143 Orchard St

4.5/5 Highball - really enjoyed this one, light and refreshing! 3.8/5 Black Samurai -- I normally love black sesame, but it is quite overpowerin in this cocktail 4/5 Truffle Nori Fries - super crisp and fragrant of truffle and nori 3.8/5 Pork Belly Kare -- pork belly was crisped, but the meat was quite tough and dry for us. We've had far better curries in the city, and would not reorder this one. 3.5/5 Yuzu Cheesecake -- could taste a hint of yuzu in this, but honestly the portion was SO unreasonably small. As prior reviewers have said, Gugu Room absolutely nails the vibe (the music is on the louder side just fyi). The food here for us was nothing to write home about.

My partner and I came here last night around 6:00 and were seated at the bar right away. We ordered the short rib kare kare, spicy adobo ribs, and truffle mushroom and tofu sisig. All the dishes had its own unique flavor. I really liked the well balanced peanut flavor within the kare kare paired with the shrimp paste (can't remember the actual name) on the super tender meat. The ribs had the perfect amount of sweetness to it. It was a huge portion of meat but I wish it came with some form of veggie (cucumbers, side salad, slaw?). The sisig had a really strong citrus punch to it which made it stand out. I'm glad we ended up checking this place out and was surprised with how big the portion was for the price. I would definitely recommend checking this spot out.

A few friends and I came here for a weekday dinner. It wasn't very busy and we were seated right away. To start off, we each got a drink. I had the Rizal Highball ($14), which was light and refreshing on a hot day. Also tried the Gugu Midori Sour ($14), Black Samurai ($14), and Wasabi Mar-Gari-Ta ($15). All of the drinks pinpointed all the flavors very well with the Wasabi Mar-Gari-Ta being my favorite as it is only called wasabi for the spicy kick, but not actually wasabi (in case you were skeptical of that like I was). I enjoyed all the Asian-inspired cocktails here that's at a reasonable price as well. Greats spot for drinks even if you're not eating, but the food is also well worth the visit too. Between the 4 of us, we shared two orders of Longanisa skewers ($8 for 2), which we uniquely shaped as balls. We also had the Nori Truffle Fries ($8) and Adobo Wings ($9), which were both super tasty and great starters. We rounded off our meal with the Shortrib Kare-Kare with Garlic Rice ($24) and Spicy Yuzu Adobo Ribs with Garlic Rice ($24). Both were incredibly flavorful, so the garlic rice pairing were much needed to balance it all out. Nonetheless, I was licking all the sauce off the dishes because the flavors were delicious. This was all perfect to share and nothing was short of delicious. Such a wonderful spot for elevated Filipino food with some izakaya. The flavors were very strong, which I really enjoyed. They also offer a kamayan dinner experience that I'd definitely want to come back for.

Was invited to a birthday dinner here and this place did not disappoint. The truffle fries, the edamame, the steak fried rice, The skewers were just a hit. The staff were so friendly and patient to our large party, I loved my mock tail and my friends enjoyed their drinks. The place is a little small and very intimate. This was a great dinner experience.

Gugu Room has been on our radar for a bit, and we finally got the chance to grab a late dinner here! Especially fun to try a Filipino/ Japanese fusion. We chose to start off with the liempo (pork belly skewers), which were very juicy and flavorful! From there we also got the Short Rib Kare Kare which was served with a side of garlic rice. The peanut sauce was delicious but a little salty! Finally we chose to get the Beef Bone Marrow Salpicao (also served with garlic rice). While good and deliciously rich, it was also rather salty. Would say of the dishes we picked, the liempo was our favorite. The service was quick and the "room" was actually a lot larger than we were expecting, with parts with tables close together and more intimate. Next time will have to go back and try some of their cocktails as well.

What a great night celebrating my friend's birthday! I had been wanting to come here for a while and she requested Filipino food. Friday night, started with dinner at 8 then stayed to party (the DJ started spinning at 10) and remained until closing at 1:30 AM. This restaurant is veg-friendly! It can be hard to find veg-friendly Filipino restaurants for our friend. The mocktails taste delicious, our non-drinking friend was SO happy with the 2 she tried. We ordered Blistered Shishito Peppers, Spicy Adobo Wings, Short Rib Kare-Kare, Truffle Mushroom and Tofu Sisig, Sizzling Bangus Belly Sisig, a side of Sauteed Bok Choy, garlic rice, Black Sesame Ice Cream (with a candle for the birthday celebrant). Filipino food with a slightly modern twist. Everything was so flavorful, the staff and bartender were amazing, and the DJ was probably the best part! DJ_bles_sed on IG. I hope she's here regularly! Started as a sit-down restaurant and ended as a bar with dancing. We all want to come back again. They also have a kamayan menu option for groups and Filipino brunch.

