Pampalasa

I absolutely loved this place! Such a great and unique dining experience in SF! Definitely want to make a reservation to this place. If you've ever wanted to try Filipino food and eat it in an authentic way this is the place to go. You eat with your hands! The setup is amazing. First they spread a ton of rice in a nice row for everyone. They sprinkle fried garlic bits and green onions on top. Then they drop in a whole slew of different meats and fish and vegetables. (They have different sets to choose from). My favorite meat was the deep fried pork with the grilled chicken. You won't leave here with an empty stomach. And you will definitely not leave without having leftovers. Well worth it! Amazing value for the amount of food you get! They of course have a place for you to wash your hands before and after the meal! I'm definitely coming back and I recommend anyone to try this!

Came here with a very large group for the kamayan dinner where all the food is laid out on banana leaves on the table and everyone eats with only their hands. The experience was fun, very communal, but execution by the restaurant was slightly lacking. We were the second large group reservations for the night, and although our reservations were for 6:30pm, food didn't come out until closer to 7:30pm. We all sat and watched as the other reservation table that arrived at 6pm were served and finish way before we started eating. Perhaps they were understaffed for the night and perhaps our group was just too bug (25+), but our food was decent at best. Some items lacked flavor, others were very delicious. Those who did the 3 combo of meat, seafood, and vegan items left full with packed boxes. Make sure you wash your hands (and under your fingernails!) at the two available sinks, and be sure to un-invite those who are sick!

Cute place, good food. Came here with a group of seven for a team lunch from our office nearby. They were very accommodating, pushing together tables so we could all sit together. The space is tiny and quaint and had good noise levels for lunch. We all shared the pork lumpia and fresh lumpia, then each had a main. The pork lumpia was as expected, nice and crunchy. The fresh lumpia was a non-fried version of the same thing, but instead of being cut into individual-szied rolls, it was served like one large burrito. The crepe was thin and the lumpia was filled with seasonal vegetables. It was definitely an unfamiliar take on the classic and I really enjoyed it. For my main, I had a vegan dish listed under appetizers that had mushrooms and bamboo and taro and chili peppers with coconut milk. It was flavorful and nice combination of creamy and salty. Overall, the food was quite good but the service wasn't fantastic. A few just weird things, like half our table got their food before the other half, and the other half waited a full five minutes watching the first half eat. A minute or so, fine, but that long was definitely uncomfortable… In general, I'll be looking forward to this as a regular place for team lunches.

was wandering around soma with friends and stumbled upon this place for lunch. ordered mango salad + sinigang + tocino + fried lumpia + taho. this is probably the nicest filipino place (in both ambiance and deliciousness) i've ever visited. the dishes show clear attention to modern plating and presentation, and the fare is lighter, fresher, and more flavorful than whatever preconceptions you've acquired from goldilocks or manila sunset. i'm hapa and grew up with plenty of filipino food: some of the interpretations were different than what i expected, but were generally pleasantly so. i'm looking forward to trying out the rest of the menu.