Tastebuds

Not sure why the average rating is a 3 because this place was good and so was the service. Very polite and attentive. They really make you feel at home. We ordered the sampler and crispy dinuguan. Let’s get straight to the dinuguan. This was the best ever. Not sure anything comes close so give it a try yourself.

I’m not Filipino, so I’m not sure I’m technically allowed to make this claim — but this is THE best Filipino food! Disclaimer: I’m pescotarian and will only personally review on the pescotarian dishes. Also, I have Filipino family members who are in agreement, so let’s go with it.
Came here yesterday with my mom and aunt around 1:30PM and it was pretty dead (it was a good thing — I hate waiting during peak lunch hours here). I used to work across the street several years back and would come here for take out all the time.
Service — extremely attentive (more than usual). Likely because there was only one other table there. Still, the service has been pretty poor in the past, so I was pretty impressed. Honestly, I was ready to apologize to my mom and aunt ahead of time, but no need!
Food — Bangus Sisig is my FAV Filipino dish and Tastebuds is THE best at making it. I came back from the Philippines two weeks ago and couldn’t even get Bangus Sisig this legit over there. Add in the Garlic Rice to go with it — amazing. The perfect combo (you’ll need the rice since the sisig alone is pretty salty). Bonus: my aunts a little judgey when it comes to trying new dishes because she’s a chef but she really liked the Lechon and Pork Sisig dishes I helped them order as well! She agreed that everything was a bit saltier than her usual liking, but with the rice, it mellowed it out.
With everyone’s stamp of approval across the board, Tastebuds gets 5 stars! Glad the dishes are just as good as I remember.

Spent $ 80 today (for 2) for mediocre Lechon, salty bangus Sisig, ok chopsuey and pandan dessert.
Service is VERY slow considering it was not a fill house.
Our first meal got served after 30 mins. We need to stay for more than an hour. NOT worth it to go back.
Average dish ranges $ 12-​$ 15. I should have just eaten somewhere else.

Whenever I see a 3 star review on Unilocal the next big question is always would I come back? In this case I would. They deserve at least a solid 3.5! Their breakfast buffet until 11:30AM is to die for. Everything you want that is not good for you is available! Their lechon kawali sisig is the bomb!

Best Filipino Food so far — Quality!
Have you ever felt your tongue CLIMAX?
Your tongue will get hard eating all the rich flavorful food and don’t forget WET from quality and preparation of the food!
MMMM sarap… oh my mouth is getting watery thinking of the food!

Poor customer service.
I called last week to reserve a lechon for Xmas eve. I called the catering # on their website and had several conversations with a gentleman who is one of the owners. He took my order and we agreed.
The following day he called me to say that the pick up time I wanted was not available and Id have to get it earlier. I asked him to double check.
The day after (day 3 of placing initial order), I called him to verify my order since I had not heard back. He told me to call the resto.
I called the resto and they said they do not have my order and never got it. I explained the conversations I’ve had and I was told they are already backed up and could not accommodate orders. She said the person was simply collecting orders but not coordinating availability with the resto.
I am very upset especially bec this order is for our holiday party and I had to scramble last minute for plan B. Poor service and misrepresentation!

This is actually for. 2.5 stars to be fair.
Why? The service is fast enough and the place clean.
Main gripe is the price. $ 14.95 for a main dish that’s only average tasting.
Your Regular Lechon you’re suppose to be famous for is lacking in taste and flavor. Again $ 14.95 a pound? Including your watered down lechon sauce.
Guys there are other Pinoy resto around.
No need for seconds here.
To the owners: Do market research, taste the food of your competitors. Find the best tasting similar to your menu.
You can do better.

There crispy binagoongan is good but Patio gives good bigger portion.
Ordered pancit & lechon kawali today. Lechon had too much fat. Had lechon kawali from other Pinoy resto but these has the fattest Pork. Not in my top 5 for lechon kawali.

Friday night. Didn’t want to go on a date… My best friend and I decide to go redbox and grab food… What else gets better than that? Oh yeah, with Filipino food!
We get to tastebuds and I ordered the tastebud sampler (chicken employees empanadas, lumpia Shanghai, lechon) and pork sisig.
The sampler: soooo good, usually I don’t buy lumpia Shanghai because it’s so easy to make my own version at home but tastebuds was pretty good! Solid A. The chicken empanadas were my favorite by far, very flavorful and juicy chicken with the perfect amount of sweetness and savory flavors. The lechon was perfect amount of crispness and dipped in vinegar…*heaven is real* the size of their sampler of was pretty big my bestfriend and I couldn’t finish it.
SISIG: everyone’s favorite Filipino dish. Juicy, soaked and saucy with a little bit of spiciness. Cooked where it isn’t too tender, but … All I gotta say is that if a Filipino restaurant fails their sisig they lack flavor. Haha. Not at tastebuds.
Good prices too! Will be back for munchies or somethin!

Although a typical Filipino restaurant wgere they charge you more and give you less, I must say the food here is delicious. I usually order the Lomi noodle soup which reminds me of back home. However, they lack on vegetables like cabbage which I have to specify but not charged extra. Good place, quiet and clean.

