Palencia

Finally, a Filipino restaurant that’s not the «family style» typically found in Daly City, or not tucked away in some strip mall. Finally, a modern style Filipino restaurant. The design is very tasteful. The wooden décor, baskets on the wall, and few large plants make for an evocative and simple design.
The food is traditional with a twist, and prepared for each person, not premade like at some Filipino places. The adobo chicken was excellent; there was coconut in the sauce, which gave it an added dimension.
The other dishes we had were good too, noodles, and pork sigsig. All were nicefully presented.
I just found out they’re closed. That’s too bad. I wish they could’ve stayed open. Well, that leaves an opportunity for another similar kind of Filipino restaurant in the city.

Any place that give you an amuse bouche gets bonus happy points from me. It was a jack fruit purée with some other stuff… sweet but good.
Ukoy — Crispy shrimp fritters. Yum. I love fritters.
Chicken Adobo — soft, savory, rich, and delicious
Kare kare — beef with eggplant, string beans, hearts of banana. I have never had hearts of banana before. I had to actually google the thing to make sure that was what it was. It looked like a pod of bean sprouts. Very interesting.
String beans in coconut milk. Rich, but good.
Garlic rice. Good. Garlic was subtle enough so it wasn’t overpowering.
I have to say with all the rice, coconut milk… everything was pretty rich. This is good since you’re sharing family style… there’s enough for everyone. Our waiter even refilled our rice for us. How nice.
Atmosphere was calm and mellow (chandelier looks like some earrings I have) and the service was polite and accommodating.

I wanted to go home, relax and watch Monday night football. But my wife’s colleague had a birthday party at Palencia, so wife called and invited me. (I missed a great game, too).
Located in the busy Castro District, this high maintenance and classy restaurant is not a place you would ever visualize Matt G coming to. But as an enthusiast of all Asian cultures including the Filipino history, I’m just dying to check this place out because the head chef had a long step climbing to where he is currently at now.
Her co-​worker bought and offered us a bunch of appetizers and side dishes to feed twenty people. Don’t recall the name and couldn’t pronounce the name of any of the Filipino food items, but I had a piece of grilled pork with some pickled papaya on a skewer. Next, I had a piece of drumstick marinated and cooked Filipino style. Then, I went vegetarian and had some string beans with pieces of pork covered in some shrimp paste. Finally, a noodle dish I’m very familiar with is, Pancit, which is a soft vermicelli noodle with bits of vegetables and pork. I find all the infused food I had very sole and authentic.
Wife had such a great time, chatting with her attractive female colleagues and sipping on pricey wine and shots. You sort of knew what the concluding result was with me being the designated driver, carrying my wife straight to her bed and waking up the next morning with a massive headache.
Overall, the food was ok, and the surrounding and ambience is too classy for me.

Eating at Palencia was a treat. It would be THE Filipino Restaurant that I would take friends who have not had nor are familiar with Filipino cuisine.
Ambiance: clean, chic, quaint, warm, and inviting. The waitstaff is friendly. The crowd is diverse. I’m pleasantly amaze at how there were a lot of non-​Filipinos enjoying their meal, the night we went.
Food: Excellent presentation. We enjoyed the Lechon sa Kawale (roasted succulent port), Guinataang Gulay (vegetables in coconut milk) they were delicious! Oh for dessert, I personally enjoyed and would highly recommend the calamansi parfait.
Drinks: They have some local wines and San Miguel beer, a Filipino beer. I personally enjoyed the non-​alcoholic drink, calamansi juice, which is a Filipino citrus fruit. It would probably be better if you add vodka, then you would’ve had a calamansitini. It’s too bad they don’t offer cocktail drinks.
Opportunities: Not enough drinks selection, besides the wine and beer. May be some cocktail drinks to complete the entire dinner event would be great.
Looking at some reviews here on Unilocal,yes, I agree that it slightly pricey for Filipino cuisine. However, the place is clean and well-​designed plus they do have great presentation when it comes to the dishes. It’s a place where you would be proud to introduce to your friends to taste their first Filipino dish. It’s about time that we have a Filipino Restaurant in San Francisco that is welcoming to everyone! I would recommend it.

