Best Crispy Chicken Wings Across the US

Abstrakt Filipino Essence

Jacksonville Beach, FL

“Abstrakt Filipino Essence has emerged as Jacksonville Beach's most acclaimed Filipino restaurant, evolving from a beloved food truck at Court Urban Food Park to a permanent Beach Boulevard location where chef-owner JoJo Hernandez showcases contemporary Filipino cuisine. As a leader of Northeast Florida's #morethanlumpia movement, Hernandez elevates Filipino food beyond the expected, incorporating traditional family recipes with sophisticated twists that highlight the complexity and nuances of diasporan Filipino cooking. The restaurant's modernist dining room features blonde wood tables and tropical accents including a photographic sugarcane mural, creating an atmosphere that balances contemporary style with Filipino warmth. Abstrakt's menu features accomplished dishes like kare-kare with pureed eggplant and fermented fish paste, chicken tocino with maple-Sriracha aioli, and exceptional desserts including cassava cake rich with coconut and condensed milk, plus turon with caramel and ube ice cream that critics call dazzling. With nearly 300 reviews earning a 4.8 rating, Abstrakt Filipino Essence demonstrates that Filipino cuisine can compete at high culinary levels while maintaining the soul and hospitality that define Filipino food culture.”