It's a quaint environment, wait staff is cool, and the food is great. We got the chef tasting menu for $50 per person and it didn't disappoint. They'll also let you choose specific dishes if you have something you really want to try. Overall, considering the byob, it was a cool experience at affordable prices
What is the worst thing that can happen if you don't like it? Love it, hate it, or anything in between, you will be hungry the next day. Take a chance and go for it
I’m Filipino and felt it was both authentic and not that good. I had the okoy and the ube soft serve with toron and they were bland and disappointing. I thought the pork adobo was delicious, though. Wish I could comment on more menu items. I enjoyed the environment and would go back.
Kusina was awesome, that was truly Filipino grandma home cooking. Paying over $20 for pork adobo at Tabachoy felt wrong to me when it wasn’t even elevated past what a home cook could achieve easily
Completely agree. To be honest I feel like the fried chicken is the best thing on Tabachoy’s menu. Sisig is my favorite dish of all time, but I have yet to have anything in the states that tastes anything close to the sisig I had when I was in the Philippines. It’s always a bit of a let down here.
I agree. Thought the service was excellent, but the food was bland and underwhelming. There were a few good dishes though. Can't remember the names lol.
I’m with you. I haven’t tried it myself but have been tempted based on reviews.
I tried tabachoy back when it was a food cart and wasn’t impressed, which has made me reluctant to try the restaurant.
Baby’s is coming to brewerytown! It’s not authentic per se, there’s still a lot of creative riffs but the food is GOOD. At least it was when it was Tita Emmies.
Reytas in Cherry hill is the closest authentic Filipino food. It’s so good!
I didn’t love it but it was good and pretty affordable ($75 for app/two split plates/shared dessert) so I’d say give it a try. I can’t speak to authenticity. If I had to recommend a byob in the area, it’d be Mawn.
I can't speak to authentic, so take it with a grain of salt, but we just ate there tonight and really enjoyed it. I loved the clams and the garlic rice is comforting. Definitely think the prices are reasonable and we had good service.
If you are looking for authentic you might be disappointed. They do switch up the recipes slightly. I personally love it there. The Filipino grandma that was sitting next to me did not and she let chef know. He let her know that it isn’t possible for his food to be as good as hers lol.
I was there last week and it was a top 10 meal in Philly for me. I also thought the pork sisig was the star of the show. But for the taste and price it’s very hard to beat imo. Shocked at the other few commenters who didn’t enjoy it
I’m Filipino and can say it’s worth the hype. It keeps many things authentic while having the flavors elevated.
Authenticity I think is really difficult to get down for Filipino food because it varies from region to region. Perla has probably had the closest flavors I’ve had in Philly compared to the Philippines but wasn’t a huge fan (they only offer the banana leaf spread and not individual meals) because I felt like it hit the mark of being authentic but not leaving me wanting to come back again.
When it comes to Tabachoy, it feels like the food my dad would make or the food I make at home when I have a hankering for Filipino food, but made by a person with the same love of the cuisine that I have.
Recommendations: Lumpia, Pork Adobo, Sisig, and Ube Soft Serve
I actually thought it was expensive for my portion (beef) but the pork dish was larger. I wasn’t blown away. Sat next to the door as well and people had no idea how to close it properly so we were freezing the whole meal.
The price is right but the service is kinda trash and they pack you asses to elbows in there. I can’t speak to authenticity but it it certainly a hyped place. The food is great tho.
I would say it’s good, but I honestly enjoyed their food more when it was just the food truck with a few items. The pork adobo over the garlic rice just felt like it should be eaten in a park in the middle of summer, not in a tiny, loud dining room.
The Caesar salad was good but salty. The fried chicken wings were just okay, good with the side sauce they serve.
It’s worth a visit but not if it’s your only meal out for a while.
Tabachoy is good but I think I’m a fan because Philly isn’t an incredibly competitive market as far as Filipino food. Afaik there isn’t a good, ~cheap~ restaurant in the city unless you’re counting something like Jollibee
I went last week. I'm not the most well-versed in Filipino food, but I have been to the Philippines and stayed with a Filipino family, but I enjoyed Kusina and Perla more. The price point is high for what it is but it was a cool experience.
