Crispy House

Today at 8pm, me and my boyfriend went here because we were craving Filipino food and we ended up leaving before the food came. First, they had a sign that says «No more Crispy Pata». Second, after giving us the menu, our server was rushing us to order because she said they were about to close. Third, when we were ordering they didn’t have any more Kare-​Kare. Fourth, after waiting for 15 mins, our server told us that they don’t have one of our orders so my bf told her that we’re just going to leave. And lastly, she told us «Wait, I’ll ask them if they could cook the other foods that you ordered». Meaning they had us waiting for 15 mins without even starting to cook any of our orders. We were so upset! This never happened to us. We were regular customers at this place. But I don’t think we’ll come back here anytime soon. Their food here is good but they really need to improve their service.

Review is for their take out. Be ready to wait at least 25min. The foos is tasty. If only the service and cleanliness match the food.

If ALL you care about is food. this is as good as it gets. Who goes to an Asian restaurant for customer service anyways?

Good food, just a little on the expensive side. I like the crispy pata, pinakbet the best. I’m not filipina, but my coworkers have me hooked on this place. However, it is, like my coworker says, heart attack food so we eat here once in a while. Call ahead because wait times are long!

Their 3 star rating is an average between their 5 star food and 1 star service. Despite the food’s exceptional quality, the manner in which it was served was not timely (taking almost an hour for the first dish to arrive). Our order was also served incrementally rather than in its entirety ruining the continuity of the meal. The crispy pata, however, was their saving grace, allowing me to at least leave with a good taste in my mouth (pun intended).

We had been a regular in this restaurant. They had changed their name from Magic Wok. The food is superb. We bring guests here from out of state to reminisce the authentic Filipino dish. This place never fails us with the food. I must say that they need more servers to attend to customers. Sometimes they need to be reminded of what customer service is, that is where they get their tip.
I gave 4 stars simply because food is 5 stars but service is 3 stars. Needs improvement on service. Overall it was a good experience.

Ordered 2 crispy pata for pick up at 2:15pm. Got there on time but my order is not ready yet. Waited for 30mins until it’s completed. Thanks to me for constantly following it up. Crispy pata is excellent but the middle age lady that helped me in the front has awful customer service skill. The minute I got there never greeted me, a simple hi or hello is great but she must be having a bad day. Anyway, Crispy House owner needs to emphasize to their employees customer service is part of their business. On scale of 1 –10 their food is 7, service in the front
counter is 2 terrible.

They’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
They have the best crispy pata hands down! It’s cooked to perfection every single time I go there. The skin is crispy and the meat is so tender. You have to try it to know what I’m talking about. Its a good serving size too. Great for 2 people to share.
I also like to order their sinigang. I prefer their pork sinigang. So delish and just the right amount of sour spice.
Their restaurant doesn’t have a sign but it’s close and its in the same area as del taco.

Different name, same great food. The sisig is a must — super crispy, savory, salty and fatty and slightly sour from the vinegar. By far the best dish there. It pairs great with garlic fried rice and the palay green beans. The Shanghai lumpia is also amazing, and the crispy pata as well. Great comfort food to have with friends at a great price too!

five stars for the crispy pata and pinakbet. nicely done and tender and so crispy and for only $ 12.99 compared to Rose La Café in LA that’s priced at $ 17.99 and it was cold and dry.
pinakbet was nicely seasoned and the Vegas are cooked right.
service was not that good. I know they’re always busy but they can always add more servers to keep the customers happy.

New name, same great flavors and dishes. Same slow, and bad service :) You know a place is good when there is no sign, yet the restaurant is packed.
It’s okay, it’s worth it. Make sure you order the sisig and crispy pata. It’s TDF.

Came to visit family in so cal and my dad decided to bring us here. At first we were sketched out! The place is completely nameless until you check in via Unilocal.It is definitely a hidden gem. My dad said it used to be magic wok and now it’s this Filipino spot.
There isn’t a name on the store front or on the menus. The decorations reminded me of my Lola’s house in Manila. The checkered tables, one of a kind art, and that wonderful smell of Filipino food.
The crispy pata is a must at this restaurant. It is crispy and melt in your mouth meat. It’s just the right amount of spices and roasting time. We also tried the miki bihon pancit and it was on point. It had pieces of shrimp, beef, and cabbage. The pork siopao is delicious too but not a fan of the red sauce on the side. None of the drinks are refillable except water and ice tea. I tried the calamansi juice and it was really refreshing.
The staff is really courteous. I think I replied to a dozen thank yous so many times! The owner was also very attentive! We could tell she really loved her restaurant. I can’t wait to see how this place will evolve. It is definitely going to do well! Kain Na!

