Kuya Lord

Been wanting to try this place for awhile, especially after hearing such great reviews! The space has limited seating with high bar seats along the wall and a table in the middle that sits about 4-6 people. The staff was kind and patient throughout the ordering process. We got the Lucenachon Rice Bowl & the Beef Tapsilog with Calamansi Pie for dessert. The lucenachon rice bowl was delicious, very flavorful with the pork belly crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The Java rice was the perfect addition along with the pickled vegetables. The Beef Tapsilog was also very flavorful, more on the heavy side compared to the Lucenachon. I personally thought the acidity from the calamansi would overpower the overall pie but surprisingly it didn't. It was a perfect balance & a great way to end the meal!

Kuya Lord had a lot of hype, and I came in with high expectations. It's a small spot with limited seating, but the service was cool and helpful. I went with two proteins and a side of garlic java rice--super garlicky and savory. The beef short rib had a salty, Korean galbi-like taste, which was good. The famous lechon was juicy, tender, and packed with flavor.That said, I'm not sure if I was just too full from a burger earlier, but it didn't quite hit the level I was expecting. Still solid food, but the flavors felt familiar rather than mind-blowing. Also, it's on the pricier side--each protein was around $20 or more, and two scoops of rice were $9. Portions leaned small for the price, which made it feel a bit less worth it. Wouldn't mind giving it another shot on a fresh palate.

Fire pit flavor infusions. The Lucenachon was amazing. Paired it with Java rice & Atchara. The kalamansi pie was awesome, The Bibingka kinda lacked flavor and a little dry for my taste. The service was phenomenal. Everything was explained in detail, warm & friendly. The ambiance was good, especially for counter service. Pricier than most, but I'd say they know their worth. It's great to have a pinoy place that's far from the typical joints with the same-old same old. I'd comeback again for sure!

Came right at 5 this evening ( Saturday ) The location is very small so seats fill up extremely fast. Before the food even came out I knew it was going to be fire. It smelt sooo gooood. I ordered the lucenachon, ( slow roasted pork belly ) savored every bite of it. The outer crunch along with the savory pork was chefs kiss. My husband ordered the prime beef short ribs. You can get them savory or sweet, he chose sweet. They were so good he didn't want to share. He even ordered some to go. We also ordered a couple sides of rice and cucumber tomato salad. Also delicious. We tried both the calamansi pie and bibingka mamon. Both amazing but the hubby and I absolutely LOVED the bibingka. Had some honey calamansi juice to wash it all down. I have no complaints. 10/10 please do yourself a favor and give them a try.

As a Filipino, I'd say this place is alright. The food was good, but I don't think it can beat the traditional way of making Filipino food.My friend and I split the Kuya Tray with Lechon Kawali. The Lechon Kawali itself was good. I liked the meaty flavor, the softness of the meat, and how the fat wasn't too overpowering. However, I wish the skin was thicker and crispier. While I preferred eating the meat on its own, it paired well with the vinegar sauce which was pretty authentic tasting. The achara was also nice and sweet, perfectly pickled and not too sour or tangy. The chami noodles were okay, just not my cup of tea, but I did like that there was a bit of a kick to them. Lastly, the java garlic rice was flavorful and fluffy.The tray was $47, but meant to be split between 2-3 people. However, I do still think this is pretty expensive for Filipino food.There's only limited street parking in this busy area, so I would plan accordingly. The restaurant itself is also pretty small, with limited seating and no bathroom.Overall, a decent experience here and the food wasn't bad, I just wouldn't opt for it. I would prefer going to a hole in the wall Filipino grocery store to get pre-made foods.

*** James Beard Award Winner (2024): Best Chef: California ***** Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants (2024): #56 **Located off Western Ave on Melrose, Kuya Lord is an elevated fast casual restaurant featuring regional Filipino dishes that the chef grew up eating in the Philippines. I admittedly do not eat Filipino food often, but I was very excited to give this place a try, especially considering their accolades. We arrived around 5:40pm on a Friday night not really knowing what to expect, and ended up being pleasantly surprised that there was no line to order and open seats available.To eat, the two of us split a Kuya Tray, priced at $47. This included java garlic rice, chami noodles, achara, and a choice of meat/protein. I believe the two most popular options are the Lucenachon and the Lechon Kawali. After some deep contemplation, we opted for the Lucenachon. Also, while not on the menu, it's worth noting that they do have a few Filipino beers as drink options. We didn't know this at first, but overheard the chef mention it to another person inside the restaurant. We couldn't resist ordering a couple to go along with our meal.Everything here was delicious and flavorful. I especially loved the chami noodles/pancit chami. The lucenachon itself was cooked to perfection, and the rice did not disappoint, either. Service was extremely friendly, helpful, and accommodating. While the space is relatively small, it has a nice feel to it. I am looking forward to coming back soon to try more of their food items. Definitely give this place a try if/when you're in the Los Angeles area. It will not disappoint!

Heard about this place on IG. It's a Filipino Eatery with a James Beard chef offering lucenachon and java garlic rice.The place looks great with the wooden bar tables with steel stools. Limited seating, so they don't really take reservations. The staff was friendly and welcoming as this was my first time. I ordered the Lucena Chon Kuya Trays, it's their roasted pork belly that has really good crispy skin. It also includes Java rice which was tasty and chami noodles and achara of which I loved all of it.

I've heard so much about Kuya Lord even before they won a James Beard award so my expectations were pretty high. I didn't expect the shop to be so small and for it to be more of a fast casual concept. We ordered the tapsilog and the Lucenachon bowls. Both were very good and I very much enjoyed it. However, I'm not sure I'd consider it to be so good it's worth going out of my way for. If I'm in the neighborhood, sure I'll stop by.

Food was good, there is only street parking.Lucenachon - the pork was roasted very well with crispy skin. The meat was slightly salty, but pairs well with the homemade vinegar.

If you haven't tried Kuya Lord yet, you're definitely missing out! Chef Maynard, the 2024 James Beard winner for Best Chef in California, and his team have been serving up some of the best modern Filipino food. So much so that they landed on the @latimes 101 Best Restaurants three consecutive years in a row. Their menu features nostalgic childhood dishes that we had, like "silogs" or rice bowls, and pancit chami. Everything we ordered:--Laing (taro leaves braised in coconut milk, bonito flakes, pickled Thai chili) so good!--Tocilog (sweet beef with java garlic rice, pickled green papaya, and house made vinegar)--Pancit Chami (sweet & spicy egg wheat noodles, fish cake, cabbage, carrots)