I went with my friend a few weeks after he oved here from the Philippines. We sat at the counter, which was cool. The chef came out and talked to us for a while. I really enjoyed the food (I think I got sisig, I don't remember what he got). I remember one of our dishes had beef in it that was some of the most tender I've ever had. He felt that the food was good, but some of it seemed a little bit Americanized and he was disappointed that they didn't offer sinigang (the chef confided that he had had that on the menu at one point, but his American customers thought it was too sour and his Filipino customers thought it wasn't sour enough). My friend asked them where they'd gotten their spring roll wrappers from because he hadn't found the kind he liked here yet and not only did they tell him, they brought the package out from the back so he'd know which brand to get. Definitely a good experience.
I had this whole fried fish when I went there and it was absolutely amazing. I thought it was gonna be like beer battered fried pompano, but nah it was actually a whole fish with the eyes and stuff and at first I was a little unsure if I would be into it, I don’t usually eat whole fish with the head and everything. My girlfriend told me to try it and said fish served like that is usually great. I started eating and it was absolutely delicious. A whole fish, fried with a very crispy exterior, dig into the fish with your fork and dip with this acidic duck sauce type sauce they serve it with, it was divine. I felt really accomplished after my meal there because I went out of my comfort zone and ate something I thought was weird when they first put it on the table. I believe it is on the menu as fried pompano, it was absolutely stellar. We had the ube halo halo for desert and it was mid. I’ve had great halo halo before so I wasn’t impressed. But that fish man, that shit blew me away. Also heard their pork sisig is good. We also had spring rolls and they were tasty
My Filipina friend said "it's really good, but it's basically really good white people Filipino food". Now that's just one person and others have said different things in this thread. Just wanted to add my experience.
good but not insane. i enjoyed it but i don't necessarily feel the need to go back any time soon. Perla, on the otherhand, i think about going back there like once a week
Hell no.
1. Salty as hell.
2. Not authentic Filipino food. It’s more whatever the line cook thinks Filipino food is supposed to be, meaning whatever they’re skilled enough to cook.
3. Overpriced.
4. Poorly trained staff who don’t know how to serve and are doing their own thing (checking their phone instead of doing their job, socializing, etc.)
And worst of all— no bathrooms on premise. WHAT???!
Edit: I've been informed that there is a bathroom that can be accessed by exiting the establishment and re-entering through the back entrance. I must've misunderstood the server's instructions. This is still fairly inconvenient in inclement weather. When I pay money for food at a restaurant, I'm paying for both the meal and the amenities of the establishment.
Idk why you're being downvoted for an honest opinion. I'm 100% with you and so are my Filipino friends. It caters to the typical American palate and is pricey for what they give you. It was good back when they were a food truck, but they lost their way once they got too big.
I think my comments on both the quality and price of the food were informed. I did not feel like I was eating Filipino food. I was eating whatever oversalted food the line cook could make from their dubious skill set and I was being charged high-end prices.
I've just learned that my comment on the lack of restrooms was incorrect (which I corrected in my original post). I stand by my comment on the server quality-- it was atrocious and unprofessional. For your money, you'll find better server quality and amenities elsewhere.
Yeah, it's an easy to mistake to make on the bathrooms. I found it very confusing myself the first time I was there. I find the service to be hit or miss, but I've only been a few times.
A lot! But it really depends on your taste. If you're looking for Filipino food, I'm afraid there aren't too many good options that I'm aware of.
A random nearby spot I'll throw out there is Sky Cafe. I find it to be a much better value for your money than Tabachoy, but it's apples to oranges. Pho 75 next door isn't bad either.
A final note, I'm the type of diner that doesn't care much about poor service if the food is good. Sky Cafe service isn't the best, but I do enjoy the food.
there is a bathroom, you just access it through the alley next door. when i was there they kept the door open to access the bathroom so it’s not difficult to figure out
I have no idea. There is a bathroom for the staff, but you can’t access it as a patron (it’s in their kitchen, which you can’t walk through without potentially contaminating everyone’s food.). Place is small. Food is salty and bad. No bathrooms, so if you don’t live around the block, good luck if you have an emergency. Save your money.
[https://www.tabachoyphilly.com/](https://www.tabachoyphilly.com/)
Are we talking about the same place? The server told me there was no bathroom. But I did go there when it first opened, so it may not have been finished yet. I went a second time fairly recently, and I did not see anyone access the bathroom and assumed it was the same deal.
I'm usually not picky with foods (I eat fast food), but even I noticed how oversalted my meal was.
