Grill 21

A well deserved 5 stars for this authentic Filipino restaurant. All the food tasted just like back home. I was very impressed with the sisig. Came out sizzling like it should and full of flavor. The texture was cruchy and had a good ratio of fat to meat. They topped it off with a raw egg. A+

Ordered take out with a bunch of friends during finals week and went to pick it up. It’s kind of far from my school but why not? They were very polite and helpful when ordering on the phone. They are also very fast and prompt. I ordered the adobo pork with garlic rice. It was yummy. There was a good portion and the pork was well flavored. Very juicy and not a lot of fat. Good Filipino place in the neighborhood. Would come back to try other things.

Suggested tip was either 15%, 18% or a whopping 22%. Since we were a party of 4, we decided to pay roughly 18%. However, they insisted we pay 22%.
We had inquired whether the 22% was «suggested», in other words «optional». The waiter confirmed yes it was optional to pay 22%, and when we didn’t he chased us for the remaining.

I love Filipino food but never get to have it as often as I would like. So I of course took the opportunity to try this place on my trip to NYC. When i entered I was greeted by a lady who seated me. Then a really sweet guy who was singing (fantastic voice) came over and gave me a menu. I ordered lumpiang shanghai and mango juice. I also got pancit bihon. It was a quiet Wednesday night and there were about three other tables. My food came quickly and in order. I got some hot sauce with my noodles. Everything was delicious and perfect. They have one cute clean washroom. The only pitfall of this place is it’s small so can’t accommodate large groups. Other than that I would recommend this place. I had an awesome meal and time here and will be back next time I’m in New York.

I would’ve given it 5 stars but it ran out of Ube ice cream and there was no leche flan in my halo halo special.
Chicharon bulaklak is delicious, but act fast because it sells out pretty quickly.
Lumpiang Shanghai appetizer is not only good for adults, but the kids love it too.
Chicken sotanghon has got a lot of flavor in it. I’d recommend it on a cold winter day. Yum!
Pancit bihon is my personal favorite.
If you want to go vegetarian Pinakbet is your best bet but it comes with shrimp though just so you know.
Daing na bangus has a crunchy fried outside with a slightly moist meaty inside.
Crispy Pata is super crispy (duh) and the meat is so delicious.
Sizzling sisig is a must try for that little bit of everything pork, especially Filipino style. Highly recommended.
Thank for a wonderful experience. You will see me again for sure.

I apparently put this place on my Google Maps for my trip to NY. I couldn’t remember why until I did a Unilocal search. «Oh! It’s Filipino food. In Gramercy??? Hmm, why not?» My friend and I made our way there before 8 PM on a Sunday night and there were only two customers. I guess we lucked out because this place is pretty small, so I imagine it can get busy.
We weren’t super hungry, so we shared a platter with lumpiang shanghai and tapa (one of my absolute favorite Filipino dishes). Of course we got it with garlic rice. I also got a calamansi juice, while she opted for buko. The food came out pretty fast. The tapa was tasty. It was meaty, not fatty, and it was tender. I was able to cut it with the knife they gave without a struggle. It went really well with the vinegar sauce. The lumpia was also really good. The flavors of the food were reminiscent of a Filipino mom’s cooking. As for our beverages, I liked mine (I had to tell myself to sip slowly). My friend liked hers, but the straw she got was too small, so bits of coconut got stuck. Other than that, we had a pleasant meal. It was just what we needed after walking everywhere and still semi-​recovering from Halloween. The portions were just right for us (the price too). We even had a few pieces of lumpia and tapa left. Believe me, if I had room I would’ve devoured everything.
I am really happy to have found this place because when I go back to NY and I’m craving Filipino food (I’m looking at you, sisig and crispy pata), I have a place I trust now that I can get it from.

I only gave them 3 stars because I found hair on top of our garlic fried rice. If that didn’t happen, I’d give them 4 or maybe even 5 stars. Nevertheless, they profusely apologized and replaced it.
Anyhoo, despite that one incident i still keep coming back. Whenever I crave Filipino food this is my go to place since it’s close to me (I don’t have to trek all the way to queens) and the prices aren’t exorbitant. They have all the typical Filipino food fare from sisig to crispy pata. Good enough for me!