I liked this place. Pretty good food, service was so and so, but the place felt very Pilipino. I believe they are going through a name change, so there is no sign outside the restaurant. Had a bunch of stuff; sinigang, sisig, adobo, bangus, sago… but you really should be getting the cripsy pata. A bit pricey for the quantity, but its worth it. One order of crispy pata is barely enough for two people. Willing to come back though.

The worst service ever. Waited 68 min for a to go order. People were being seated and getting their food before my order. When I asked if it usually takes an hour for food to come out, I get attitude.
Yah, never coming here again. So much for the recommendation. This food better be all that everyone raves about. Didn’t drive all the way over here from Redondo Beach for crappy service and attitude.

Thanks Malia H for referring me to this hidden gem. My visiting brother and mom wanted Filipino food so I drove here on a Sunday afternoon after eating Korean food so I could get some items to go. I was fortunate to find a parking space even though the parking lot was filled and shared with other retail shops in a large strip center.
The dining area isn’t that spacious but it was packed with patrons inside. There were people waiting to be seated and also many waiting for orders to go. Everything is cooked to order so you won’t find any hot plate trays or heat lamps here. I went conservative and ordered the popular items to go — Sissig, pork adobo and Pancit Malabon. The cashier advised me it was a was a 35 minute wait so if you’re in a crunch for time — I suggest calling in before arriving.
I tasted small amounts of all three of the entrées and was impressed with the various flavors all the dishes contained.
I can now understand why this place is so popular and will definitely return to dine in and try the fried Pata along and other items on the menu.

I have been dining here off & on since 2003, when it was known as Magic Wok. Terrific food, great prices, and the employees are kind and treat you like family. Over the years, I have introduced several friends and family to this restaurant and every person has thanked me for the new experience, when, in reality, it was the work of Crispy House.

My favorite Filipino restaurant on cerritos. No ambiance but best food that’s consistently good.

I called in my order 2 crispy patas to go i was told they will be ready in 15 – 20 mins. I came to pick up after 45 mins but my order was not ready i waited another hour for my order. When I got home i found the crisy pata had a few grains of cooked rice. I didn’t order rice so where did the rice come from… were they somebody else’s leftover? disgusting!
I like the famous Magic wok crispy pata better, no rice please!

Pros:
— The food is actually really good! We got the kare kare, chicken adobo (the sauce is to die for), pork soup, and garlic fried rice
— The service is good also. They kept checking up on us which was nice.
Cons:
— the place smelled like weed when we got there. Not sure who was smoking, or maybe it was next door, but hope they could do something about this next time.
— Portions were really small. We ordered 5 dishes for 4 people and were super full, but 4 dishes wouldn’t be enough.
— No sign at all in the front, so we had to circle around a few times. You wouldn’t know it was a restaurant in the condo.

Hidden restaurant, mostly because there is no sign on the outside telling you it’s A) a restaurant and B) that the restaurant name is Crispy House. The only way you’ll find this Filipino eatery is through word of mouth. When you park in the plaza, look for the unnamed door at the corner of the place — that’s Crispy House.
Upon entering, the place had a feel of a family-​owned restaurant. I noticed most of the customers who came were there to either put in an order of take out or to pick up an order of take out. More to-​go customers than sit-​down customers. My family came here to dine in, but good to know they are popular in the take-​out world.
Their menu is filled with signature Filipino dishes. We heard good things about the sisig so we ordered two plates of that. We also got the crispy pata, kare kare, and calamari. I have to say, the sisig was amazing. Believe every hype and praise you hear about the sisig. When you come here, eat all the sisig. It’s so good. They make it just right. I also loved their calamari. Hurray for food that actually looks like what it’s supposed to be. Their calamari is actual squid.
As for the crispy pata and kare kare, they were okay. Yes, they were good but I’ve had better crispy pata and their kare kare was so creamy that I just couldn’t. If you’re a peanut butter lover, then you’ll like the kare kare.
As for the service, we had a great hostess who came by and chatted with us. She was very friendly. But the speed of service could be better. It took awhile for some dishes to get there and it took them awhile to get us the waters we requested.

Still same employees and co owners ever since Magic Wok nothing has changed same great food. Love the Tapsilog, Binagoongan, Bistek Tagalog, Salmon Sinigang, Sisig, Halo Halo. Pretty much everything is awesome and all the things they are known for area on point just try it.

