Bistro Luneta

My wife and I were planning on making reservations for our third anniversary. I’m really sorry to here this restaurant didn’t survive. We had a wonderful evening with delicious food and service. I hope whomever was behind this restaurant finds success in the future.

I miss Bistro Luneta, I ate there a half dozen times. The food was always excellent, and the owners/​hosts really were attentive.
All the appetizers were great. I loved the KiniLaw, and often ordered the Crispy Pata.

Paying my respects to this establishment like others are doing…
I only got to dine at this restaurant once during my mom’s birthday and I’m pretty sure my parents were pissed. The food service was really slow and it took almost an hour to get our food (dishes were coming out one at a time at awkward times and by the time we got everything, the restaurant was closing for the night. However, the quality of the food was so good and redeeming that regardless of the ridiculously long wait, I really wanted to come back for more.
I hope the owners get the opportunity to partake in a new endeavor soon, since this place served some amazing dishes! By far the best Crispy Pata I’ve ever had! Buko Pandan Panna Cotta too!

A sad day for Filipino cuisine as this place is now closed. Many thanks Jon and Janet. We will miss Bistro Luneta.
Best wishes and good luck!

This review is long overdue…
Bistro Luneta was one of the best Filipino restaurants around. Unfortunately, due to distance, we weren’t able to partake as often as we would have liked.
Sad news that they announced that they would be closing their doors today.
So sad.

I love pork. It’s really up there with fried chicken for me. But one bite of the crispy pata here will make me swoon. It’s mouth-​watering, perfectly deep fried skin with tender succulent meat beneath. You will find me gnawing on that twice cooked pig leg if you leave me alone with it.
Oh, and the Shanghai Pouches are to die for too. Crispy minced pork pouches with sari-​sari sauce over rice… pig out on that!
OINK, OINK. Stuff me silly and put a fork in me. I’m done! And I have a pork belly to prove it.

I have to say I dined here a long time ago and it’s the experience that you remember about a place.
I saw an add on TV about this place and we decided to check it out. We were really excited to come dine here.
We found parking easily, which is a good thing. I like the feel, they tried to go with the modern industrial feel.
The food was nicely plated that was a big plus but did not taste a bit good for me at all. I thought it was just me but my companion thought so too. It was dry and tasteless. And it was nothing Filipino and was pricey.
Our server was really nice but when I asked her to take out the rum in my dessert she made a comment «oh, I don’t think that’s a lot of alcohol for someone in AA classes». Seriously, I was pregnant, not a recovering alcoholic geeezzzzzz.
I was really upset. You did not serve me good food, now you think I’m an alcoholic.
I never came back.

Bistro Luneta is definitely not your typical Filipino restaurant. Dishes are prepared with a little French influence in individual portions, not family style like most Filipino restos I’ve been to. So it’s really a modern take on Filipino cuisine.
I do remember that everything we had was delicious:
–Luneta sampler (Shanghai Pouches, Pork BBQ, Crispy Tokwa, and Bangus Maki platter)
–Okoy =O (see pic)
–Rib-​eye Salpicao =)
–Luneta Chicken Adobo =)
–Cripsy Pata
Everything was great!
Those who are used to the family style Filipino restos might not like it here because the food is a little pricey and you don’t get family style portions. However, I think this is a good place to take people who have never had a taste of Filipino cuisine and introduce them to it. Also, you can also score a $ 25 off coupon from
for here to make the experience even better. I will definitely come here again!

The food is delicious here– everything we tried was fabulous! We had the:
–Sampler (bangus maki, pork bbq, fried tofu, and shanghai pochette)
–chicken adobo
–bistek luneta
–crispy pata
All of it was very well presented, and cooked perfectly. As others have noted, the portion sizes are very small for the price. However, the quality of the food is so much better than you’d get at a Tita Baby’s Turo Turo type place! None of the dishes were greasy at all, and this was especially true of the crispy pata, which was the best we’ve had to date. The inner meat was tender, while the outside was crisped to perfection – you won’t be disappointed. Of all the food, that was the dish you’d actually come back again for.
For dessert, we had the turon and the banana crepes, which were both also really good. All in all a great experience, but with the prices, we definitely won’t be able to come here again soon.

