Yolee J

Mmmmmmmmmmm, masarap. A previous owner of Lotus Asian Mart has converted the former ChowSun space at Buckley/Kentucky into a similar ode to Filipino and Thai home cooking, and, fittingly, christened it with her nickname - Yolee J.Those seeking plentiful Pinoy pleasures will not leave empty-mouthed, I assure you. Why not try one of my favorite island specialties, Paksiw na Lechon - pork roasted, then simmered in spiced vinegar? Its tangy crispiness is sure to thrill. In a similarly meaty mindframe, Bistek Tagalog takes substantial slices of beef and cooks them in plenty of garlic and citrus juice for a powerful punch of flavor. Or, help yourself to a plateful of Pinakbet. A specialty of Ilocos in the country's far northwest, this characteristic concoction combines vegetables such as Sitaw (long beans), Ampalaya (bittermelon) and - nowadays, but not necessarily historically - Kalabasa (pumpkin) with the indescribably hearty, umami flavor of Bagoong (fermented seafood paste). It may sound overwhelming, but I think you'll love every bite. Which reminds me - I've spent so long on the restaurant's Filipino specialties that I haven't yet touched on the terrific Thai ones. Let's fix that now, shall we?As I'm sure Yolee herself would attest, her eatery has plenty of Siamese specialties on its menu that could be described as "aroy mak mak" (exceptionally delicious). For example, the seafood lovers among you will be captivated by a nice big plate of Khao Pad Bu (crab fried rice). Or maybe a nifty noodle dish is closer to what you had in mind. Well, see what you think of one of the classics - Pad Thai - upgraded with the substitution of Woon Sen (mung bean noodles). (The purists among you will be pleased to know that the original version of the dish is also available here - but of course!). Curry aficionados can definitely get their fill here too, whether your preferences lean more towards red (Gaeng Daeng) or green (Gaeng Keow Wan). Interestingly, the menu even has a small sushi selection to tempt you. But whichever options you choose, you know you have to end your visit with something sweet, so don't forget to save room for a bit of deep-fried purple yam ice cream.

I had the breakfast platter this weekend. It was $5 more than it used to before the same portion. Unfortunately, the tocino was not fresh. It seemed like a leftover. It was dry. The garlic fried rice, egg and longanisa were good. For the price, another egg and longanisa wwood would be better.

We went here on Sunday after Church. Was super skeptical because we are Filipino and my parents were in town so they came to try the food. It was pretty good. The biggest thing that annoys me in Filipino food restaurants is that sometimes it's too salty. I'm here to report this was not the case. We ordered quite a lot of food and we did not have a lot of leftovers because it was yummy. The best thing we had in my opinion was the bistek, Thai rice, and palabok. The service was fast and the lay out of the restaurant was very spacious and they had great updated furniture. I took off one Star because there were quite a few items on their menu that was sold out and unavailable.

I brought some Filipino friends who were missing home and they said it was pretty authentic! They were so happy I found this place. We ordered Pork Lumpia to start. Chicken Adobo, Beef Kare Kare, Lechón Kawali, and a shrimp noodle dish that I don't recall the name of and shared it all. Yum! We also had Halo Halo for dessert, which was a delicious adventure in every bite. . I highly recommend Yolee's if you're in the area.