I’ve come here on weekdays and weekends and there is always a wait. This small restaurant with its simple décor really packs a punch with their yummy authentic filipino offerings. I love their beef sinigang, pancit, and of course Crispy Pata! we’ve ordered those three things plus rice and it was plenty to feed 3 adults and still have some to take home.

Great food with long wait times
As I’m writing this review, I’ve been waiting for my food for 20 mins. I called earlier today for pickup at 5:30pm. Also, it’s not even crowded today.
Oh well, that’s part of the crispy wok experience.
Otherwise, everything here is delish

I love this place!!! Still my go to spot for Filipino food in Cerritos. It used to be called Magic Wok. The crispy pata is what people come here for. I ordered the beef steak, sisig, longanisa, lumpia, and garlic rice. Everything is so so good here. If you’ve never had Filipino food this will be the best place to try. It’s inexpensive and delicious!
Recommendation: Crispy pata, sisig, longanisa, garlic rice, and halo halo

You’re coming here for authentic, hole-​in-​the-​wall Filipino food. First of all, it’s hard to find the place so really you have to hear about this from word of mouth because this location has no «Crispy House» sign on it’s door. There is actually no sign so it’s hard to find. Look behind the Del Taco in this shopping plaza and it’s next to the Thai food and Chiropractor. I was invited to this place by Filipinos and it looks run/​owned by Filipinos.
They are famous for the Crispy Pata which is roasted pork but there are also other great dishes. I really enjoyed the Sisig which is another style of fried pork pieces and the Lumpia were pretty good. The dishes are family-​style and the restaurant is pretty small. Maybe 50 – 75 people can fit?
Because of the size of the operation, you may wait awhile to get a table for a large group and also wait for your food to be cooked to order. Luckily, they took our order while we waited for our table so that the food came out relatively quick once we were seated, but we did end up waiting around 30 minutes for table for 10+ people.
Service was ok, you will be checked up on but you will also need not be shy to flag someone down to get some help.
I had a good time here as the food tasted great and it was very authentic. Mostly Filipino people dining here and they’re «in the know». You should always go for the Crispy Pata and Sisig, but really everything else I had was good too like garlic fried rice, pancit, soup, green beans. Worth a visit for sure if you want that local experience.

I’m a bit disappointed by the change in this place. i used to dine here alot when it was still Magic Wok. But now… i’d probably just go for take-​out. My main concern is the service, food and price were ok.
SERVICE 2+
* HOW CAN THEY NOT AFFORD MORE THAN 1 FAN OR AC! I felt suffocated the whole time I was here. It was so cramped and it was soo hot, plus the hot air from the kitchen! Com’on, don’t be CHEAP for your customers.
* There were more than 5 tables open that were mixed of small and large group tables, but the young lady at the front desk had us sit down aside while she kept taking people who are coming in for take-​outs. I mean, she could’ve just sat us down at the table so we can start to order.
* One of the servers dropped a drink, but she proceeded and left it while she served the other drinks. The customer had to pick up the drink that fell then the server came back to clean it. This is unsafe, servers should know that somebody might slip and fall if they don’t clean it asap!
PRICE and FOOD 5+
* Price — pretty good for good food that you’re getting! Worth it!
* Sisig — sooo goood! Has not changed and still THE BEST out there!
* Garlic fried rice — not dry or too much garlicky, and blends sooo welll with sisig
* Miki bihon — my favorite filipino noodles! The one they make here is the best!
* Kare-​kare — hubby’s fave, it’s ok for me. I’m not a fan of this filipino dish anyway, so it’s aight but Hubby said it’s pretty good.
Overall, i still love their food here but I was just really disappointed by their service. They need alot of improvement there! Food is good and definitely worth getting!

We’ve been coming to this place for years now. To
This date, it’s still as good as the first time! Yes, their prices might have gone up a little bit but of course they need to increase their prices to keep up with the increase in labor and overhead. Their crispy pata is one the best compared to the other
Filipino places that we’ve ever been. Their SISIG is a MUST! If you eat pork or not allergic to
Pork, you cannot leave this item on their menu. Their AVOCADO SHAKE is to die for! Beef steak Tagalog was just ok.

