Mana

Oh, how I really wanted to like this place! I love Filipino food and the BF is Filipino and so are just about half my friends and I’ve become accustomed to eating a lot of it and I usually really like it.
I ordered 3 things to share between me and my mom, which is a lot! This place gives big portions as well, so I gotta give them that.
Shrimp Sinagong: I don’t know if i’m being nit-​picky, but this came out last. Maybe it’s because I’m Chinese and we usually have our soup first… anyways, I think this was the best one out of the 3 dishes. It was hot, full of veggies, had a generous amount of pretty fresh shrimp and was sour like it was suppose to be. It was really good, though it was too sour for my mom. I really liked, but it tasted almost like the mix that the BF’s mom buys from the store (I don’t mean that as an insult because the soup was good).
Dinuguan: This is one of the most disgusting looking dishes you can possibly order anywhere, but it’s actually one of my favorites! It’s pork blood with pork pieces and its ALL BLACK! Sadly, I was dissapointed though. This dish didn’t have enough flavor for me and it wasn’t salty enough (I know, unheard of for a Filipino place, right? hahahaha). The pork pieces were just okay. It was mostly lean meat. I wouldn’t order this again.
Pork Sisig: Sometimes, you just have to splurge on your diet and eat something totally bad for you — this would be one of them. Usually, it’s the fattiest part of the pig, totally crispy and fried, and salty and sour. This one was lean, tasted like BBQ, and had the vinegar on the side. It was almost too healthy for me. I couldn’t get over that the vinegar wasn’t in meat, and that it tasted like BBQ pork!
Overall, it was okay, but maybe I set my expectations too high. I hyped up Filipino food to my mom and how good it is because she’s never tried it before and in the end, she wasn’t a fan. Also, the prices were pretty high. I’ve paid half the price before, but I guess it’s because this place is in SM… The service is really good though and the lady is really friendly.

Outstanding. Food cooked to order. Fresh, tasty. Pleasant service and a happy chef that will come out and check on you!
Highly recommend this place. You absolutely can’t go wrong!

The food here is just ok. the last time I went the chicken adobo was not ready yet so I had to get pork, which was annoying being that they were open.
It’s very cafeteria like. The lumpia is horrible and bland.
The head chef I think always looks at me weird when he sees me. Like maybe confused as to why a non Filipino person dines there or something, I don’t know. It could just be the way his face is. Anyway with that and the food being below average, I don’t need to go again. I know how to make adobo and lumpia so I guess that’s what I will have to do when I get a craving. The other people that work there are extremely friendly.
I got the feeling that the gloves that he used to drag and shake a rug out were used to handle food items, but I did not necessarily see that.
No liquor last time I was there. I never wanted to try anything else cause if you can’t make lumpia that’s a bad sign.

In the context of the strong Filipino dining scene in the peninsula, this place though ok does not meet the culinary skill of it’s neighbors. A modest family oriented spot, it is simple and hospitable.
The lumpia shanghai missed that punch and the pork BBQ lacked flavor. Again, not bad, but missing that 4^th gear that makes distinctively Filipino in it’s taste. I would not personally pick it again if I craved Filipino food in the area, but I would not avoid it. If someone recommended something for me to try I’d be willing to give it another shot.

We came here because I was craving sisig. Besides us there were only 2 more tables with customers, bad sign already. The tables smelled like cleaner and it was just not a nice atmosphere.
I ordered the sisig with garlic rice which literally 20 minutes to make. It wasn’t like they were swamped with work, I guess they only have 1 chef. After waiting so long for the food I decided to order another dish of pork. When we asked to order it she was like you need to wait 15 minutes for your food. We asked her bring out the first dish first and she was reluctant but agreed to do it. I was already beyond annoyed. The sisig and rice were ok but the pork was absolutely fried to a crisp. Like ZERO moisture. Like if you bit into it, you would taste char. We ate it with the eggplant and realized the egg plant wasn’t cook so it made our mouth so itchy. It was the biggest waste of money ever.
Not only was the lady starting at my boyfriend while he wrote the tip, she didn’t even bother to say thank you once.

