ONLY Eating FILIPINO FOOD for 24 Hours in Los Angeles 🇵🇭

ONLY Eating FILIPINO FOOD for 24 Hours in Los Angeles 🇵🇭

Make any joke you want right now, but the Filipinos know how to do longa. This is what they call Filipino power. This reminds me of the night markets in Manila. Filipino flavors. I know I shouldn’t eat all this, but this is the reason why I miss the Philippines. Good morning from Los Angeles, California. Today, I’m on a mission to eat only one style of cuisine for the entire day. And if you guys didn’t know, LA is home to the largest community of Filipino people outside of the Philippines. So, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to come up here, cruise around the city, and eat one of my favorite styles of cuisines, and that is Filipino food. And we’re starting out with breakfast here in East Hollywood at an institution. This is the LA Rose Cafe right off of Fountain Avenue for breakfast. Let’s go inside and get some breakfast. Hi everybody. Hello. What’s happening? Doing good. All right, here we go. Oh, the luchon. We were going to wait and have luchon for lunch, but truthfully, we couldn’t wait. And he said, “You have to get it.” This crispy pork belly straight from Sibu. And I remember from my days in Sibu, this was my favorite dish of all the Philippines. You hear that crunch? Oh, I won’t say it’s better than bacon, but I’ll tell you this. It is so substantial, fatty, meaty, crunchy. That liver sauce adds this delicious umami to it. I know you’re going to think liver and you’re going to think, “Oh, that’s not for me.” Very, very light with a little bit of citrus in there. Oh, man. And look at the crunch on the bottom and top. It’s like a pork belly starburst. That is exactly what I wanted for my first bite of the day. We can move on from there. We could come here for just that alone. And their homemade calamani juice. This is just has calaman sea and honey. No sugar added. It’s like a very light almost like a tangerine flavored lemonade. And I don’t like my juices too sugary. And that is perfect. And now the main dish. And of course, paying tribute to Filipino cuisine. This is how you got to eat. Spoon in the right hand, your dominant hand, fork in the left hand, used as a shovel. And we get some of this garlic rice. Eggs. Sunny side up. And this is the play. Longa in the fork side. Eggs and garlic rice on the other side. Take a bite. Immediately bite this garlic rice and egg. That’s the hero combination. Oh man. Sweet, salty longa. Has crunchy garlic on the outside. Gives it a little bit of crunch and crunchy garlic rice as well. This is what they call Filipino power. Served all over the country and is the best way to start the day. And of course with your breakfast, you got to add some vinegar and some hot sauce. And they have homemade vinegar and hot sauce here. I am teleporting back to the Philippines right now. And it feels really good and tastes even better. And now their homemade chicken empanadas with this sweet spicy mustard. I actually prefer my empanadas baked, not fried. And that’s exactly what they did here. This is a perfect start. If every meal is like this today, we can survive eating only Filipino food in LA for the day. Maybe the week. Should we extend this? LA Rose Cafe is an institution for a reason. If you’re need a Filipino fix, this is the place to get it. All right, as we make our way to our next location, I want to let you in on one of my all-time favorite travel hacks and also the sponsor of this week’s episode, and that is Built Rewards, the loyalty program for renters that transforms rent payments into valuable rewards. By a show of hands, who here watching rents their apartment, their house, their condo, whatever it may be, versus owning? That’s me, too. If this is you as well and you’re not already leveraging that what is probably your biggest expense of the month towards points or rewards, then Built Rewards is for you. It’s a free to join rewards program that transforms what you’re already spending on your home into valuable rewards and elevated experiences. It’s very simple. When you pay rent through built, you earn built points. You can then transfer your built points to your favorite airlines, hotels, lift rides, Amazon.com purchases, future rent payments, and so much more. So, to me, this is a no-brainer. You get points and rewards on a rent expense that you’re already having to pay every single month, and it’s absolutely free to sign up. For example, let’s say someone wants to uh earn points for their return trip to the Philippines. This is a really good way to do it. So, a big thank you to Built Rewards for providing this service and also for sponsoring this video. And if you guys want to start earning rewards on rent that you’re already paying every month, you can scan my QR code right here or click on the link in my video description. It helps. And as always, I want to thank you guys for supporting the sponsors that help make these videos happen. With that being said, let’s dive back in to the Filipino cuisine. All right, here we go. It’s lunchtime and this is another Filipino spot that’s serving up some authentic dishes. I’m very excited. We’re off of Western Avenue and we’re going to go have some Filipino lunch. I’m still hungry. Let’s go get it. [Music] All right, here we go. I know we’re probably going to go leone heavy today, but it’s my favorite Filipino dish, so why not? This bad boy is a James Beard awardwinning chef. Chef Lord has cooked up a Luca Chong. He’s from Lucenna City, an area in the Philippines. And he has his own rendition of Lechon crackling pork skin, pork belly, and it’s all wrapped up with lemongrass, green onions, and other herbs in there. And this vinegar is almost like an apple cider vinegrett. I hope this doesn’t get old of how delicious this Leon is. Look at the layers on this though. And the crunch on there is absurd. Like a pork crouton. It cuts through the fat so well. And then we got Kiraamasa collars. If you guys don’t know already, if you haven’t seen Pike Place Fish Market for lunch, Nick was there. We went to and had the best salmon collars at a little spot, a little tucked away hidden gem in the Pike Place Market in Seattle. So, you guys haven’t seen that episode. Even if you just watch for the Filipino food alone, it’s worth it. We’re going to put some vinegar on here. Oh my gosh, that’s one of the best bites of fish I’ve ever had. And I got to keep talking because Drake is playing and I don’t want to get my video demonetized. So, this is incredible. This is so soft, flaky. They brush it down with butter. And then they also add another unique vinegar sauce to it here. Wow, that’s awesome. You also have these pickled vegges to cut through the fattiness. That is truly a Filipino flavor. All the vinegar and fattiness, the hit from the peppers. It’s like they’re all dancing together on my tongue. Like they’re singing karaoke on the beaches of Shara. There’s a ton of other stuff on the menu that looks incredible as well. But this was an incredible spot. Vinegar, spice, fat, fish, chilis. I miss the Philippines. One of the great memories of my life. All right, I digress. Let’s keep going. All right, next up on our Filipino hit list, we’re going to check out this Filipino staple, cooking fresh off the grill. And this is Dollar Hits. You got the smoke coming off the grill. And this scene is incredible. This is going to be fun and delicious. Let’s dive in. all the way from New York. Good. What is your name? I am. You see me