The 16 Best Filipino Restaurants In Seattle - Seattle - The Infatuation (2024)

Filipino food options in and around Seattle used to come down to a small handful of restaurants. It wasn’t a pretty picture for a community that stands as not only the second largest Asian-American population in the country, but has been part of the area’s rich diversity since the early 1900s. So why wasn’t this food scene here as robust?

Thankfully, things have changed. Sure, you may know famous Filipinos like Jo Koy, Bruno Mars, H.E.R., and Olivia Rodrigo. But here in Seattle, start getting acquainted with Melissa Miranda, Chera Amlag, Leila Rosas, The Paraiso Family, and many more who have created food that’s well worth any commute and/or parking fee. From a multi-course tasting menu spot to a Pike Place institution, these are the best places for Filipino food in the city and beyond.

THE SPOTS

Archipelago has given us a multi-course tasting menu experience that is 100% Filipino and simultaneously 100% Pacific Northwestern. All of the meat, seafood, and produce are exclusively sourced from this region, which means you'll eat a caramelized squash condiment with your lechon instead of banana ketchup, or sinigang with local rhubarb broth instead of tamarind. We've heard that their incredible food paired with robust history lessons have brought actual tears of joy to customers' eyes.

Named after the chef's father, Musang is Tagalog slang for wildcat, and this Beacon Hill house is equal parts sophisticated and fun. Walking inside feels like coming home to family, and the food here is an extension of both the Filipino community and the neighborhood. Food and drink menus change seasonally, so after ordering an Isa co*cktail with mango-infused bourbon, I’ll get two orders of the pork and shrimp lumpia to keep the kids from starting a rebellion, complete with a sawsawan dip that has a perfect chili to vinegar ratio. When it's time to order entrees, the short rib kare kare with peanut butter bagoong is an automatic yes. But don’t make our ancestors cry if you miss out on the arroz valenciana and all of its chicken longanisa and mussel loveliness. Always leave room for dessert, like churros and tsokolate or turon with champagne mangos.

This turo-turo a.k.a. “point-point” style food stand remains a Seattle constant through decades of change at Pike Place Market. O-mart anchors the Filipino food community, and rightfully so—a meal at this famous orange counter is one of the most comforting food experiences in town. You can expect to be handed everything from off-menu items (like their “hood famous” fried chicken) to life lessons as the owners continue the work started by their mom in 1971. Always look out for the longanisa sausage, and their ever-popular sinigang full of salmon that cannot possibly get any fresher. But pay attention to the heavy signage that covers the kitchen—Oriental Mart does "NOT ACCEPT DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS…SO KNOW YOUR ROLE!"

After taking over the old Opus Co. space in 2021, The Chicken Supply is already serving some of the best fried chicken in the whole damn country. The crispness of the thigh is on a level I have only ever experienced decades ago at Koffee Pot, an old Filipino hangout in Georgetown that sold fried chicken skin as a bar snack. Here, they’re just as crunchy, attached to the thigh like Dr. Strange’s cape. It’s a beautiful thing, made even better when accompanied by their house-made banana ketchup, monggo, and garlic rice.

This Beacon Hill counter spot serves awesome Filipino plates that you should prioritize for a filling sit-down lunch or a “leave-work-two-hours-early-on-a-Friday” kind of meal. The space is filled with the smell of garlic and colorful homages to Filipino culture, like a proudly displayed flag, sungkâ, and intricately woven baskets and hats. But it’s the food you’re really here for. Their peppery pork sisig has a sizzle that could replace a white noise machine you turn on before bed, and a garlic aioli that comforts like a weighted blanket. Or, if menu-related FOMO takes hold, the Island Combo has a little taste of Chebogz’s greatest hits.

This Filipino bakery is more than just that mini purple cheesecake. There’s also the ube cookie, which is the one to rule them all. (Sorry, “The Cookie” from Met Market, you’re now #2.). Their recently expanded menu shines at Hood Famous’ new space in Chinatown—it’s a modern-day Cheers for the Filipino community. Start your food tour by ordering from the daytime meryenda menu offering pan de sal tocino sandos, mochi waffles, and iced ube lattes. And later, close the tour off with the evening pulutan menu’s beef mechado pot pie and the Supersonic co*cktail, complete with calamansi demerara.

A late-night Filipino walk-up window on Cap Hill is exactly what the neighborhood needed. The team behind speakeasy Knee High Stocking Co. made use of a little extra space to serve classics like adobo and sisig—but the sandwiches here at Jeepney should not be ignored. The steak tapa is part Filipino breakfast-for-dinner and part homage to bánh mì, with its crackling yet pillowy bun and tangy Velveeta-loaded beef. If you just need something fried after a few co*cktails, lumpia is on the menu, too. And, this is the only spot in town that offers leche flan regularly.

