Filipino Restaurant in London
Bong Bong’s Manila Kanteen is an awesome Filipino Restaurant in London from founders, Lee and Sinead, who deservedly secured a £350,000 investment on My Million Pound Menu.
The investment came with the advice that the street food stall name of BBQ Dreamz should be changed to a Filipino focused name. Taking heed to that advice, Lee and Sinead opened their restaurant near Bethnal Green with the name, Bong Bong’s Manila Kanteen.
It’s a brilliant name and there is definitely a ‘cool’ Kanteen feel with yellow and neon pink electric signage, plants, shells and lamps! A real mismatch which actually makes a really homely environment.
Cocktails
All cocktails are priced at a reasonable £7.50. We had:
- Aperol Spritz – Aperol, prosecco, soda
- Negroni – Campari, gin, sweet vermouth
- Negroni Sbagliato – Campari, sweet vermouth, prosecco
We loved the Negroni Sbagliato which is a lighter Negroni using prosecco instead of gin. They also offer a small wine selection which changes on a weekly basis.
Starters and Sides
The menu is split into starters and sides and large plates. We ordered the following dishes:
- Prawn Crackers with spiced aioli 4.5
- Adobo glazed cauliflower 6.5 Adobo glaze: lime aioli, nigella, sesame, spring onion and lime
- Adobo glazed chicken wings 7
- Satay duck heart skewers with spring onion, lime and pork crackling 5.5
The prawn crackers were a huge portion and the spiced aioli gave them a kick. The glazed cauliflower was INCREDIBLE – the al dente texture was perfect and the adobo glaze is such a tasty marinade. I have never been so excited about cauliflower! The satay duck had a great texture with the pork crackling accompaniment. Really solid and varied selection of starters.
Filipino Restaurant in London
From the large plates we had the Ginataang tahong: Prawns cooked in a spiced coconut, lemongrass and ginger broth (£9). The prawns were succulent and fresh and we loved the coconut undertones.
The Beef Tapa: Garlic cured bavette with sesame green bean salad, crispy shallots, soy, sesame & lime (£10.5) was another incredible dish. The bavette was so succulent and the overall dish was quite light.
We sadly did not have room for dessert but Bong Bong’s offer calamansi sorbet, ube purple yam ice cream, coconut and charcoal ice cream and banana and cinnamon spring rolls!
Overall
What an awesome Filipino restaurant in London! The menu offers some punchy and innovative dishes designed for sharing. The whole restaurant has a relaxed and quirky vibe. They even have a private dining area for larger groups (which comes with free karaoke!). You MUST order that cauliflower.
East London Girl: Filipino Restaurant in London
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