Sa Aming Nayon

Food is overpriced. And they’ve also lessened the portions. Sizzling Sisig is priced at $ 14.95, and halo-​halo is $ 9.95! Yes, it is Manhattan, but still. I’ll stick to Maharlika.

It’s hit or miss here. Went to dinner there last night, ordered a few items on the menu.

It started out normal enough– lumpia shanghai came out first (it was good), then after it started to get annoying.
Basically we got our food — staggered, got the pork (Lechon– was perfectly cooked) — then the rice came 5 minutes later, then 10 minutes the chicken apritada (while sauce was good-​we got few edible chicken pieces, the spine of the chicken, a thigh and maybe ¼ of a breast– minimal sauce), then 10 min later the (salty and tasted like it came out of a packet) and then a few minutes after our BBQ (didnt actually eat it– b/​c by the time it got to us– we were done.)
I want to love this place– and it has had it’s moments. Most of it’s fried items– can’t go wrong with (although I did get a soggy «crispy Pata» once). But it seems alot of their menu items are over salted, over seasoned and service while friendly– is very amateur hour.
I will still probably go back– hope for the best. Grill 21 is pricier– but the food is more consistent, but Sa Aming is just more comfortable to eat in– so I hope it gets better, and that kitchen gets it together. Or just start serving fried foods.

I believe they CLOSED down. I walked by this past Saturday and the rolling shutter was down. There was a sticker on it from a dishwashing leasing company requesting whomever will empty the premises to contact them as they want it back!
Darned appliance absconders!
I also called their # and despite not being disconnected yet, no one picked up and it was 2PM.
Why can’t a decent Filipino restaurant (as in homestyle authentic, not like, say Maharlika, which is in the fusion category) stay in business in Manhattan?! It’s so frustrating!
They should’nt have stopped serving the «–silogs» at 11AM If you served (insert favorite breakfast meat/​fish here)-silogs ALL DAY (For those Tagalog non-​speakers: «Si”=sinangag=garlic fried rice and «Log”=itlog=egg)
They would’ve made bank because everyone loves that s**t!
Back to Woodside for me! I hate the 7 train *sigh*

(2.5 star)
Food was ok-​good: the fried Shanghai lumpias (fried spring rolls) were great, but everything else was either ordinary or bland. The pork/​chicken Adobo combo was just ok. The grilled squid was too dried and with bland stuffing and uninspired side of sauteed vegetables. The garlic rice was not bad but kinda clumpy. Beer was $ 6 a bottle. I did not try the pansit or other classic dishes.
Pricing was a little too high for the quality (and portion) of food, hole-​in-​the-​wall-​décor and service. Most entrees were $ 12 – 14. I had a voucher so the bill was quite reasonable after $ 25 discount adjustment.
Service was friendly but really erratic. (language barrier?)
I will prob not go back… Need to find decent Filipino food in Manhattan!

I absolutely loved this place! I recently visited the Philippines for the first time and was craving some Tocino back in New York. I went here by myself at 3 pm on a Monday and was the only person eating. I ordered tocilog (delicious pork with garlic rice and 2 fried eggs) with longanissa (sweet sausage) and it was totally masarap (delicious)! It took mere minutes to get my food (of course, I WAS the only one there) and then I finished up with some yummy ube ice cream. The portions were well sized, not too much and not too little. Slightly more expensive than I would have liked, but oh well.
The best part of the meal, though, was that I got into a lively conversation with the owner. We talked for a good 40 minutes about my trip to the Phils, my Filipino boyfriend who works on a ship, and my own work. He was impressed by my (very little) Tagalog and he was super friendly. I ended up meeting his wife, the cooks, and talking with the waiters. These people are awesome! He even ended up recording a video message for my boyfriend! Haha! I ended the meal with a hug from the owner! This was not only a great dining experience, but one of the most friendly experiences I’ve ever had in New York, period!
I will absolutely definitely be coming here again whenever I’m missing FIlipino food and will probably make it «our spot» when my boyfriend gets to NYC! :)

