First Look: Manila Bistro Offers Flavors of the Philippines in Kirkwood

By Mabel Suen Thu., Nov. 8 2012 at 7:00 AM

Categories: First Look

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Mabel Suen

Chicken adobo.

Cafe Manila also offers more widely recognized items such as lumpia ($5.25), or fried savory pastries filled with seasoned ground pork, shrimp, turnips and carrots served with spicy banana sauce; and chicken adobo ($7.50 for a lunch portion; $8.95 for dinner), which consists of breast of chicken cooked in sugarcane vinegar with potatoes, peppercorns and special soy with a touch of bay leaves.

Mabel Suen

During the day, Manila Cafe also serves American-style soups, salads and gourmet sandwiches such as tuna and chicken salad ($5.59) for on-the-go folks hoping to grab a quick lunch. And by the way, the usual rule applies here more than usual: Save room for dessert! Options include a huge helping of "Halo-Halo" ($6.95) with sweet preserved red beans, soft coconut, jack fruit, sugar palm fruit, crushed ice, ice cream and purple yam, "Turron" ($2.25), or fried sweet plantains in special wrapper, and "Leche Flan" ($3.95).

Manila Bistro's current hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Happy hour with beer and wine specials lasts from 5 to 7 p.m.