Food was absolutely USELESS. I’ve had:
Calamari: overcooked, over-​battered and hiding beneath the salty batter is a thin sliver of actual squid.
Lechon Kawali– carelessly cubed pork belly, unseasoned, went straight to deep fryer, so it was tough and had no flavor
Even my egg was overcooked and burnt.
And I spent 30 bucks including the drink for a lame meal. I could have seriously spent less elsewhere for a waaaay better meal.
Am I coming back? Dude, if you can mess up calamari and lechon kawali? Heck no.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m Filipino by association (although I tend to be a bit more cheeky with that description, but I’ll keep this PG-​rated!) and really enjoy indulging in some Pinoy food from time to time. We decided to give Mana a try based on the recommendation of my hubby’s auntie, who knows the manager, Neal.
From the second we walked in, we were treated like family. Neal greeted us and took the best care to suggest some options we might try. The menu is full of your traditional dishes, from sinigang to lechon, and it was hard to narrow down our choices.
We were served sinigang with lechon kawalli (AMAZING), lemongrass bbq chicken (served on lemongrass skewers), lumpia, pinakbet, and the most amazing rice dish that I can’t remember the name of.
All of the food was delicious, prepared perfectly and served with love. You can bet we will be back (especially since I was too full to indulge in HaloHalo!). The food here passes my picky tastes, and hubby’s auntie (and you can be sure if your flip food is not good, she’s going to tell you!) so it’s sure to pass yours.

Let’s face it, Filipino food is usually relegated to the hot tray buffet style of offerings. Very few will do a cook to order setup. Glad to find that Mana does that. Crispy pata, tocilog, kare kare, and Pinalutong na Tadyang were all delicious. Folks here are super friendly with one of them saying that we should never make a u turn on the street out front of the cops will nail us. How nice is that, looking out for us from the po-​po! Oh and as I walked out I had a gigantic Halo Halo to take back from the office. Definitely coming back to try many of the other dishes.

Fried pompano, dinuguan, kare-​kare, sisig, mungo, halo-​halo, turon, bulalo … just a few of our regular items. They also have sago and mango and calamansi juice. The fambam and I have returned a few times, I think we’d qualify as regulars.
The restaurant is family run. The service has been great each time we’ve dined. Neal (Neil?), the owner/​chef, has always been courteous and friendly. He would come around to ask about the food and joke with the customers a little, like he was your Tito Boy (everyone has one). His daughter, who has been our server a few times, was always attentive — refiling our water and asking if we needed anything in a timely manner.
The bottom line is that filipino food is cooked in different styles, and I quite enjoy the style Mana dishes are prepared. What I love is that the grease level is extremely low and the flavor quotient is high. Unlike other Filipino eateries like a «turo-​turo» fast food joint, you don’t see a film of oil sitting like saran wrap over your dishes. Even the fried pompano, so well presented, was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, without a sign of icky grease. Also, what I’m most thankful for is that it’s not modern-​california-​fusion-​fake-​filipino-​asian-​food. When I’m craving mungo, I don’t want cinnamon-​infused mung bean chowder.
I don’t know if this food is better than food cooked by your mom, dad, tito, ate, or lola. Only you, or your special pinoy friend, can determine that. Sometimes, I add a little more suka, sometimes I add a little more patis, but that’s because it’s my preference, not because the food isn’t well made.
What I can say is that Mana is good filipino comfort food. The prices are fair, the portions are balanced, the service is great. The ambience is casual, the parking can be tight, but the trip is worth it.
In closing, as Neal/​Neil advices, NO U-​TURNS! It is a business area and they will ticket you if you’re caught.

Don’t be surprised upon visiting a Filipino restaurant new to your Filipino friend you hear, «I bet my dad/​mom/​aunt/​uncle/​grandparent/​family member can do better than this.» Just accept it. Filipino cooking is very localized. Literally one neighborhood cooks the same dish differently than another. We get a little elitist if we know something isn’t cooked like it is at home.
Neal was a great host. Really friendly and explained to us how specifically things are cooked. I had kaldereta with garlic rice. IThe meal didn’t taste like home for me because the cooks made it in a different style. But it tasted delicious. Neal said in that family member joking voice, «You finish everything, huh?» My husband and I understood immediately and ate everything. There was so much food I didn’t have room for dessert. But I want to try the dessert next time. Goldilocks doesn’t make their halo halo like they used to.

