Kubo Chicago

What a neighborhood gem...an amazing Filipino restaurant! Coming from Los Angeles where the Filipino cuisine culture has exploded, to my surprise, Kubo offers unique interpretations and flavors that blew my mind. First of all, the skinny egg rolls are like the length of Italian breadsticks...so convenient for dipping...genius! I loved my Pork Ribs Adobo. The meat practically fell off the bone. And the garlic rice and gravy! To die for.Everything was great! My daughter says the Halo Halo from Kubo is the best she's ever had. And she's a picky eater.Aside from the great dishes (see pics) and desserts, you need to experience the martini menu:) The Calamansi Martini is a must! And there's a nice list. And yes, there is a good selection of beer, wine, and a full bar:)Christine and Cemal made our first dinner in the city a memorable one indeed. Great hospitality and it's a dog friendly environment. The deep brown hues of the interior accentuate the colors and artistic presentations of every dish. For my next visit, I plan to select a few small plate dishes to pair with a few martinis. Summer fun is upon us Kubo People!

The Kamayan experience was sooo incredible! As our group of 4 arrived, a massive platter of Filipino delights were spread on the table, including fried pompano, lechon sisig, fried shrimp, longganisa sausage, pork ribs, crispy chicken inasal, pancit, garlic rice, and so much more. My personal favorites included the lechon sisig, fried pompano, pork ribs, and shrimp. It truly was a feast with a variety of delicious flavors, and we all left feeling incredibly satisfied and full.For Kamayan, you will need to make a reservation through their website and send a separate text to inform them in advance. Be sure to come with an empty stomach as there is so much food waiting, and get ready to enjoy your meal with your hands--it adds to the fun! Throughout the experience, the owner Christine was incredibly friendly, taking the time to explain each dish and ensure we had an enjoyable dining experience.

One star for service. We unfortunately did not stay long enough to try the food. I made reservations for my wife's birthday, and brought along our two toddler daughters. Right away, the host was dismissive and passive aggressive. Did not say hello, and when I mentioned the birthday reservation, he looked at our kids (and not at us) and walked us to the very back, a table directly next to the fluorescent lights and the bathroom. It didn't feel right. Not for a birthday. Not for a family with two kids. Not for anyone. We politely asked to move a couple tables over and he turned red and huffed about it. Be better to people. At least greet them when they enter your restaurant. Maybe respond in some sort of way if they mentioned making reservations for a special occasion. Maybe the food is good- I won't know. But if you have these sorts of people working for you, we won't want to order your food in the first place. There are other places (places that acknowledge their customers) to indulge in Filipino cuisine. Be better.

------------------LOCATION: 5/5----------------It's located in Wicker Park, which is a nice location. There's also parking on the street and a sign in the restaurant that said don't park in the lot because it'll be towed. --------------------FOOD: 5/5-------------------Appetizers:Fish BallsIt tasted like the street food i would get and that's good! I usually get it with vinegar and when I asked, I was given the spicy vinegar, which was even amazing because I love spicy vinegar! The dish also came with their house aioli, which tasted good as wellEntrees:Lechón SisigOmg, this is the best lechón sisig I've ever ate. It came with chili and what I did was cut it up and mixed it with my sisig and it tasted amazingSkirt SteakPerfect way to cook the steak and very easy to eat. Most of the time it was chewy but this was perfect! -------------------SERVICE: 5/5------------------Everyone was very welcoming and attentive.-----------------ATMOSPHERE: 5/5---------------It had a nice, chill vibe. Love the rainbow flag --------------------PRICE: 5/5--------------------With its portions and where it's at, I would say it's fair! Especially with how amazing the food is. =============OVERALL: 5.0/5.0===========I would definitely come back here and recommend these to friends. I've added this restaurant to my favorite list in Google

I called in an order for takeout. The guys on the phone was friendly, and was quick on the phone. And food was ready before the promised time. I came on a Friday night and was really surprised to see this place completely empty. This place is huge. Perhaps too big for the amount of customers that are actually coming in. I can't imagine this place ever getting completely full. I may be wrong though. They also have an outdoor patio. Overall a gorgeous setup that I hope people are taken advantage of. I was glad to have picked up my food and for it to be ready. I would just appreciate a thank you have a nice day as in heading out the door though. That goes a long way especially when you have an empty restaurant. I ended up ordering their Lumpia, Pancit Bihon, and their Lechon Sisig. It irks me to see the lumpia being called "egg rolls" on the menu. With the word lumpia in parentheses. They were good though, nice crispness and went perfectly with their sweet chili sauce. The Pancit Bihon and the Lechon Sisig were both good. They were greasy but both tasted very similar. They both had way too much red and green bell peppers. Both dishes had way too much crunch and hid the flavors of the noodles and the Lechon. Maybe they needed to be cooked longer to soften up, but after looking over their menu again, a lot of their dishes have the same bell peppers. This place definitely has potential. Although the the food had flavor is missed on a couple spots. The dishes were also on the pricier side and after we finished our food, I definitely felt I overpaid and sadly don't think I'll be returning anytime soon.

Ate here last night. Made a reservation here based off reviews but I should have looked at the menu prior. They dont serve Sinigang (my personal favorite Filipino dish) which is a red flag. It is like going to a Chinese restaurant and they dont serve fried rice. Sinigang and Pancit are the two most popular entrees for Filipinos.The restaurant itself does not look like your typical Filipino restaurant. The restaurant looks like a Greek or Mediterranean restaurant. Service last night was not good. Server made us feel rushed. Server was also short with us when we were asking if the Kansi soup tasted similar to Sinigang. He didn't seem like he wanted to answer a question.

Great service, super friendly and casual but loud atmosphere -- like cleaner gastropub vibes. There was a birthday party when I visited. The food was delicious! Definitely recommend the lumpia. The portions are good for sharing or for individual. The lechon sisig had great flavor without being too rich, the pork adobo was recommended by the owner and did not disappoint! Very tender and full of flavor. The sizzling kansi was sour and the shank was tender. Would recommend this one if you like sour tastes particularly. We got the halo halo which was $15 , which may seem expensive at first but it is a large portion enough for 5 people and is an experience in and of itself.

Had another great meal at Kubo. Tried the tuna ceviche for first time. Portion was generous and mango added wonderful tropical freshness! As always everything else was delicious. Sam directed us to best wine for wine pairing. Service was on spot.

This was my first time going to a Filipino restaurant and it was definitely pleasant. There was a dinner party of some sort going on so it did get quite loud honestly. The service was very kind and someone came and explained what Halo Halo was and mixed it up for us. The food itself tasted great so would definitely go again. I will say our food did take a bit longer than anticipated but with that being said, it looked like they were making food for a lot of people.

Perfect place for dining before theater on Belmont. The outdoor seating is comfy and spacious. Great ambiance. The host and server are wonderful ambassadors for the food. I had a deliciously aromatic French chardonnay and the sampler portions of the pork spare ribs and vegetable egg rolls. The food was beautifully presented, delicious and perfect for a solo summer dinner. I'll be back with friends.