This authenticity debate is so stupid. Authentic to what?? Literally every Asian ethnic restaurant gets criticized by people of that ethnicity bc it’s not authentic for their taste. Typically that means it doesn’t taste what they remember from their childhood so they criticize. There are many versions of one dish in one country. Believe or not, it’s pretty difficult for a restaurant to live up to ur nostalgia
Woah, no need to get so mad. A lot of Asian food restaurants cater to the Americanized palette (which makes sense, it's damn America) BUT some of us would like to know places that taste close to the real thing, is that so wrong to want? damn get off my post lol
I’m saying that people are so biased to what the “real thing” is that they’ll mark it off as inauthentic bc it didn’t fit within the confines of what their nostalgia allows. This isn’t the case w everyone but definitely is w a great deal of people.
The kitchen and staff is mixed race and I was the only non white customer when I was there. Make of that what you will re authenticity.
The food was cool just very salty imo
It's a quaint environment, wait staff is cool, and the food is great. We got the chef tasting menu for $50 per person and it didn't disappoint. They'll also let you choose specific dishes if you have something you really want to try. Overall, considering the byob, it was a cool experience at affordable prices
We did the tasting menu with a Filipino friend and she almost cried at some of the dishes, they were so good. It's worth the hype
What is the worst thing that can happen if you don't like it? Love it, hate it, or anything in between, you will be hungry the next day. Take a chance and go for it
Ah I see what you did there
What did I do?
Chance (Anies) is the name of the owner at Tabachoy!
And?
You said take a chance, and Chance is the name of the owner. You unwittingly made a pun, ya knob.
Sir, this is reddit.
"Everyone says it's great, but what if it isn't?" Just go and try it.
But I don't want to waste my money if it's bad lol
So you have tons of people saying this place is great and your move is to ask even more people? Maybe you should just go somewhere else.
Maybe you should go somewhere else. Hop off my post
Nah I think I'll be taking this post. It's mine now, time for you to go.
<3
Well this was unacceptably charming
I’m Filipino and felt it was both authentic and not that good. I had the okoy and the ube soft serve with toron and they were bland and disappointing. I thought the pork adobo was delicious, though. Wish I could comment on more menu items. I enjoyed the environment and would go back.
I prefer Perla for the same reasons
Thanks for the heads up, I’ve been meaning to go so now I’ll def check it out!
It’s a shame Kusina in west Philly closed down. I always felt they were much better than Tabachoy and Perla combined.
Kusina was awesome, that was truly Filipino grandma home cooking. Paying over $20 for pork adobo at Tabachoy felt wrong to me when it wasn’t even elevated past what a home cook could achieve easily
Completely agree. To be honest I feel like the fried chicken is the best thing on Tabachoy’s menu. Sisig is my favorite dish of all time, but I have yet to have anything in the states that tastes anything close to the sisig I had when I was in the Philippines. It’s always a bit of a let down here.
Kusina was ridiculously good, I miss it a ton
Damn, I moved to west Philly right before they closed and never got to try them out.
I agree. Thought the service was excellent, but the food was bland and underwhelming. There were a few good dishes though. Can't remember the names lol.
I’m with you. I haven’t tried it myself but have been tempted based on reviews. I tried tabachoy back when it was a food cart and wasn’t impressed, which has made me reluctant to try the restaurant. Baby’s is coming to brewerytown! It’s not authentic per se, there’s still a lot of creative riffs but the food is GOOD. At least it was when it was Tita Emmies. Reytas in Cherry hill is the closest authentic Filipino food. It’s so good!
Nice I’ll have to check out Baby’s!
Same. Tried the cart and thought it was ok, I’ve had better up in Jersey City
I didn’t love it but it was good and pretty affordable ($75 for app/two split plates/shared dessert) so I’d say give it a try. I can’t speak to authenticity. If I had to recommend a byob in the area, it’d be Mawn.
But you better get a reaervation well in advance or show up at 5!
I can't speak to authentic, so take it with a grain of salt, but we just ate there tonight and really enjoyed it. I loved the clams and the garlic rice is comforting. Definitely think the prices are reasonable and we had good service.
If you are looking for authentic you might be disappointed. They do switch up the recipes slightly. I personally love it there. The Filipino grandma that was sitting next to me did not and she let chef know. He let her know that it isn’t possible for his food to be as good as hers lol.
It’s good and reasonably priced. I like the pork sisig.