Crispy Pata is still the king of this house. Even with the name change from Magic Wok to Crispy House, everything is basically the same, both good & bad.
They’ve perfected the Crispy Pata here. I guess the new name is a homage to its #1 seller. The house that crispy pata built. For those who are wondering what it is. It’s a deep fried pork shank. The pork skin is very crispy, while the meat is super tender and tasty. A pork lovers delight.
What else is good? How about the Lumpiang Shanghai. It’s an egg roll, Filipino style. It’s longer than a typical Lumpiang Shanghai and it has more meat. Crunchy and delicious. Their dipping sauce is also good. It has a pineapple taste to it, which I like. Yum!
The Pancit (Noodles) are good here. They have 4 or 5 different ones. My favorites would be the Pancit Canton & Palabok.
Dishes I didn’t like:
Kare Kare — an oxtail stew with peanut butter. They don’t give enough vegetable and their sauce taste like it came from a flavor packet you get at the store. Sorry not a fan.
Chicken Adobo — it was good except they didn’t give enough meat IMO. And since I got my order to go, they put my order in a Chinese take out box. Well, most of the sauce spilled out (that’s the best part of adobo for me). They knew it was going to spill because they put a lot of napkin under the box. I had a lot of adobo flavored napkins, unfortunately I don’t eat napkins.
Parking is also an issue here. My tip for you is to park on Clarksdale. Yes park it on the street. It’s a short walk and you won’t be stressed finding a spot.
Service — it’s notoriously bad here, so I only get the food to go.
Rating — 3 ½ Stars. The Crispy Pata gets you to 4.
Tip: if you’re taking the Crispy Pata «to go» once you get to your car, take it out of the plastic bag and open the container and keep it open all the way home. This will prevent condensation, which will make the pork skin soggy. You’ll be rewarded with crispy pork skin when you get home. You’re welcome lol.
Some of the dishes here are hit or miss, but the Crispy Pata is the KING!
Try them out for yourself and decide.
2015 Review #65

Unless your willing to fly 7,307 miles to Philippines, this is the closest you will get to the best and most authentic Filipino food.
The food at The Crispy House is deliciously good! Just like everywhere else you go, the key is knowing what to order. Here are the must try’s :
— Crispy Pata
— Sisig
— Binagoongan Baboy
— Sinigang
— Dinuguan
— Kare Kare
— Pinakbet
— Adobo
— Beef steak
— Lumpia
— Palabok
— Pancit Malabon
— Pancit Canton
Like a true fatty, without fail I always over order and today I did it again ordering crispy pata, sisig, lumpia, kare kare and binagoongan baboy.
* Crispy pata fried to perfection, it was melt in your mouth good.
* Sisig had so much flavor. I loved the combination of tender and crispy in the sisig.
* Lumpia is not their speciality. I love mine stuffed and theirs is made too skinny for a lumpia.
* Binagoongan baboy hands down the best with their big potions of pork in the salted shrimp.
* Kare kare is my favorite dish here. I can never get enough of this ox tail peanut dish.
Price:
No breaking the piggy bank here. Most entrees are between $ 6-​$ 9 except the popular items such as the Crispy Pata and Sisig which are slightly priced more.
Service:
ALL the workers here run on Filipino time which means they are running late. Can I place my order? Where’s my refill? Where’s the waitress? Where’s the to go box? Where’s my check? These are the questions you will be asking yourself. Service moves at a turtles pace. The great food makes up for the terrible service. Just make sure you don’t come hangry.
Tip:
For the fear factor adventurous type, try the balut egg which is a developing duck embryo. This is not for the faint of heart.
Parking:
Small parking spaces in a busy parking lot, not the best parking.
Experience:
Formerly Magic Wok and now The Crispy House, I’m so happy the only thing that has changed is it’s name. The food remains delicious as before. The Crispy House is a real gem serving some of the best Filipino dishes. I love this place!

The name has changed from Magic Wok to Crispy House, but their good food has not. The service is still the same. Very slow. I guess that’s what you get when hiring teenagers without any training.
FOOD :
Crispy Pata: Still the best. The skin super crispy and the meat very tender and still moist. I can absolutely eat this whole thing myself. GET IT!!!
Sisig: This was excellent. Very solid and great flavor!
Beef Steak Tagalog: The beef was a bit chewy and was very oily, but it had good flavor. This dish so how always end up at the table anyways!
Dinuguan: My daughter and my favorite Filipino dish of all time. And at Crispy House they make the right way.
Binagoongan: Make sure you have you Dr appointment scheduled. Damn dish is excellent. LOVE IT!!!
Thank god for the food of Crispy House or else this place would have gotten a 3 star or less. Whlie we were there eating we saw a lot of people wait for a long time for their to go pick up’s. NOT GOOD!!!

