Tambayan

Went here with a friend. The food was okay… Ordered white rice with the sausages and it was dry as in I’ve had better. But the halo halo dessert was delicious. So far customer service was great and it’s nice that its family run business.

I am so grateful to have this place on the east side of the river! I went to Tambayan today with the boy and although they were closed at five and we got there 10 past the hour (their hours have changed so just watched out), they still seated us. We ordered the lumpiang Shanghai, beef kare-​kare, tinolang manok, and a halo-​halo to go.
This was my date’s first encounter with real filipino food and he LOVED everything, even dotting his plate with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) with his kare-​kare (an adventurous step for many Western eaters). The tinola was sooooooo delicious and garlicky, balanced perfectly with ginger. I was seriously transported back to many family dinners back in Hawaii and almost cried. Kare-​kare was my date’s favorite. Although we definitely were not rushed out of the restaurant, we took halo-​halo to go which was the perfect sweet ending to a really delicious meal. Don’t miss out on that one!
They lost a star on the lumpiang Shanghai because it had a weird aftertaste as if the oil that had been used was old. Granted, it was probably because we were the last customers in there (along with another party that made to-​go orders). Also, the hours were confusing and although accommodating, they hadn’t changed their hours online, on the doors, or the menus.
Don’t let the simple décor and store front fool you — there are some delicious things happening at Tambayan! Support this little business so they can stay open later! :)

This is the best Filipino restaurant in the continental U.S. Food is not swimming in grease and it taste just about right: not too salty, not too bland. Service is pretty friendly and the chef-​owner mingles with the guests.

Stopped by here, was in the mood for some good Filipino food. It was okay, not the fresh ‘off the boat’ vibe I was hoping for, the atmosphere is a bit run down and empty feeling. I haven’t been to a lot of Filipino places in Portland, seems hard to find any good ones.

Just meh. I’m no Filipino food aficionado, but I know when something is too greasy and too salty.
I asked the waitress (who was very friendly) what the signature dish was and she said Chicken Adobo. I figured she must be right because that was the only thing on the menu I had ever heard of before. So I ordered it.
When it came out and I looked at it I had that sinking feeling that I should have ordered something else and that this was going to be one of those meals I would never be able to get back. It was just a plate with a mound of overcooked white rice and a bowl with chicken legs and wings (spare parts) swimming in a greasy brown sauce.
I poured the contents of the bowl over the rice and dug in. What met my palate was a wave of salt and not much more. One of the most uninspiring meals I’d had in a long time. One mark in their favor was that the chicken was falling-​off-​the-​bone tender which I liked. But it also had a vague «old chicken» flavor that was not appetizing.
The ambiance is about as inspiring as the food. Bare walls, a TV, old cafeteria furnishings. This one is crossed off my list.

Went here with my mom who is from the P.I. Sampled the lumpia and the lechon.
Both were delicious. Service was quick and courteous. Definitely will be back if I can’t make it out to my mom’s.

It may be that I’m not used to Filipino food, but our experience wasn’t the best. The staff is super friendly, but the food was awful. We ordered 4 dishes plus an app, and other than the Shanghai Rolls, everything else did not taste good. The dishes were also on the smaller side. We had to eat a second dinner right after.

There’s very limited options when it comes to Filipino food around Portland. Their prices are okay, some on the high side but what can you do when it’s one of the few around the city?
I’ve had their Kare Kare and I often order Dinuguan to go. Kare Kare is quite tasty but their Dinuguan is lacking. I’ve definitely had better. Their Dinuguan has lots of meat versus fat but to me, it doesn’t have enough vinegar and could definitely use a bit more spiciness. The last time I visited, I got more sauce than meat and not nearly enough for the price paid.

Had adobo chicken with rice, adobo pork and shanghai lumpia eggrolls with a slightly spicy sweet and sour sauce. All were good, service was fast and friendly.

