Dining options are sparse for those who love Filipino fare. Guerrilla Street Food offers street fare from the Pacific Island nation, but as far as a sit-down venue, we’re hard pressed to find any place other than Cafe Manila, the seasonal outdoor eatery operated by Emilio Bombais at the Kirkwood Farmers Market.
That will soon change when Bombais opens Manila Bistro at 343 S. Kirkwood Road in downtown Kirkwood. Bombais has taken the space formerly occupied by a Quiznos sandwich shop and turned it into a 100-seat restaurant that will offer traditional Filipino fare plus a smattering of American eats (primarily sandwiches), to please those who don’t delight in pancit (noodle) dishes, siopao (pork buns) and cool, creamy, fruit-filled halo-halo for dessert. The casual restaurant will serve lunch and dinner, and offer a happy hour in between. While American fare will have some presence on the lunch menu, Filipino flavors will be among the midday sandwich offerings, happy hour appetizers, as well as on the dinner menu. Bombais told The Scoop that the restaurant could open its doors as soon as next week, depending upon final inspections. If not, look for Manila Bistro to welcome diners starting the second week of July.
This article appears in June 2012.