Don’t let the outside fool you. Everything inside is top notch! Very trendy Asian California fusion cuisine. The Shanghai Pouches appetizer was a scrumptious take on a fried, filled wonton. The Salpicao (marinated cubes of rib-​eye with potato strips) was DELICIOUS, but slightly overcooked. I asked for medium-​rare, and it was presented medium-​well (still delicious, though!). The Chicken Luneta was moist, seasoned perfectly, and was paired with veggies and jasmin rice that were cooked to a perfect al-​dente.
The service was fabulous and the waiter (Greg?) had an awesome sense of humor… very personable and accomodating. Almost everything was great, but I will likely skip dessert next time. I had the churros… they were ok, but a little overcooked.
I will definitely go back! I can’t wait to taste more of their appetizers and entrees!

I like Bistro Luneta. A and I came here for brunch this morning. We were in the area because we ordered some cupcakes from Sibby’s and had to pick them up.
They have brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, so it’s different from their regular menu. We both ordered the mango juice, although they also have pitchers of sangria as well as bottomless mimosas. I also ordered the Pork Adobo Shepard’s Pie. I like shepard’s pie because I like mashed potatoes. The Shepard’s Pie itself is fairly small, but it was the perfect portion size for me. It also came with a side of salad, which I liked. The pork adobo stew was a little salty at the end, but it was still really good. A decided to go the «normal» brunch route and got buttermilk pancakes with fruit and a side of scrambled eggs. The pancakes are good-​sized and come with three pancakes. It also had a couple slices of kiwi and oranges.
I like the space and you could tell they did a lot with the space. Open kitchen, bar seats, cool tiles hanging from the ceiling… very cool. I’d come back to try their non-​brunch items.

I really wanted to like this place, but we left kind of disappointed. We checked out Bistro Luneta for their brunch. Both of us got the longanisa breakfast special with eggs and garlic fried rice. He was going to get a mango mimosa but accidentally left his ID back at my place; and I think I’m getting sick, so I passed. However he did order a glass of mango juice.
You could tell that the loganisa was homemade. It wasn’t the typical red color though and was bigger than the longanisa that my bf’s mom cooks us, however, it wasn’t greasy like your typical longanisa. I liked the taste of the meat, but it was really dry, so I continuously dipped my sausage pieces in the vinegar. Garlic fried rice was very garlicky. We both left full, but thought the portions were pretty small for over $ 10. When I got the bill, I was pretty shocked to see the two breakfasts and one mango juice after tax was $ 28 and change. I know you’re paying for atmosphere, but dang… I can go to Nini’s or Park Chow for a huge breakfast for cheaper. The mango juice was $ 4.25, for 75 cents more I could have boozed it up and made it a mimosa.
I do enjoy Filipino food & appreciate fusion food if it’s executed right. There’s nothing like home cooked Filipino food, but I’m still looking for a great Filipino restaurant where I can get some dishes that the bf’s mom doesn’t cook like sisig. Maybe we should have just stuck with trying this place out for a weekday lunch.

Me and my bf decided to check out this resto as we had no idea what this resto is. We came to know that this is Filipino from the waiter. We ordered Ukoy (tempura style shrimp and squid) for the appetizer, Mimosa and Calamansi for drinks. The Calamansi was tasty. For the entrée we had Pancit Canton (noodle with pork and shrimp) and Chicken Adobo. The food were not greasy but it had different flavor compared to other south east asian restos. The Pancit canton noodle tasted like any other chow mein. I requested for the pancit noodle to substitute chicken in place of pork but the chef denied that they do that. So instead I asked them to have only the shrimp.
Chicken adobo was delicious. The chicken was grilled perfectly. The quantity of rice served was very less like a scoop.
Overall the food was average and pricey. Oh they don’t have any spicy sauce.

My colleague suggested this venue for lunch. The restaurant is in a sketchier part of San Mateo, right before downtown.
Garlic Noodles w/​Cajun Shrimp
— Shrimp was perfectly cooked and fresh
— Garlic Noodles were very garlicy and tossed w/​plenty of butter
Arroz ala Luneta
— Big bowl of rice w/​ground beef, peppers, and topped with plantains and salty egg.
…I think they gave us plantains w/​the skin too?
This restaurant would be better suited for dinner than a lunch special due to the rather leisurely pace of the kitchen.
The chef came out to take our order and the waitress was super friendly.

