Lutong Pinoy — Restaurant in London

We had a table booked for 7:30pm for the Kamayan menu, but we had arrived 30mins early. We waited till 7:30 for our table to be ready but it wasn’t ready till about 7:45. During this time, my mum went to the toilet and said there was no toilet roll. I told the waiter and he said “yes, the toilet is there”, so I had to say it again more slowly. We were seated on a small table for 4, even though there were 5 of us. It was small and cramped in the corner of the restaurant.

We ordered canned drinks, but they had brought one wrong drink and one drink was warm. No glass, no ice was offered. Oh yeah, we also ordered water but didn’t get any.

I ordered some extra dishes on top of the kamayan at around 20:00. We were starving watching everyone else eat around us as we’d been there an hour already without food. Whilst we were waiting, I asked the waiter twice to turn the air on down as it was freezing (you could see everyone around us with their jackets still on). He didn’t turn it off or down during our entire stay.

Eventually the Kamayan came out an 1hr from when we booked our table (8:15pm). There was a small apology, but the waitress didn’t seem concerned or too sincere about it. The kamayan was bigger than the table itself we were seated at, which didn’t leave from for anything else. We ended up feeling more cramped than before and squashed between tables and the food. The waitress didn’t even give us any tissue or asked if anyone needed a fork. Just one spoon and the tiniest bowl. We also asked for sauce but no one brought any. When I asked for tissue, she gave me 3 tissues for 5 people, expecting her to bring more, but she didn’t.

The kamayan came with more carrots than anything else. There was barely any rice. We ordered Chicken adobo (which came in an individual bowl)Lechon Kawali, Daing na bungus and Chicken Between 5 of us, there was not enough meat. Some of us didn’t even get any plantain, or lechon. The spring rolls had no vegetables in them, or if there was, it was mushed up veg. The Pork soup was barely filled in the bowl no one got any meat, just a sour soup. There was not enough food for 5 people which was really disappointing and left us still hungry. There was also mention of sweet corn but that wasn’t even given, nor was it mentioned they didn’t have that today so would put something else.

The Beef KareKare and Pancit Bihon finally came after around 45mins-1hr from ordering it, again, with no cutlery, no plate, no anything. They didn’t even offer to remove the kamayan board. The water eventually came when I asked, to which she just placed all of the water on the kamayan board....there was literally no room to put our drinks and they didn’t give a care in the world.

By the time we finished, we didn’t even want dessert as it was already 2hrs since we got to the restaurant, and was just cold and cramped in the side of the restaurant.

It’s such a shame because I brought my mum there for mother’s day thinking it would be a nice thing to do as it may remind her of home, but it was the opposite. Food was slow to come, portions were too small and not very welcoming like Filipinos are. Hospitality was poor. Customer service was appalling and terrible.

In writing this as a two star review and I just realised that this is not even a two star rating, it’s a one star. If this was any other place I would’ve complained there and then, but because I’m filipino I felt more embarrassed...

This would probably the lengthy review I’ve ever written..

I was really disappointed of the service today. Had a busy whole morning and was looking forward to the “first meal” of the day. So I went there at around 2pm, politely ordered Tocilog to the lady staff who took my order. I was craving for it for so long that I got really excited. I could see that they were busy so I didn’t bother them and waited. However, the waiting time took almost an hour which I’m sure won’t take that long to prepare Tocilog so I asked the staff who were there to kindly follow up because I was rushing for my appointment later that day, she said it’s being prepared without even checking and just went on. So I’ve waited another 20mins and asked a different staff. Both of them said the same thing, again did not check. I’ve waited and waited until I was already shaking of hunger and worried that I might miss my scheduled appointment. Even overheard the ladies in another table noticed and said I’ve been waiting for so long. So I went to the counter and told them I couldn’t wait that long anymore and I’ll just pay for the Calamansi juice that they served. That’s the only time she hurriedly went downstairs and check about my order. Worst part was she gave me the pork liempo and asked if I could have it as a takeaway. So to cut the story short, the Tocilog wasn’t really prepared because she had written a different order which was the Pork Liempo. In the end, the senior staff said sorry and got the Calamansi juice for free. I’m not the kind of person who would make a scene after being given a bad service so I just walked away.

To others this “Tocilog thing” might sound a petty issue and why I would make fuss about it here. Don’t get me wrong, I used to come here if I crave Filipino food and I never post a bad review, only the good ones. But for sure, as a customer, you would also understand my sentiments and disappointment of being given false reassurance and letting a person wait for nothing! After all, for sure you don’t want to starve a customer, right? I’m sorry but I’m just...

This was a second time for me eating in this restaurant. I thought I will give them a second try as my first, was not good. My first time I had lechon but it was not lechon it was deep fried liempo and it was tough to chew! Last night, I brought a friend with me. I ordered sizzling beef steak with rice and my friend ordered Tortang Talong with garlic rice. My steak wasn't sizzling and my friend's garlic rice was cold. They took her garlic rice when she complained and when it came back it was hot but my friend's tortang talong was already cold and I have finished eating my meal. My friend visited Philippines with me once and she loved the tortang Talong that my yaya made her. She was expecting a traditional tortang talong- a whole aubergine covered in omelette. She got a standard omelette with slices of aubergine and it included its end stalk which she only seen when she bitten into it! Her omelette with slices of aubergine was £8.50- the portion was a standard size but it didn't include anything for that price. Her meal of an omelette and garlic rice came to £12.00 which was more expensive than my steak and rice meal that came to £10.95. She didn't mind to pay that price if it was an authentic tortang Talong. I tried to be logical and said to her that maybe they used the western aubergine which is usually huge as maybe hard to get them. Her replied was: "Maria, we just been to that Filipino shop to buy your Filipino snack fix and they sell Asian vegs including Asian aubergine. And I saw another Filipino shop selling the same thing next street- so, there is no excuse for them not to use authentic ingredients. And why the rice cold? They could be shut down for serving rice cold!" My friend was so disappointed that she didn't want to stay any longer there. She loves halo-halo but she opted out and made me have my halo-halo to go. Then we went next door, a Labanese restaurant were she ordered her aubergine moussaka and ate that happily and baclava dessert for after and 3...