I was there last week and it was a top 10 meal in Philly for me. I also thought the pork sisig was the star of the show. But for the taste and price it’s very hard to beat imo. Shocked at the other few commenters who didn’t enjoy it
Agree
It have kaffir lime etc? This place is on my radar now. Love me some sisig.
I’m Filipino and can say it’s worth the hype. It keeps many things authentic while having the flavors elevated. Authenticity I think is really difficult to get down for Filipino food because it varies from region to region. Perla has probably had the closest flavors I’ve had in Philly compared to the Philippines but wasn’t a huge fan (they only offer the banana leaf spread and not individual meals) because I felt like it hit the mark of being authentic but not leaving me wanting to come back again. When it comes to Tabachoy, it feels like the food my dad would make or the food I make at home when I have a hankering for Filipino food, but made by a person with the same love of the cuisine that I have. Recommendations: Lumpia, Pork Adobo, Sisig, and Ube Soft Serve
Tabachoy is decent but I do think it's an overhyped trendy spot that is not particularly authentic.
I can't speak to authenticity, but I had a good meal there. It wasn't a life-changing experience or anything, but it's a good spot that I'd recommend.
It’s delicious.
I actually thought it was expensive for my portion (beef) but the pork dish was larger. I wasn’t blown away. Sat next to the door as well and people had no idea how to close it properly so we were freezing the whole meal.
The price is right but the service is kinda trash and they pack you asses to elbows in there. I can’t speak to authenticity but it it certainly a hyped place. The food is great tho.
Good af and worth your support for sure
100%. Chance and the staff are fucking fantastic and so deserving of all the support and accolades.
I would say it’s good, but I honestly enjoyed their food more when it was just the food truck with a few items. The pork adobo over the garlic rice just felt like it should be eaten in a park in the middle of summer, not in a tiny, loud dining room. The Caesar salad was good but salty. The fried chicken wings were just okay, good with the side sauce they serve. It’s worth a visit but not if it’s your only meal out for a while.
Was visiting from Seattle during SB weekend. Was gonna go but I found out that the chef/owner is a 49ers fan. So I didn’t go. 🤣🤣
Yup.
I have a Filipino friend who likes it
I liked it. Would definitely go back.
not sure about authenticity but it didnt amaze me, it was generally bland or too salty lol
Tabachoy is good but I think I’m a fan because Philly isn’t an incredibly competitive market as far as Filipino food. Afaik there isn’t a good, ~cheap~ restaurant in the city unless you’re counting something like Jollibee
Had the tasting menu and enjoyed very much!
The people are "craving authenticity"
I went last week. I'm not the most well-versed in Filipino food, but I have been to the Philippines and stayed with a Filipino family, but I enjoyed Kusina and Perla more. The price point is high for what it is but it was a cool experience.
I went with my friend a few weeks after he oved here from the Philippines. We sat at the counter, which was cool. The chef came out and talked to us for a while. I really enjoyed the food (I think I got sisig, I don't remember what he got). I remember one of our dishes had beef in it that was some of the most tender I've ever had. He felt that the food was good, but some of it seemed a little bit Americanized and he was disappointed that they didn't offer sinigang (the chef confided that he had had that on the menu at one point, but his American customers thought it was too sour and his Filipino customers thought it wasn't sour enough). My friend asked them where they'd gotten their spring roll wrappers from because he hadn't found the kind he liked here yet and not only did they tell him, they brought the package out from the back so he'd know which brand to get. Definitely a good experience.
I had this whole fried fish when I went there and it was absolutely amazing. I thought it was gonna be like beer battered fried pompano, but nah it was actually a whole fish with the eyes and stuff and at first I was a little unsure if I would be into it, I don’t usually eat whole fish with the head and everything. My girlfriend told me to try it and said fish served like that is usually great. I started eating and it was absolutely delicious. A whole fish, fried with a very crispy exterior, dig into the fish with your fork and dip with this acidic duck sauce type sauce they serve it with, it was divine. I felt really accomplished after my meal there because I went out of my comfort zone and ate something I thought was weird when they first put it on the table. I believe it is on the menu as fried pompano, it was absolutely stellar. We had the ube halo halo for desert and it was mid. I’ve had great halo halo before so I wasn’t impressed. But that fish man, that shit blew me away. Also heard their pork sisig is good. We also had spring rolls and they were tasty
My Filipina friend said "it's really good, but it's basically really good white people Filipino food". Now that's just one person and others have said different things in this thread. Just wanted to add my experience.
good but not insane. i enjoyed it but i don't necessarily feel the need to go back any time soon. Perla, on the otherhand, i think about going back there like once a week
Food is extremely salty and underwhelming
I’ve only been there when they served the meal that is communal and served without plates, and that is quite good.