Living around the area, I’ve tried to avoid this place for the reason being «Oh, I bet my dad could cook better than this.»
Last night, I didn’t feel like cooking nor was in the mood to visit my parent’s place for dinner. So, I opted to walk to 25^th with the wife and finally check it out.
Sat down with the wife and we ordered a couple of dishes. She got kaldereta and I ordered sisig. I figured, there’s no way to screw up sisig unless it’s oily as hell. It comes out, and I guess it wasn’t in a sizzling plate? That’s okay, at least it came out. I eat this with the garlic rice, which is pretty good and all, but something is missing. Our guy, Neal, comes out with the soy sauce/​vinegar combo and it makes everything that much better.
After our meal, Neal comes out to check on us. He explains to us that the food is basically his rendition of Pampangan-​style Filipino food, which I enjoyed. Overall, the food is great, and I plan on coming back whenever I get the urge for a *silog or sisig.
With that said, my dad could still cook better than this.

I have visitors from Las Vegas and before taking them to the airport, we decided to have some Filipino food. I searched Unilocal and landed on Mana!
All I can say is we are one happy camper. Great food! We ordered the Silogs — Longsilog, Sisiglog, Bangsilog and on the ala carte menu — Miki Bihon. Every single dish is well prepared and cooked.
I will definitely come back with more friends snd family!
Thank you Unilocal and Mana!
By the way, staff are welcoming and very nice.

Came to Mana for Father’s Day dinner (totally my dad’s choice). I think we may have ordered one or two things that weren’t listed on the menu, as my dad & his gf frequents this place a lot. We ordered and had plenty of leftovers of: Lomi soup, the eggplant & pork omelet (2 orders), lechon kawali, crispy pata, bbq chicken & 2 halo halos for them.
The Lomi soup was like an egg white soup with veggies, egg noodles, and chicken. I liked this light soup and was happy that this was ordered as I’m not a big fan of SInigang. I’m not too much of a fan of eggplant, but the eggplant & pork omelet was very good, filled with both ingredients, fluffy and served alongside with banana ketchup. Both the skin and the meat on the lechon kawali (pork belly) & crispy pata (pork hock) were crunchy & moist. I’ve found that the skin on lechon at many places is really hard, but that’s not the case here. We could have obviously done with just ordering one of the pork dishes; I’d say go for the pata! The bbq chicken was moist and had lots of flavor as well, served on skewers.
For all the food we ordered after tax and tip, it came out to around $ 100. Not bad. Mana does give plenty of food at a great price. Most Filipino restaurants charge more for many of the dishes on their menu. Everyone else was fine later that night, but I got a little heartburn and felt a little sick from all the grease. Blame *someone* for ordering two things of fried pork… anywhoo. I’d give Mana a 4. Nice to see a good Filipino restaurant in the area, as opposed to having to drive up to South San Francisco/​Daly City.

fresh, authentic & homemade!
CALLING ALL MY PINOY family and friends! Who knew that a Filipino restaurant existed in San Mateo of all places instead of Daly City. I am so glad I found you — thank you my UnilocalERS!
Pinoy approved indeed! Yeah — and I highly recommend ordering their «Baka Kaldereta» which is their beef soup! Man… this is probably the best I’ve had in any Filipino restaurant in a very long time. The broth is homemade and taste very fresh. It is also surprisingly light and does not taste like it has too much fat in it.
Kudos to the owner and the staff here. They are all so nice and made me feel very welcomed. The kind of hospitality you will find whenever you go to any Pinoy parties where you all of a sudden step foot at their party — and you magically become their cousin or a distant relatives from somewhere far, far away!
Cheers!

I don’t know if its because I was pregnant, but the food here just made sick. The aroma of their food was so greasy, it immediately made my stomach queasy and I had to throw up… I could barely stand the smell much less eat the food.
Food smelled super greasy and not in a good way.
Made me sick.
Did not eat.
Paid a lot of money.
Not a happy camper.

