9 restaurants serving Arroz Caldo
Napa, CA
“Carabao represents a groundbreaking milestone for Filipino cuisine, bringing Michelin-trained Chef Jade Cunningham's refined yet accessible vision to Napa Valley as the region's first Filipino restaurant. Named after the Philippines' national animal, the water buffalo symbolizing strength and perseverance, Carabao opened in 2025 after three years of sold-out pop-ups that proved Napa's appetite for elevated Filipino food. Chef Jade, who grew up in Bulacan and trained at The French Laundry, blends her childhood flavors with fine-dining techniques learned from Thomas Keller's legendary kitchen. The intimate 50-seat dining room features soft pink and jade green tones, fresh plants, and rattan baskets that evoke Philippine rice fields, while murals by Filipino artist Marielle Atanacio celebrate cultural heritage. Founded in partnership with her husband Mathew Cunningham and the Gonzales Family Fund, Carabao serves as both restaurant and platform for Filipino culinary arts advancement. The menu reimagines classics with precision and artistry - arroz caldo becomes chicken confit porridge with local organic ingredients, pancit features hand-rolled noodles with seasonal vegetables, and sisig tacos arrive topped with quail eggs. Tortang talong pairs with smoked coconut bechamel and marinated cherry tomatoes, while sweet spaghetti uses Wagyu hot dog Bolognese. Traditional dishes like kare-kare, lumpia, lechon, and inasal showcase bold Filipino flavors through refined presentations. The curated wine list features Napa Valley selections that complement the cuisine's complexity. Reservations through Resy fill quickly for dinner service Tuesday through Saturday, with weekend lunch available. Carabao's 4.9 rating reflects exceptional execution that honors tradition while pushing boundaries. This restaurant doesn't replace home cooking but celebrates it through a lens that positions Filipino cuisine on the global fine-dining stage where it belongs.”
Los Angeles, CA
“Manila Inasal has emerged as one of Los Angeles's most acclaimed Filipino restaurants since opening in Silver Lake in 2023, founded by Chef Natalia Moran and her siblings who began cooking from their Manila home during the 2020 pandemic to feed frontline workers. This critically acclaimed establishment earned praise from The Infatuation and LA Times for reimagining Filipino cuisine with creativity, precision, and heart through elevated dishes that blend traditional flavors with modern presentation. Located at 240 Virgil Avenue, the restaurant evolved from a ghost kitchen in Echo Park to a full-service dining experience featuring live music performances, often with the owner's father playing guitar under neon lights while customers celebrate birthdays and special occasions in a lively family-reunion atmosphere. The menu showcases innovative takes on Filipino classics including laing reimagined as a dip with housemade focaccia, crab-stuffed tortang talong with roe and calamansi aioli, and kare kare in macadamia nut and crab fat gravy. The signature chicken inasal and flavorful milkfish inasal with green chile sauce represent perfectly executed traditional dishes, while creative offerings like arroz caldo arancini demonstrate the kitchen's playful fusion approach. With exceptional desserts including ube mochi brownie, coconut custard, and bibingka, plus weekend live music and BYOB policy, Manila Inasal has become a must-visit destination for both Filipino families seeking elevated comfort food and adventurous diners discovering Filipino cuisine in refined, memorable ways.”
City of Industry, CA
“Josephine's Special Empanadas represents a remarkable immigrant success story, founded by Josephine Tallungan in 2002 as a solution to provide for her family after being laid off. What began with selling chicken empanadas in parking lots has evolved into a thriving minority-owned, woman-owned family business that has become the first Filipino establishment in the City of Industry/Rowland Heights area. The bakery specializes in Filipino-American inspired baked goods, particularly their signature empanadas that blend traditional Filipino flavors with modern techniques in perfectly portioned hand-held pastries. Each empanada features a golden, flaky crust filled with savory ingredients like seasoned beef, tender chicken, creamy mushroom, or their unique creamy corn cheese for vegetarian customers. Beyond empanadas, the bakery offers traditional Filipino sweets including bibingka in regular, ube and pandan flavors, and serves champurado and arroz caldo on weekends. The establishment's mission goes beyond just selling food-they aim to establish Filipino flavors as an integral part of Asian-American food culture while honoring the family's heritage and their mother's original recipes.”
