Isla Detroit — Restaurant in Sterling Heights

This review is a bit late due to life haha.

I called on February 27th, my birthday, to order food that I was so excited for. I talked to a man, I didn't get his name I believe he is the owner. I politely asked him how the Pork Adobo was made. He very nicely explained to me how it was made and the difference between the cooking of the Pork Adobo vs the Chicken Adobo. I was sold. I order the Lechon Pork as well, but I knew 100% that I was getting that, so I had no questions.

My mom went to pick up the food for me because she was in the area. She went in and chatted with the gentlemen I talked to. Told him it was my birthday and how excited I've been to try Filipino food because I am an avid Asian food lover. My mom saw a lady, I believe is his wife, making a cake & adding toppings on it. Then he came and asked my mom if my birthday was today. She said yes. She saw him grab a candle and a piece of tape. He taped the candle onto the container. They gave my mom a piece of cake for me, for my birthday. When my mother returned home and told me this I was almost in tears. You do not experience things like that these days. & I instantly felt connected to them and their food before I even tasted it.

On to the food...

I ate the cake first because it was cold and was melting a little bit haha. It was chocolate with something inside of it, I'm not sure haha. But it was the most delicious cake I've ever had & I do not like cake much. It was so rich and decadent. I know it isn't a cheap piece of cake, but now I will order it the next time I get their food.

The Pork Adobo was the best pork dish I seriously have ever had. I have never had such a delicious, tender, flavorful dish. If you let it sit for a little bit, don't worry it'll stay HOT! The juices from the adobo will seep into the rice & WOW! Every grain of rice becomes a little flavor bomb. This is why I love Asian food. FLAVOR is never lacking if it's authentic. The Lechon was a crunchy fatty piece of heaven! Even the pieces without fat that were maybe a tiny bit dry, were still delicious. & I didn't care that there were some drier pieces because 98% of them were fatty and it was a good contrast. Not so dry you need to drink something, might I add haha.

Honestly, for my expectations? They were met 100 times over. Every single bite was delicious. I believe the price is more than fair for how much you get and how delicious the food is. You can taste the love and you can taste how much they care about their culture. The best way to experience a culture is through their food and after having Isla, I feel so connected to the culture and am utterly in love with it. I want to try something different next time just to experience more, but the Pork Adobo continues to call my name. Hopefully I will be able to order from there again soon!

Thank you for making my birthday feel so warm and making me feel special by the kind gesture of the oh so delicious piece of cake! Please never stop cooking and definitely next stop baking! Next time I will be dining in and bringing my toddler who also enjoyed the food and she's very picky haha.

Thank you again & I apologize for such a lengthy review, but you guys truly...

Delicious. Tasted like home. Came on a Wednesday and it was nice and slow. Inside is super clean and modern, there’s about five small tables and another seating area near the window, so be conscious of what day and time you’re coming.

We dined in and were given menus and were told to come back up front when ready to order. We chose the chicken inasal and lechon kawali.

For desert I was originally going to choose the Cashew Sans Rival that was on their little dessert sheet, but luckily Tita Jacqueline asked if we wanted Turon and or Halo Halo, we said yes to both and was not disappointed.

Food took about 15 minutes, but Filipino food can take a long time to cook, so I was happy to wait.

The food was amazing. It tasted like home, and it was certainly made with love. The portions are perfect. Lechon wasn’t too salty, but still had a crispy bite. Inasal was packed with flavor. And I don’t know what it is about their white jasmine rice, but it tasted wonderful, the fried garlic bits on top really made a difference.

Tita Jacqueline also seemed to be conscious of the time frame of where we were in our meal, because just as we were finishing up our entrees, the Halo Halo and Turon were being served. I really really appreciated that it timed out like that.

Halo Halo was delicious (and messy as it should be) and the Turon was perfectly cooked.

The Halo Halo tasted like the ones from home. And I appreciated the flaky, not overly sweet Turon.

I felt as though the prices were a tad bit expensive, but I know Filipino food can require a lot of time and resources to cook to make it taste properly.

The Owners were very nice and friendly, and I can’t wait to see them again when I have another pinoy food craving. The palabok and Batchoy is...

My husband picked up lunch for us from Isla Detroit, and it was amazingly delicious!!! We ordered the Pancit Palabok and Lechon Kawali.... I've been craving these dishes for the longest time, and I finally was able to get a taste today! I haven't met them personally,however, based on what I was told by my husband, the owners are great people, very friendly, and the preparation of the food was quick! We will definitely be back for more!! Salamat po!

Update: My husband and I met here for lunch and ordered the Lechon Kawali, Pork Adobo, and we got to try the Pancit Bihon with chicken. I can not get enough of their food!!! EVERYTHING is soooo freaking good!! I highly recommend the entire menu!! It's the most authentic Filipino food I've had that's not cooked by my own parents. I finally got to meet the owners, and they are the sweetest people!! They are the epitome of true Filipino heritage and hospitality.

On a side note: I rely on reviews, which is why I take the time to leave reviews for places I go. I'm honestly disappointed in many of the reviews that I see on here for Isla Detroit by people who claim they know what Filipino food tastes like. There are many variations of how Filipinos cook their food, and as a true foodie, you should never base your judgment on what you "think" it should taste like then leave a negative review because it wasn't...