Great experience. Wonderfully unique takes on popular dishes. Lots of Japanese and Filipino fusion. Restaurant is dimly lit, feels trendy. Service is plentiful and friendly.

The Gugu Room is swanky and cool. The service is efficient, and the food presentation is absolutely beautiful! The food tastes wonderful. I would recommend a visit!

Gugu Room is a new Asian restaurant located in the Lower East Side that offers a fusion of Filipino and Japanese cuisine. We arrived to find the restaurant packed, so we recommend making a reservation in advance to avoid disappointment. To view the menu, you still need to scan the QR code. We started with our favorite drinks, beer and Rosé, along with a Robata Kushiyaki sampler that included a skewer each of grilled chicken, rib eye, pork belly, and Longanisa (Filipino sweet sausage). For our main dishes, we ordered the beef bone marrow Salpicao without bone marrow, but unfortunately, it was out of stock, so we had to take a star back. We also ordered the Miso Cod, which was an oven-roasted fillet of cod marinated in miso dare and served with cucumber and seaweed. It was delicious. However, there was a mix-up with our order, and we received two sets of beef Salpicao instead of one. As a result, we had to wait a bit longer for the correct dish to be delivered, and we had to take another star back. When we asked for the check, the chef/owner of the restaurant came to our table and offered us a complimentary cocktail, which we accepted. Overall, we thought that the skewers were average, but the Miso Cod and the beef Salpicao were outstanding. We plan on coming back to try some of the other dishes on the menu.

GUGU Room after some friends recommended it and I really enjoyed it For drinks I tried the GUGU MIDORI SOUR (decent) and the SPICY YUZU GINGER (MOCKTAIL VERSION) (really good flavor and a nice ginger kick. Surprinsingly, I actually liked better the non-alcoholic drink. For starters we ordered: TAKOYAKI (4 small balls of takoyaki with good flavor but little octopus meat inside), KUSHIYAKI SAMPLER (6 different skewers of salmon, longaniza, liempo (pork belly), shrimp, rib eye, and chicken). I personally liked better the liempo and the rib eye but all skewers had the same sauce so taste quite similar. BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS (perfectly cooked and salted, exactly what you would expect from some shishito peppers). Then as entree had the KAMPAI STEAK RICE which is a steak fried rice, with Japanese soy, wagyu fat, garlic and onion topped with seaweed salad and egg sunny side up. (This dish was my favourite, I would not have thought the seaweed would combine that well with the rice, it also came with ginger with gave it a fresh touch but the egg seem more like a soft boiled egg than a sunny side up, it was much less cooked) I will go back to try more dishes! ESPAÑOL: Vine a gugu room después de que unos amigos me lo recomendaran y realmente lo disfruté. Para beber probé el GUGU MIDORI SOUR (decente) y el SPICY YUZU GINGER (VERSIÓN MOCKTAIL) (muy buen sabor y un agradable toque de jengibre. Sorprendentemente, me gustó más la bebida sin alcohol. De aperitivos: TAKOYAKI (4 bolitas de takoyaki con buen sabor pero poca carne de pulpo por dentro), KUSHIYAKI variado (6 brochetas diferentes de salmón, longaniza, liempo, camarones, ternera y pollo). Personalmente me gustó más el liempo y la ternera, pero todas las brochetas tenían la misma salsa, por lo que tenían un sabor bastante similar. SHISHITO PEPPERS (perfectamente cocinados y salados, exactamente lo que esperarías de este plato). Luego, como plato principal, el KAMPAI STEAK RICE, que es un bistec con arroz frito, salsa de soja, grasa wagyu, ajo y cebolla, cubierto con ensalada de algas y huevo con el lado soleado hacia arriba. (Este plato era mi favorito, no me habría imaginado que las algas combinaran tan bien con el arroz y venía también con jengibre que dio un toque refrescante aunque el huevo parece más un huevo pasado por agua que uno frito, estaba mucho menos cocido) Volveré a probar más platos!

ehh not the biggest filipino food person but went with 2 other friends that suggested the place! service was great and the staff was super friendly but food just wasn't my flavor profile :(

Made a reservation for dinner for 4 and had an awesome meal here. I tried: + Wasabi mar-gari-ta + Gugu whiskey sour + Beef bone marrow salpicao + Karaage congee + Kampai steak rice + Longanisa + Kani salad + Short rib kare kare The whiskey sour was my favorite of the two cocktails. Congee was the best dish we ate, and the longanisa was also amazing. The steak in the steak rice was awesome. Ambiance was perfect...so quiet. I loved it. Fantastic service, too! 4.5 stars.

