I am happy to say that after so long there is now another Filipino restaurant her in Berlin. In the past it was only Pan in Prenzlauerberg, but now we have Pinoy in Charlottenburg. The location is only 9 minutes by car from the Philippine Embassy and they serve pork, which is so essential to Filipino cuisine. 

I liked the interior deign of the small restaurant. They used a lot of wood and warm colours. The style was modern and there were lots of orchids greeting us when we entered. I thought it was a nice touch for that warm tropical feel. I also loved the stunning triptych of the Banaue Rice Terraces on the wall. 

The food was delicious and there was a great variety. I liked the crispy para (crispy pork knuckle which is similar to the German Schweinshaxe. It is a must to take it with the sweet soya and vinegar sauce.

I was also delighted that they serve breakfast -silogs. Tapsilog, longsilog, etc are a typical Filipino breakfast. The reason why they are called that way is because it is a combination of the dishes elements’ names. For example, below was a longsilog which is for LONGganisa (a type of sweet sausage) + SInangag (garlic fried rice) + itLOG (egg). I haven’t had longganisa in so long and I would love to go back and try their tapsilog which is the same thing but with Tapa instead of the sausage. Tapa is beef cured pinoy-style.

We ordered fried rice (Filipinos eat a lot of rice!) not knowing that it would come with a breaded chicken breast. It was not anything fantastic, and I would recommend ordering the garlic rice instead next time. The garlic rice was super garlicky and yummy.

They served us our drinks fairly quickly but I think they forgot our food. Because the owner was profusely apologetic for their mistake and we weren’t particularly in a hurry, we really didn’t mind. I feel that situations like this is part of the starting a business, and I am mentioning it with the hopes that they use the feedback to improve their restaurant and grow their business. 

Though we didn’t ask for it, since we were quite stuffed, we were given a leche flan at the end of our meal to apologise for their mistake. I thought it was such a lovely gesture. The leche flan was dense yet smooth and creamy. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth!

Another lovely thing about the restaurant is the owner. She is a very kind and warm lady and she greets all her guests with a smile.  Filipinos are famous for their hospitality and smiles. I definitely felt it with the wonder of Pinoy Restaurant. I would love to come back and try more Filipino dishes that I’ve missed.

Philippine cuisine can be quite exotic but there are also option for the not-so-adventurous here in Pinoy.  Have you ever eaten in Pinoy? Which dishes have you tried and would you recommend them? I would love to get some tips and recos for when we go back! Do drop me a line in the comments below.

Pinoy Philippinische Spezialitäten