Last night my girlfriend took me out for one of my favorite cuisines, Filipino. After work we jumped in my car and headed for Sa Aming Nayon and realized that on a Friday night, there was no chance in hell we’d find parking in that area easily. Let’s just say, looking for parking took about the same amount of time as our meal in the restaurant.
We ordered for ourselves, the Adoring Manok (Chicken Adobo), the Inihaw na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly), and an order of the Garlic Fried Rice. The Chicken Adobo certainly didn’t look like the way I had it previously. But it was really good nonetheless. Might be different family recipes for this traditional Filipino dish. My girlfriend’s favorite part was the sauce, which we kept scooping onto our Garlic Friend Rice. The rice smelled very pungent. Judging by the smell, I actually expected it to have a very strong garlicky taste but instead it was surprisingly mild. The grilled pork belly came with some veggies that I actually didn’t have any of. I was too focused on chowing down on the delicious pieces of pork belly. They were good despite being grilled a little too much on one side which made it tough to chew through.
The chicken and the pork belly each comes with a side item. You could choose from a baked potato, french fries, and a bowl of rice. Since we already had the garlic fried rice we ended up with the baked potato and fries. Trust me, this is way more food then two normal people can handle. It was a loosen your belt and unbutton your jeans type of meal. There’s A LOT of food!
The place was small and cozy. Most tables were set up for couples but they easily slide them together for larger groups. Our waiters were very friendly. My glass of water never reached the bottom and the water was always slightly chilled. Great service, great place!

Waitress: try the grilled pork ears, it sounds weird but it’s really good!
Us: uhhhhh
Waitress: *nods enthusiastically*
Us: let’s try the chicken and pork adobo… and the mango salad.
Waitress: *disappointed* okay
Us: Fine, we’ll try the pork ears dish!
Turns out the pork ears dish was the winner of the night. Unforgettable. It’s called the Sizzling Sisig ($ 11.95), a hot cast iron platter full of chopped pigs’ ears, onions, and a raw egg. I’ve learned my lesson at these mom and pop homey authentic places (and there ain’t that many filipino restaurants in the city, period.) You listen to the suggestions of the people who know their stuff, and you’re good.

This is a small, cozy place that is similar to the Filipino places you would find in Woodside. It is family run and friendly. I came here with a friend and we had three entrees:
Chicken Inasal — This was listed as one of the house specials. When the food came out, we were so surprised at how small the portion was. It was basically two large wings. Chicken inasal is roast chicken. It tasted okay but was nothing special.
Adobo fried rice — This was pretty good. Other than the adobo flavoring, it’s not much different than fried rice you find in Chinese restaurants though. Their adobo fried rice comes with pork. There is no egg though, as I have seen before in other adobo fried rices.
Pritong Manok — This is Filipino fried chicken. It was nice as well. It is similar to chicharron de pollo that you find in Latin American restaurants. Like a lot of chicharron, the skin was very crispy and the meat inside was slightly dry.
I finished the meal up with leche flan for dessert. I tried to ask for other desserts like the Ube Halaya, but they were out of them. It was a small sliver of standard flan.
Overall, the food here is good and authentic. However, there are slightly better tasting Filipino places with larger portions out there.

I came here one evening with two guests from the Philippines. They were very excited to eat rice and native dishes again after some time being away from home.
To my chagrin, I was disappointed in the food. I ordered the Chicken Inasal which is supposed to be one of the restaurant specialties. It did not look as appetizing as I hope and was incredibly pricey for the size, presentation, and flavor.
The restaurant had a cute backyard/​porch seating area and was situated in a great spot in Manhattan. Very small restaurant, so would imagine that reservations need to be made for large groups.
For Filipino food, i think it is essential to make family sized portions as that’s the tradition. Charge more – a reasonable amount– for a much bigger portion. Perhaps a fusion of American flavors with Filipino foods would attract a different clientele as well.

If you want to explore great traditional Filipino cuisine, Sa Aming Nayon is a must. I asked the owner about traditional dishes and he satisfied my palate. At the end, I had to shake the manager’s and chef’s hand to thank them for such a wonderful meal.
I can’t recall the exact names of the dishes from the menu, because we didn’t look. However, here’s what we had which you must try:
— Pork Belly
— Pork intestines cooked in pork blood
— Pork intestines with shrimp and jalapenos in a tomato-​based sauce
— Fried pork foot
The third item was my favorite. It was a well-​rounded dish with mild to intense flavors massaging the tongue from all angles. I’ll most certainly dine here again!