Palencia is one of my favorite Filipino restaurants. It is unlike your typical Filipino restaurants. It’s décor is more upscale and their service is outstanding. Most of the waiters are not Filipino, but don’t let that fool you. They know what they’re talking about.
Palencia offers most Filipino dishes like lumpia, sinigang and adobo. I particularly enjoyed their Kare Kare and Tinapang Bangus. The Tinapang Bangus comes with a sauce which includes salted eggs just like in the Philippines.
Their prices are somewhat on the high-​end, but worth every cent. This is a place where you can invite your Filipino and non Filipino friends. It’s also a place where you can bring your date to.

My family was in town this past week for the funeral of a loved one. Being Filipino, we had been gathering every night for the past nine days eating the best of my ethnic cuisine prepared by my mom and aunties. The absolute last thing I wanted to do was eating more Filipino food. Seriously. I’ve had THE best in my ethnic cuisine that could last the year.
So then a couple of buddies of mine called me up right as I’m dropping off my mom at her house. They asked me if I wanted to hang out, maybe get a drink or something. Sure, why not, I like drinking whiskey. I told them about my week and my overdose of Filipino food. Being Pinoy’s themselves and not having eaten our food in quite sometime, they had the cravings. Shit. Should’a kept my mouth shut.
We were thinking about going to the DC area, maybe Kuya’s (I’ll talk about them in another post). But one of my «compare’s» suggested Palencia. Upscale Filipino food? Fuck that. (I’m burned out on it as I’ve previously mentioned and also paying a bit more — pfffft). Whatever. I’ve heard about the place and I’ve always been curious and besides, my buddy was picking up the tab.
So I walked in, and I thought the décor was nice. No, scratch that… it was very pleasant and comfy with a nice décor. Almost roomy for a small place. I was able to glance in the kitchen… cool, Filipinos are cooking. That’s a plus in my book. I’ve read some of the other reviews here (mainly the negative ones) and I know that those negative ones are from my fellow capabayans.
I tried to order something on the menu that I know I hadn’t had during the week. Unfortunately, my buddires wanted to order the staple. Lumpia, adobo, pancit & lechon. I was able to convinced them on not ordering the adobo and substitured that for Guintagaang Langka and Sisig na Baboy (damn, two pork dishes. Isn’t there a law about that).
Okay, Guintagaang Langka. That was some good stuff. Jack Fruit and ground pork simmered in in coconut milk. My family doesn’t cook this stuff. Sisig na Baboy. That’s basically pork that’s grilled, chopped and then simmered in soy sauce and mixed with chopped onions and chopped peppers. It was good, but don’t even let me start on what «real» sisig is. That stuff will clog your arteries! Why do you think all the Filipino restaurants are in Daly City. There’s Seton medical center (one of the best for Cardiac arrests), and then of course there’s all the cemetaries.
I’ll try to keep this short since I personally hate long reviews. But to be blunt, if you’re new to Filipino cuisine or if you want to take someone who’s never had it, this place is for you. If you’re a bitter and jaded Pinoy eater like myself, order something that you normally wouldn’t have at your Nanay’s or Lola’s house. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about.
I’m impressed.

Was part of a dinner table of seven here the other night. Luckily, portions are served family style. Of course, seven members is a small family by Catholic Filipino standards.
The chef was cool enough to hook us up with some type of cork garnished with some slightly tart ginger? chopped and served on ceramic soup spoons.
Then the gluttony began:
$ 8 Ukoy, battered shrimp
$ 13 Bistek marinated rib eye
$!7 Daing Na Bangus fried milkfish
$ 4 Garlic Fried rice
$ 12 Chicken Adobo, the old standard w/​soy sauce vinegar but in a coconut milk base
$ 13 Chicken with potatoes, carrots, peas
$ 10 Guinataang Gulay (vegetables-​yucK)
And for dessert $ 8 a suman type rice cake topped with ice cream and a bottom layer of sweet cream and salt.
While there were standouts like the Bistek and the Adobo, the (lofty) price you pay for what you or your mom usually cooks for peanuts is presentation.
Cool, off-​white squared plates, the capiz lanterns, the molave colored wood shutters, and the white waitstaff trying their best to pronounce the dishes correctly all lend to an upscale, atmosphere, that’s probably akin to the high end décor found in five star Manila hotels.
Highly suggested if you’re in need of something other than the typical grease soaked, paper plated, sterno heated, chaffing dish Filipino restaurants found in the area.
Total bill $ 22. See above for my other $ 22 dinner.