Washington, DC
“KAYU represents modern Filipino fine dining in Washington DC, led by acclaimed Chef Paolo Dungca who earned a James Beard nomination in 2024. The restaurant name derives from 'kayumanggi'-Filipino for 'brown,' describing the sun-kissed skin of Filipino people-celebrating Filipino heritage through innovative cuisine. After originally opening on H Street NE with upstairs fine dining (Kayu) and downstairs caf (Hiraya), the restaurant relocated to Dupont Circle in August 2025 with a more accessible, streamlined concept focused on la carte dining rather than tasting menus. Chef Dungca, originally from San Fernando (Philippines' culinary capital) and Manila, trained at notable DC establishments including Bad Saint, Kaliwa, and Restaurant Eve before launching his vision for modern Filipino cuisine. His cooking philosophy embraces seasonal produce, vegetarian options, and gluten-free dishes while maintaining Filipino soul, sourcing locally and fusing traditional flavors with contemporary techniques. The bright 40-seat Dupont location features family-style plates designed for multiple weekly visits rather than just special occasions, with signature dishes including the famous cassava cake topped with crab fat, jamn Ibrico, and trout roe; purple ube bao bun sliders with chorizo; and ribeye with burnt coconut sauce infused with lemongrass and galangal-southern Filipino flavors rarely seen in US Filipino restaurants. Other standout offerings include tocino chicken with sweet soy-garlic-annatto-pineapple glaze, sweet corn agnolotti with curry emulsion, and inventive desserts like burnt cassava cheesecake. The beverage program features Filipino-influenced cocktails including pandan negroni and tamarind-jackfruit margarita alongside Filipino beers and curated wines. KAYU represents the new generation of Filipino restaurants elevating the cuisine beyond traditional expectations while maintaining authentic flavors and warm hospitality.”
Chicago, IL
“Bayan Ko stands as one of Chicago's most acclaimed Filipino restaurants, earning Michelin recognition for its innovative Filipino-Cuban tasting menu created by husband-and-wife team Chef Lawrence Letrero and Raquel Quadreny. The intimate Ravenswood restaurant offers a multi-course tasting menu celebrating both Filipino and Cuban heritages through creative, contemporary preparations. Signature dishes include black rice arroz caldo with calamansi-butter-poached lobster, wagyu beef vaca frita with black bean and plantain purees, and lechon with Cuban mojo and crispy crust. Featured in The Infatuation with an 8.0 rating and praised for successfully channeling fancy dinner energy into a charming neighborhood spot, Bayan Ko represents elevated Filipino dining executed at the highest level. The restaurant offers optional wine pairings and a relaxed atmosphere despite the upscale food, while their adjacent Bayan Ko Diner serves casual Filipino and Cuban dishes for those wanting a more informal experience. The restaurant has become essential to Chicago's Filipino dining scene, demonstrating Filipino cuisine's potential for fine dining innovation.”
Kensington, MD
“Kuya Ja's Lechon Belly specializes in Cebu-style boneless lechon belly, founded by Chef Javier Fernandez who was born on the island of Cebu, renowned worldwide for having the best lechon. After traveling throughout Cebu to perfect his technique, Chef Ja ("Kuya" meaning "big brother") created his signature boneless pork belly masterpiece with impossibly crispy skin and succulent meat that captures authentic Cebuano flavors. The fast-casual restaurant has earned extraordinary recognition including Food & Wine Magazine's Best Place to Eat Filipino Food in Maryland, Eater DC's 38 Standout Dining Destinations, RAMMYS finalist nominations, Washingtonian Best of Washington, and an invitation to cook at the James Beard House. Starting as a weekend pop-up that grew into a beloved destination with serious crowds and loyal fans, Kuya Ja's serves family-style Filipino dishes including famous Fili Wings with adobo glaze, Arroz Caldo chicken porridge, Pork Belly Sisig, and Tortang Talong eggplant omelette, all reflecting Chef Ja's passion for authentic Filipino flavors.”
Charleston, SC
“Founded by James Beard Award Finalist Chef Nikko Cagalanan and Paula Kramer, Kultura honors the memory of Lola Mansueta through carefully crafted Filipino dishes that blend traditional recipes with local Charleston ingredients. Chef Cagalanan, who began cooking while working as a nurse in 2017, creates modern interpretations of classic Filipino cuisine served family-style, with Sunday kamayan communal feasts where guests eat with their hands from banana leaves. The restaurant has earned national recognition as one of Eater and Esquire's Best New Restaurants, featuring dishes that tell stories of heritage, memory, and the warmth of Filipino hospitality.”
Chino Hills, CA
“Seafood Ranch Grill is a family-owned Filipino restaurant serving the Inland Empire since 2016, crafting every dish from traditional family recipes passed down through generations. Operating as an authentic Turo-Turo, they prepare fresh ingredients daily and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner six days a week. From their signature crispy lechon kawali to famous pork embutido, they bring authentic Filipino flavors to Chino Hills with a welcoming, family-oriented atmosphere.”
National City, CA
“Manila Sunset Grille serves Rancho Cucamonga in California's Inland Empire as part of the Manila Sunset chain founded by the Halili family in 1985, bringing rare Filipino specialties to this growing suburban area at 11815 East Foothill Boulevard. This location maintains the chain's commitment to specializing in unique Filipino delicacies rarely found even in the Philippines, including their signature pancit Malabon from a well-guarded Malabon village recipe, plus bibingkang galapong and puto bumbong-Christmas treats traditionally found only in church plazas during the Philippine holiday season. The restaurant features made-to-order Filipino barbecues with pork, chicken, beef, and calamari all grilled fresh, plus authentic favorites like crispy pata, dinuguan, and arroz caldo. Rancho Cucamonga's location in the western Inland Empire serves Filipino families throughout the region. Manila Sunset Grille continues the family tradition of evoking memories of home for Filipinos in America through authentic, traditional flavors.”