Oh man. You should eat here if you love fatty pork like nobody’s business and you have the patience of a saint. (I have both of those virtues. Loving pork is a virtue.)
The place is cute. Unassuming along the East Village strip. Tiny narrow length of a thing.
I got there for lunch around 12:30 and the place was packed with bodies hunched over family style saucy dishes. I got seated at a table that wasn’t quite cleared yet. And then it began (timeframes provided are in succession to the preceding event):
— 15 minutes to get a menu
— 15 minutes to take my order
— 45 – 50 minutes to deliver my grilled pork
–15 minutes to deliver my garlic fried rice after the pork
–15 minutes to order some lemonade
–Forever minutes to get the lemonade (never got it)
They could be enduring some growing pains from their newfangled popularity in the area, but mayhaps it’s time to hire another waiter or another cook or something. I watched parties of 4 – 6 walk out of the restaurant after waiting 45 – 60 minutes for their food. «Sorry,» they said to the owner, «it’s just taking too long.» The owner seemed apathetic — there were plenty of other suckers waiting for their food inside.
Another group of six sat down and asked how long it would take to get their food. «At least an hour,» the owner said. Hey, points for honesty, but man, unless you’re slaughtering the pig in the back and ripping that pork belly off of it with your bare filipino hands, maybe it’s time to rethink the ol’ efficiency.
The food was good. The grilled pork was excellent minus the hair that was still left on some of the fat (c’mon. let’s be classy now and shave that stuff off!). It’s a real shame.

What? Only 3 and a half stars at this place?
Sure, you leave the place with a stomach-​ache but isn’t that the price for really really really good food?
The service was great– attentive and sweet. I love me some flips.

I came here for a birthday with a rather large crowd. We occupied the back room and the back yard area. Everyone ordered beforehand and they brought out these trays with the food and then dinner became sort of buffet style. Though I mostly just took what I ordered, I did try a little of a few other things as well. The chicken adobo was salty and a little dry, but I enjoyed the flavor. I loved the fat on the pork adobo and so preferred the pork over the chicken. The lumpia was crunchy and yummy, and the noodles had a nice bouncy texture though the taste was unimpressive. My favorite of all though was the fried tilapia, it was quite scrumptious.
The backroom had karaōke, and apparently the owners had said we could be as loud as we wanted. On my way out I noticed that the sound didn’t really travel much to the front, so that was amazing. Also it’s byob.

Entering Sa Aming Nayon takes you all the way to Queens – its got the décor and staff much like Crystals, Ihawan, Engeline (not their staff though.), etc. Its got the homey feel and it feels like it would fit in the tiny filipino town in Woodside.
That said, I’m glad I don’t have to travel to Woodside to sit and eat comfortably (so homey I could eat with my hands!)
I didn’t know they served breakfast – would’ve loved to get my hands on tocino and longanisa. but it was too late when I found out :(
Got the lenchon paksiw and the kare kare. Both arrived in generous portions with a small bowl of white rice. The paksiw was so good — a little tart, fatty, saucy… couldn’t stop eating it! When all the meat was gone, I simply dumped my rice in the bowl to clean it up some more =P
The kare-​kare on the other hand left me wishing that I were at a family gathering with my aunt’s kare kare. Sa Aming Nayon’s was watery yet too peanut buttery. The side of binagoong was great. able to salvage the kare kare (for me) without turning my boyfriend off (it didn’t smell at all!.. well except if you put your nose in the bowl.) I will point out that they give you lots of oxtail though, so i was happily gnawing on them :)
The halo-​halo, although I did not get to taste, was HUGE! with a scoop of ice cream on top. If that’s too weird for you (shaved ice with a whole bunch of toppings with milk and ice cream), then have the halo-​halo flavored ice cream ;)

It broke my heart when Elvie’s Turo Turo closed. Where would I get my fix of FIlipino food? Grill 21 is decent but SO EXPENSIVE.
The staff at Sa Aming Nayon are very sweet and I love that they are open late and take credit cards – Very important for someone who doesn’t always have cash and who often works late hours.
I have gotten the Tinolang Manok, Chicken and pork adobo as well as the pancit bihon – served in very generous portions and always manage to hit the spot.
And to think I may have missed them had my freind not pointed them out to me! Ay nako!
Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din.
*Update– They have somehow doubled the price of food since they opened. No lube, just BAM! I recently got the adobo again which was just so-​so, riddled with bones and did not fill me up, which I would expect for a $ 14 dish. It breaks my heart to say so but I really can’t afford or justify spending that much for a simple meal when I can cook it myself for a fraction of the cost.

«You gotta lick it to make it hard»
…“you just ruined boba for me”
…“you never know when the batteries run out”
…“what do I call your mom?”
–pieces of the conversation that we were having around the table. Ron C. had recommended this place to us as we were winding down from the high that was Fuerza Bruta. Special thanks goes to the fuerza of Unilocal,Jane K.
There was fried pork belly, coconut-​based stews, and plenty of rice. Family-​style is highly recommended.

I’m unsure why this Filipino stop has such little popularity! I believe it’s a family run business, bringing the classic Filipino dishes to the East Village. It’s so rare to find Filipino restaurants in Manhattan so def ++ for them.
One thing: there was minced pork all throughout my Bagoong (sp?) dish which the description didn’t entail. Well, I don’t eat meat so that’s my only complaint. Clean facilities and good service.