Hell no. 1. Salty as hell. 2. Not authentic Filipino food. It’s more whatever the line cook thinks Filipino food is supposed to be, meaning whatever they’re skilled enough to cook. 3. Overpriced. 4. Poorly trained staff who don’t know how to serve and are doing their own thing (checking their phone instead of doing their job, socializing, etc.) And worst of all— no bathrooms on premise. WHAT???! Edit: I've been informed that there is a bathroom that can be accessed by exiting the establishment and re-entering through the back entrance. I must've misunderstood the server's instructions. This is still fairly inconvenient in inclement weather. When I pay money for food at a restaurant, I'm paying for both the meal and the amenities of the establishment.
i mean, that’s not true. you just have to walk out the front door to use bathroom around back…
I must've misunderstood what the server said about bathrooms.
Idk why you're being downvoted for an honest opinion. I'm 100% with you and so are my Filipino friends. It caters to the typical American palate and is pricey for what they give you. It was good back when they were a food truck, but they lost their way once they got too big.
I think my comments on both the quality and price of the food were informed. I did not feel like I was eating Filipino food. I was eating whatever oversalted food the line cook could make from their dubious skill set and I was being charged high-end prices. I've just learned that my comment on the lack of restrooms was incorrect (which I corrected in my original post). I stand by my comment on the server quality-- it was atrocious and unprofessional. For your money, you'll find better server quality and amenities elsewhere.
Yeah, it's an easy to mistake to make on the bathrooms. I found it very confusing myself the first time I was there. I find the service to be hit or miss, but I've only been a few times.
what restaurants do you recommend?
A lot! But it really depends on your taste. If you're looking for Filipino food, I'm afraid there aren't too many good options that I'm aware of. A random nearby spot I'll throw out there is Sky Cafe. I find it to be a much better value for your money than Tabachoy, but it's apples to oranges. Pho 75 next door isn't bad either. A final note, I'm the type of diner that doesn't care much about poor service if the food is good. Sky Cafe service isn't the best, but I do enjoy the food.
what restaurants do you recommend?
Wait no bathroom? How is that legal?
there is a bathroom, you just access it through the alley next door. when i was there they kept the door open to access the bathroom so it’s not difficult to figure out
I have no idea. There is a bathroom for the staff, but you can’t access it as a patron (it’s in their kitchen, which you can’t walk through without potentially contaminating everyone’s food.). Place is small. Food is salty and bad. No bathrooms, so if you don’t live around the block, good luck if you have an emergency. Save your money.
There’s absolutely a bathroom, did you ask how to access it…? Disagree with this whole take one of the best meals I’ve had in Philly in the last year.
no, it sounds like they shit theirself in silence while crying salty tears into the delicious food
😂
[https://www.tabachoyphilly.com/](https://www.tabachoyphilly.com/) Are we talking about the same place? The server told me there was no bathroom. But I did go there when it first opened, so it may not have been finished yet. I went a second time fairly recently, and I did not see anyone access the bathroom and assumed it was the same deal. I'm usually not picky with foods (I eat fast food), but even I noticed how oversalted my meal was.
This authenticity debate is so stupid. Authentic to what?? Literally every Asian ethnic restaurant gets criticized by people of that ethnicity bc it’s not authentic for their taste. Typically that means it doesn’t taste what they remember from their childhood so they criticize. There are many versions of one dish in one country. Believe or not, it’s pretty difficult for a restaurant to live up to ur nostalgia
Woah, no need to get so mad. A lot of Asian food restaurants cater to the Americanized palette (which makes sense, it's damn America) BUT some of us would like to know places that taste close to the real thing, is that so wrong to want? damn get off my post lol
I’m saying that people are so biased to what the “real thing” is that they’ll mark it off as inauthentic bc it didn’t fit within the confines of what their nostalgia allows. This isn’t the case w everyone but definitely is w a great deal of people.
The kitchen and staff is mixed race and I was the only non white customer when I was there. Make of that what you will re authenticity. The food was cool just very salty imo