4.130 107 011 404 011 104/4.1 301 070 903 231 511 Stars
Sometimes you meet someone who captures your imagination and you wonder how long until you see them again.
This restaurant captured the hunger of many Unilocalers, for a while, we wondered, when we would see them again.
My last visit was this past Friday and I am glad that I came. The Crispy Pata was as crispy as ever, even crispier than in my dreams. I was pleased to taste the Coconut Mararoons for the very first time.
Parking, hard to find in the strip in front of Crispy House but plenty of parking in the plaza. There is also street parking, but make sure you read the parking signs.
Service has usually been good during my visits but the wait time is not.
Though I have had many of dishes here including my favorites; Sisig, Crispy Pata, Kalderate, Pancit and more; the Crispy Pata seems to be one of the most revered dishes.
Song parody of Keith Martin’s 1995 song «I’ll Never Find Someone Like You»
Crispy Pata every day, the pork that I call my booo
I want to be eating you, baby forever
My heart is always true and I dream about you every night
A taste just me and you, baby together
Waiting around, it would just make me cry
Give me your Pata, never say good bye
I’m begging you please, I need it so bad
Don’t leave me now, you’re best that I’ve had.
I’ll never, I’ll never find Pata like yours.
I promise it’s true, no I’ll never, I’ll never find Pata like yours.
Cause I loved your taste from the start
I won’t let go because I want some more
Who could say I love you, the way I would say I love you, oh.
All I have is just my heart and the singing in my review
My serenade to you, love you forever
And oh, every time that I taste your meat
It is more than a Unilocal foodie thing
You are my Pata dream, baby forever
Girl I’m afraid just to eat it all up
My minds telling me to cut back crispy love
But when you get close I just want you to know
I start to get weak and I can’t let you go.
I’ll never, I’ll never find Pata like yours.
I promise it’s true, no I’ll never, I’ll never find Pata like yours.
Cause I loved your taste from the start
I won’t let go because I want some more
Who could say I love you, the way I would say I love you, oh.
Ooh, ooh, crispy style
Tenderness
I’ll never, I’ll never find Pata like yours.
I promise it’s true, no I’ll never, I’ll never find Pata like yours.
Cause I loved your taste from the start
I won’t let go because I want some more
I’ll never find Pata like your
And I promise to honor you
If I could spend my life through
Will never find Pata like you, ooh ooh

Crunch! Crunch! CRUUUUUNCH!
What’s that sound? Hmm it’s the sound of the super crispy skin from the crispy pata!
Hello Crispy House Inc! The house of the best crispy pata in town! This is the place that was formely Magic Wok but now called Crispy House Inc! Same offerings, same delciiousness but new name!
As I mentioned in a previous Unilocal review, Magic Wok was one of my favorite places back in the day. Unfortunately I hadn’t been in years and just recently came to get takeout only to learn that Magic Wok is no more and that this place is now called Crispy House Inc. (I learned of this change because I heard the lady working there answer the phone and say this. My receipt also listed the name as Crispy House Inc.)
Although the name has changed, the food offerings are the same and I was so happy to see my two favorites, the crispy pata (fried pork) and the kare kare (Filipino peanut butter stew). I ordered those two dishes for take out and was pleased to see how reasonably priced it was! I only paid $ 22.06 for the dishes.
I ordered it for takeout and my one and only (mini) complaint was it took a very long time! I waited for an hour just to get my takeout food. I do have to say I appreciate that they cook everything fresh and right after you order. It’s just takes awhile!
The food was definitely worth the wait though because everything was superb! The crispy pata is the best! It is super crispy on the outside and the main pork meat was so tender. It was crunchness galore with this! One cannot live on crispiness alone however because I needed something savory to go with it. Crispiness and sauciness go well tougher haha and the kare kare was the perfect pairing for the crispy pata. The sauce of the kare kare was nice and thick and went well over white rice. The oxtail in the kare kare was also very tender and I liked the vegetables accompanying the meat. I just wish there was more vegetables.
It was truly the crispy pata that was the star for my takeout order. Crispy House Inc. lives up to it’s name «Crispy» because that crispy pata is really crispy. I was crunching happily away that night with my dinner! Crispy House definitely kept the crispy pata magic that Magic Wok once offered. I can’t wait to be bck to try their other crispy offerings… Crispy lumpia, crispy sisig, crispy… crunch…crunch…cruuuuunch!