I think I expected more… and when I say more, I mean less. We got the spring rolls, garlic rice, beef sisig, the marinated tender beef and the ox tail. Each we’re really flavorful but too salty or somehow, there’s too much flavor. Some things I want to highlight is that the oxtail is really peanut-​y but balanced well with the shrimp paste they gave. The spring rolls were described as Vietnamese spring rolls but they’re different in the sense that they’re all vegetables, huge, and drenched in sauce. The beef was very salty and the rice was just literally pan fried with garlic. Nothing really too special and I was not too impressed. Maybe Filipino food is not my thing?
P. S. One dish plus rice is enough for one person. I’m sure it’s supposed to be shared. We had 4 dishes plus rice for 3 people. Way too much food.

Went here with a large group of friends. We were the only group there for the longest time and maybe there was 1 other table that came in during the middle of our meal. Of course we ordered family style and enjoyed most of the food.
My favorite and best dish was the garlic fried rice. All the other entrees we ordered were room temperature or a little warmer than that. Nothing came out steaming hot (can’t you microwave the food for a few more minutes?).
Yes, they tried to give us great service. Always filling our glasses and giving us extra bowls or what not. We ordered 2 additional dishes at the end because we were not completely full yet. Afterwards, we got our check and calculated the total cost and split it (you know the drill for bigger groups. it takes a good 10 – 15 minutes figuring it out). As we were getting up to leave and almost out the door, they stop us and tell us they forgot to add the 2 dishes. Really annoyed, we figured it out and should have took out the entire tip. They weren’t really that sorry and it’s like how do you mess up on calculating the tip when we are the ONLY table there. #annoyed #canthandleonetable

Another lunch adventure and today it was Filipino again but this time, it’s Mana along the much acclaimed 25^th ave. Considering the number of Filipinos living in the Bay Area, it always amazes me there’re not more Filipino restaurants.
Mana’s interior is simple and unpretentious. You could call it homey. But we’re not here for how the interior looks. I’m a fan of sausages so since they had Longanisa, it was a no-​brainer. The rice plate came with rice, couple of Longanisas, a vinegar-​based dipping sauce and slices of orange. The sausages were nicely done, had sweetish savory taste that worked well with the tartness of the dipping sauce. The texture reminds me of regular dogs but sweeter in taste. Rice was flavored with a touch of garlic flavor.
We also had Lumpias which are smaller versions of Chinese spring rolls. Crispy outsides with a meat and vege mix inside. They offered a pinkish dipping sauce which didn’t seem to have any discernible flavor so might be better off with just the usual hot sauce.
Service was good although a bit slow considering it wasn’t packed. IMO, Good Bites Café is still the better place overall for Filipino food although some Filipinos may differ.

The longanisa americana (5 stars!) here is AMAZING. Seriously the best longanisa I’ve ever had! The flavor is really good and it isn’t greasy like other places that make longanisas bursting with oil. I highly recommend ordering the longanisa americana while you’re here.
We also got the lemongrass chicken, which is chicken on lemongrass skewers. I thought this was alright (3 stars).
Garlic rice was really good. I’d suggest this with your meat dishes.
The owner was extremely nice and personable, giving us recommendations and talking with us. He even waited at the door to thank us and to say bye, which is service that you don’t get too often these days.

My very first time having Filipino food and it was delicious! (Okay, I’d had Filipino before at Jollibee at some mall but that’s like saying you’ve had Chinese when all you’ve eaten is Panda Express… right?)
We had a beef stew dish, pork adobo, and a coconut milk veggie dish. On top of the garlic rice, each dish was full of flavor and I kept reaching for seconds. I think the adobo was my favorite because it was just SO flavorful, but it was a little salty so make sure to eat it with rice. But really, all 3 dishes were really good. We ended with halo halo which I found similar to Chinese shaved ice but with the ice not as fine. Bill came out to $ 60 for 3 people and I was so full I didn’t even eat dinner that night. Would love to come back and try more things.
Oh, and the staff was SUPER attentive and courteous.