I frequently pick up catering trays for office functions /​family parties. This past Sunday we had the pleasure of dining IN for dinner @ Tastebuds. With reservations made for our party of 7, we were seated immediately upon arrival.
Note: Tastebuds is located directly across the street from St. Bruno’s Catholic Church on San Bruno Ave, so time your arrival accordingly or anticipate waiting for a table if you come after mass lets out.
A carving station featuring their famous Whole Lechon (roast pork) is available Tuesday thru Sunday (Tastebuds is closed Monday’s). The variations of lechon, served by the pound, alternates daily.
* LECHON WARAY | $ 14.95/LB.: Roasted pig stuffed with onions, garlic, and bay leaves. | TUES & THUR, DINNER ONLY.
* LECHON CEBU | $ 14.95/LB.:
Roasted pig stuffed with lemongrass, green onions and tamarind. | WED, FRI: dinner only; SAT: all day; SUN: lunch only.
** Highly Recommend: **
CRISPY BINAGOONGAN | $ 14.95: Crispy wok-​fried cubes of pork belly, tossed in shrimp paste and served with tomatoes & mangoes, plated atop a roasted eggplant. Pork heaven.
SITAW KALABASA |: $ 11.75 Crunchy blanched green beans and tender cubes of kaboche squash, sautéed with garlic and tender strips of side pork, then simmered in rich coconut milk and topped with perfectly cooked shrimp.
SINIGANG | $ 12.25 to $ 15.50: Tamarind-​based soup, akin to Tom Yum minus the heat. The sour broth is brought to a slow boil with daikon, eggplant, tomatoes, and whole jalapeños. Available protein options: pork, beef, shrimp, milkfish (bangus belly), or seafood «fiesta» (milkfish, mussels, and shrimp medley).
PANCIT PALABOK | $ 11.50: thin rice noodles in a savory shrimp gravy, topped with smoked fish flakes and ground chicharon, garnished with hard boiled eggs, toasted garlic, and succulent shrimp.
Sunday Dinner was definitely a splurge meal. We had so much food left over that we hardly made a dent in the platter of palabok. Our server took notice and without being asked, she brought out a quart-​sized to-​go container filled to the brim with extra sauce for what we’d inevitably have to take home.
All the staff we’ve encountered go above and beyond our expectations, all the while displaying genuine smiles.
Portions are extremely generous, flavors are on point, and menu offerings are comparably priced with the plethora of neighboring Filipino restaurants.
Can’t say enough good things about our experiences at Tastebuds.

Small, quaint place. Don’t be fooled though, the food is very good, big serving, and delicious.
Wish the staff especially those cashier should be more professional in their jobs.
They act as if they’re in their own houses, raising voices.
Things that customers shouldn’t hear at all.
Small parking space, good location infront of St. Bruno church.

Food– Average. Came Here For A Private Event & There Was A Variety Of Food Available. Buko pandan was really good although the texture was really milky. There was this dish– I can’t remember the name– but it had lechon pieces, mango, & tomato in it. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Customer service– Friendly staff. They were accommodating and made sure we had everything we needed.
Atmosphere– Clean restaurant. The only thing I would say that they can fix is to have some sort of background music. The only thing they had playing the entire time was karaōke tunes.
Overall, I would come here again if I was craving Filipino Food.

I attended the brunch buffet last Saturday. The food was cold. At 9:30AM. And they were missing longonisa! What’s a Filipino breakfast without it? A waiter would come by with the check even at a buffet, right? Not this time. I had to get up and walk to the counter to pay, and it took longer than it should have because I had to wait for the employees to finish their conversation before I could be helped.
The only wow factor is the daily lechon specials, but even those aren’t that great.

Dropped in for lunch on a referral from a Filipino friend and after reading some reviews. First, the menu prices you see on Unilocal are outdated. Everything is about $ 5 more than what is posted as of 7÷24÷15. Ordered the Bangus Sisig per most Unilocalers’ positive reviews. It now costs $ 15.95 as an a la carte dish and rice costs extra. As I am new to Filipino cuisine, I really didn’t know what to expect. So I was surprised to find it is actually a whole milk fish, deboned and minced with peppers and onions then sautéed and placed back on a half side of the fish, whose skin has been seared semi crispy. Initially I though it was too salty but blended with the rice well. Overall a hearty fish dish. Will be back to try their weekend brunch buffet, as it appears to be a good way to sample a variety of dishes.

If you eat Dinuguan, their Crispy Dinuguan is to die for! Don’t skip it!
Calamares had chunks of roasted garlic which made it extra tasty.
Bangus sisig and adobong okra + sitaw had to be included in our order to balance out the carnivorous platters on or table – We also had crispy binagoongan– my 2^nd best favorite, kare kare, lechon. The latter hardly needed any lechon sauce – very tasty!
For dessert we sampled the buko pandan, leche flan, and Turon a la mode. It was a feast and a half!
Will definitely come back and try the buffet breakfast soon! * weight gain in the making*

Excellent Lechon, they served it fresh everyday, lechon skin are really crispy and the taste is like Ping Ping’s Lechon or Case Elar’s Lechon very good, I feel like I went home in the Philippines
I highly recommend their Crispy Binagoongan (did I spell it right, Lol) anyways, everything is freshly cooked, taste are good, not to salty or not blunt at all.
Their crispy pata look excellent also, we didn’t get a chance to order this bec. we have so much food to eat
But over all thumbs up !!! People their are so friendly and very accommodating.

