish; Dinuguan, a stew made with pork, vinegar, and pork blood; Lechon Kawali, a plate of deep fried pork belly; Ginataang Calabasi, made with squash and string beans with pork and shrimp in coconut milk; and a simple butter Mamon cake. And I can’t forget to mention Inihaw, the excellent Filipino grilling tradition. And all the silogs (garlic fried rice and an egg)! So much to enjoy.

While Portland might not have the population to support its own Jolibee or Red Ribbon Bakeshop chains, it has some excellent independent Filipino restaurants, food carts, and solid Pinoy baked goods. Here are some places you can check out this week (and beyond). Shoutout to my pal Krista, who put together this map for Eater with helpful details about some of the area’s Filipino eateries.

Restaurants

Bobalicious
123 NE 43rd Avenue, Hillsboro
facebook.com/bobaliciouscafe

Fork and Spoon Food House
10634 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
forkandspoonpdx.com

Kubo
4708 NW Bethany Blvd E-8, Portland
portlandfilipinofood.com

Kuya’s Islander Cuisine
1446 E Powell Blvd, Gresham
kuyafredcuisine.com

Magna Kusina
2525 SE Clinton Street, Portland
magnapdx.com
Chef Carlos Lamagna was recently picked as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs for 2021.

Tambayan
6014 SE Foster Road, Portland
facebook.com/TambayanPDX/

Food Trucks

Baon Kainan
4311 NE Prescott Street, Portland
baonkainan.com

Veloso’s Filipino Cuisine
8220 NE Davis Street, Portland (The Yard at Montavilla)
myvelosos.com

Bakery

St. Barbra Pinoy Bakery
2311 SW 6th Avenue, Portland
stbarbra.com

Pop-ups and Products

Halo Halo Pop-up
Various locations
shophalohalo.com

Leslie’s Lumpia
Formerly at the Portland Mercado, now in frozen food sections of local grocers, including Market of Choice
leslieslumpia.com

If I’ve missed any of your favorite Filipino eateries, please send me a note. I’m always up for learning about new-to-me places.