Kabayan Bistro Lounge and Banquet — Restaurant in New York

Little Manila's newsest Filipino restaurant, Kabayan Bistro Lounge & Banquet, had their grand opening today. I believe this is also the 4th Kabayan restaurant in NY, the original restaurant still in operation across the street.

The newest restaurant is quite lovely. The almost all white decor and open floor plan is nice to look at and there are plenty of Instagram worthy spots.

The menu is very reminiscent of the food offered in their other locations. Unfortunately, not everything on the menu was available on their first day. We ordered Krispy Pata, Ukoy, Lumpia Shanghai, side order of garlic rice and for dessert Halo Halo. The standout dish was definitely the Crispy Pata. Expertly deep fried and not greasy but still juicy. It was outstanding. The Lumpia was a bit salty, I thought, but not bad. The Ukoy was crunchy and light but a bit bland. Luckily, they provided a tangy vinegar dip to go with it. The Halo Halo was delightful and refreshing. And at $7.99, this was a bargain.

I think Kabayan Bistro has a lot of potential. They still have some kinks to iron out but I can already see this becoming one of the more popular restaurant in this neighborhood. Personally, I think the food in their original location across the street is slightly better but the decor and friendly staff in this Kabayan Bistro more than...

I've been a loyal customer of this restaurant for years, especially for Filipino food during parties and special gatherings. Unfortunately, my recent visits have been disappointing and far from the great experience I used to have.The place itself no longer feels welcoming — it’s noticeably dirty and not well maintained. What truly sealed the disappointment was the food. About two months ago, I ordered pork belly, and it was undercooked — something I never expected from a place I trusted. I had to send it back to the kitchen. I gave them another chance today and even brought a few friends along, hoping for a better experience, but sadly the pork belly was again undercooked. I showed it to the server, and while they acknowledged it, this kind of inconsistency is unacceptable.

On top of that, the kalderetang kambing we ordered was honestly the worst I’ve had — lacking flavor, texture, and care in preparation.

This used to be my go-to spot to satisfy my Filipino food cravings, but it seems like quality control is no longer a priority. I hope management seriously reconsiders their kitchen standards and brings back the consistency and heart this place was...

The ambiance is really nice, very modern and elegant. And although most filipinos do enjoy the homey vibes that many of the longtime restaurants in the area give, this place is more of a place to dress up and enjoy new music. The food is also good and the portion is just right. BUT service can use a but more tlc. Our waiter only saw us once when taking our order and not once acknowledged us or asked if we needed anything else throughout our whole time them. She also never failed to mention several times that she will need to take us out of our table because there was a party and our table may needed for it. I understand if it was reserved however, it was rude to CONSTANTLY tell your current customers (whose table you only acknowledged once since they were seated) that you will be moving them when not one individual from the party was even there yet. I had to signal her from across the restaurant for my check and my husband had to ask another waiter for refill on water. Hope they work on more attentive and caring customer service to provide a...