Merlina's Kitchen

I was in the area driving to Whitmore VIllage to rescue a baby bird, and looked for a nearby place to pick up food, and my husband told me Merlinda's Kitchen is only a few blocks aways away from where I was to pick up the bird. As I looked for it on google maps, it's a hole in the wall on the main road, right behind the gas pumps. Although it looked barren and sketchy, inside was a local lady taking orders. After I selected and paid for my food, a line of local construction men started. That's when you know the place is pretty good.Although the place looks run down, they sell your basic Filipino hot foods. Since I didn't get to read the reviews on yelp, I didn't get the roast pork, and I got the 3 choice plate lunch (Laing, pigs feet soup and bitter melon) and a container of the pinakbet. The Laing (taro leaves with coconut and pork) was a little spicy, but really good, better than some other restaurants. The rest of the food was average, and the prices were very reasonable. Noodles to replace rice in the plate lunch is a dollar extra.Service is slow because only one person cashiering and preparing the orders, but that is how it is in the countryside mom and pop stores, so no be in a rush when ordering here. She was very courteous.If I'm in the area again, I'd buy from here again. I don't think there was anywhere to sit, but mostly everyone bought to take out anyway.

First time coming here but a friend bought me a few plates before. I enjoyed the food I got a 2 choice plate.i think the best thing was the lumpia. So crunchy!! I would drive there just for that.

You can never go wrong with roast pork, shanghai lumpia and turon! The roast pork was crunchy and juicy, but it's a hit or miss on some days.

Great food, good customer service. This tucked away eatery is on the main road in Whitmore. The only place, heading to North Shore that has authentic Filipino food.

One of my most anticipated places to eat authentic Filipino cuisine after seeing many posts on a FB food forum, so my brother and I made the trek to Whitmore Village on Friday, April 8th. Having worked for the State, and traveling to so many places around the island, I was familiar with the location of Merlina's but never ever chose to eat there ... it's located in the one and only commercial lot in all of Whitmore, along with the Aloha Mart and Gas on the main drag. I was deciding on the choices of items based on the feedback on that FB food forum, and we got there just a little after 10:30am to avoid the Friday lunch crowd (just guessing, as again ... never been there).The night before, I was all set to get the lechon special along with beef stew, and the other plate to be the lechon special with pinakbet.First impression was the place looks like a throwback to a desolate walk-in diner located far off in a deserted area of town, or something from the 1960s/1970s with its front dual swinging wooden doors. Line forms to the left and moves to the right end, there were a few tables to eat while there. I scanned a quick glance at the foods and saw much of the items with sauces or soups had congealed on the top side --- meaning to me, no one has chosen it yet (well, it was just after 10:30am, or that it was cooked earlier in the morning and has been warming all that time as lunch time came. I saw the beef stew section and saw no veggies but thought maybe it's under all that sauce, and the pinakbet looked not too all appealing (not gonna lie) and watery (there's different variations to be honest).Good thing we came early, as I got personalized help from the nice and friendly and honest local Filipino female worker (cuz, just as we left, it was like a line of customers came into the place just within seconds of each other). Told her this was our first time here, and so I talked about our starch options, as to what does the plate come with (white rice is the default item), so I asked how much is it if I were to get 1/2 rice and 1/2 pancit? She said yes, it is a little upcharge for that option, but that she "hasn't charged anyone extra cost in a while". I immediately said to myself (sign me up!), I'll take the half/half. She was very generous with the pancit portion ! They serve the 'pancit bihon' variety with the thin glass noodles and veggies (no meat). Told her that that I was getting two plates, both with lechon. Once I said that she went back to the beginning of the counter as there was where the large lechon portions were located. She took a slab and walked past the swinging doors to the kitchen to chop the lechon into small bite sizes and then returned. She proceeded to fill my first plate with the beef stew (which I could see had no veggies--- looked like two small overcooked bell pepper pieces. On the next plate, she filled the plate with the pinakbet.Now as it was time to pay as we got to the cash register, I asked her where are the onions/tomatoes and sauces? She said the patis, shoyu and vinegar were free (they came in separate individual plastic containers), but the onions/tomatoes cost $2.00 extra. Well, being that I wanted to eat it as a lechon special, I needed that onion/tomatoes mix. I paid with plastic, and received a register receipt (old school) with no break-down of charges - not until I got home and really looked at the receipt that my cost looked to be more than what the posted items were --- so I'm thinking she *did* charge me extra for the half/half starch combo.I've only had lechon special with the sauce already mixed (when I last ate at a Filipino restaurant/Thelma's in Waipahu) back in 2011, and loved the sauce combination. Now as a novice (even though I am first generation Filipino), I was to make my own mixture of the vinegar (likely cane vinegar), patis, and shoyu (which contained oil - olive? vegetable? I dunno). The onions/tomatoes were worth the $2 as it was like in a 4-6 oz container (like what they would serve poke portions in) and fresh. Sorry to say, I couldn't get the flavor of the sauce to my liking --- my wish *they should have it already prepared/mixed* so no one screws up on the taste --- just sayin....As for the beef stew portion, visually disappointed because really I just got all meat (I know, you'd be asking why I was disappointed?) Well, it's called Beef Stew, NOT Stewed Meat --- again, there was only two small pieces of bell pepper, but the meat was nice and tender. The taste of the meats were *organic*, meaning like there was hardly any thing to 'mask' its taste, such as adding beef bouillon, bay leaves, lots of pepper. Tasted like fresh meat slowly cooked with not much ingredients. Though cooked in a tomato sauce base, the meat flavor shone through --- I want beef stew with carrots and potatoes --- nevah had any of that :-( . Pinakbet tasted better than the stew. Ran out of writing room!

My spouse is Filipino and takes me here when he doesn't wanna cook! This place is perfect!!

Authentic, friendly, fast, and fresh. Nice local spot for quick plate lunch. Good prices and huge selection. Support this local business.Aloha!

Best place to get your real Filipino food super good price and fair portions always loved coming here always tell people about how good there food is so authentic.

Love their Lumpia very crunchy! Love it!! Will be back very friendly service and their pansit noodles sooooo Ono!!

Awesome lechon gotta get the side onions with tomatoes everything good love this place