I can say that i’m a pretty good expert on Filipino Food. I lived there for a couple of years as a teen. I was excited to find out that there is a new Filipino Place. I came here with my two favorite people. We were lucky that the place wasn’t packed and we were able to sit outside at the Garden. It was a perfect day to eat outside.
The menu has a lot to choose, just reading it my mouth started watering. We kept it traditional and ordered the basics.
Pork Adobo– Generous portions and perfectly cooked and seasoned.
Pork Menudo– Just like how Mom made it, complete with hot dog slices and raisins.
Chicken Kaldareta– It’s not spicy as the ones i’m used to. It was actually a bit sweet. Do watch out for small chicken bones.
Mango Salad– Really refreshing. Diced tomatoes, onion, mango and a Salted Egg. The perfect side dish to fried Tilapia.
Lumpiang Shanghai– Crispy and served with Sweet and Sour sauce. This is usually out cause of it’s popularity and taste. So ask them before ordering.
All in all it was a great experience. Early dinner with friends on a cool Sunday afternoon. I definitely will be back for some Halo-​Halo!

A new Filipino place across the street from where Elvie’s Turo Turo used to be. Shame they’re gone. I still miss the big bag of fried chicken skins (chicharron).
Food: First off, their menu is more extensive than I expected. There’s a lot of choice here, unless you’re a vegan or strict vegetarian, in which case, don’t bother coming here. Went here w/​2 friends and split a bunch of stuff. I didn’t write the Filipino names down so you’ll have to bear with descriptions.
Bicol Express: pork simmered in coconut milk w/​bagoong (anchovy paste) and chiles. Could’ve been spicier so ask to make it spicier. Even w/​o the heat I’m accustomed to, I’d still order this again. Mix the gravy w/​the rice and chow down.
Ukoy: shrimp and squash fritters. Not bad, but if you’ve ever had Purple Yam’s ukoy, this one won’t impress. Lacked flavor, but the included vinegar sauce spiced it up.
Camaron Rebosado: Fried shrimp w/​sweet chili sauce. Not bad, but I wouldn’t call it a must have.
Rellenong Talong: Eggplant stuffed w/​beef or pork, dipped in egg and fried. This was our vegetable dish! Pretty good actually, but watch out for bits of cartilage from the meat.
Ginataang something something something: Fried pork in coconut milk w/​shrimp, onions, garlic and chiles. This was spicier than the Bicol Express which was a pleasant surprise. It was also very good. I’d order this again.
Inihaw na Pork Belly: grilled pork belly w/​atchara (pickled papaya). The atchara would cut the richness of the pork belly except they didn’t have any. Luckily, the spicy vinegar sauce served the same purpose. I’ll have to try their lechon kewali to decide which pork belly dish I like more.
Alcohol: they’re working on their liquor license so they don’t have the advertised beers or wines listed on their menu.
Service: slow. They’re new so they’re still working out the kinks. I mentioned it to the owner so hopefully they’ll step up their game soon. For ex., we ordered drinks, but they weren’t immediately served and we had to ask for them after they started serving the food, which came after a longer than average wait. Also, they didn’t automatically fill the water glasses. We shouldn’t have to ask for them to be refilled, but we did.
Even w/​the service issues, I gave them 4 stars because finding good Filipino food in Manhattan is difficult and this place actually serves up good food. I’ll be back.

C and the rest of the flip brunch gang were all supposed to come here, but it ended up just be C and I.
C has already been here with C and N, so C was raving to me how good this place is and we should come here.
The décor has the cheesy Filipino feel, but I am here for the food not for the ambiance.
We sat in the back of the garden and ordered the following items:
Tosilog is soooo good, I like the texture and the taste over Grilled 21, but I prefer the garlic rice at Grilled 21. Tosilog is still my most favourite dish!
I wanted something more seafood with vegetables, but C told me we should get Laing. It’s dried taro leaves with pork and shrimp in coconut milk. It looked like puke and it wasn’t my most favourite dish. I am not a big sodium lover and this dish lean on the salty side. This dish would be good for salty lovers. The shrimp was a bit sad.
Pancit Sotanghon — The shrimp in this dish was in a better state — plump and better quality of shrimp. This had to be doused with some fish sauce to make it more appealing to me.
We didn’t get to try any of their desserts, so I can’t compare their halo halo or flan.
BOO!
I am coming back… actually I did, I ordered Tosilog to go the following day.
I took away one star only because in a public restroom, there should be SOAP PUMP not SOAP BAR.
I hope they switch to Liquid Soap and I hope they get their self situated and make food a lot faster.
Service is really friendly!