Had an amazing kamayan night. The service was excellent, the drinks were great, and the food was mostly on point. The only thing that I wish was better was the porchetta skin was crispier and softer. It was on the hard side and kinda difficult to chew. Definitely worth coming if kamayan nights are your jam!

So lucky to have snagged a table for 6 on a Friday night, they were so nice to accommodate us! The food was delicious, favs were the sampler platter, truffle fries and short ribs with peanut sauce & garlic rice, super flavorful! The drinks were great too, and cool speakeasy vibe, overall had a great experience!

Gugu Room exceeded my expectations! I think I've only had Filipino food as comfort food, so it was nice to see it presented in a more trendy, upscale way! What really surprised me was their Karaage Congee! Congee is often slept on, even within Asian cuisine, but I'm so glad I got to try this dish because it was super tasty with a savory and tangy profile. The karaage pieces were tender and well-seasoned, while the chicken-broth based porridge had involved a soy-based sauce, ginger flavors, and lemon juice. This combo was very interesting, especially in congee! The sample platter allowed me to try one of each skewer (longanisa, shrimp, pork belly, chicken, and beef), which were all pretty solid with a nice charred tasted and a teriyaki-like sauce. For mains, the Beef Bone Marrow Salpicao was very aromatic with their garlic and mushrooms! They torch the marrow at table-side and you just watch the oil mix with the beef pieces. It also comes with garlic rice which made it even better! The Tortang Talong combined two common ingredients (egg and eggplant) but introduced a new smokey flavor to it. I'm not a huge fan of banana ketchup so I felt it was a little dry by itself. For drinks, definitely recommend the ube baby! It features kaluha which mixed very well with the ube taste and coconut flavors! The whiskey sour was also solid but make sure to give it a mix first. They do have happy hour!! The restaurant vibes were on par with other LES fusion restaurants. Enjoyed the dim lighting with a shiny/bright bar. Staff were nice and polite. The pace at which they brought out food was appropriate. Excited to come back!

Oh boy, what a pleasant surprise at how delicious the food was! We got the two beef and bone marrow combo, and they were both explosive in terms of flavors! My favorite was definitely the beef with edamame and sauce, for the meat literally melted off the bone and blended richly with the accompanying sauce! The other bone marrow dish was good too but so incredibly salty that without rice to balance it, you probably wouldn't be able to stomach much of it. We also got the corn which was definitely underwhelming and was not worth its high price tag. The servers were friendly and the ambiance was warm but at the darker/dimmer side. We also didn't try their desserts for they ran out of the halo halo, so perhaps next time! Overall, we had a pleasant time and there are still many dishes we would like to try! Definitely give the beef bone marrow edamame dish a try, I promise you won't regret it! Thank you for reading and good luck! (:

An interesting twist to elevate and evolve Filipino food. Some dishes were top notch, straight up deliciousness, while other dishes were lacking in quality. Let's start with their drinks. They have a nice happy hour with $10 sangria and some cocktail options. I enjoyed the calamansi margarita. It was sweet, sour, spicy and strong. The ube cocktail, not a part of their happy hour, was like an ube milkshake - so tasty. Now the food. I was with a group of friends so we got to sample a few dishes. The skewer sampler was good. The sauce and the way the meats were cooked were perfect. The nori spam fries was a little disappointing and gimmicky. It was literally just spam cut in the shape of fries. There wasn't any change in the taste of a regular spam. The nori truffle fries weren't anything too special. It was tasty, but nothing new. The beef bone marrow salpicao was chef's kiss delicious. The soft shell crab palabok was probably my favorite dish. The palabok was traditional but the fried soft shell crab added a salty, briney, crispy addition to a very traditional dish. I plan to order this every time I'm here with a group of people. The biggest disappointment for me was the bagnet kare kare which is a traditional kare kare sauce (fantastic) but with a crispy pork belly instead of a stewed oxtail. The pork to me was chewy and dry. It was either overcooked or stale because it also had a strange taste. A couple of the dishes were real knockouts so I'm interested in tasting a few of the other dishes on the menu. I'd love to try the short rib kare kare, the sinigang, and the bulalo next time. The staff was very nice. The bartender makes killer drinks. The inside has a dark and sexy but casual vibe. As a filipino, I love supporting filipino business. Also as a filipino, I'm a purist when it comes to filipino food, so I'm always a little reluctant trying filipino fusion or modern-takes to filipino cuisine, but this restaurant had plenty of dishes where I tasted both nostalgia and innovation, so I absolutely plan to come back to check out the other dishes.

