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Top 5 Filipino Restaurants in Manchester You NEED to Try to Comfort Your Soul (and Tastebuds!)
We’ve all been there: you find yourself hankering for a dish that’s too troublesome to cook yourself. Forget any old food! What you’re really after is that certain taste that feels like home.
This feeling is particularly strong for my Filipino mates, who are desperate for comforting cooking that instantly reminds them of family meals made by their mum on a Sunday afternoon.
Well, that instantly drew me in, and I couldn’t help but crave my first bite of Filipino food. With my appetite properly whetted, I knew what had to be done: a proper Manchester food crawl to hunt down the best places to cure their homesickness and my newfound craving!
Read our list below, completely curated and Filipino-approved, so you’ll know exactly where to pop into next time the craving hits!
Yes Lah
Media from: @yeslahmcr
Location: 102 Barlow Moor Rd, Didsbury
Contact details: 0738 744 7726 (cel.), [email protected] (email)
Open hours: Thursdays-Sundays — 11 AM-4 PM
Don’t-Miss-Dishes:
- Chicken Sisig
- Char Siu Sandwich
- Pandan Latte
If you need to get a sense of what a typical Filipino Sunday feels like, then Yes Lah! Might must be your next stop! It’s a brilliantly decorated, woman-owned spot, backed by an equally sunny team both behind the counter and in the kitchen.
This is undoubtedly one of the best places to go to for a proper taste of those classic homemade Filipino dishes. The Chicken Sisig, in particular, was a favourite, thanks to its creamy texture and the perfectly fluffy jasmine rice it was served with.
And you can even stock up on Filipino goodies to take home! They sell those Pancit Canton instant noodles—which make for an oddly good combination with some rice (yes, really)—and Filipino brand chips, or chichirya, as my friends called them.
| Pro tip Their kitchen closes thirty minutes before closing time, so get there and get your orders in as quickly as you can if you’re running a bit late! |
Tarp’s Filipino Fusion Street Food
Media from: @tarps_filipino_fusion
Location: Stall 57, Ashton Indoor Market, Bow St, Ashton-under-Lyne
Contact details: 0749 617 5109 (cel.)
Open hours: Mondays-Saturdays — 10 AM-4 PM
Don’t-Miss-Dishes:
- Tapsilog
- Lechon Kawali
- Chicken Adobo
- Pancit Bihon
Ever wondered what it would be like to eat in a proper, open Filipino diner, with everyone milling about while you tuck into delicious food? Well, there’s no need to wonder—just head straight to this stall in Ashton Market!
At Tarp’s Filipino Fusion Street Food, Chef Carl and his parents cook up their own family recipes, putting a personal twist on classic Filipino dishes. This means you get a bite of proper fried or grilled Filipino food that has that extra personal touch.
The Tapsilog—a classic breakfast staple—is widely raved about, and we instantly agreed the moment we took our first bite! The beef was perfectly cooked, the sinangag (garlic rice) blended brilliantly, and the fried egg really topped the whole thing off!
Overall, the sinangag rice toppings here are must-tries! If you’re looking for something sweet, go for the Tosilog (sweet pork with garlic rice and egg).
| Pro tip Tuesdays are some of the busiest days in Ashton Market. We recommend going to Tarp’s on any other of its open days if you want to easily snag a table and not have to wait hours to do so. |
Lazy Panda Pan Asian
Media from: @lazypanda.panasian
Location: 570 Ashton New Rd, Clayton
Contact details: 0161 230 8044 (cel.)
Open hours:
- Mondays-Thursdays — 12 PM-9:30 PM
- Fridays-Saturdays — 12 PM-10 PM
- Sundays — 12 PM-8:30 PM
Don’t-Miss-Dishes:
- Pancit
- Chicken/Veggie Lumpia
- Turon
Okay, so this spot doesn’t stick to just Filipino food, but that certainly doesn’t make it any less worthy of a place on our list! Lazy Panda is a casual restaurant with a relaxed, easy vibe, but the chefs take every bit of Pan-Asian cuisine seriously.
Among all the sushis and gyozas in their menu, you can also grab some fantastic, flavourful, stir-fried Filipino dishes. And, trust us, they definitely don’t disappoint!
Our personal favourite would have to be the Pancit—my mates loved it, and I had to agree. Those soy noodles with a dash of citrus squeezed on top? It’s a pure flavour parade, with the vegetables adding the right bit of crunch.
Their turon with ube ice cream is the perfect way to cap things off, with its crunchy banana-filled sugary wrap, deep-fried to perfection, and perfectly complimented by the ube.
| Pro tip Check the latest on their Instagram; not only do they show off their food, but they also promote limited-time offers and discounts. |
Rollan’s Pinoystore | Adastra Pacific
Media from: @Jeff Lopez
Location: 259-261 Wellington Rd S, Stockport
Contact details: 0161 480 6748 (cel.), [email protected] (email)
Open hours:
- Weekdays — 9 AM-7 PM
- Saturdays — 10 AM-7 PM
- Sundays — 11 AM-6 PM
Don’t-Miss-Dishes:
- Bicol Express
- Lumpia Shanghai
While the storefront might suggest your average Oriental grocery, that’s absolutely not the whole story at Rollan’s Pinoystore! Don’t get us wrong, we appreciated picking up a whole host of Filipino products for our own cooking, but their humble little restaurant at the back is also worth a spotlight.
Right past shelves of Datu Puti (that’s Filipino-brand vinegar!) and rice noodles, you’ll find a classic diner and cafeteria-style spot. We’d say it’s worth trying out at least once, especially for the Bicol Express and Lumpia Shanghai they serve!
Anyone who wants a taste of proper, ready-to-eat Filipino meals should come by!
| Pro tip Order online on busy days; they have that option available for both the grocery store itself and their restaurant. |
Hello Oriental MCR
Media from: @hello_oriental_mcr
Location: Unit 3B, South Pavilion, 2 Symphony Park
Contact details: 0797 996 5123 (cel.), [email protected] (email)
Open hours:
- Mondays-Thursdays — 8 AM-10 PM
- Fridays — 8 AM-11 PM
- Saturdays — 10 AM-11 PM
- Sundays — 10 AM-9 PM
Don’t-Miss-Dishes:
- Longsilog
- Lechon Kawali
That’s right, even Symphony Park’s own food hall is getting in on the Filipino action! As always, it remained quite a lively place, and it was exciting to try out not just the different Asian dishes here, but also the Filipino food they serve.
I’d argue that Hello Oriental is a great way to expand one’s palate while introducing your palate to Filipino food at the same time. Plus, my mates and I agreed that it’s a great hangout spot!
Here, enjoy the Longsilog, a sausage and fried rice dish that might be meant for breakfast but is superb any time of the day! They also serve fried and grilled dishes like Lechon Kawali, all of which come with some of the most amazing sauces we tasted on our whole crawl.
Need for food stocks at home? Their website’s complete with an online store, fully stocked with rice, Asian condiments, snacks, and more—to be delivered to your doorstep!
| Pro tip They have student discounts available in September, so it might be a good idea to treat a loved one to some nice 20% off food. So you might enjoy bringing a sibling or cousin who needs a day to eat out in between stressful school days. |