Went here with the family during Father’s Day Sunday Brunch and then to the Whiskey Tasting and Cigars UYE a week later. The house was full on both occasions, and service was fairly quick. Jon Guanzon and staff were very accommodating. It was interesting to see the different vibe of a peaceful Sunday brunch to SBC pandemonium during a Thursday dinner and drinking frenzy. I had a wonderful time during both!
Filipino Fusion is something new and different to my parents, and they were pleased, especially with presentation. My parents are used to traditional Filipino cooking with bigger portions, but they appreciated the concept of contemporary Filipino Cuisine.
So did I.
I nearly had the same menu items during both visits. Here’s the breakdown:
Appetizers…
Shanghai Pouches — an innovative look to lumpiang shanghai with a lot of crunch.
Pork Barbeque — skewers bursting with flavor.
Tokwa’t Baboy — a family favorite. The cubes of bean curd were impressive!
Bangus Maki — goodbye Unagi!
French Fries — shoestring goodness… with San Mig Light!
Entrees…
Gatang Gulay — my favorite. It’s all about the coconut milk!
Crispy Pata — we had the most of this item throughout the two-​day extravaganza (thanks Jennifer C P). Pork goodness sake… the most traditional in taste and texture.
Pancit Canton — just like how my mom makes it (minus the crispy noodle toppings).
Luneta Chicken Adobo — extraordinary, yet yummy to the eye and taste buds.
Thanks James G for introducing this place to me! Also for hosting a fantastic event.

No, this is not your parent’s Filipino restaurant. Don’t even go in there expecting it to be like that, or you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Finally a Filipino restaurant we can truly call upscale. You won’t find steamer tables here. You won’t find your grandma with an ice cream scoop and styrofoam plates. You won’t even find Bong Bong or Girlie taking your order.
Upon entering, you’ll notice the high ceilings, tea candles on the tables, and the huge black and white pictures on the walls depicting historic sites of The Philippines. Even before trying the food, I was proud that we finally have a restaurant with ambiance. Now on to the food.
Remember I told you to not expect the expected? The chef takes typical Filipino recipes and adds flair to it. I won’t say he westernizes the food; that would not be fair. You eat with your eyes first, and this is where Bistro Luneta excels in. A sauced plate with chops on its end is Kaldereta lamb, fried tofu on top of stewed pork, drizzled with vinegar is tokwa’t baboy, and grilled squid on a bed of shoestring potatoes is inihaw na pusit. You get the idea. Even the Crispy Pork Trotter is a fancy name for our beloved Crispy Pata (which, by the way, we bought the entire stock of last night… it was THAT good).
Kudos to Jon Guanzon for coming up with the concept, thanks to James Guanzon for inviting us out here, and huge props to the SBC for making last night’s event a big success. I’ll be back for sure.

How can you serve Filipino food without acidity? Bistro Luneta sure knows how… just douse it in more soy sauce.
I’ll give them credit, all the meats were very nicely cooked, but we found ourselves longing for the acid that’s characteristic of this cuisine.
We started with the Tokwa’t Baboy, which were nicely cooked strips of pork belly with flour dusted fried cubes of tofu. Served atop a delicious soy citrus sauce garnished with scallions, this dish was the lone star of the evening.
The Bistek Luneta is a nicely cooked flat iron steak, served with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Rather than the typical version with strips of beef, served with onions and a soy citrus sauce, the sauce here tasted of an intense soy reduction with nary a hint of citrus. It would have been better without the sauce, but then what makes the dish Filipino then? You may as well be in a steakhouse.
The Crispy Pata, deep fried pork trotter, was again very nicely cooked, with perfectly crispy skin and moist meat, but can you guess what it’s served with? Soy sauce, with maybe a hint of garlic. They even give you two small bowls of the same sauce. The fatty skin definitely needed some acidity to balance the richness. To give perspective, any other Filipino restaurant would serve this dish with just vinegar, maybe some garlic or pepper thrown in, but yes, just vinegar.
I wonder how the Paksiw is here, the classic Filipino fish dish, with a gingery vinegar broth, spiked with chilis. I bet the sardines en saor I had at Berreta, an Italian restaurant, come closer in flavor to Paksiw than what they offer here, but I am starting to get ahead of myself.
Anyhow, I think it’s an easy enough fix, but I’m not so sure Bistro Luneta is willing to part with their niche in non-​Filipino clientele. Fine by me, I’ll take Patio Filipino or Poleng Lounge over this place any day.
And to those that argue that this is upscale Filipino, «upscale» is refining (while keeping the integrity) of the recipes and better technique, not removing key ingredients.
Imagine if Dragonfly or Bong Su didn’t use fish sauce but instead piled on the soy sauce, catch my drift?

