Cabalen Restaurant

Food is amazing and nobody was there so I was helped pretty quickly. Person who helped me out in the front was a bit rude. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe that's just how he is. I don't know. It wasn't a big deal to me because I was taking it to go anyway. But overall, the food was definitely authentic. 8/10.

This is a hidden gem in plain sight! I wanted to get some food from the Philippines, and Cabalen did not disappoint me! I had the pork adobo, Lumpiang Shanghai, and of course Coke Lite.The meal was delicious, very filling, and the service was outstanding. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and the Filipino news that was on the tele. If I am in the area again, I will definitely return here! I recommend Cabalen Restaurant to everyone!

We always eat here when we're in the area. It's small & not fancy but I like it, tastes a like good home cooked meal. Service is fast and friendly and it's family ownedWARNING to those used to a sit down restaurant, they serve cafeteria style and serve in styrofoam. If that's not your style, then I wouldn't recommended you goOn busy hours and days, they run out of popular items so it's best to be there at noon and not in the late afternoon. It goes without saying that food is also fresher around the time when they openTIP: you can substitute pancit in the combo instead of getting the usual white rice (if they have pancit)

If you are looking for home cooked Filipino food come here. It's a small mom and pop joint with a few tables to dine in but typically it's a to go type of thing. Nothing fancy as far as ambiance but it's clean and the taste of the food makes up for it. Service is always stellar because the children of this family work the front are so respectful and sweet. Parents are cooking in the back. If you are looking for staples like pancit and lumpia cal ahead to make sure they have it because it sells out quickly. Listen when I say food is delicious and freshly cooked throughout the day. They also cater so keep them in mind for your events

Freshly made lumpia- just for us! Yay! John wanted lumpia and pancit- again. That's ok with me! Now just to find where to go. I came home from work and John headed out on a mission and returned with three boxes. 2 orders of pancit and a box of fresh lumpia! Apparently the lady at the restaurant asked John if he had had lumpia and pancit before- oh yes. He ate both as a kid- Navy kid. The pancit was loaded with veggies and meat, the noodles perfection. The lumpia though- hmmm. This could be a problem- I foresee John going and ordering 20 or 30 at a time. They come in 10. We demolished 10. 6-4 split. I ate 4, which was a lot for me. I have half my pancit leftover for today and I am very happy to get that later. We live significantly closer to Mayport now & are more than happy to zip over for some great cuisine!

It's been a hot minute since I last eaten rice and boy I sure did miss it. 2 item combo with a can of pop.

Today's culinary lunch adventure took me to Cabalen, located in a small shopping center on Mayport. If you've read enough of my reviews, I'm a fan of mom-and-pop places. After today's visit, Cabalen is officially on my list.After letting the guy at the register know it was my first visit, he welcomed me and took the time to explain each dish. The pans of various meats and veggies were piping hot and fresh. After he explained everything, I decided on the two entree combo with pancit. The wait for my order took a little bit of time which let me know it was being freshly prepared. I opted for a marinated pork dish, which for the life of me, I can't remember its name. My second choice was the ukoy (or okoy), a crispy, fried fritter topped with a shrimp. I'd love to know the sorcery they use to keep the shrimp from falling off the nest of vegetables that made up the ukoy.With my A/C blowing, the aroma of my lunch swiftly spread throughout my car; it smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to get home. I wasn't disappointed. Everything was delicious. The pancit was perfectly seasoned and topped with the usual veggies. The marinated pork was tender, with pieces of hot little red peppers that offer just enough heat without making the dish too spicy. The ukoy was fantastic. I'd never heard of it before. It was crispy on the outside with just enough chew to it. It was slightly sweet and had nice pieces of cabbage throughout it. As for the portion, there was more than enough for later. At 9.00 for the combo, it's a very good deal.Overall, I was impressed with Cabalen. I wish they had a menu posted either in their restaurant or online. I'm guessing they don't because they keep certain dishes in rotation or don't serve the same dishes every day. Based on other reviews, next time I'll be sure to try the lumpia and some of their other entrees.

*sigh* There's certainly room for improvement on the customer service side, even if they're an old couple with questionable English that don't care about those things. Their only "menu" is on a little whiteboard. I don't know if they're short on storage space, but there are boxes stacked along the dining area. The food is not cooked to order; it's laid out like a Panda Express. Finally, their posted hours are......more of a guideline than a rule, especially on Sundays or whenever they feel like business is slow. On the other hand, I have very few issues with their slowly tenderized and marinated tasty meats. God **** that's good. Their pancit is also quite good of course. It really tastes like southeast Asian home cooking, and I do not say that lightly.

Great place to catch a quick meal! They have a lot of hot prepared food ready to go. I got some noodles and two meats. Everything was delicious and priced right!!! I can't wait to go back to get some Lechón Kawali and Lumpia. A+ go now!

Outstanding Filipino food choices.Delicious food. Clean and friendly staff. Real authentic Filipino food.