It takes a fierce Pinay to be the creative force behind Nate’s Chicken and Waffles, Happy Grillmore, Seattle Freeze, and Central District Ice Cream Company. Each has since closed, but Kryse has returned with an ice cream pop-up operating out of The Station each Sunday, with pints that feature predominantly Filipino flavors. You’ll find everything from dairy-free ube brown sugar to halo halo, as they drop new varieties every week—and the preorder inventory doesn’t last long.

When lechon kawali tops a sourdough Detroit-style crust served out of a house that looks like the one from Up, it’s not surprising that there’s a two-month waitlist. Sure, Moto isn't technically a Filipino restaurant, but the best pizza here is inspired by the owner's Filipino roots. This pie is known as Mr. Pig—with crumbled sausage and drizzles of calamansi chimichurri and homemade banana ketchup, it’s worth the hassle of securing an order.

Kilig, from the Musang team, is a more casual outpost in the International District that focuses on pancit and bulalo. And while Musang is a special occasion no-brainer, Kilig is ideal for an impromptu lunch or weeknight dinner that involves noodles, soup, and a supporting cast of other dishes that keep us coming back. Like coconutty pork adobo, sinigang chicken wings jazzed up with a dusting of puckering tamarind powder, and sticky squares of corn bibingka that make a great dessert or middle course. (It doesn't matter when you eat them, just do at some point.)

Barkada means “friends,” but it’s nothing like Central Perk in here. This hangout in Edmonds replaces coffee and muffins with Red Horse beer and musubi. Watch the Seahawks game while you chase pork sisig down with San Miguel Negra. If you’re not feeling beer, go with their ube horchata spiked with rum. There’s no leather couch like in the sitcom, but the fire pit outside will keep you and your friends cozy.

This fast food fried chicken is taking over the world. And Jollibee’s mascot is way less scary than Ronald McDonald, which is a bonus. Their signature breaded chickenjoy’s secret marinade keeps the queues long, but it moves fast. Do not knock the combination of fried chicken, steamed rice, and gravy until you try it, and make sure you don’t forget a peach mango pie.

You can find the best lumpia in the area in the suburbs of Renton. Mekenie’s are thin, yet meaty, and extra crispy. As for the rest of the food, they serve a lot of items that you’d normally see at a Filipino aunt’s godchild’s cousin’s christening—like embutido, crab fried rice, and pancit palabok. Inside, there’s a strong karaoke energy when you walk in, almost like it’s your turn to sing when picking up an order. And know that you’re covered for whatever mood you're in. Breakfast? The ‘silog menu is stacked. Lunch or dinner? There aren’t any Filipino dishes missing, whether you’re ordering bistek a la carte or some family-style ginataang sitaw. Truly, whatever you saw at that baptism party, don’t worry— it’s also here.

When Ludi’s closed, Seattle collectively gasped. The thought that this well-loved diner would no longer supply us with bright purple ube pancakes was devastating. But Ludi’s has returned, and so have the pancakes. Despite the new Downtown location, it still has the same family-run diner vibes—coffee never goes cold, a sizzling blacktop is the morning soundtrack, and breakfast is served all day. Ordering the combo silog (a.k.a bites of Ludi’s greatest hits) is a necessary rite of passage. The plate is filled with peppery longanisa, Subway foot-long sized lumpia, a juicy pounded pork chop, and fragrant garlic rice you could eat fistfuls of on its own. Just get here when they open at 7am, because by 7:30, a line is already forming underneath the iconic yellow and blue sign.

Aside from Ludi's, West Hill Deli in Auburn holds the title as the best Filipino diner. It’s far removed from Seattle proper, but fits in well as part of the South King County Filipino community. From griddled dishes like ube pancakes and smash burgers to garlic rice plates, it would be difficult to repeat a meal here. Don’t be afraid to bring a large group—there's plenty of space, with many flatscreens if you’re looking to grab lunch while catching the Seahawks make their way back to the Superbowl. Here’s hoping at least.

"Lasa" means flavor in English, and this Lynnwood sandwich shop understands that. You'll find many Filipino flavors here, from a breakfast egg and cheese with longanisa to a Philadelphia-style cheesesteak with soy-marinated bistek. But don't miss Lasa’s lumpia sub. This is a delicious deconstruction of the crispy meat-filled roll, with giant meatballs and a deep-fried lumpia wrapper stuffed inside the bread. The Lechon Kawali roll with its chunks of fried pork belly is also excellent. As for Lasa’s shiny tapioca pearls, the flavors keep coming with halo halo, Purple Paradise (ube), and the Boracay Breeze, named after the famed beach in the Philippines.