The food is so yummy. If you have the hankering for some amazing Filipino food come and visit this place. They also serve big portions so whatever money you spend is worth it!

Good food is overshadowed by their extremely poor service. Ordered the crispy dinaguan (which is delicious) and when the server brought it to the table he rushed to put it down, in doing so a good amount of it fell off the plate and straight onto my jacket. Got pork blood all over it, thanks buddy. He apologized and gave me 2 napkins to clean it up myself. Are you serious? The blood already got into it and wouldn’t wipe out.
My mother orders hot water, and my dad orders a calamansi juice. The juice comes along with 2 ice waters. We don’t drink the ice water (thanks to the waiter we were forced to contribute to the California drought) and ask again for hot water. 10 minutes later the hot water finally comes. I’m guessing it took so long because the waitress had to pump it out of a well and boil it over a campfire.
By the time our meal was over, we asked for the check and 3 to go boxes. Of course the check comes in a quickness, but no to go boxes… We ask for them again and the server says «okay». 5 minutes later he’s in the back cleaning some other shit up behind the lechon counter. We flag him down again and then he finally gives us the to go boxes.
After all the poor service and a ruined jacket we are charged full price for everything. I cannot believe they didn’t give even a dollar off for messing up so bad. That just tells me that they don’t acknowledge their service as poor. ZERO TIP FOR THESE INEFFICIENT AND INCOMPETENT STAFF. TO THE OWNER I HOPE YOU READ Unilocal REVIEWS AND RESPOND TO THIS ONE.

Tastebuds serves up THE BEST FILIPINO FOOD IN THE ENTIRE BAY AREA! They have a handful of specialty dishes that I will outline in my review below.
First of all, Tastebuds is known for its lechon. They serve lechon starting around lunchtime (around 11 – 11:30am) and they sell it by the pound (about $ 8 – 9 per pound). Their lechon is absolutely amazing — best I’ve ever had. It is extremely juicy, never dry, and the skin is always so crispy. Also, Tastebuds makes its own lechon sauce, which is wayyyy better than Mang Tomas. You can order whole lechon from Tastebuds, but you should order at least a week in advance. They have 3 sizes — Small (40−45lbs), Medium (50−55lbs), and Large (60−65lbs). Prices are very reasonable and can serve large parties.
If you go to Tastebuds on Saturday or Sunday, they have a breakfast buffet for under $ 10!!! It is an absolutely delicious assortment of various Filipino dishes from the more popular breakfast dishes like tocino, longanisa, fried bangus, dills, etc. and they also serve about 10 – 12 other main dishes, including sinigang, bopis, dinakdakan, adobo, pancit, etc. The food is always fresh and they change it out frequently. My recommendation if you want to come for the buffet though — come early because it gets packed in there and it is limited seating.
Now, if you go for dinner, there are some great dishes to order a la carte. Let me list them here:
1) Bangus sisig — best I’ve ever had in my life!
2) Lumpia shanghai — crunchy and tasty egg rolls!
3) Filipino version of «chow mein» — a different take on chow mein (more like a pancit bihon)
4) Pork sisig — served with fresh jalapeño, onions, with vinegar sauce in it
5) Crispy dinuguan — normally not an entrée of choice, but the crispiness of the dinuguan made it worth it!
6) Leche flan — best dessert on the menu! Texture of the leche flan is amazing!
7) Buko pandan — another great dessert on the menu… refreshing and coconut-​y!
So, I really don’t have any complaints about this place except for the parking situation. It is always pretty tough to find parking there, and there aren’t many tables in the restaurant, so the waits can be a little long if you go at the wrong time.
Also, did I mention that my wife’s uncle owns this place? He also owns 2 other restaurants in San Bruno — Patio Filipino and Karilagan, both of which are awesome, but Tastebuds is my personal favorite. Stick with my suggestions above and you’ll be set! This place is definitely another one of my rare 5-​stars in the Bay Area.

Lovely elegant place, spectacular food, and great service! What can i say. it doesnt get any better than this! Lalalalaloveee the bangus sisig, cccripsy binagoongan, and bicol express! Lechon skin had the perfect crisp and the meat was roasted with much flavor! Get it while its fresh! oh and call to reserve a pound if your coming in a bit after it opens cause the lechon is the first to go! The smell of the lemon grass and onions filled the whole house-​made my appetite go off the roof.
Setting is very relaxing and elegant. The music is so pleasant to your ears, it harmonizes with the food as you eat. But, it can get quite crowded when its busy. Guess everyone just knows where to go.
Definetly worth checking out if you not pinoy or if you haven’t tried filipino food yet. Not so big on vegetarian dishes. Wish they would expand on that part. But you can always order your food without meat for the vegie dishes.
YUMMMMM!