My (now) husband surprised me with a dinner reservation at this tiny Filipino restaurant that we had both been dying to try. And reservations are a must — we saw several people turned away for dinner when the restaurant filled up!
Grill 21 has more of a relaxed, homey feel than its more «upscale» counterparts. (Think more Pandan than Maharlika.) The portions are larger, & the food is more traditional in its preparation. A strong majority of the diners were Filipino as well, which is always a good sign.
We stuck with our beloved standards: Kare kare for him, Bistek for me, & Lumpiang shanghai to share.
The lumpia was a generous portion, buuuut it was gone in a flash. (Let’s be honest, there’s never enough lumpia. Amirite?!) Really nice and crunchy on the outside, steaming hot & soft on the inside. The filling was delicious. My Bistek was delicious! I can’t get enough of that combo of tender beef, grilled onions, and rice. His Kare kare also tasted pretty good — the peanut sauce is nice and thick, but not overpowering.
Maybe it was the small size of the dining room, or the Tagalog in the background, or just the smells of the kitchen … but eating here felt like eating at your Tita’s house. And who doesn’t want to eat at Tita’s house?!
(Pandan of Bloomfield, NJ, and Maharlika is in NYC)

A friend and I were planning to do dinner, I had a craving for halo halo and Unilocal brought me here. I read that this is more on the authentic side and the meal definitely felt more like a home cooked meal. It’s a super cozy place with a couple of tables. We went for dinner on a week night and service was great throughout the night. My friend ordered the lumpiang shanghai and the pork bbq with rice. I also ordered the lumping shanghai and the pork belly with garlic rice.
The lumpiang shanghai was good and went well with the sauce. My friend seemed to enjoy the pork bbq. As for the pork belly, it was pretty good too. The garlic rice wasn’t as flavorful as I thought it would be, but I’m sure I had garlic breath after dinner! So the main thing I came here for was the halo halo, which didn’t disappoint. The ube ice cream was delicious and I liked the flan as well! Overall a good dining experience and I wouldn’t mind coming back when a filipino food craving hits again. =)

Tried the Sizzling Sisig and it was just too oily and greasy for me. The Chicken Adobo was good, though! Marinated well and decently sized.
Also tried the Halo-​Halo with Ube Ice cream and this was good, but nothing mindblowing.

Kind of a hole in the wall, which I don’t mind, but the staff was kind of just goofing off.
Never been to a Filipino restaurant before so I got the Roasted Pork Belly (because who doesn’t like some pork belly for lunch?). The portion was just enough to let me appreciate it but not be overstuffed. The presentation was better than I expected from the looks of the interior. The pork belly was an interesting take– I am used to the slab of thick bacon, but this was more like cuts of pork than traditional belly. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, because it was really juicy and even better in the black vinegar-​based dipping sauce. My main complaint, though, was the inclusion of bones and the sometimes hard fat rind (in some pieces). The garlic rice on the side was a good compliment. I was done with my shift so topped it off with a Red Horse (a strong Filipino beer made by San Miguel).
Overall, would come back here and maybe try something with a little more of a complicated name. Great spot in the often vacant feeling Stuy Town dining scene.

I love love love love this place. I went to NY just to try some food and this was one of the spots I starred. Okay so, I had no clue this place was so tiny and walking toward this place looked like the place was closed. But the service was key and the food was amazing.
Ordered:
Lumpia– they cut it inside smaller pieces and the sauce was so yummy with it. It came out very hot too.
Pancit palabok– The sauce in this was different from the other palabok I’ve tried but I loved it regardless.
Adobo– you have to try this. It’s chicken in some mean sauce and you have to make sure to pour that sauce on your rice.
(My fav) halo halo– came in a fancy bowl with ube ice cream and make sure to mix well

Chicharon Bulaklak (fried pork intestines): Not what I expected (I expected like Sichuan pig intestines) but i still really liked it! It was breaded and fried. It came with a vinegar sauce that went really well with the fried-​ness of the intestines.
Sizzling Sisig (chopped pork head and liver): This dish came on a sizzling plate with a raw egg on top. I mixed the egg in and it cooked on the hot plate. This dish is very heavy, oily, and has a strong porky flavor. But, that’s what this dish is supposed to taste like. If you’re already expecting all of those qualities, then you will enjoy this dish. It’s so good with rice!
Halo Halo with Mango Ice Cream: I’ve heard good things about this, but I didn’t think it was anything special. It was too icy/​chunky for me. The ice cream was really good, though!
Cassava Cake: The texture of this cake is kind of pudding/​sticky/​firm. It was really tasty! It was shreds of coconut inside. It’s warm and not overly sweet. It is made with yucca and coconut milk.

