Kawali Filipino Cuisine — Restaurant in Fairborn

DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS PLACE!! The restaurant is small and occupies a corner spot at the end of a shopping center. It can be easy to miss, but it's well worth a visit! Inside was comfy, clean, and I was greeted right away. Jo gave me some fantastic suggestions and answered all my questions about ingredients and spice levels, etc. I went in to try the lumpia and was taking my order to go. I opted for the beef lumpia, but there is a vegetarian variety, too. Jo recommended the Spicy Beef and the Teriyaki Chicken both came with rice. I also got an order of pancit (a rice noodle/veggie/chicken dish). I took all of these items home, a good 15 minute drive. I always worry about this process - will the food be soggy? Will the containers spill, will I wish I had eaten there for the full experience? I should not have worried at all. It was packed wonderfully, the lumpia were crispy and warm when I got home, the were no spills. I made plates when I got home and we finally got to taste everything. All of the food was nothing short of wonderful!! High quality ingredients seasoned well, plenty of sauce, rice and noodles cooked to perfection, crispy light lumpia, and hefty portion sizes too. The spicy beef, though. Oh my stars!!!! If I could give 11 stars, I would still wish I could give 12! It was perfect. Spice level that anyone can appreciate, big tender slices of beef, a sauce that was robust and clung to the rice making every bite amazing. ♡ I spent about $40 for 8 Lumpia, entree sized Chicken Pancit as well as Spicy Beef, and Teriyaki Chicken which came with a double portion of rice. I could easily have fed my family of four; two of which are growing teen boys. It was a bargain by almost any standards!

I wish I could say I had been visiting this place regularly for years. I will be going back often from here forward. I am so excited to try more of the dishes they offer, and get one of their Halo Halo iced dessert drinks. Wow!

Be sure to check their Facebook for hours of operation. They will be closed for a break this spring, but their social media is great with reporting hours, daily menu items, and any closings for...

A FOODIE’S FIND, tucked between Columbus and Dayton, it’s a SUPERB AUTHENTIC FILIPINO eatery. It’s in a very unassuming corner of a strip mall, it’s TRULY A PLACE OF EXQUISITE CUISINE.

It’s cafeteria style with a serving counter to choose from a ready cooked 8-10 entrées. PLUS there’s a menu board for made-to-order food. Very generous servings.

My recommendations: Pinakbet: stewed mix of tropical vegetables yet crunchy in their colorful splendor; perfectly seasoned. Wow! Dinuguan: exotic blood stew of pieces of lean pork, very juicy meat simple seasoning of salt and pepper balanced with slightly tangy tart rice vinegar. The palate wakes! Lumpia Shanghai: very crispy pork roll, flavorful without the need of a dip. Kalderetta: stewed chunks of tender juicy beef, thick sauce, inviting orange hue from Annatto. 5: Tinola: exotic tangy soup with pieces of tender juicy chicken with veggies. It’s a lovely flavorful soup on a cold day. 6: Lechon Kawali: (Pride of Filipino home cooking) Made-to-order crispy fried roast pork belly, the fat very rendered but enough remains to savor the perfectly seasoned belly meat. The skin truly crunchy! Wow! 7: Kare Kare: (A gem of Filipino cuisine) Made-to-order oxtails stewed in peanut sauce, with terrific veggies cooked in the stewed. Served with sautéed shrimp paste that brings out the flavor of the meat and the sauce! It’s divine!

This is a midday restaurant service so go early!

Service is excellent by two lovely senior ladies who operate this...

From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a warm smile that instantly made us feel at home. Kawali Filipino Cuisine offers a wide variety of classic Filipino dishes, all served hot and fresh—just the way we like it!

My husband and I tried three dishes: sinigang, lechon kawali, and laing. The sinigang had just the right level of sourness, and the meat was fall-apart tender—comfort food at its finest. The lechon kawali was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. What really surprised me was the sauce. I initially thought it was Mang Tomas, but it turned out to be homemade—and honestly, even better! Lastly, the laing was absolutely delicious—rich, flavorful, and cooked just right. We truly enjoyed every bite.

Overall, Kawali Filipino Cuisine is a wonderful place to satisfy your Filipino food cravings. The flavors are authentic, the portions are generous, and the service is top-notch. We’ll definitely be back...