The food is sooooo good here. A little pricey? But I could say it's worth it because of how delicious the food is! The people are super friendly and it seemed like a lot of people are regulars here (at the bar at least!)

A great place for dinner and drinks! My group of 6 was seated in their enclosed and heated outdoor area and the service was great even though we were outside. I can't wait to come back here to try more dishes because everything was delicious. Drinks: I ordered the yuzu gimlet which was very yuzu forward and the black samurai which tasted exactly like black sesame. My boyfriend got the rizal highball (whiskey) that he enjoyed. Appetizers: we ordered the nori spam fries and large sampler platter of the skewers. The spam fries were just deep fried spam pieces - I wish there was something more special with the nori or ketchup to make it more interesting. The skewers were all well grilled and juicy. Entrees: we ordered the short rib Kare-kare, Beef Bone Marrow Salpicao, Hamachi Kama, Lengua Gyutan and Cod Katsu Sisig. Everything was delicious but the portions were a little small so I'd suggest ordering more for a large group. All of the meats were very tender and the sauces were delicious to eat with the garlic rice. My least favorite was the hamachi Kama since it wasn't anything special - just grilled with light teriyaki.

How often do you see Filipino Japanese cuisine? V rare, right? So obvi, I had to check this place out. Came here on a Sunday night with my broskis. I can say that we weren't disappointed - Gugu Room lives up to fulfilling both roots well! We ordered a bunch of dishes, from the karaage to the fries to the eggplant burrata to the shishito peppers. All true to their classical Japanese nature. Then we added on the cod katsu sisig, beef bone marrow salpicao & gugu express. Let's just say my Filipino broski was 100% on board with these dishes; they were rich, flavorful & hearty in every bite. And of course, we had to sauce it up for the garlic rice! Food's great. Service was amazing. And great vibes all around. Why wouldn't you try Gugu Room?

Really like this place. Super kind host and bartenders and the interior is really cozy. Got the congee which was super ginger-y and nourishing on a rainy day. Also got the Manila Mule which was very lime forward which I enjoyed. I will definitely be back to try more of their food and drinks!

I came with a group of four and we sat outside. Their outdoor seating is super cozy with very effective space heaters. Even with just a cloth curtain separating diners from outside, it stayed nice and warm. For decor, the ceiling was adorned with fake flowers and lamps. I am a big truffle fan so I couldn't say no to the truffle edamame. They were savory and delicious with just the right amount of salt. The shishito peppers were also tasty but didn't have very much flavor. However, the portion size was generous. For my main, I had the truffle mushroom sisig. I thought there would be a bit more to the dish but it was literally just mushrooms. However, the sauce was flavorful and rich, making the mushrooms very succulent. To drink, I had the wasabi mar-gari-ta. I was worried the wasabi flavor would be too intense but it was quite subtle. The drink was juicy and citrusy. Definitely recommended. The black samurai was also very smooth and tasty. Our waitress was sweet and accommodating.

My girlfriends and I (all filipinas) enjoyed the unique blend of traditional Filipino and Japanese dishes. The Katsu Cod Sisig was a winner and considering we were scraping the plate for every last bit it would be safe to assume that it was everyone's favorite. The adobo ribs and grilled isaw were also delicious! The cocktails were unique and amazing. The calamansi shots were even better! Definitely a great place for dinner and drinks. Be sure to make reservations!

3.5/5, but rounding up to 4! Came here on a whim one evening and oh my, was it an interesting experience. Seated at the table next to us (these were two person tables) was a family with 3 adults, a baby, and a big ass dog, so eating with a tail wacking my leg was every few minutes was interesting, to say the least. Still unsure how to feel about this; on one hand it wasn't really the restaurant's fault, on the other hand, it was causing a disturbance for other customers. As for the food itself, everything on the menu sounded super exciting, but the taste was a tad underwhelming. We ordered the rock shrimp tacos, some skewers, the bone marrow, and short rib kare kare. The food was generally solid, but I felt seemed a lot more interesting on paper than it tasted. Favorite item of the night was probably the pork intestine skewers; super chewy and flavorful!

