Cuisine Scene: Filipino
Long Beach has one of the largest populations of Filipinos in the U.S., making it possible for diners in the city to enjoy delicious dishes like lumpia, pancit, and adobo. Several Filipino restaurants and businesses are located on the Westside in an area unofficially known as Little Manila. Check out some of these great Filipino eateries on the Westside and beyond.
EDNA’S FILIPINO CUISINE
Edna’s Filipino Cuisine (2540 Santa Fe Ave) is a family-owned business offering homestyle Filipino food, from pancit and pork sisig to turon and rice cake desserts. Specialities include goat and seafood dishes. Grab a combo plate with up to three entrees and rice for lunch, or call on Edna’s to cater a traditional banquet with their “Package Deal,” which includes seven trays of food and free desserts. Or if you just need a snack, they sell cups of garlic salted roasted peanuts–spicy or non spicy.
REMIX KITCHEN BAR AT LBX
At ReMix Kitchen Bar (3860 Worsham Ave), located inside Long Beach Exchange, diners can experience Chef Ross Pangilinan’s fusion menu that combines traditional Filipino dishes with French and Italian-inspired cuisine. Shrimp lumpia and pork cheek adobo are intermingled with fettuccine carbonara, a prime flat iron steak dish, and a selection of burgers. Try the prix fixe menu for a choice of three courses with an optional wine pairing that comes free with the meal on Wednesdays.
BTR PINOY RESTAURANT
BTR Pinoy Restaurant (1560 W Willow St) offers a different selection of traditional Filipino dishes each day of the week, with a pork, seafood, chicken, or beef option and veggie dishes available. You can also score lumpia and turon by the tray, as well as desserts and breakfast. On Yelp, reviewers praise the dinuguan, a savory pork stew, the crispy calamari, and lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly).
GEMMAE BAKE SHOP
Prescilla Tolentino opened a small food stall near Manila in 1979, with many others to follow. In 1993 she opened a bakery in Long Beach with her daughter Catherine. Today, Gemmae Bake Shop (1356 W Willow St) offers traditional Filipino baked goods like pandesal and bibingka, plus cakes and desserts, many colored vivid purple with ube, or sweet purple yam. Customers can also pick up Filipino dishes like lumpia Shanghai and halo halo, a dessert combining a pantry’s-worth of ingredients, including ice cream, beans, and leche flan.