Delicious, affordable, and generous portion sizes of lumpia shanghai, fresh vegetable lumpia, and kare kare with rice. The owner named Cindy was warm, welcoming, and friendly. We appreciated her for her amazing hospitality and excellent Filipino restaurant. Cute and cozy inside with beautiful decorations. A wonderful place to gather at and share meals with friends and loved ones. We highly recommend this place and will definitely return again.

Very tasty – food was good and the waiter promptly brought out extra condiments when we asked. Family owned restaurant – all very nice to meet such friendly people. I will definitely be going back to get my Filipino food fix. :-)

If they weren’t on the other side of town, I’d be more of a regular.
I think the dishes where ok, more good than bad. The price was a little on the high side, but that can be overlooked by the lack of other Filipino restaurants anywhere in Portland.
I would definitely come back to fix my Filipino craving!

Not many Filipino restaurants up here in the NW. This was a nice surprise growing up in the Bay Area and having fresh lumpia and pansit made by families. The spring roll is really good!!! As well as many other dishes. Balanced and slightly tangy as the cuisine is known for with a reserve on spices for the less adventurous regarding heat :)
I would recommend it and plan on going again when I’m in the area!
Nicely done!

Love the food. My favorite dish is the longsilog. Next would be paksiw na lechon with an added order of garlic rice. My husband and I like to order the tilapia with the eggplant and shrimp paste to share.
I hate those flourescent lights though. It makes me want to leave every time they turn it on. It seriously ruins the ambiance.
I hope they put their spaghetti with fried chicken special on the regular menu. Don’t know why they haven’t done that yet. It’s just so good!

Tambayan is like visiting an aunt’s home. The people make you feel welcome and inviting. The décor is nonexistent, but you’re not there for that. We had the chicken adobo and the lechon kawali. Lumpia to start. Everything was excellent!
I’ve come to realize that nothing is ever going to be the way your grandmother or mother made it. Just take things for what they are. Enjoy the place for what it is. There are so many variations in cooking filipino food. There are many other options at Tambayan that aren’t fried. Like any other cuisine, if you’re not willing to try then you’re missing out!

I have been craving some good Filipino food that tastes similar to what I normally eat back in Hawaii and I have the hardest time finding it.
Ordered Lechon Kawali and Pancit and to my disappointment, it didn’t taste nor look anything like how it is back at home :(Then again, everyone has a different way of preparing food.
The staff was super friendly but I think the AC was in shut down mode because it was pretty muggy inside. I went on a Sunday so the parking lot to the left was available but normally I don’t think that’s for the restaurant. If I were to go back, I would definitely try something else.
If someone knows of somewhere that makes Lechon Kawali (fried pork belly w/​tomatoes and onions), please hit me up and shoot me a location. Other than that, I’ll probably try and make my own.
Just another FYI… this is [my own opinion]. Everyone has a different taste/​feel on things so to find out for yourself, try it. When you do, remember to Post it! Good luck!

Tambayan is a bit confusing.
it seems most is deep fried.
the deep fried pork belly is delicious.
the milkfish is fishy.
the kare kare peanut that others rave about was not impressive to me.
so i’m not sure if it’s me not being a huge fan of filipino food or just not being amazed by Tambayan.

Blew. My. Mind! And that coming from a white guy who’s never ventured to SE Asia.
Milk Fish and Bistek Tagalog were both on our table. The fish, nestled against garlic rice with an egg on top, was full of flavor and while boney, the bones were soft enough to eat without concern. The Bistek (traditional beef steak in soy sauce with soft fried onions) was salty delicious. But the Kare-​Kare stole the show: basically a simmered peanut butter soup with large chunks of fantastically tender beef, eggplant, green beans and a bok choy-​like vegetable. Huge portion! The concoction is spooned onto rice — like Japanese curry — and becomes a comfort food at first bite. It’s accompanied by a small dish of salty shrimp paste that the proprietor very helpfully advised was an authentic, acquired taste.
If you forego the selection of Filipino beer, the Gulaman & Sago is worth a try. Like bubble tea but sweeter — almost syrupy — with smaller tapioca «bubbles» as well as gelatin cubes.
It may not be in a trendy area, but Tambayan isn’t far and parking is easy. It’s very local and very mom-​and-​pop with wonderfully kind service, resulting in a comforting ambiance. To top it off, this was a Groupon success story: I went, I saved and I will certainly return. The prices are VERY reasonable.

