Kusina De MANILA - Filipino restaurant in Des Plaines - 632 W Algonquin Rd, USA

I stumbled onto this establishment by chance. It was highlighted in the explore section of my Google Maps. I conducted some research on their menu, and the photographs from the reviewer look promising. In addition, I've never tried Filipino food. It inspires me incentive to try it. The mood is upbeat, and the walls are covered with wonderful colorful graffiti artwork of a town in the Philippines. I figured they had a live band on some days because they have a small stage setup in the corner close to the kitchen entrance. I can only image how much fun it will be. I had a voracious appetite. I ordered two appetizers, the first of which was their lumpiang shanghai. The simplest way to describe the food is a Filipino style egg roll. Keep in mind that it comes in 12 pieces, which may seem like a lot but they are little bite size. What bothers me is the uniformity of the size; the length of the egg rolls varies; some are well packed with ingredients, while others have barely any. The fillings were bland, and it was blessed that there was a sweet chili sauce to accompany them. The second appetizer I ordered their pork siopao. The steamed bun was scorching hot when it arrived. The size is enormous, comparable to a grapefruit. The steamed bun has a fluffy texture and a light sweet flavor. The filling features a flavorful brown gravy with tender pork pieces. The hoisan sauce on the side adds a touch of sweetness and saltiness. In my perspective, the steamed bun is sufficient on its own. The main dish I ordered the tagalog beef steak. On the surface, it appears to be scrumptious. But the first bite disappointed me. Because it seemed the chef utilized too much soy sauce and lemon juice. I'm not shocked it's very salty and sour. I'm not sure what it's meant to taste like, however I do know my taste buds despise it taste. I'm glad they gave white rice with the dish since it helped me get through it because the rice has a little sweet taste to balance out the flavor of the steak. I forgot to note that the steak is overcooked, which makes it tough and chewy. I chose the small portion of halo halo delight for dessert. It was served in an attractive glass to highlight the gelatin, condensed milk, shaved ice, beans, and silky ice cream. When it arrived at my table, it appeared to have been prefabricated a long time ago because to the diluted effect of the shaved ice. It tasted refreshing, but I had to stop after two bites since I saw a hair. I quickly motioned for the personnel to come over and explain what had transpired. She apologized immediately and offered to make me another one for free. I decline their offer because I need to return to my workplace. I applaud their ability to handle the problem admirably.

Wanted to eat authentic Filipino food. These weren't it. This were supposed to be bicol express and pork sisig. I have never seen yellow bicol express or sisig ingredients cut like menudo size. These aren't Filipino food anymore. Not sure what they are.

My husband and I could not decide what we we wanted to have for dinner. My husband wanted a burger, I wanted pancit. We settled for pancit. I am so glad we checked this place out. We did not know such a gem existed 7 minutes away from where we live. Every dish was delicious. The fish was outstanding!!! My husband has never had Filipino food before, and he was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. The place is clean, had a nice romantic feel to it, and the service was superb. We will be back soon. THANK YOU!!!

Been there twice. Got the chicken and pork adobo and love them both. I’ll give the slight edge to chicken, but the pork is really tender and the sauce on them is amazing. I hope to come back and try the whitefish. The service is also some of the best I’ve ever had. Love the music and staff. Please check this place out. I would like to add that we came in one time a little late, about 30 minutes until the kitchen closed but they were open for another hour after; either way, they were still kind and everything came out perfectly. We apologize for being “those guys” but appreciated our time there.

This place is a little far from us, but we were in the area and we are so glad we got to try it. We will definitely be back, a lot, despite the long drive. It is worth it!!Everything was so amazing!! The atmosphere was cozy, fun, and inviting. They do use the qr code menu, and our phones are too old for that, so the owner let us use his, he is so nice and funny, all the staff was super friendly. The food, as always, we ordered way too much and had a lot of leftovers, but can't wait to eat those. The milkfish dish was my favorite, but honestly too hard to pick. We had that and the barbecue pork skewers and soup as an appetizer, Brian got the oxtail dish, and I got the crispy pork, a whole shoulder, and the squash with shrimp, and dessert. By far the best Phillipino restaurant we've eaten at, and probably one of the best restaurants overall. You definitely need to check this place out!

My family and I happened to this quaint restaurant by accident. We originally we looking to eat some Japanese food then decided to try something different. The owner, Linda greeted us warmly and made our entire eating experience personable and warm. The food was to die for, it reminded me of my mom's home cooking which I haven't had in a long time. We had the fried chicken with the garlic FRIED rice (Extremely HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). We also had the Lumpia Shanghai which my girls promptly devoured. We also had the fried chicken (full one... should have ordered the half one, but we got the full one).... it was delicious and my girls loved it!!!! We hope to come here again to try the Tocino and Longanisa and the Spaghetti. We couldn't finish the Kaldereta, so we had it the to go and dropped it off to my mom who said wow!! The girls also had the Halo Halo which they also drank on the way to Grandmas! Prices range from $$ to $$$. So bring your wallets. Highly Recommended. We will eat there again. When dining there, if you are not into OX-tail, promptly ask them to give you beef cubes instead which they will serve when asked.

We had a pleasant dining experience with both the food and the service. Although there was a slight delay in receiving our dishes, the staff was very apologetic and generously offered complimentary drinks and sides. While I'm not from the Philippines and can't speak to authenticity, it was clear that the food was of high quality and prepared with great care.

I only have good things to say about this restaurant. I called them to see if they can accommodate us last minute for my mom's surprise dinner. The manager, Tito Winston, was very nice! He suggested what we should order and how we should set it up (he offered singing Happy Birthday when my mom comes in) The party went better than I thought! Although there were 2 other parties, they still set-up my mom's banner and balloons. The food was amazing!! The crispy pata was very krispy. My favorite was the bangus sisig! I highly recommend their dishes! They were so busy but the staff and the manager still ensured that everything was okay and we had everything we needed! They lit the candles for my mom and they sang happy birthday again. The vibes of the restaurant was really nice! They had live music and I thought it was really nice and unique. My only recommendation is that I wish they would expand!! They deserve a bigger restaurant with more customers! Nevertheless, their service was above and beyond and I will definitely come back!!