Speakeasy concept within a restaurant that provides good but not overly special food and cocktails. Here what you need to know about Gugu Room: -Cocktails have a good flavor but there's nothing too special compared to the other Asian inspired cocktail bars that have opened recently. -food also has flavor but the portions can leave you hungry so order accordingly (especially if you are going multiple rounds) -Standard good service for NYC -Reservations highly recommended

Really cool place with delicious food. I've never seen a restaurant do Filipino-Japanese fusion before, and everything was a hit! Everything was delicious, but the Kare-Kare was a standout for me. Order the Spam fries if you're a fan, but you can only eat a couple because they're salty (you should know that if you like Spam). Portion sizes were a touch on the small side, so definitely order a lot, especially if you're coming with a group. They also have a good happy hour deal, and the cocktails were refreshing!

Gugu Room's making a real presence on TikTok as multiple people from different friend groups have hit me up to try this restaurant. Hehehe what they didn't know was that I'VE ALREADY TRIED IT. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I'll go again though because the food was unique and delicious. I've tried some of the cocktails and at the risk of sounding snobbish, I'm not impressed. It's a hard task to combine any fruit and expect a completely distinct flavor, so of the ones I tried, the formula is established cocktail + fruit. Also, just one of the most expensive price points on their menu. It's been a month since I've had them and I wanted to mention a brief warning: pay close attention to their menu pricing. I'm not accusing of them doing anything dubious but the pricing is very confusing. We were messing up lunch menu/happy hour/ and skewer bundle pricings. Honestly, it's less of a hassle to just ask the staff. They're very accommodating and the menu is an iterative process. Anywho, the standout was definitely the fish sissig. I didn't think I could ever describe sissig as "refreshing". And the yuzu accompanying sauce was very floral. Also what took me aback was the under $20 price point. This is a dish that's filipino/japanese fusion done well. The skewers were also delicious and the most surprisingly tasty thing were the french fries. Yeah, we ordered them with the expectation of the generic ass frozen microwavable fries but they were very well fluffed and seasoned.

New spot on the LES so came to check it out and got a few things! They had outdoor and indoor dining. Also had bar and bar seating with a couch in the corner. For food I got the balut, rib eye skewer, cod katsu sisig, Lengua gyutan, and short rib bone marrow udon. For the balut I've tried it multiple times and this spot definitely overcooked it because all I got was a boiled egg with just a touch of veins on it. Didn't get much of the soup either in the egg which is usually my favorite thing. The rib eye skewers were pretty good though a little pricy! The lengua guy tan was SOOO good. Saucy and chunks of the tongue! It's a thick kind of sauce but it was so finger licking good. So perfect with rice! Also loved the cod Katsu sisig! Fried parts of the fish and flavorful! I would definitely get the lengua gyutan and cod katsu sisig again! The short rib bone marrow udon soup was meh. Short rib could have been more tender and the noodles were just okay.

Went to Gugu Room this weekend with a group of 7 people, it's not a very big restaurant and is intimate inside. I loved the DJ setup they had in the restaurant! Service was great + quick with everything we ordered. We ordered: - skewer sample platter - agedashi tofu - chicken karaage (so good!) - rock shrimp tempura - beef bone marrow salpicao - lengua gyutan (beef tongue) - truffle mushroom sisig Came out to about $50 pp for the 7 of us (including drinks)

It's a challenge to 'elevate' traditional cuisine that is best known as a 'family secret recipe' but Gugu Room has succeeded, while respecting the basic Filipino ingredients. Our party of four had the soft shell crab and truffle edamame (not your typical) for appetizers ; while not necessarily Filipino, are so delicate and enough for the palate. For the mains : tofu 3-mushroom sisig (there's a bit of humor here considering it's usually pork cheek), miso-Cod, bulalo steak, rib-eye Kare-kare. The cod was like velvet and not overbearing with the umami. Sadly, there was no Halo-Halo (mix-mix traditional Filipino ice fruit dish ) but we were pleasantly surprised with a peppery black sesame sorbet, and of course, mango. We enjoyed pairings of "Manila Mule" and "Midori Martini" and endless H2o. All served with consummate hospitality. I didn't hesitate to check the 25% tip option. It's a new popular spot - reservations are highly recommended. A happy vibe, and none of my guests felt like they had to yell. Possibly the best Filipino restaurant in the tri-state area.