We came here a while ago, but my reviews are on Filipino time these days…
This place is definitely in the boondocks, so don’t let the outside deter you. The ambiance inside reminded me of some of the good spots in the bay area, Cali. Not the fancy Americanized joints. The small, mom ‘n pop type places — where you know the food will be good.
The aunties that greeted us were totally welcoming and made me feel comfy and at home. She even offered laying our sleeping son down on the couch near our table. And no one gave us dirty looks when our rambuncious daughter walked around like she owned the place, pointing and asking what everything was.
On to the food…
Binagoognan (I think that’s how you spell it) — pretty good, though I was expecting a little more crunch and more bagoong. Probably better for me that it wasn’t too salty. Ok, not «probably»…
Kalereta beef — this was tasty. Just enough beef and veggies and not spicy, though I’m biased cause I don’t like spice.
Pancit Palabok — this wasn’t too bad either, though a little saucy. The kids loved it.
What cost them a star was the pork dishes were super duper fatty. I mean, they were yummo, but I swear I felt my arteries clog just a little later that day. I did eat some of it, but I swear I would have licked my plate clean if there was more meat than fat. I’d say the meat to fat ratio was about ³⁰⁄₇₀. I can do 50/​50, but my butt /​hips /​arm flaps say «no» to more than that.
We will definitely come back for that FIlipino fix — no doubt about that. But we’ll probably try more beef or chicken dishes.

Really good cooking!
JP and I came here Saturday evening with our Filipina friend. She was acquainted with the owner, who came out to greet us. Apparently, Tambayan caters too, and the owner mentioned it had been a busy day. For just one order, they had to make 2000 shanghai rolls!
I loved the Pancit Malabon. I could have eaten the whole order! It was made with excellent hearty rice noodles, diced eggs (with the yolk separated from the white), sliced fresh green onion, little pieces of bay shrimp and tiny bits of what was either squid or octopus. On top of this dish was crumbled crispy pata. The pancit had a delightful smoky flavor that was especially pronounced on first bite.
Another really good dish was the thinly-​sliced Bistek Tagalog, which tastes just like teriyaki beef jerky! It came served in broth with a couple strands of sauteed onion. We also ordered the Lechon Kawali, which is fried pork belly and the same thing as Mexican chicharron. Because it is so fatty by nature, you cannot eat too much of it. It came with a nice gravy-​like dipping sauce.
The (lumpia) Shanghai Rolls were satisfactory. Crispy, they were filled with ground pork and carrot and served with a chili dipping sauce. Also satisfactory was the Chicken Chop Suey — made with chicken, steamed broccoli, bok choy, carrot, celery and a broth that sloshed over from a too small serving plate.
For a side, we ordered the garlic fried rice, which came with little bits of toasted coconut. The rest of the table loved the rice, but I found the garlic a bit overwhelming.
For dessert, we had the Halo Halo Special, a layered treat served in a glass. At the bottom were little red & green bits of a boba/​gelatin. Above that was shaved ice blended with evaporated milk and on top of that was a scoop of purple yam ice cream and a little wedge of flan. Boy, I’d sure like to know where they purchased the smooth creamy purple yam ice cream. I can already tell you that onsite research later in the evening indicated that it is not available at Uwajamaya. Fubonn maybe?
Exceptionally nice tasting ice tea with a pleasing milky hearty appearance.
Now, a word or two about the service. It was fairly quick, but there were a couple of issues. The major issue was that when our server brought out our dishes, none of the dishes had serving spoons or forks! Our young waiter seemed surprised when we requested serving utensils, but brought some out to us anyway. The other thing is that we were never offered beverage refills.