I wanted to like this place more, since upscale gourmet Filipino restaurants are hard to find, but the place just didn’t give me too much excitement.
FOOD: Main dishes are served individually, NOT family style. This may come as a surprise at an Asian restaurant, but places like Bushi-​Tei (
) and Le Colonial (
) does the same. I preferred it to be family style, so that I could have tried many more dishes.
DECOR: While they try to present their dishes in an upscale format, their space is not too upscale. It’s clean and nice, but it’s nothing like beautiful décor at Bushi-​tei or Le Colonial. Of course, price point here is much lower than those restaurants.
PRICE: Most main dishes are $ 14 – 23.
SUMMARY: Overall, I don’t have too much complaint about Bistro Luneta, but I also don’t have too many positive things to say. A solid 3 Star restaurant.

I had my monthly diner with high school friends on a Wednesday night and it was packed! there was a couple birthday parties going on, but luckily i got there early enough to snag a table for 6. Scott the waiter was excellent. he made sure we got everything we needed and more.
my favorite dish was the pork trotters, except there wasn’t much meat on it. the beef steak cubes with purple onions was delicious and the chicken adobo was very juicy. i also LOVED my calamansi juice! for dessert, i highly recommend the banana crêpe. bananas, caramel, crêpe, whip crème and a little rum. what’s not to love?
thumbs down on:
— i asked the manager to make something special on the crêpe since it was my friend’s birthday, but when it came, there was nothing special about it.
— tuna tartar. I’m allergic to fish, but all my friends said that it was truly nothing special. they could have been more creative about it.

Where do you go when your sister is having a birthday and all of your mutual girlfriends come from SF, Alameda, San Leandro, and San Jose?
You meet at a centrally located, Unilocaler-​recommended Filipino restaurant in San Mateo and have a blast! The food was great, the service was awesome, and we were treated to free dessert wine after our meal. I, of course only had a sip … but hey, free is still free!
Upon entering the restaurant, we noticed that our reserved table was right by the door, so we were going to ask to be moved out of the draft … but John, the owner, beat us to it and offered to move us to the other side of the restaurant. He went over there himself and helped move some tables around. Talk about hospitable.
The restaurant wasn’t very crowded for a weeknight, and we were happy to be able to laugh and eat to our heart’s content! In fact, I think we ordered too much! There were some stars on the menu, and some others that had the potential to be great but were lacking.
Some good dishes:
1) Sinigang — Seared black cod in tamarind soup, not as sour as other sinigang dishes but still perfectly cooked and tender
2) Crispy Pata — fried pork leg with soy-​vinegar dipping sauce, you definitely have to like fried pork rinds for this
3) Pancit Canton — typical Filipino noodle dish, came in a pretty large portion for all 5 of us to share
Some good desserts:
1) Barako Crème Brulee — Philippine coffee crème brûlée, we were all digging into this!
2) Churros — small churros with seasonal fruit and Manila hot chocolate that was thick, and bittersweet and oh-​so-​good! Just dip those churros in … and mmm mmm good.
I wasn’t feeling some dishes though:
1) Chicken Inasal — moist and flavorful grilled chicken, but it wasn’t much more than that. Nothing too Filipino about it except for the dipping sauce
2) Chicken Adobo — this is a standby dish for Filipino cuisine and it was not up to par
3) Maja Blanca — coconut corn pudding that was almost like a panna cotta, but was dubbed by my dining companions as «sweetened string cheese!» and I have to agree
All in all, the food was wonderful and the location was great. We’ll definitely be back.
So, Happy Birthday to Kimberly F! Here’s to Kimberly and here’s to the lovely Unilocalers who helped us decide on a great restaurant.