CONTRIBUTED BY KATHRYN CALAGUI

My husband and I are both Filipino-Americans and every now and then we miss the taste of a home-cooked Filipino meal. I only know a handful of recipes – but no matter what, it will never be the same as my mother’s cooking.

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I heard that Manila Bay on Gate 2 street cooks Filipino food, but they are only open at night for the night owls roaming around Gate 2 street. A couple of months ago, a friend had introduced us to Bungalow Filipino Restaurant. It’s a cute little restaurant serving all the traditional Filipino dishes you can think of, from pancit (which I can best describe it as Filipino lo mein) to sinegang ng baboy (pork stew).

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The menu is in Tagalog (the Philippine’s native language), but the description of the dishes are in English. My all time favorite is kare kare (ka-re ka-re), which is oxtail w/ bokchoy and eggplant in a peanut butter sauce. My son loves the lumpia shanghai (pork egg rolls), which is one of the most common and popular Filipino appetizers.

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They also have a good variety of Filipino desserts. You must try the halo halo (mix mix), which is a mixture of beans, coconut, sometimes flan, sometimes purple sweet potato (also known as ube), shaved ice, and milk. I know it may sound kind of weird, but trust me, it’s amazing!

So, if you’re in search for a good Filipino meal or just want to try something new, I highly recommend Bungalow. The restaurant, itself, is very warm and inviting and the service is very friendly. The prices are not expensive at all.


Bungalow Filipino Restaurant

Hours: 11:00AM to 9:00PM, last order at 8:30PM, closed on Mondays.

Phone: 098-937-2022

Payment: Dollars are accepted.

Address: 1 Chome-28-7 Chuo, Okinawa

Google Maps Coordinates: 26.3371595, 127.79821990000005

Directions:  From Kadena Gate 2, go straight, make a left when you see Richie Rich, and Bungalow will be on your right, across from Monster Ink.  Parking can be difficult, but if you pass the restaurant, there is a parking garage for 200 Yen on your left.

17 COMMENTS

  1. Ria, i’ve been a customer of bungalow since the management had change. And i don’t know what you are acting up about. When you ask if they served halo halo and the worker said yes don’t you think that would automatically be understood as you are ordering one? Otherwise you should have said that you were just asking and that you’ll just come by later and pick it up. Because i know that they tell you how long it would take for them to make the food that you order on the phone. And why didnt you say something about it while you were at bungalow?

  2. I called to ask if they are serving halo halo and i didnt even say that i wanted to order i said i will come there later…as soon as i came this young teen girl said “r u the one who called?” I said yes and she said that my halo halo been done and melted alrdy….so if u wanna eat anything dont even try to ask or call them…i dont think they should take any orders or phone calls..they dont know what they’re doin

  3. Tried again last night. There were a few people sitting at the bar (looked like the workers) smoking. It was so smoked up that smoke literally poured out the door when we walked in… couldn’t even consider eating in there. This was the second time this has happened. I went for a lunch a few months ago and loved it and wanted to go again and again but won’t eat in a smoky place. Sorry! If you are the owners and reading this, ask your workers to smoke outside, and you’ll have tons more business!

  4. bungalow is now under new management… even better … they got lots of new dishes that we all go crazy and crave for… we always celebrate special occasions with my family and friends in this cool and cozy filipino restaurant… from best ever cook… to super friendly food servers…what more we can ask for… u will leave the place satisfied and of course with a smile!! im speaking in behalf of tropang champions and all its members as well… so what u guys waiting for? lets go and eat at BUNGALOW!! mangan tila!!

  5. I am Filipino and my family enjoys eating at this restaurant. The food is good and the prices are decent. I haven’t had any bad experience so far and they ladies behind the counter are always nice to talk to esp. while waiting for the food to cook. My husband and I tried eating at Kabayan once but the service and so-so food left a bitter taste our mouths. When we went there, the staff we having some sort of get together dinner and although the restaurant itself was open to the public, the service that they provided made us feel like we were intruding and it was such an inconvenience to be there. The food was nothing to brag about. Hubby said he’s had better dinuguan at the Bungalow. I really was hoping that Kabayan would be a good one since I’ve read the posts, but like I said, it was a disappointment. Perhaps we will have better luck next time….if ever we do give it another chance.

    • I would give it another shot if I we’re you, so far I never had any bad experiences rather waiting a bit longer on lunch times. But with only three ladies doing all the work, what could I expect right?

  6. I’ve been to this place before, and it was nice to get a good home-cooked filipino meal, but when we went to order, they were out of lumpia, out of fish sinigang…so it was frustrating, and I left un-satisfied. I’ve been to Kabayan Restaurant several times, and they are AWESOME!! It’s the only place I go to get a good meal until I go home and beg my Apu to cook for me… hehe.

  7. I am not a fan of thie place either. The one and only time we went there, I watched the woman cook our food (you can see the kitchen from the dining area) and she totally tasted the dish straight from the cooking utensil and put it back in the pot to stir. I prefer Kabayan. Its further straight on that road on the right on the 2nd floor. The food is way better and they have more selection! They even offer crispy pata (not on the menu, but you can call ahead for it since it takes a while to cook).

  8. I was not impressed at all with this place! Not only was the food just “so-so”, my whole family was not happy w/ the lumpia at all! But thats not it. One of the women who was working was very rude. She had a frustrated attitude torward my 3 year old which really put a “bad taste in my mouth” We will never go back!

  9. This restaurant is a favorite for my family and some friends of ours. Both of our husbands are Filipino, so we were already familiar with some of the dishes. The kare-kare is a must everytime I go there. It too is my fave. You should also try chicharon bulaklak (fried pig intestine). It sounds gross, but really it’s good. Reminds me of salted chips. 🙂 It’s great for kids too because my son eats up the pancit and rice. Glad to see this place reviewed on here and it’s so close and convenient. The staff is always so friendly as well. 🙂 We even call ahead and order sometimes so when we go to sit down our food is already waiting for us. Works out perfect with the younger kids. Definitely recommend this place if you haven’t been yet.

  10. LOVE this place. We go here a lot. We always order the Adobo, Pansit, lechon kawali (fried pork chops…must try it!), lumpia, and some rice. We never spend more than 30 bucks for a family of 4. I can never find that parking garage for some reason. Is it underneath an apartment building or something? We opt to park on BC street by a parking meter and walk. There is also one other Philipino joint down the road but this one is our favorite. Oh and they accept both dollars and yen.