Made last minute reservations to Gugu Room last night and definitely glad we did. We sat outside the patio and Vanessa took our order. The food was supper solid and we asked about the Kamayan menu which Vanessa graciously sent over to look over to my phone to look over. She explained that she was the point of contact for kamayan reservations. The food was really good, usually I would be skeptical of Japanese fusion but we thoroughly enjoyed every dish we had. My BIL ate up the bulalo dish and I was really feeling that Cesar salad and Elotes. I would definitely come again and would love to sit inside to get a different ambiance. Also, drinks were great! This review is fitting since today is NYC's Filipino independence parade.

I never got to check out Tsismis before Gugu Room took over but can say that this Filipino-Japanese izakaya spot did not disappoint! I came here with my boyfriend in June and the placed was packed! We didn't make reservations but they happened to have a table open outside (we also got there later in the day, at around 8pm). We ordered the: - Agedashi tofu (3/5): Your standard agedashi tofu - nothing very special about it. - Short rib kare-kare (5/5): If there's one thing you need to get, it's this!! The short rib was fall-off-the-bone tender and the kare was rich and flavorful. - Fried pork belly (4/5): Suuuuuuper crispy! In general, portions are very much on the smaller side so you'll either be paying more to fill yourselves up or leave partially hungry. Having said that, I was quite content with my experience but can understand why others would not be. Regardless, I still think Gugu Room is worth a visit!

AMAZING vibes, great music, and great food but unfortunately, service was lacking and I hesitate to come back because of that. We came for a Sunday Brunch, and sat at the bar to avoid a long wait. We ordered fairly quickly off of the brunch menu, which includes a choice of mimosa/sangria with an entree. The menu featured some unique Filipino fusion dishes and even some inviting vegan dishes. We ordered quickly because my friend was very hungry then sat back to enjoy the music. That day they had a live DJ playing a Afrofunk/90s/80s mixes that really set the mood for a good time. We were enjoying our drinks but we noticed the food didn't come for awhile. I checked my phone and noticed it had been 50 minutes since we ordered. We were about to ask but we noticed the wait staff congregated by the kitchen and didn't want to be annoying. Finally, close to the hour mark, 3 of our 4 dishes came out. My friend's steak and eggs with rice took another 5 mins. Our waiter stopped by and apologized about the wait as we were eating. I really enjoyed my unagi BBQ rice bowl. Bbq unagi is one of my favorites, and this bowl had garlic egg vermicelli and alfalfa sprouts too! It was nicely balanced with that freshness and I appreciated the different components. It really hit the spot after the long wait. They are very heavy handed with the rice so it is very filling. Meanwhile, I heard the pair next to us inquire about the status of their order. Their waiter apologized, then another staff member apologized and offered them free drinks to make up for it. I understand that the wait cannot always be optimal but given the length of time we waited, we would have felt better if anyone could have stopped by to update us or check on us. I was also salty that the party next to us was offered free drinks while we were not offered anything.

My boyfriend took me here for our anniversary and while I enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the food, I thought the service could've been better. They didn't even give us anything complimentary to celebrate. While we had reservations, we still had to wait at the bar for 10 minutes, which was fine. I ordered a calamansi margarita, not knowing what it was but it turned out to be refreshing and citrusy. We started strong with the bonito caesar salad and pork skewers. I love caesar salad and Gugu Room did it well, from the dressing to a twist with crispy dried herring. Pork skewers were real tender! The bone marrow salpicao is a must get and paired well with the garlic fried rice. I was torn between the short rib kare kare and the beef sinigang, but our waiter recommended the sinigang. I thought this was a horrible choice as the sinigang was WAY too salty. We ended up taking it home and ate it the next morning after diluting it with water. Still, I won't let this dish take away from the experience and I would actually want to come back to try the kare kare.

After hearing all the amazing reviews for this restaurant, my friends and I decided to hold "Friendsmas" this year at the Gugu Room! The food was delicious. We started off ordering the entire appetizer menu and cocktails, which was also reasonably priced. -The Kani tacos -Chicken Karaage -Calamari -Rock Shrimp -chicken congee -crispy tofu My personal favorite was the highball! Notable entrees, the snapper and different Kare Kare (tofu, short rib) The music selection was great. They played r&b and top 40! The ambiance and decor was giving us 90s, speakeasy vibes. The service is A1 too, we were a group of 13 and everyone felt taken care of. The pacing of the food was perfect and they were mindful of our dietary needs which is a plus! I 100% recommended coming here!

