Kizyen Filipino Cuisine

4 stars if you’re a legit Filipino. As in, will eat dinuguan. If you don’t know what that is, then this review is for you. I’m a mestiza, which shows when I get all uppity and won’t eat pig’s blood. So! I can see how natives dig this place, but non-​natives may not. Stuff like… how this place opens at 1100 am but the food isn’t ready until 1145 (that’s Pilipino Time for you Westerners). I’m totally not bringing my non-​Filipino friends, but my mom? A legit Filipina, born and raised? Who’d get mad when I didn’t eat fish heads? This place is for her.
It gets super busy though. I brought my mom on a Wednesday at 1210 (see above) and they were PACKED. She ate a ton of dinuguan* and dried fish.
*Dinuguan: (Per Wikipedia):a Filipino savory stew of meat and/​or offal (typically lungs, kidneys, intestines, ears, heart and snout) simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili (most often siling mahaba), and vinegar.
Dinuguan looks like chocolate, and that’s what they tell the kids when they make it ^^;
They were really busy and the poor waiter/​busboy/​cashier couldn’t bring drinks nor keep them replenished.
I’ve seen desert only out in the buffet once, and I’ve been here about three times. If you want halo halo or something, it’s extra.

I am Filipino, raised on Oahu. After leaving the island to pursue my career, I found my way to the Dallas area. I feel homesick a lot because I have no Filipino friends or family here with me. I go here and I feel like I’m at home again. And the food is perfect; just the way my family cooked meals. I like the fact that when I visit here, I always see people of other cultures enjoying our rich, authentic foods. And the family who runs this restaurant reminds me of my family and I growing up. I feel so at home and I eat like a pig! Hahaha. I drive all the way from Coppell to eat there. That should tell you something.

It was lunchtime when I stopped in and they serve buffet. They have 8 choices and had a good selection of Filipino dishes such as chicken adobo, pork sinigang and even dinuguan if you’re daring. 3 dessert plates — biko, maja blanca, and assorted cookies. The place is small and fairly clean.

very authentic filipino food! small buffet but has all the delicious filipino special food you crave! i’m super suprised for the bad reviews but honeslty its the best filipino restaurant in dfw area that i’ve been! weekend food is the best they have more food. the service is good too seems like its a family own business. i highly recommend this place if you are seeking a real filipino food experience. 11−8−15 lunch time!

Perhaps it was the time and day that we visited this place but I really can’t think of anything in our experience eating here that would justify rating it more than a one-​star. I mean, it was that bad.
Sunday, October 11, 2015.
We came in just before 2 pm. There were about 3 other patrons in 3 different tables. We sat down and asked for the buffet. We walked up to the buffet table and almost all trays were about 90−95% empty with the food drying out, either because they were almost empty or because they had been sitting in the heat for very long. Two dishes were still almost full but the food in it looked like nobody wanted to come close to it. It didn’t look very appetizing at all.
The Pancit looked and tasted terrible. I didn’t finish the small portion that I got. The Binagoongan was bland. I didn’t finish this either. I had some Nilaga soup because there were no more meat or vegetables but there was something not ‘right’ about the taste. I didn’t finish this either. The Sinigang (only veggies left in the tray) tasted good, nothing spectacular but good. I scooped up whatever was left of the Lechon Kawali, a fried chicken thigh, and a couple of the Lumpias. The Lechon Kawali was not bad but there was so little in the tray even for a small child. The friend chicken was good and crispy but the way it was cooked was more American than Filipino. And who could get wrong with fried chicken, anyway? The Giniling had a few crumbs left, perhaps enough for a spoonful, looking dried out to the point of being burnt. There was a tray of desserts in one table. The desserts looked like they were cut (sliced) with a very, very, very dull knife.
I tried to eat whatever little food I had on my plate but just couldn’t make myself finish the noodles, Binagoongan and Nilaga. While I was eating, a party of five people and a party of one entered. After seating themselves, a lady in the party of five asked if there was any more of the Lechon available. I saw someone bringing out more of the dish from the kitchen. As soon as the Lechon was placed in the tray, the lady scooped up a plateful. A little later, I went up to the table to get myself some (as it was really the only dish that looked halfway appetizing) and found three small greasy pieces left. I scooped it up and sat down, hoping that they would bring out some fresh batch. No one came out.
All this time we were nibbling on our food, owners and cooks came in an out of the kitchen, looked at the buffet table but never bothered to instruct anyone to bring out fresh batches. They didn’t even attempt to fix or rearrange whatever was in each tray so it didn’t look horribly dry and empty. No one bothered to ask the patrons if they wanted any more of any particular dish. In fact, no one even came to check on us or refill our water cups.
I usually have a high tolerance for bad food but what I really dislike is bad service. I think that each and every patron that was in that restaurant at or around that time was ripped off for having a buffet table that was 90−95% empty, for being charged $ 11.50 each, and for not getting proper decent service. The owners owe these patrons an apology!
I casually rate the places I eat at into three categories – Will Be Back, Might Come Back or Will Never Come Back. Sadly, for one of the few if not the only Filipino restaurant in this area, this one falls in the latter category.

