Tambayan Grill and Filipino Asian Store — Restaurant in Goulburn

Tambayan Grill and Filipino Asian Store is a bright spot on the dull drive to Canberra, and not just due to the neon signage inside and out. You’ll find it turning out glistening plates of crisp skinned lechon ($20) in the Goulburn Gateway Service Station. Despite the plastic rattan-look chairs, it’s not an unpleasant place to eat a plate of seasoned and tasty roast pork and rice. Owner-chef Jonathan Manglinong is mostly a one-man-show, but there’s plenty to look at while you wait: spread across freezers, fridges, a Bain Marie and shelves, are Pinoy products aplenty! For road-trip snacks hit up Cebu brand dried mango slices, and J’s Crispy Chicken Isaw inspired by the Filipino street food, isaw (grilled chicken intestines). Plus there is a good selection of shrimp pastes (bagoong), an ingredient that adds savoury depth to Pinoy dishes.

Making a grand entrance on a sizzling cast iron plate, sizzling sisig ($25) uses the pig’s head, belly and ears for extra chewy texture. It’s fried up with garlic and onions, and topped with a still-cooking egg and a fragrant, sour calamansi lime. No part of the pig is wasted, with some turning up in an empanadita ($2.50) alongside finely diced vegetables, in a homely, misshapen short pastry shell. It’s a dense, heavy-protein lunch that will fuel you to wherever...

Go and support a darn good place!

Went over just before closing time (closed at 8pm) Got the roast pork and had a look around the shop, a very friendly guy explained what the dishes were and was very polite.

The shop area was good and stocked with plenty of fillipino groceries and other things.

There was kareoke available which looked like a hoot for a couple of people to have a go during dinner.

The food was solid but could do with a pickled veggie or or boiled egg or other third thing to break up the meat and rice, sauce i got was a nice gravy and the crackling was perfect.

Only critiques is that a menu with an explanation would be helpful to people unfamiliar with the cusine.

Will definitely be coming back but maybe not just before...

Food is not fresh, all pre cooked, oily & tasteless, requested fresh or warm food as we were warned by friends who had been already, was still served luke warm or cold, the $64 per kilo Lechon was cold & dry. The shrivelled semi cold food in the warmer was off putting, limited menu items. If this restaurant wants to last they better up their game. To the owners: go eat at Lolo & Lola at Watson Canberra, that is the standard, that is what the people of Goulburn expect, not karenderya style food! This is a honest review, i'm sure the owners mean well & i hope they improve. The grocery...