By Hussein Malek
Across the UK, Filipino communities are growing and making their presence better felt. One very noticeable evidence is the increasing number of restaurants serving Filipino cuisine, from Trowbridge in England to Edinburgh in Scotland.
It’s the season of love and a few restaurants are even creating events or crafting a new menu specifically for customers who would like to spend Valentine’s day in a uniquely Filipino way.
If you think that we’ll feature the heavy concentration of Filipino restaurants in London, we’ll do you one better by listing a few hidden gems in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Based on reviews we found online, here are seven restaurants showcasing Philippine culinary diversity–almost, but not quite capturing its more than 7,000 islands.
England
1) Romulo Cafe and Restaurant – London, Kensington High Street
Romulo Café and Restaurant is a highly popular spot for Filipinos and locals to dine on Filipino cuisine in the English capital.
Chris Joseph, the General Manager, says that Romulo Café has been, “the restaurant of choice to celebrate very special milestones in our Filipino lives in the UK.”
Across Facebook reviews, customers have described the food as “excellent” or “superb.”
The recipes featured in the restaurant were passed down by Lola Virginia, the wife of the late Carlos Romulo, former UN Secretary General and Filipino statesman.
Their menu includes popular traditional dishes of ‘kare-kare’ (meat and vegetable stew, cooked in a thick peanut-based sauce) and ‘crispy pata’ (deep-fried pig knuckles) – incidentally, among their top sellers.
For Valentine’s, they offer four different courses and and a selection of mini desserts.
For this upcoming event, Chris Joseph said, “Since Filipinos are naturally romantic, Valentine’s Day is a big day for us.”
2) Remy’s Cafe Kulinarya – St Leonard-on-Sea, East Sussex
Describing itself as Anglo-Asian, this restaurant has been commended for its wide range of cuisine that appeals to customers: from East to West.
As a café, restaurant, and patisserie, Remy’s Cafe Kulinarya menu includes everything from a traditional English breakfast to “adobong manok,” a traditional chicken stew that can be described as the Philippine national dish.
Their service and their unique blend of Philippine, Thai and British fare has earned them several awards, including Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards in 2020 and 2021.
One Tripadvisor user reviewed and complimented the staff for being “attentive but not overbearing” and that the food was “divine, flavoursome and hearty.”
Although closed on Valentine’s Day, Remy’s are doing a Valentine’s weekend promo where female dine-in guests will be given a flower.
3) Tres Marias@Son Restobar – Bradford, West Yorkshire
Tres Marias is one of the first Filipino restaurants to open in the north of England. It is located in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
This family-run restaurant has expanded from a catering business to now hosting large groups, serving classic Filipino dishes.
Familiar favourites include “beef sinigang”, “chicken adobo,” “sisig,” and a range of vegetable dishes.
The restaurant also hosts its own range of boodle-style food served on platters for sharing. Boodle-style dining — also known as “kamayan”, is a traditional Filipino way of eating with bare hands, aka no utensils.
From 5 pm onwards this afternoon, Tres Marias is hosting a Valentine’s party with live music, karaoke and disco.
4) JC’s Kitchen – Trowbridge, Bath
JC’s Kitchen is a takeaway joint offering British and Filipino fusion food. The takeaway is located in Trowbridge, Bath. Thanks to customers’ 5-star reviews, JC’s is ranked 3rd out of 369 restaurants in Bath by Tripadvisor.
Alongside being a popular venue for events, JC’s menu holds everything from pizzas and burgers, to wraps and noodles.
JC’s Kitchen also takes British classics such as bubble and squeak and gives it a Filipino-inspired twist. They use Filipino style cooking to create its marinated chicken and slow-cooked pulled pork noodle dishes.
Wales
5) Kalan Cafe and Noodle Bar – Mountain Ash, South Wales
If you’re in South Wales, make sure to visit this restaurant. Their menu ranges from traditional English breakfast and sandwiches to a selection of noodle dishes, including some Filipino favourites like “pancit bihon.”
Facebook reviewers compliment the friendly service and authentic taste of Kalan’s Cafe’s noodle dishes. One commenter wrote “the greatest noodles bar,” while many praised how food were prepared fresh.
Scotland
6) Presko Dessert and Burger Parlour – Edinburgh and Stirling
Formerly known as Cafe Presko, it changed its name in 2021 to reflect its new menu focusing on desserts and burgers.
Since it opened five years ago, Presko Dessert has been included among one of the top 10 in the Scottish Asian Food Awards for 2018 and 2019.
Northern Ireland
7) Kubo – Belfast, Northern Ireland
Kubo describes itself as “The best Filipino food in Belfast.” The restaurant name itself translates to “small nipa hut” from Tagalog, one of the major languages of the Philippines.
Kubo takes pride in being one of the first restaurants to serve “kamayan” kits in Northern Ireland.
“Kamayan” is a traditional Filipino method of eating, from “kamay”, meaning “hand” in Filipino.
The restaurant is popular for barbecue pork belly, “liempo”, mango pandan, fried chicken, and “chicken inasal.”
Many of the dishes come from inherited authentic family recipes of Chef Nallaine, who has been cooking for over 10 years and brought Filipino cuisine to Belfast.
Multiple reviews on Tripadvisor describe the food as “amazing.”
Universally, food is a central element in a community’s culture. For Filipinos, meals are occasions not only for sustenance but to build stronger relationships. Filipino restaurants in the UK are sharing this culture both with fellow Filipinos as well as the locals in different areas.
These dining experiences offer great opportunities for people to interact and relish the flavours of classic Filipino cuisine–as diverse as the archipelago itself.
Graphic by Hussein Malek.
About the author
Hussein Malek is a second year multimedia journalism student at Bournemouth University. He is currently the station manager of Nerve Radio, Bournemouth’s Student Union-run radio station.