First time I finally made my way to this place after passing by it almost every week craving the food only to come and the door is closed? It says open on Facebook hours 8:30am to 4pm on Sunday’s I came around 10:40 and it was locked. Disappointed being my first visit here and even on the door states the same hours of operation. Called seemed they were confused to tell me a time when they would open. I’m not sure if I want to come back by don’t know if it would be open or not

Small buffet mainly composed of authentic dishes. Decent taste good to just get those filippino food cravings when you’re to lazy to cook yourself

Filipino food is hard to come by in the metroplex. This is a small, simple, inexpensive buffet place that has very good Filipino food. Highly recommended. Just don’t expect a Michelin Star restaurant. It is just a simple place with good food.

One of the best Filipino restaurant in Arlington! Food is great and delicious! Service is fast and the place is clean too.

Wasn’t really impressed with the service or the food. I think I’ll just stick to my family’s home cooking.

Not the best filipino cuisine. Went there for lunch, there is no more meat left on the nilagang baka, only bones left in the adobo, probably about 6 pcs left on the lumpia (egg roll), about 4 pcs. of the pritong galunggong… The taste of the food is not the greatest either… And I paid $ 9.50! If it would have been $ 6 meal, it would have been fine but $ 9.50? I’m not going back there.

On any given day this place has about a dozen different main dishes to choose from — some hard to find too, like laing. The food is pretty good & the staff are friendly.

small selection for buffet. i like their pork bbq on stick, and maja blanca. we went here for late lunch and their almost close, the staff are friendly and nice. some of their food are salty. (husband said) but all in all, its okay.

Awesome food and service. We eat here all the time and it’s just like cooking at home without having to do clean up!!!

I am willing to try any foods from around the world. I was as excited to try this place a few weeks ago, having never had Filapino food before. The place is way too small for buffet set up, you bump into other customers or staff just trying to fill your plate. Small selection of food, and most of it was dried out or poorly seasoned. Staff was at first was attentive but not super friendly. Suddenly my ‘waitress’ just stopped filling my water or checking up on me so she could sit down and play on an electronic tablet. I don’t like to leave reviews like this. I only want them to improve because Arlington has so many restaurants, but so few in DFW are Filipino ones.

I’m an adventurous eater. I enjoy new things more than most, so I went to Kizyen to try Filipino food, and honestly I must be missing something. The flavor was weak, most of the dishes that had meat were mostly bones and to top things off the price was a hell of a lot more than what I was expecting.
I wasn’t expecting a buffet, but that’s what they serve you. Most of the food tasted like it had been sitting in a steamer tray for more than a few hours. The lumpia (spelling?) was gritty, so that was strange. And I tried some of the soups, they were okay, but they were so lightly seasoned it just tasted like store bought chicken broth that someone had dumped a bunch of beef scraps and uncut veggies in, not my thing.
I know i’m not a connoisseur of Filipino food but if this is considered a good representation of that style of cooking, then I think i’m okay with just one attempt at this style of food. However, the worst thing about the whole experience was that after my buffet style meal, the tab for my wife and I came out to a little more than $ 30. Wow dude.

