Pinoy Kabayan: First Impressions of the Only Filipino Restaurant in Boston

Last week, as I spent much of Tuesday in Boston, I made plans to have dinner at Pinoy Kabayan, the only Filipino restaurant in Boston, which opened about a year ago. Outside of Boston, there’s also Bright Light, a Filipino & Jamaican restaurant in Quincy, and Johnny Boy, a Filipino Sandwich Pop-Up in Somerville. Why aren't there more Filipino restaurants in the Boston+ area? 

Back in 2011, I wrote about the dearth of Filipino restaurants across the country. There was only one Filipino restaurant near Boston, a place in Quincy. And across the country, there were less than 500 Filipino restaurants, and in comparison, there were over 43,000 Chinese restaurants. As of 2023, there were about 1400 Filipino restaurants in the U.S., nearly tripling in number in about 12 years. In comparison, there were over 45,000 Chinese restaurants. Population-wise, there are about 5.4 Million Chinese in the U.S. and 4.2 Million Filipinos, so there definitely should be far more Filipino restaurants in this country. 

Why are there so few Filipino restaurants in the U.S.? There are many theories but no definitive conclusions. Since 2012, in my annual Rant: Forget Useless Predictions, I have often called for More Filipino Restaurants & Dishes. I don't have much experience with Filipino cuisine, but I have greatly enjoyed what I have previously eaten. So, it was also helpful that I dined at Pinoy Kabayan with a good friend of Filipino ancestry, to assist me in navigating the menus.

Pinoy Kabayan is owned by Janeth Millare Javier and Reynaldo Javier, both from the Philippines. Janeth spoke to us about the restaurant and their food, and she was personable and passionate. The fast-casual restaurant is primarily take-out, but there's also seating for about 16 people.  

There are roughly two levels to the menu offerings, the first being the dishes which are usually always available, and then some more specialty dishes which are offered only a different times. The first level menu includes a few Appetizers (Lumpia, Fish Ball, & Kikiam), Salads (Atchara & House Salad), Ulam/Entrees (Adobo, Mechado, Tocino, Tapa, & Longganisa), and Kanin at Pancit/Rice & Noodles (Kanin, Sinangag, Steamed Veggies, & Pancit Guisado). 

They also serve a few Breakfast dishes all-day, including Tap-Si-Log, Long-Si-Log, To-Si-Log, and Spam-Si-Log. These are portmanteaus for the components of each of the dishes, which include a protein, sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (fried egg). 

These are all dishes which most food lovers would enjoy, very approachable Filipino dishes to give people an insight into the delights of Filipino cuisine. And it certainly makes me wonder once again why there aren't more Filipino restaurants in the Boston+ area. 

In a chiller unit, you'll find more Filipino dishes, those which aren't always available, and which can be purchased for take-out, although they would warm them up for you if you decide to dine there. You can check out their Facebook and Instagram pages for info about special Filipino dishes that are available for a limited time. 

Some of these dishes may be for more adventurous palates, but are worth sampling. Other dishes would appeal once again to most food lovers. You might find Lechon Paksiw, pork stewed in vinegar and aromatics, or Pork Humba, braised pork belly in a sweet and salty sauce. Or Galonggong, fried Mackarel Scad that's simply seasoned. I tried the Dinuguan from this chiller case, which I'll describe shortly. 

The meal began with some Lumpia Shanghai (4 pieces $6, 6 for $9, 12 for $15), which are thin, fried spring rolls with pork and veggies. The pastry skins for the lumpia were very thin and crunchy, and the savory filling was tasty, spiced nicely. In the Philippines, they make many different types of Lumpia, including some dessert versions. These Lumpia didn't come with a specific sauce, but at the table was a selection of condiments. 

One of those condiments is Banana Sauce, also called Banana Ketchup, which was invented in 1942 by a Filipina food technologist, Maria Y. Orosa. Due to World War II, there was a shortage of tomatoes but there still were many bananas, so this sauce was created to fill the need for ketchup. In general, banana sauce is made from bananas, sugar, vinegar, and spices. It may also be dyed red to resemble tomato-based ketchup. Lumpia are sometimes dipped in banana sauce, and I tried some. It was a mild flavored ketchup, not overly sweet, and did go well with the lumpia.

Each Ulam (Entree) is $15-$16 (Ala carte) or available as a Combo Meal, with rice or noodles & steamed veggies, for $14.50-$16.50. You can also get a Combo Meal with 2 entrees for $18.50-$22.50. I opted for the Combo with 2 entrees, and I chose the Tocino and Tapa, along with Sinangag. It was a hearty plate of food, and overall it was delicious and reasonably priced. 

The Tocino (sweet cured chicken or pork--and I opted for the pork) is from a Spanish word for "bacon." Traditionally, the dish is made from pork shoulder or pork belly, which is cured and then marinated in spices and sauces, commonly including pineapple juice. I enjoyed the sweet and tangy flavor of these tender pork slices, which reminded me in some respects to the boneless spare ribs you get in some Chinese restaurants. 

The Tapa is a Filipino jerky, which can be made from made different meats or fish, although the restaurant makes it as a Beef version. This beef was also tender, with a more savory taste of spices. It's definitely not as dry and chewy as most American jerky of which you might be familiar.  

For my side, I chose Sinangag, the garlic fried rice, which is basically made only with garlic, and topped with some scallions. It tasted nice and was a fine accompaniment to the entries, especially the Dinuguan. 

My dining companion ordered the Sinigang, a sour and savory soup, often flavored with tamarind. It is commonly prepared with pork, fish, or shrimp although the above version is made with just vegetables. I tasted the broth which was pleasantly sour, but balanced with savory notes too.

Then we come to the Dinuguan, and the owner, Janeth, was an initially a little hesitant about serving it to me. A rough translation of "Dinuguan" is "bloody soup or stew," and it's commonly made with pork, offal and pork blood. The use of offal and pork blood would obviously turn off many people who aren't familiar with such dishes, or who don't have an adventurous palate. For myself, I've enjoyed other blood-based dishes before, such as Spanish Morcilla, blood sausage, so I was willing to try the Dinuguan.  

I spooned some of the Dinuguan atop my garlic rice, and it was a delicious combo. The Dinuguan was hearty, with pieces of tender pork and an intriguing, thick sauce, nicely spiced, with plenty of umami and a touch of tartness. If you didn't know it was made with blood, you probably wouldn't guess it from the taste alone. This is a dish that I'd order again and I'd recommend my friends with adventurous palates to give it a try.   

I can't wait to return to Pinoy Kabayan to sample more of their menu, and I would strongly recommend it to all of my readers. The food is delicious, hearty, reasonably priced, and it's great to experience Filipino cuisine, which is so rare in this area.