in Netflix. That’s my Street Food USA. Thank you for coming. It’s my pleasure. Everyone said we have to come here. Yes, of course. All right. Here’s the setup in here. You have an entire buffet of skewers. You pick out your skewers and then you go pay on the side. And then you take your skewers uncooked out to the grill and you cook them up yourself. Very much a Mongolian barbecue meets Filipino skewers street food all in one location. I’ll show you some of the hits here. You got fish balls, lobster balls, quack battered quail eggs, one of my favorites, pork isaw, you got pork ears, chicken barbecue, adidas or chicken feet, chicken skin, beef livers, chicken hearts, pork blood, and dried squid. You got a ton of banana breads, cassava cakes, all of the Filipino staples that makes this cuisine so interesting and unique. And this is just like a street food hot spot. All right, let’s hit the grill. All right, grill to my right. I’m watching the meat go. And we’re starting out with one of my absolute favorite Filipino street foods. And that is turo, which is basically a deep fried banana egg roll. Rice paper and a banana inside with some sweet caramel on the outside. That is a good treat. All right, let’s try one of my absolute favorite Filipino street foods, and that’s quack. Now, I cooked mine a little bit, maybe too far. Fried quail eggs. That’s so good and so hot. Hard-boiled quail eggs and this deep fried exterior. It’s such a unique flavor. And with that vinegar sauce, just reminds me of the night markets in Manila. That’s delicious. Quarter. I think our meat’s ready. All right, here we go. Skewers are ready. Got chicken hearts and liver. That’s awesome. Chicken hearts have a very unique uh flavor to them and consistency. It’s almost like a a two far gone sausage. And this sauce is this vinegar sweet and sour sauce. It’s got some chilies in there that gives it a little bit of kick and almost some sweetness of a a maple syrup or a honey in there and it goes perfectly with these crunchy little chicken hearts. Speaking of unique consistency, beef liver. Beef liver has happened to be one of my favorites. A lot of people don’t like liver. It’s a consistency that is very chalky, but the flavor is really good. And on that grill, you can taste the LA street. And last but not least, on our little afternoon snack is the chicken. Oh yeah. Oh my god. Great chicken. Crunchy from that grill. Dollar hits. It’s a staple in this community and a must stop on a day of eating Filipino food. That being said, we got to keep moving. We got more spots to hit. Dollarheads. Check. All right. And for dinner, as the sun is setting here in the city, we’re down in Chinatown to discover a little hidden gem Filipino restaurant that opens at 5:30 p.m. and serves up what is said to be some delicious Filipino cuisine. It came very highly recommended by a bunch of people online. Also, some of Nick’s friends recommended it, some other LA friends, everybody. When we asked about Filipino food, this is the spot that they recommended. This is Lacita and it’s right here in the Far East Plaza. Let’s go. [Music] Ladies and gentlemen, this is Chef Nico. He runs the joint. He’s curating this menu. And so, we’re diving into some food. We have a wedge salad because he said there isn’t many salads in Filipino culture. So, it’s going to be nice. I think that’s the first salad we had today. Crunchy garlic on top there. A little bit of cilantro. That green goddess dressing that is very refreshing start. Get your pallets ready to go for what’s ahead of us. All right. Gudo. That’s it. That’s it. That is tuna sashimi Filipino style. You got calaman sea coming through. extravirgin olive oil. You get a little bit of a kick from the pepper. Wow. I got to go one more of those. That acidity and the fattiness and that little bit of spice. That’s electric. That is electric. The sprouted cauliflabuk is a really fun vegetable forward interpretation of a noodle dish that’s really common in our culture. We essentially strip it away from the noodles and then reinterpret the idea with sprouted cauliflower. That’s awesome. Crispy chicken skin, crispy garlic, and hard-boiled eggs on top with an incredible sauce with that perfectly flash fried cauliflower. Come on, you’re going to be surprised by that pork longa. Make any joke you want right now, but the Filipinos know how to do longa. You can tell that’s homemade, lightly packed, super herbaceious, a little kick from the pepper, and that tomato ioli adds a little creaminess to it. We’re four for four. As always, the centerpiece of all is the rice. This one is chicken fat rice. God bless the Filipinos. And now for the main player of the show, chicken and assaul. Our take on another classic. Chicken and assaul in the Philippines typically is a grilled chicken start to finish on the grill. We actually rotisserie ours. All right, here we go. Chicken and sal. [Music] How did you How did you add the acidity? That is juicy. Then there’s these acidic notes just dancing all around it. They brush it with this butter before they bring it out. Yeah, that’s a star, guys. I shouldn’t be this hungry. I mean, we’ve been eating all day, and I’m just as happy as I was in the first bite at LA Rose Cafe. Table four, right? Table four. All right. Dessert is their variation of halo halo. And as you guys know, halo halo is the quintessential Filipino dessert. And it just means mix mix. And this interpretation is Vietnamese coffee inspired halo halo. You have ice on the base, coffee, you have coffee gelatins, fla on top, condensed milk ice cream, granola on top. This is going to make us teleport home in like 2 seconds. But it is coffee forward, coffee focused, and coffee out of control. This reminds me of the time we had lots of coffee at the Puerto Rican spot. I don’t drink a lot of coffee in general. So, when I do have it, it just immediately hits me. Coffee on coffee on coffee. And there is no better way to finish the day of eating Filipino food than with Halo Halo. So, that’s it. I’m going to wrap the video here. I hope you guys like the episode. Give it a thumbs up. Let me know any places I missed in the comments. Stay tuned for more episodes from here in LA and around Southern California and around the world. and we’ll probably go out and shoot them tonight because now after eating this, I’m going to have all the energy to do it. Till next time. Here we go. All right, here we go. It’s lunch time and for that we are over. Nick, where are we? No idea. Just kidding. Over here. We got to find the entrance first. Oh, I found it. Garrett. Hi guys, I’m right here coming in. And that is Turo. That is a good treat. Isn’t that our sponsor is? I should probably shout out to Turo. Both banana egg rolls and car rentals. You ever had those those um bars? My aunt used to make them and they had like a rice krispie treat on the bottom, ice cream on top, nutter bars. Aunt uh Bev, if you’re watching this, is it nutter bars? I heard that there is a Filipino buffet at this actual plaza called Plaza dev. This, my friends, is Bamboo Beastro. Starting off the day, let’s go. Buffet is only on the weekend. [Music] Definitely doesn’t say buffet is only on the weekend. Bamboo Beastro, we’re going to feature them. Benistro, we’re not gonna be here on Saturday or Sunday. I wish I wish someone would told us. Oh, don’t say it right there. Oh, man. Gareth, you do such a good job of research and you really blew this one. I saw the pictures of the buffet. I really up. All right, let’s go. Huh?

