We settled the debate, sisig or adobo, at the best Filipino restaurants in Adelaide
You know what else is more exciting than a Manny Pacquiao title fight? Wolfing down sisig, pancit, adobo, or halo-halo in one of Adelaide’s best Filipino restaurants.
Sure, there’s only a slim chance of haymakers or tooth-and-nail exchanges at these dining spots, but you’ll still go home satisfied and energized like Pinoys after a Pacquiao KO.
That’s just the mahika of the sweet, sour, and savory diet-breakers the Pearl of the Orient is iconic for. We capture this very magic and share the deets below!
Bamboo House
Address: Ingle Farm Plaza, 26A/26A Montague Rd, Ingle Farm
Contact Details: (08) 8396 5761
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 9 am to 9 pm
- Fri to Sat – 9 am to 5 pm
- Sun – 11 am to 5 pm
If you’re craving a true-blue Filipino feast that’ll have you saying “Salamat po!” after the first bite, Bamboo House is a clear choice.
Classics hotter than Manila in high noon are their bread-and-butter, from caldereta (slow-cooked beef in a savory stew) to laing (dried leaves of taro swimming in fired-up coconut milk).
The early birds also get the sausages with their longsilog, a breakfast platter of chorizo, fried rice, and eggs.
However, it’s the sizzling sisig (a savory and spicy dish made of pork cheeks and aromatics) you should be excited for. One whiff of its aroma, and you’ll forget about your WeightWatchers subscription.
| Tip: It takes around 25 minutes to reach this spot from the Adelaide CBD. If this is too long for you, consider ordering online. |
118 Kovenant
Address: 1/118 Bridge Rd, Pooraka
Contact Details: (08) 7112 6977
Operating Hours:
- Mon – Closed
- Tue to Sat – 9:30 am to 3 pm, 5:30 pm to 9 pm
- Sun – Closed
Filipino food with an Aussie twist won’t work…is something our team would say if we’ve never been to 118 Kovenant. We should give a shout-out to adobo-loving Poraaka locals who urged us to hit up this spot.
Pinoy egg benny was the first plate we cleaned. It’s like your classic egg benny but with pandesal (staple Filipino bread) instead of muffins.
For the main, we had sweet and savory fried noodles with chili oil and pork-filled siomai (dim sum).
Sweetening the finale was their champorado, a milky and rich chocolate porridge with fresh strawberries and crisp coconut flakes. There’s also the ube de leche croffle, a croissant waffle crowned with sweetened purple yam and Filipino-style creme brulee.
| Tip: Visit on Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm if you’re looking for discounted lunch combos. |
Sweetlemon Patisserie
Address: 1/241 Unley Rd, Malvern
Contact Details: (08) 8299 9456
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – Closed
- Wed to Thu – 12 pm to 8 pm
- Fri to Sat – 12 pm to 9 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 8 pm
Forget lollies and Tim Tam’s. Sweetlemon Patisserie is where you want to be for a taste of the sweet life, Filipino style.
We’re talking desserts so divine that you’ll forget about the Adelaide sun and dive tongue-first into a bowl of halo-halo with milk-infused shaved ice, sweet beans, caramelized banana, jellies, and candied ube.
If sweets aren’t your jam, there are still salty and savory alternatives, like palabok (thin rice noodles in shrimp sauce), crackling pork belly with eggplant, and smoky BBQ drenched in a Filipino marinade.
| Tip: There are 3 things guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and Adelaide restaurants updating their menus. Stay in the know by regularly checking this restaurant’s Facebook page. |
Adobo Co
Address: 118 Commercial Rd, Port Adelaide
Contact Details: (08) 8246 1936
Operating Hours:
- Mon – 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
- Tue – Closed
- Wed to Sun – 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Our teammates often joke about not trusting someone who hates adobo, especially if it’s Adobo Co’s signature offering. The dish we’re talking about is a bowl of pork or chicken swimming in a sweet and sour soy-based sauce rich in aromatics.
And don’t get us started on their sinigang, a traditional Filipino soup characterized by its sour broth made with tamarind and filled with South Australian prawns. It’s our comfort food when the elements get too hard to handle—which happens quite a lot.
For a taste of something unique, why not indulge in a serving of dinuguan? Spoiler alert: it’s a rich stew with ingredients like pork, liver, vinegar, chili, and stewed pork blood.
| Tip: The quickest way to book is by calling the number above. |
34 Wyatt Street
Address: 34 Wyatt St
Contact Details: 0491 247 473
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Sat – 8 am to 3 pm
- Sun – Closed
Naming your restaurant after the street it’s on is a bold move, but 34 Wyatt Street might’ve earned this right just by serving Filipino striploin skewers and pork tocino (sweet cured pork) that made us forget fancy, wallet-breaking, and bland steaks.