Great homey décor, good service, much appreciated effort to bring up this cuisine to fine dining but keeping it authentic. Good simple wine list. Food needs fine tuning. Amuse Bouche was delicious.
Seemed to be understaffed, a bit more attention needs to be paid to details. Chipped plate, unpolished wine glass, napkins on the table had a bit of some black sandy thingy.
Fresh Lumpia w/​Prawns (⁸⁄₁₀):
Crêpe like rice paper wrapping was delicious
Tai Snapper Ceviche (⁵⁄₁₀):
This was the most disappointing among all. Needs to be executed better to be put on as ‘recommended” special.
Sisig na Bangus (⁷⁄₁₀):
Pan fried milk fish, some parts were bit too dry, good flavor.
Kare Kare (⁷⁄₁₀): flavorful, peanut butter a bit overpowering
Afritada (⁸⁄₁₀): great flavor on the saucy broth, carrots and green peas a bit too much, the presentation can be fine tuned.
Turon (⁸⁄₁₀): crispy young rice underneath the vanilla ice cream to die for, very good dish loved it!
Congratulation to the 10^th month of opening and the recent changes made for better. It was very nice meeting the young chef Roja. Thank you for taking the time to say hi to us.
They mentioned that they will be changing the menu soon, so we will be back! Recommended.

My friend who is Filipino has gone here and returned so I think that means it’s good, right?
The second time I went service was crazy crazy slow and they weren’t that busy, but the first time we had a big group on a Friday and it was fine. I wasn’t super impressed with the Lumpia since I have had the homemade kind, but the Sisig na baboy and chicken adobe were both very tasty. As was the super yummy turon (banana dessert).
They have a decent wine list and the restaurant itself is a really nice spot. I really like the décor. Especially since this guy Tom that I met at a bar told me he was behind it. Way to go Tom!

The food was great! I’m pretty picky with Filipino food, only because I grew up eating it. I usually tend to stay away from places where its already cooked and you just point to what you want. So call me a snob when it comes to Filipino food, but I guess I got spoiled by a mom who could cook anything on the spot and with quality ingredients. The place is perfect for someone who really doesn’t have time to cook, but wants to have Filipino food every now and then. :)
However, my only complaint is that they seem to run out of certain dishes. Why? They’re lacking an ingredient or two and can’t make the dish. I’ve experienced and it so have my friends who’ve eaten there. Maybe its because they’re a brand new restaurant and still working out the demand/​supply for certain dishes? Either way, they need to fix that quick because they shouldn’t have something on the menu if they can’t serve it. It’s like this one sushi joint I went to that actually told me they’re out of rice. I kid you not!
Other than that, its worth trying. Just prepared to be disappointed when the dish you ask for is not available.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE FLAN:
Heavenly. Incredible. I… I am speechless. Creamy yummy rich… I can’t go much further.
Honestly, I suggest stopping in just to try it.

I tried this place hoping that i would like it. But unfortunately to no avail.
I don’t mind the parking since you cant really blame a place because this city has a bad parking situation. Its not like the owner has the control to make parking avail to his customers by a snap of a finger. Sorry the street belongs to the city. My review will be about the actual establishment.
The service did not make an impression on me. And i consider myself a pretty easy going guy. As long as you make sure my food is cooked right and follow up with me periodically to make sure everything is okay with a half ass’d smile is kool with me. Unfortunately this was not the case.
The food tasted okay. just okay. Diff not worth the $ 8 for to fried lumpia’s. And the main entries were diff not worth the price either. I mean I come to a place like this. I know not to expect big portions. I know its suppose to be for the quality of the food, the way its prepared, the ambiance. But when I get non of these is when I have a problem.
I had heard allot of good things from people in the past. And maybe it made me have to high of an expectation. But I’m certain this is not the same place all my fellow Unilocalers where praising so much in the past.
I dunno… perhaps I went at a wrong time since from ready some of the recent reviews it seems there has been a change in staff and some shady business practices. I dunno I don’t have anything to do with that I just try to write a fair review about the things that should matter.