After reading all great reviews, I was excited to come here with a few friends so we could try a variety of dishes from the menu. So much so, that we made sure to call up in advance to make a reservation.... Though it felt like it meant nothing since we (group of 7) were crammed onto an outdoor table which would seat 4-5 max. This made for a VERY uncomfortable experience. We had to sit diagonally and put our drinks on the benches to make room for our food. In addition to this one of us had to run to a local pharmacy to pick up mosquito repellent since we were getting eaten alive! The food was ok, but not consistent and they definitely fell short on a few of their dishes. Cod Katsu Sisig - this was actually really tasty. The cod was plump and well cooked. There was great seasoning to the dish with variety in textures. Laing - for me, this was just ok. The flavors came through but it was a little heavy despite being a leafy dish due to the coconut milk. I think this is personal taste though, some of my friends enjoyed it more than me but we still didn't finish. Short Rib Kare-Kare - this looked and smelled amazing. The sauce was thick and flavorful but the meat was such a let down. It was overcooked, dry and flavorless. The accompanying peanut sauce was not enough to compensate. Rice - we got a mixture of both jasmine and garlic. Both are pretty solid. I did prefer the garlic rice, but the jasmine worked better for heavy flavored dishes like the Laing. Overall with all things considered it wasn't a great experience. Definitely see what they're trying to do, but the execution was poor.... will unlikely be coming back.

I found myself at Gugu Room to celebrate a colleague's new job. I was really looking forward to this; not only is she one of my closest friends, but after over a week of being out of the loop recovering from COVID and other life events taking priority, I was looking forward to getting back out in the land of the living. Filipino food is something I do not have much experience with, so when I heard we were coming here, I was excited to check out a new restaurant as well as some unchartered cuisine. Located on the LES, Gugu Room is technically a new restaurant, though from what I can gather it's more of a reimagining of a restaurant that was previously here. Like many Manhattan restaurants (especially in this area), the space isn't too large, but it's big enough that we didn't feel cramped - plus, they have a really pretty outside area. The interior was nicely set up, the decor had a darker color scheme and had a decent sized bar that served as a focal point. We started with drinks; I had the highball which was really good, and the whiskey sour was also a standout. The menu had a mixture of Filipino and Japanese cuisine; since there were close to 12 of us, we ordered a bunch of stuff which was spread throughout the table. We went full traditional as well, which included eating with our hands. They provide utensils if you want, as well as gloves and hot towels to help with mess. We had quite a spread: braised beef, fish, noodles, pork and beef skewers, sausage, and rice. There was so much food, and everything was delicious. My favorites were the different skewers - the meats were really flavorful and the sauces they came with only augmented the flavor. Service was great, everyone was very friendly and they were on top of service; everything came out at the perfect pace and they were super accommodating. Overall, I had a great time at Gugu Room - it was great to see everyone, and the food was delicious. I would definitely return for another meal.

My group and I had a really good time at Gugu Room last night. We had a group of about 10 doing the Kamayan dinner. We selected crab, longanisa, pork ribs, branzino, shrimp, lumpia, and even bone marrow. The combo of the perfectly cooked rice, soy sauce, and bone marrow was elite. I thought the seafood was cooked well where the meat was sweet and separated well from the shell. The drinks were also flowing. From a service perspective I felt like we were attended to well. Get the highball, if you're a fan of ginger :) The place was also poppin and almost every other table had diners on a Tuesday evening. Stop in if you're in the area.