The sandos they whip up don’t miss, too, particularly the chicken adobo sandwich flavored with a robust BBQ sauce. Match this dish with a pandan-flavored croissant and you’ll know why Filipino food is masarap (thank you, Duolingo).
| Tip: Everybody wants a taste of Pinoy rice bowls, sandwiches, and desserts. However, not everyone likes to book. Use this to your advantage and skip the ungodly queue. |
Manila
Address: 114A Semaphore Rd, Semaphore
Contact Details: (08) 8117 4955
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – Closed
- Tue to Fri – 5 pm to 9 pm
- Sat – 12 pm to 2:30 pm, 5 pm to 9 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 2:30 pm
With a name like Manila, you have no choice but to deliver Filipino flavors. This isn’t an issue for this resto, as their time-honored dishes took us to the bustling city without dealing with zen-wrecking flight shenanigans.
For starters, they boast palabok, pancit miki-bihon (egg noodles with meat and greens), bangus silog (battered milkfish belly), pork rib sinigang, and chicken glazed with Philippine lime and honey.
If you’re looking to chew on a bit of Australia, there’s the sweet and sour barramundi. This one is lightly battered, loaded with herbs, and covered in a sugary, tangy ginger sauce that goes well with the restaurant’s buttercream purple yam.
| Tip: Check their upcoming events. Karaokes are the usual shindigs (unsurprisingly), but you can also expect holiday-themed menus. |
The Asian Kitchen
Address: 22 Reid Ave, Tranmere
Contact Details: 0413 764 578
Decked in bamboo accents and oozing with homely vibes, The Asian Kitchen is undeniably Filipino.
The food also reflects the Pinoy spirit, with delicious, the-chef-didn’t-hold-back servings of sisig topped with spices. We can say the same with the kare-kare, a pork belly dish in a thick, shrimp-based peanut sauce.
As for dessert, their upgraded halo-halo with cream caramel and palm fruit is a mood booster, particularly during summertime when you’ll sweat bullets just by breathing.
| Tips: Buzzing food events are common here. You can’t miss such fetes by checking their Instagram above. They’re currently moving to a spot in the CBD. Follow their Facebook page above for updates on their new schedule and address. |
Kwento at Rekado
Address: 49 Walpole Rd, Paralowie
Contact Details: 0434 208 934
Operating Hours: Daily – 8 am to 7 pm
If you’ve ever been to a party catered by Kwento at Rekado (or any Filipino party at all), you know they have lip-smacking kare-kare, palabok, siomai, and sisig for days.
What our team loves the most, though, is their sotanghon guisado. It’s silky stir-fried noodles and an abundance of richly seasoned pork and veggies are worth the effort.
The bistek Tagalog is another must-have, most notably if you’re fond of hearty and tangy beef bites. This one is braised beef draped in a citrusy sauce and filled with lots of onions—better not wear a tight belt and bring mint.
| Tip: Kwento at Rekado likes to keep things fresh. You can see their updated menu on their Facebook page above. |
Pinoy Delicacy
From eat_and_fly0328
Address: 4 Londonderry Ave, Salisbury Downs
Contact Details: (08) 8258 8841
Operating Hours:
- Mon – Closed
- Tue to Sat – 11 am to 6 pm
- Sun – Closed
A Filipino food fiesta in Adelaide isn’t complete without dropping by Pinoy Delicacy for a slice of Pinoy street food and dessert that won’t cost you your salary.
Fried lumpia or Filipino spring rolls filled with a mixture of savory ingredients such as minced meat (often pork or chicken) is the crowd-pleaser. Deep-fried quail eggs (kwek-kwek) in an orange batter also sell like hotcakes.
When it comes to dessert, bibingka is our usual pick. It’s a soft rice cake made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and eggs.
But if you’re gunning for something stickier and wetter, go for the bilo-bilo—glutinous rice balls, bananas, and purple yam in hot coconut milk.
| Tip: Check the restaurant’s store. It’s packed to the brim with products straight from the Philippines, from local snacks to canned goods. |
The Filipino Project
No dining location
Contact Details: +61 401 617 440
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Why travel for minutes or hours when The Filipino Project can bring the Philippines’ greatest offerings to your couch? Yep, this one is technically a caterer, but it would be a foodie injustice not to include it on this list.
We fell in love with them during Adelaide Fringe’s Gluttony, where their chefs served ice-cold halo-halo, Filipino BBQ, and escabeche (chargrilled cauliflower with sour and subtly sweet undertones).
Nothing comes close to their lechon, though. No diet plan could stop us from gobbling this whole roasted, crackling pig seasoned with full-bodied herbs and spices.
| Tip: Don’t have the funds to book The Filipino Project? No worries! You can still savor their delicious bites by keeping an eye on the festivals they’re participating in. Just head to their Instagram above for updates. |