One of the best Filipino restaurant that I had in DFW. I liked the place! Although it’s just small place, it’s clean and the foods are delicious! Taste like the real «karinderia» in the Philippines. To all Filipino in DFW, y’all should try this place.

I am 100% Filipino, born and raised in my homeland, lived there for 30 yrs. I’ve been in search of Pinoy cuisine that would remind me of my mom’s or grandma’s cooking. This joint hits the spot right on!
Now I normally frequent buffets on weekends only, mainly because there is usually more a variety during these days. Approximately, there are 14 – 16 kinds of Filipino food here. The kare-​kare is simply divine! Melt in your mouth meat, tender veggies, add the shrimp paste and boy, is my waistline in trouble. Lol! They also serve lechon kawali, a simple dish of deep fried pork belly that’s served crispy. Vinegar optional, but highly recommended. Dinuguan, sautéed squid, calamari, sweet n sour fish, nilagang baka are among the other dishes there, and they’re all tasty. Dessert kinda varies a bit. Biko, cassava cake and leche flan are some that I have tasted. Much love is put into preparing the food here I tell you. I believe the weekday fare is simpler but still delicious when I swung by one Wednesday late afternoon.
The place is clean, I don’t come out with my clothes smelling like sautéed spices too, which is a plus.
It’s Filipino tradition to eat out after Sunday mass, so they’re usually packed on weekends. But the food is really good, so to me, that means they’re doing something good over there. Finally found a place I can go to when I’m homesick or just lazy to cook.

Ok, so I was direly wanting for someone to represent one of the most under appreciated foods — Filipino. So I was so excited when I heard about this new kitchen that opened up. Sadly, I was so disappointed by what I found — no representation!!!
I don’t want to write my normal, funny Unilocal review, because this was a funeral, nothing fun about it. Unless this place changes a lot and quickly, this will be the epithet.
I arrived with medium expectations. I found a «buffet» that literally was only two lengths long of steamed trays with room for only about 12 dishes. Unfortunately only about 8 had food. And most of those were empty.
The lumpia was empty, and the owner? came out and said more were coming. More never came while I was there but that was ok, the two I ad were horrible. Worst lumpia ever. They had «lumpia sauce» which squirted out bright orange and tasted horrible. I’m not filipino, but I have a lot of experience and I’ve never seen this. It tasted really bad.
The nilaga (sweet version of sinnygong) was all bones. No meat left in, just broth. A new batch came out and the only other two patrons there jumped up and grabbed it and when I went up there it was all bones again. I dug deep, real deep, and found a piece of beef. It was honestly good, but sadly this tiny strip would be my highlight of the meal.
The sinnygong was shrimp, it didn’t taste right. Can’t put a finger on it. The pancit (noodles) were black and were some of the saltiest dishes I ever had. It was like they dumped a bottle of soy sauce or something and then added kosher salt on top. It was really bad.
There was no adobo. No regular mainstay filipino dishes really. Nothing great, nothing to write about. Nothing to highlight the beauty and awesomeness of good filipino food. Someone just thought they could make some money it seems.
Ok, so my reviews are always based on value. This was $ 7.99 per person, and would’ve been $ 9.99 on weekends. If it were mediocre I would’ve been nice and given 3 or 4 stars. But it was horrible. And I never got a refill on water. I also noticed the waitress and family? going and getting the new food when it came out — so when the patrons went it was all gone? The desserts were cookies that looked like they came from a wal mart tray and tasted like they were 3 days old.
I really wanted some filipino place to succeed. I really wanted some place to eat and leave a good review. I really wanted to rate this place better just out of respect…
Unfortunately, this is not it.