Hapag Ihaw-Ihaw Restaurant — Restaurant in Vancouver

This place used to be my go to because it was CONSISTENTLY good; especially their crispy pata but my last few visits have been more and more disappointing. The owner Alfonzo is arrogant, defensive and has such a poor attitude as I have tried to provide my feedback to help understand and/or improve. For Father's day this past Sunday, we ordered the large $26 crispy pata providing a pick up time in advance. It was not 'falling off the bone' as others have described and what I'm used to but it was so overdone that the meat we always enjoy off the large bones was so hard that you couldn't even tear it off. When I told him about this he said 'next time you come I won't fry it as much then' so he just deflected it. I would avoid ordering this again after that reply so I suggested why not offer a discount to ensure if I return I will know that it will be as how it's always been? He basically said no and 'I've cooked thousands of crispy pata. Alot of people like my pata. But I know I won't be able to make all people like it. But I'm always consistent with it ... if you don't like it don't come back". He said he felt relieved that I would no longer be a customer which is also fine with me "I study all my criticisms carefully that's how I stay in business. I analyze it. And I go back to my kitchen. Now from experience I know some people are just crazy and just have no clue what they're talking about" Because the food was no longer consistent, I didn't vist all of 2024 until Dec 2024 and it was just because it was close by to where we were running an errand. In Dec 2024 it was another disappointment as the kare kare beef was salty, tough and no longer the nice tender pieces it has always been. The combination bbq chicken was burnt and smothered with loads of sauce to hide it. So after this I didn't return until the other day for Father's day. It's unfortunate but I guess Alfonzo thinks he's an expert and his place is great. I'm sorry but it's the customers who keep you in business. With dining out being less affordable we all know there is no shortage of other great Filipino establishments that value their customers. I don't recommend this place unless you are willing to accept a hit miss...

This is my first time here. We were a party of four with a reservation. We arrived on time and unfortunately, they weren't ready to receive us to be seated. This place is very intimate seating maybe 16-20 people at best. It was quite hot in the restaurant because the sun the windows are single glazed and the heat was coming through. It's ok they also had an air conditioner that was working overtime. They were quite busy. We eventually ordered a large crispy pata (deep fried pork hock), lumpia Shanghai (spring rolls with meat), pork bbq, pork sisig ( a mix of pork parts that have been boiled then fried and served on a sizzling plate with seasonings - google it) and of course garlic fried rice. This was the best crispy pata and pork sisig I have ever had. The pork in the pata was so beautifully seasoned and the skin was crispy and delicious. The accompanying sauce was an excellent side to this. I bought the bottles of sauces they had on hand. Crispy pata, bbq and sweet and spicy vinegar. The resto does incredible takeout business. They're a very busy place. We came at 645pm and they were packed. I will definitely be back especially for their crispy pata and delicious pork sisig. The lone server handled the busy restaurant admirably. They need maybe one more server. Our food did arrive in reasonable time. And at the end of the meal we ordered two halo Halos. We shared them and they were good. Remember to mix them. Thank you...

My wife and I visited Hapag Ihaw Ihaw on 4/6/2025 and were the first customers of the day. We asked to order a small crispy pata, but the woman at the counter told us they only had large available. No big deal—we ordered it along with several other dishes and were happy to support the restaurant.

As more customers arrived, I overheard the same woman taking orders in Tagalog and happily offering small orders of crispy pata to those customers. It became clear that the difference wasn't about availability—it was about perception. She must have assumed I wasn’t “Filipino enough” to be offered the same option. She was wrong. I was born in the Philippines and am fluent in Tagalog.

We called the restaurant afterward to ask why we were only offered the large size, and the response was frankly disappointing. They said “orders are based on freshness and decided by the chef,” which, to be honest, felt like a cover-up. Translation: We gave you the large because we needed to get rid of it.

This review isn’t about the $4 difference in order sizes. It’s about a harmful mentality that still lingers in our culture—the idea that if you don’t look or sound “Filipino enough,” you’re treated differently. This kind of thinking needs to stop. It’s hurtful, divisive, and sadly, still very real. We expected good food and fair service. Instead, we got singled out and taken advantage...