I ate here about a month ago and I HATED the service. I’m filipino and the food I ate was nothing compared to what I grew up with. The meat portion was too small and dishes are too overpriced. I can eat at another Filipino restaurant and get more portions and really get what I pay for. Plus the location of the restaurant is in the middle of San Francisco where there is NO parking.
So for all the customers out there. If you really want to eat filipino food and get your money’s worth… DO NOT GO TO PALENCIA!!!

I wanted to like this place, esp. since it’s so close to our house. We watched as they progressed, looking forward to whatever it was gonna become.
We were very disappointed when they dumped their construction debris in our driveway in preparation for their investor dinners, and had to have them remove their trash so we could use our garage. They weren’t nice about it at all.
Folks we knew who ate there reported mixed results, most not to hot.
We decided to wait awhile…
Went last night, so disappointing. The fresh lumpia were way overpriced and the sauce too sweet. The soup had chunks of food that were not easy to cut as they were undercooked. The bisteck was tough, stringy, way too vinegar-​y and salty. They were out of the first two wines I selected, but the third was OK. Service was rushed but good.
At least the rolls @ $ 3.50 for 4 were good, but small and the coconut jam was evaporated milk and maybe some coconut.
Overpriced, not that good, and a bit smug around the edges. Too bad.
There have been lots of differing places here. The best was Los Amigos and Tita’s. Wish it was better now.

My bf and I went here on Saturday night for an early dinner. I haven’t had lots of experience when it comes to Filipino restaurants, but I’m some what familiar with the food. We were seated immediately upon our arrival at 6 pm. Luckily we got there when we did because in mere moments every table was filled and several others folks were waiting for a table.
Now onto the important part, the food! We ordered the lumpia, garlic rice, chicken adobo and pork belly (lechon sa kawale). All were served family-​style. The lumpia is pretty basic but I loved the vinegar soy sauce accompanying the dish. As for the chicken adobo, it was tastier than I’ve ever had in the past. Please note: this dish is fairly salty and requires to be had over rice. The pork belly is something just out of this world decadent! The meat is super fatty and is twice cooked (first roasted then fried) for extra crunch. If you’re watching your weight or cholesterol level, then skip this dish. Otherwise dig in!
The price range for entrees were $ 11 – 15 on average.
p. s. Their brunch items sounds lovely. I’ll be back!

So close to being good.
Concept: Slightly upscale Filipino food. Thank you. Looking forward to this.
Environment: White tablecloths, candles and Kyoto chairs. If it ain’t broke.
Service: Polished. Really nice blond guy knew the menu in and out and was totally on point (although the place was nearly empty on a Wednesday night).
Drinks: Respectable wine selections including some tasty Spanish ones plus refreshing juices.
Menu: Sounds like really tasty comfort food, in theory. We had the pork adobo and a pork-​and-​veggie soup.
Execution: Pork was insufferably tough on both counts. We could still enjoy the soup’s broth and veggies, but the adobo was hard to finish.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with simple delicious food, but when the delicious is missing, you’re not really left with much, are you? Get the meat and cooking time right and we might be back.