It was my first visit to this place. The restaurant name sounds familiar to me as we were walking in. It was conferred from the owner herself. Yes. It was one of the Filipino restaurants that participated in the recently held Filipino Restaurant Week in NYC. There must be something about the place that gave them the entitlement to be with others.
After today’s dining experience, it did made some justification. It is now one of my favorite authentic Philippine cuisine restaurants in Lower East Side.
The place is homey. The décor is so simple yet it touches the artistry of the locals. The entire staff is welcoming. The place is small yet we were welcomed with big heart. The owner told us that they were trying to buy out next door space. An extension idea is good.
Our food were served in a nick of time. It was a Monday night and is the best day to come. NOT MUCH CROWD to deal with that will spoil your enjoyment.
We were as hungy as hippos after a day tour of Midtown. For party of 5, we ordered the following:
1.lumpia roll (pork spring roll) — so crispy that we placed additional serving order.
2.sinigang baboy (tamarind pork soup) — home made taste– over flowed with tender meat and veggies, the container was quite small though for us to enjoy the soup.
3.fried tilapia– the best I had, was cooked the way I wanted– not over nor under fried, best of it-​no taste nor smell of fishiness.
4.bistek — beef steak filipino style. I missed this cooking style, exactly the same as how I remember my mom make it.
5.tortang talong (eggplant pancake) — graciously goodness, you’ll eat this even if you are not a vegan.
6.fried rice– garlic or plain choice.
For desserts and drinks: halo-​halo, pandan and mango drinks, we were not disppointed.
These foods were filling and gave us a huge smile after dining in. Our (my visiting cousin from Cali and I) children definitely enjoyed the experience as we did. They were thinking perhaps that the cooking style has no difference on how we make it at home. Prices are reasonable. Location is convenient to bus station for commuters. The area is popular to urban adventurers.
This is a place to go if you are missing some homemade cooking. I guarantee to you a pleasurable visit to the place.

Their sisig, crispy pata, karekare and chicken adobo are bomb.
That is all I have to say, and it’s reasonably priced!
Please also order the garlic rice

I really enjoyed eating at this Filipino restaurant. It’s small and cozy, and the Filipino family that runs it is very friendly. Definitely order the dessert and garlic rice.
Their lunch special is reasonably priced.

This is a small Filipino restaurant and they seem quite popular even during the weekdays. We made reservations for four in advance to secure a table. To start we had the lumpiang shanghai appetizer ($ 10), which is basically mini spring rolls. It comes with a sweet chili sauce for you to dip in. We did family style and order a few entrées to share.
We had:
Kare-​kare ($ 17)
It’s ox-​tail, tendons, tripe & vegetables cooked in a peanut sauce. It has a very strong peanut flavor. It’s not a sweet peanut sauce, more on the neutral end.
Sizzling Sisig ($ 17)
It’s finely chopped pork belly with egg and «special» spices. There’s also other parts of the pig like pig ear. The spices they use weren’t too strong, just a hint of flavor.
Crispy Pata ($ 17)
It’s pork knuckles fried to crisp. Meat was very crispy. Comes in a big piece that you’ll have to pull the meat off the bones.
Pinakbet ($ 15)
It’s sautéed bitter melon, string beans, squash & eggplant with shrimp. We don’t like bitter melon and request no bitter melon. Bitter melon is a very bitter vegetable. You might or might not like it. This is pretty much a vegetable dish to balance off our meaty entrées.
The dishes were eaten with garlic rice, which cost extra. I didn’t really taste much garlic. It has a very light flavor. I don’t eat much Filipino food. But I remember it being quite flavorful when I first had it elsewhere. The dishes we order here the flavors were quite light. I prefer stronger flavors. The dishes weren’t bad, just okay to me.

I’ll start off by saying that I really enjoy Filipino food, but I wish the Filipino restaurants in this city had a little more variety on their menus. My Filipino friends told me that Grill 21 is probably the most authentic Filipino restaurant in New York. They ordered some of the most artery clogging dishes. Please be aware that if you’re going to eat like we did you’ll leave feeling very greasy and unhealthy.
For starters we had the chicharron. I describe it best as pork rinds – same consistency and same flavor. Tastes like crunchy fat, but you just can’t stop eating it. Then we had some lumpia – basically a spring roll with meat (not an egg roll because it’s not a wonton wrapper). It’s delicious, as anyone would expect. Be sure to use the sweet (not overly sweet) dipping sauce that comes with it!
For our mains we had the sisig and the pato, as if we didn’t have enough fried food already. The sisig is just a mélange of various pig parts (don’t think about it and you can enjoy). It’s sizzling, with a little bit of a kick, and very savory. You’ll experience a little bit of crunch along the way (don’t ask questions). The pato is a fried pig knuckle. Tender meat and very crispy (but thick) skin. It’s hard to eat all of that skin – really heavy – and it’s best to be shared. Make sure to eat a lot of rice with these dishes.
For dessert we had the flan and halo halo (mix mix according to my friends). The flan was good, but definitely not my favorite, probably a little overcooked. Halo halo was good, but definitely mix everything together to all of the flavors.
The restaurant is small, but you could probably fit a group of 6 (we were a group of 4). You can also order takeout if there’s not enough room.