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In this episode of @GarethEats, I take on the challenge of ONLY eating Filipino food in Los Angeles for 24 hours! From traditional home-style dishes to modern Filipino-American creations, LA’s Filipino food scene is full of bold flavors, incredible variety, and true comfort food vibes. Whether you’re craving adobo, lumpia, lechon, or creative new twists, Los Angeles has some of the best Filipino restaurants in the U.S. Join me as I explore four must-visit spots that highlight the rich culture and culinary traditions of the Philippines, right here in LA.

If you’re searching for the best Filipino food in Los Angeles, or wondering where to eat authentic Filipino dishes, this 24-hour food adventure has you covered. From casual street food and family-run gems to upscale dining with a modern flair, I’ll show you the unique flavors and stories behind each restaurant. Whether you’re Filipino food lover, a curious foodie, or just someone looking for amazing eats in LA, this video is your guide to the tastiest Filipino restaurants in Los Angeles!

1️⃣ LA Rose Café – A family-run neighborhood spot serving classic Filipino comfort food in a cozy, welcoming setting.

2️⃣ Kuya Lord – A modern Filipino restaurant offering elevated takes on traditional dishes with bold flavors and stunning presentation.

3️⃣ Dollar Hits – A beloved LA street food destination where you grill your own Filipino skewers for an authentic, hands-on experience.

4️⃣ Lasita – A trendy Filipino restaurant and wine bar reimagining Filipino cuisine with California flair and creative cocktails.

Which LA Filipino food am I missing!?
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0:00 LA Filipino Food Intro
0:42 LA Rose Cafe
3:36 Sponsor
5:11 Kuya Lord
7:40 Dollar Hits
11:02 Lasita
15:16 Bloopers