Manila Resto - Oshkosh

I didn't know we were going to this restaurant until I saw the Manila sign outside. My husband surprised me! I am from the Philippines and I had never eaten in a Filipino inspired restaurant in this part of the US. I was so happy! We had been out the whole day and I was starving! I was so excited to feast on some Filipino food. We waited at the entrance for awhile to be seated. We could see two ladies talking behind the counter and they saw us entering, but, they kept on chatting and didn't seem to care until I waved one of them. Our order came after aonw time.. I was so excited to show off a couple of Filipino dishes to my husband. I even told him, these were some of the most popular dishes in my country, and guaranteed, he'd like them. HOWEVER: The steak pepper was swimming in a gravy of vinegar and salt! It tasted like a pickle, even more sour! The adobo fusion, a combo of chicken and pork was very dry, gummy and tasted old. It was extremely salty. The taste was FLAT. No layers of tastes and not a hint of semblance to any Filipino version of adobo. The calabasa dish was more of a sorry very salty soup it was not edible at all! The three versions of rice were horrible! For an $80 sloppy dinner, $100 to include tip) it was very disappointing. This restaurant is a gross misrepresentation of Filipino cuisine. The food are a grave insult to Filipino dishes! It is shameful! The worst food I have ever eaten! NEVER at that restaurant again!

The Crystal noodle dish was delicious as well as vegetable stew (with coconut milk).

Located downtown, this restaurant is welcoming in a very relatable way, but distant from the simplicity one would find in the Philippines. My Filipino partner (from Gen San) and I ordered the calamari, the Lechon, and the pancit sotanghon. The calamari was delicious, light, and the citrus soy was delightful. The rest of the food however was less than stellar. Pork belly is always fatty, but this want just fatty, it lacked anything but the fat, and there was a hardness to the skin not the snap you expect eating lechon. The pancit had relatively no flavour other than oil and anatto. The vegetables were lifeless, and the noodles were mush. The noodles I can forgive because depending on the region the consistency of them can vary but the taste was so disappointing. We also paired it with the sinangag but it, wasn't fried with bits of garlic, it was white rice that had been steamed with garlic. I wanted this to be a replacement for the Filipino restaurant we left before we moved here, but unfortunately it isn't. Add to that a high cost and this feels nothing like a true Pinoy experience.

Food service is always good. It was surprisingly empty for a Saturday evening but I think that definitely contributed to our speedy service. Everyone was friendly food was fresh delicious. Don't be surprised if your food seems to be taking a long time. Everything is made fresh it's worth the wait.

Loved the food and enjoyed the live band. Nice flavors in the traditional Philippino dishes