Kind of out of the way from everything (21^st and 1^st ave) but good food is worth the trip. From what I hear, their delivery is pretty good tho. (HINT: If you work in midtown, gather a bunch of your coworkers together for a filipino feast where you get to take home the leftovers)
My 2^nd time having filipino food and here’s what we got for 3 people (don’t judge):
1) Goto (rice porridge with beef tripe) — the flavor was so good! Very shrimpy and there were large pieces of tripe.
2) Grilled pork belly — my favorite main dish we ordered just because of the sauce they used for marinade… Highly recommended
3) Sizzling Sisig — actually my least favorite. For the sisig, they chop up pork belly into little pieces and personally, I like my pork belly regular sized (why I prefer the grilled pork belly). It was most expensive too
4) Pancit bihon — sauteed rice noodles were so delicious! A very large portion, but not a fan of the chicken they cooked in it — kinda dry
5) Garlic rice — really not that special here, tastes like they used garlic powder and lacking the garlic infusion I hoped for
6) Tapsilog — the beef had good flavor but it was burnt. Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be cooked and I’m just ignorant but this won’t be up your alley if you like flavorful SOFT and TENDER meats
7) Halo halo — wins favorite dish award maybe tied with grilled pork belly. Ube is the best thing to happen to me all week (taro lover here)
They didn’t have tocino when we were there cause apparently they don’t get deliveries everyday in order to save on costs. I’d suggest calling beforehand if you’re coming specifically for tocino (which I heard is their best dish)
For those who love taro — let me introduce UBE. To put it simply, ube is the stronger flavored cousin of taro. Get their ube ice cream or halo halo with ube ice cream. Now I crave it all the time … I almost wish I can un-​eat it… almost…

This hidden gem was so close to my apartment all this time and I can’t believe I never tried it until now!
Setting: small space with few tables (what isn’t in NYC), but the seating was set up so you have enough room to have your space. I went on a cold wintery night so it wasn’t too busy, but if you want to come here, I suggest making a reservation if you can.
Service: excellent! our waiter was nice and made good recommendations for us.
Tip: Bring at lest 3 people so you can try multiple dishes. The portion sizes are big so you need more heads to eat more and try more. Definitely a family style restaurant!
1) Porridge with Tofu and Pork Belly
–Since I had my wisdom tooth pulled, I thought it would be ideal to get this dish, and thank god I did!
–I like how it is thick and flavorful, the ginger gives it a great taste
–The tofu and pork belly came on the side with a vinegar sauce and raw onions… taste great by itself or together with the soup
2) Sweet and sour fried fish:
–My favorite! although I couldn’t chew much, I could eat small pieces of the fish
–I loved the sauce and the fried skin had a great texture
–The fish was cook perfectly, not over done and melts in your mouth, just how I like it (even with the perfectly crisp skin, they manage to get the meat right!)
3) Pancit
–It was pretty good, but what made it better was adding the sauce from the fish
4) Chicken adobo
–Taste like any chicken adobo that I have had, but what I liked was that it was salty, but not too salty
–I only had a small piece that I could chew, but I liked that the chicken wasn’t over cooked and taste soft and tender (the best way to have chicken)
5) Lumpia
–Quite a lot for an appetizer, but they did come in small bits like the size of your pinky (We all had about ~6 pieces, 3 people each = ~18, maybe more… Not bad)
–The dipping sauce was like a sweet and sour sauce and matched perfectly with the lumpia
6) Garlic fried rice
–Never had something like this before, but I like it
–Only had a few bites, but it taste great with both the sweet and sour fish sauce and adobo sauce, YUM
It is a little pricy, our total came out to be $ 80 before tips, but the quality was there, it taste great and it was more than enough food for 3 people. I was told by someone and as someone mentioned in another review, it maybe closing down soon, which is a shame because I thought this was a pretty great restaurant. I do hope it doesn’t shut down or they relocate somewhere else, but NYC rent is expensive.