Like the rest of the reviews… this place is definitely nothing compared to Gerry’s Grill or even Ongpin. It’s «posh» compared to your typical Filipino places but get this, you still end up smelling like food when you leave!
My sister actually discovered this and she’d been harassing me to go and check it out so her British fiancé could be introduced to our cuisine. It also helped that she volunteered to treat me and the boy for dinner and that was such a good call!
We ordered the following:
1. Fresh lumpia (shrimp) = it was good but the sauce was very garlic-​ky
2. Calamansi juice (dude it was like $ 3 – 4!) but good
3. Nilagang baka = my favorite dish… but nothing compared to my Mom’s
4. Mechado = the boy wanted it = it was ok
5. Pork Adobo = again the boy wanted it = just ok
6. Kare-​Kare = pregnant sis was craving for this = didn’t even try this
7. Daing na Bangus = but it wasn’t bangus, it was another fish that I’m forgetting the name right now… so order this when you know that the fish is truly bangus b/​c this was $ 17 … I was so disappointed!
My sis wanted to try all the dishes and indeed we did. We ended up just taking everything to go. We did order dessert and the leche flan was ok… still love my Mom’s and the turon was awesome… and their san’s rival was good to!
Overall, this place was trendy + overly priced food (then again, what other Filipino restaurant doesn’t over charge for their food!) + parking is non-​existent = a definite SF restaurant!
I think if you really want your friends to be exposed to Filipino food… I suggest bringing them home to your folks and have them taste the real thing instead.
PS: try looking around Daly City for Filipino restaurants… not the Castro!

4.5 stars. Hopefully to be bumped up after several more times visited…
Went to Palencia last night for the 1^st time and coming from a Philly-​pina perspective, I have to tell you, this place is really really impressive. The Décor is beautifully done in old colonial style with dark mahogany wood floors. burnt orange accent walls, dark wood shutters and elegant basket weave lighting. I also have to mention the old school seashell chandeliers in the front window area, which are reminiscent of the 80’s & 90’s in most Filipino homes and maybe even now still, and the most nostalgic part of all for me is the wall-​sized black & white family photo in the back.
The Food: Chef Danelle Lucero creates authentic Filipino Dishes with a healthier twist. Filipino Food is typically not known for its healthiness, what with all of the Pork and Deep-​Fried Dishes, but Chef Danelle has somehow successfully pulled it off. Everything on the Menu is served Family-​Style and all of the Dishes are traditional Filipino Fare and from what we had, it was all delicious.
The Breakdown: We started with the Fresh Lumpia with Prawns and a Garlicky Sauce, which was light and yummy. We then had the Pancit Bihon, also well-​done. For our Entrees, we had the Guinitaang Kalabasa at Hipon (Kabocha Squash and Shrimp simmered in Coconut Milk) and the Sisig Na Bangus (Flaked Marinated Milkfish with Cherry Tomato, Jalapeño Pepper and Red Onion Salsa) which was to Die For! All I can say is, you have to try it, it was ‘that’ good…
For Dessert, we had the Turon (Philippine Saba Bananas layered with Jackfruit wrapped in a Crispy Crêpe) and instead of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream we substituted Coconut. Awesome!
One minor gripe was that typically, in finer establishments, bread should be complimentary. I’ve heard a few complaints from friends about having to pay for Bread. Other than that, I loved this place.
Mind you, this place is an upscale Filipino restaurant, and may not appeal to the older Filipino generation, but let me tell you, as a dining experience, it is ‘Well Worth It’…
Trust me. As you may have read in my food blog, San Francisco was seriously lacking in Filipino restaurants within the City limits, and Palencia is all that I could have hoped for and more.
All in all, the entire Dining Experience was Top-​Rate and I Highly Recommend that you go…
The Raptor has spoken.

When our Korean buddy, Ed H. asked Jeremy and I… When are you guys going to take me to a Filipino restaurant?”… I immediately folded. I was stuck. I had to think about this one. I knew Jeremy was thinking the same way — we don’t any Filipino cuisine places around here. The restaurants we dine at are like your mom and pops kind of joint. The ones that only offer the «itlog» and «to-​go» plates. We can’t take Ed to those places. We have to represent. So for months we lingered on the question. Just recently I visited another fine Filipino restaurant and I thought it be a perfect place. But apparently another opportunity had presented itself. After reviewing the long shot of reviews, I had found Palencia.
I must admit to have been a bit disturbed by past experiences when I have taken my non-​Filipinos friends to Filipino restaurants and family parties. Yes, I got mixed feedback in presentation, smell, and the ultimate concern, «What is this? It tastes funny.» But I’m confident that this Filipino restaurant will change all that. Then again, I’ve never eaten at Palencia before. So we were riding on a prayer when me, Jeremy, Ed, Jorge, and Heidi visited on 08/​15/​2007.
Our appetizers that set the pace
Beef Lumpia — Everyone loves Lumpia. Fresh from the fryer, this was the Shanghai presentation where the rolls are smaller and easy to dip into the sweet and sour sauce. Being Filipino, this is always a big hit and great opener. In the case of Palencia — great Lumpia. No messy grease. Crispy on the outside warm and moist inside. Keep it simple and clean.
Ukoy — The intricate form of shrimp, taro root, bean sprouts, and carrots into a fried merienda won our guests taste buds. Again, no messy grease. Crispy on the outside and warm and moist inside. In this appetizer, we had great discussion on the taro root flavor and shrimp as it melted nicely into first set of Filipino cuisine.
So these were our starter appetizers at the host table. Yes, we ate at the host table. We had arrived twenty minutes prior to our reservation. So the wait staff offered the host table at the front to accommodate us temporarily until our ready was ready. I was worried for a moment because I didn’t want our guests to feel uncomfortable. The restaurant is small so plan ahead for reservations.
Our main courses that set the bar to new heights
Nigala — Beef and cabbage soup with carrots and potatoes. Excellent choice to follow up our appetitzers. The spices and flavor of the beef harmonized smoothly without any harsh sourness. The beef was perfectly tenderized and carrots weren’t over cooked.
Deep Fried Pork Belly — This is one of major joys of our dinner and a prize winning thumbs up by Ed. To my surprise, the dish arrived with no grease on the plate (this is the third time they impressed us). They must have mastered the art of cooking oil removal. As everyone indulged on the pork, I could hear the MMMmmmmm in their mouths as they broke into the crispy part of this popular yet high cholesterol dish.
Garlic Rice — Solid plate. Nothing over exciting at this time.
Escabeche — Finally, someone has matched my father’s own sweet and sour fried fish. I’m not going to say that it beats my dad’s, but this was awesome! Tearing into the white meat of the rock cod and dipping it through they’re sweet and sour and then tasting it brings back good memories (that’s how you know when something is really good).
Kare Kare –Arrived beautifully. For this dish, it’s all about color. The bright color of brownish orange screamed out as it the peanut aroma hit our table. It made the beans and bok choy stand out. And the oxtails — if it falls apart when cut into it — it’s perfect. I nearly finish the bowl on this occasion.
Pork Adobo — The first thing adobo scouts look for is fatty oil. I only noticed a generous amount of oil that is enough to bring this popular dish to our table. The texture was fair. Kind in mind that pork is always a challenge to cook — nobody wants to eat tough pork. Tonight, the pork was slightly tough.
Guinataang Gulay — Another thumbs up for this classic vegetable in coconut sauce dish. This time it came from Heidi and Jorge. The background of spice and the base of sweetness of the coconut blended nicely as we ate into the beans and eggplant. For a moment when nobody was watching, I took the sauce and mixed it with my rice (the old fashion Filipino way). I even sipped the sauce like a soup (as if I was at home). I love coconut so I couldn’t help myself even if we were in a fine dining environment. Don’t worry… I used proper dining etiquette — I didn’t slurp the sauce like your Lolo (grandfather).
Overall, we’ll be returning again for dinner. Our friends really enjoyed it with thumbs up. So i’m very pleased. Hopefully they can get that fifth star!

What a great addition to the neighborhood!
A regular library patron (at least once a week), I always walk down Sanchez hill to 17^th St then go up Pond St to the Harvey Milkman branch. Right at the corner of Pond and 17^th is a restaurant spot that’s been under construction for a couple of months now. Finally today as I went by I saw chairs and a pretty chandelier. What was going on? I popped my head in to find out what was going on and got invited to open house that day. Of course I wouldn’t be able to pass up this opportunity to try Filipino food!
At the small open house they served chicken and pork skewers (really tasty), glass noodles, and beef egg rolls. My favorite part was the melon drink. And we got to meet and chat with the two young owners (who also had their families come by — you know it can’t be bad if the owner is Filipino and is there with his mom and dad).
I think they are opening for real on the 27^th and I can’t wait to go back for a real meal. They will be open in the afternoon for merienda-​cena and in the evening for dinner.
Good luck guys!