I came here with a party of 5 on a Saturday evening. Gugu Room is a new Filipino/Japanese-based restaurant opened for a few months now. My friend heard good things about this place so we decided to try our luck with getting a walk-in reservation. We ended up waiting about an hour and a half for a table, but nevertheless we were in the area grabbing drinks from nearby establishments. Would definitely recommend making a reservation on Resy. The interior decor is trendy and matches LES vibes. The staff here are very courteous and polite. They have indoor seating as well as outdoor seating. They had a DJ inside playing throughout the night (after 9:30pm). For the food we ordered: - Bucket of Karrage - Short Rib Kare-kare - Gugu Express - Cod Katsu Sisig - Adobo wings - Rock shrimp tempura - Large sampler platter - Beef Bone Marrow Salpicao - Garlic Rice Everything we had was freshly prepared and did not disappoint. The Adobo Wings and Karrage were flavorful with a Filipino twist. We also ordered the Large Sampler Platter which included a variety of skewers. The Gugu Express is their take on the traditional filipino dish, the bicol express. Although I never had it before, it was something that I enjoyed and would try again in the future. The Cod Katsu was also good especially when mixed in with the garlic rice. My favorite two dishes of the night was the Bone Marrow Salpicao and the Short Rib Kare-kare. The Bone Marrow Salpicao was simply an amazing dish with a blend of flavors that will melt in your mouth. Make sure you mix in all the bone marrow into the marinated steak. The Short Rib Kare-kare is cooked in a peanut stew with bok choy and shrimp paste. An absolute banger especially mixed in with garlic rice. The attention to details in the flavors in these dishes is unreal. Definite must get! The cocktails here were not to be looked over as well! I had the yuzu gimlet which was well made. They have various Asian inspired cocktails that are very well crafted. In summary, our group really enjoyed the meal here and we left full and satisfied!

I went to Gugu Room recently with a group on the company tab, so we were able to sample a number of items. First, the drinks were fine. I had a highball that contained lychee, lemon, and ginger, but the proportions seemed off. My coworkers enjoyed their white wine sangria. Some of the food items were excellently executed, like the black miso cod and the elote appetizer. The skewers and bone marrow entree were good and went well with the garlic rice. Shrimp tacos were bland, and chicken entree was just ok. Both the chocolate mousse and matcha tiramisu were fabulous, like let's order another round fabulous. Interior and service are chill and welcoming. Recommend if you are looking for a cool spot with Filipino/Japanese flavors.

Lovethe owners ,I like that they change there menu but just a bit and the food is delicious

Full transparency, I usually shy away from fusion so maybe there's some bias here. I'm just kind of indifferent here. I thought the space was cute, bathroom was clean, and the service was good, but the food, or from what we ordered, was maybe 50% successful with the corn and short rib Kare Kare (meat fell off the bone) best in show tonight. I like Spam, but the spam Fries were just spam cut in a fry shape with some nori shreds dropped on top (not breaded and nothing special). This was an "even i could for this at home" moment.

Summary: Amazing music, energy, food, service, and decor. Absolutely stellar night spent her with a close friend. Pricey but worth it I went here with a friend to get food , drinks, and catch up. We were delighted to have been greeted by lovely music when we walked in and some stellar food. Loved every minute of being here and will for sure come again

Tried this venue after hearing it loosely referenced on a podcast. It was delicious. It's a small quaint spot with nice ambiance and a decent happy hour. But overall the food was just really tasty!

Came in a cloudy evening and took whatever seat was available inside the fastest due to the pending rainstorm. But firstly, I would love to thank the lovely staff who blessed us with this food.l and service. Niles (our bartender/server) was extremely friendly and very informative on the dishes. So, the cuisine is a Filipino cuisine with a Japanese fusion. For example, the congee (which I believe should be named arrozcaldo) had a mix of kaarage (a Japanese fried chicken with garlic and ginger) and a tangy flavor to the arrozcaldo. One of the best I've had in a long time. So, if you're coming here, expect a dim ambiance with more natural lighting usage earlier in the day with lounge music and at night, they turn the place upside down to have a bar with a DJ and dancing. Recommendations: Kaarage Congee Beef Bone Marrow Salpacio Yuzu Beef Sinigang Shirt Rib KareKare Definitely would want to come back if I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic for Filipino food but still want the finer dining lifestyle. Props to Gugu Room. Will definitely be seeing you guys more often in the future. P.S. if I got our bartender's name wrong, please reply back in the comments so I can correct my review. Beef Bone Marrow Salpicao Chicken Kaarage Congee Short Rib Kare Kare Yuzu Beef Sinigang Bone Marrow Red Wine Mechado

Came with a couple of my friends for a dinner and overall it was good but kinda average and I wasn't wowed. We started with the Sampler Platter, which was a nice assortment of different skewers. We liked that each skewer came in 3 separate pieces, which was perfect for our group of 3. For entrees, we ordered the Short Rib Kare Kare (short rib was basically all fat), Cod Katsu Sisig (best dish for all of us), and Beef Bone Marrow Salpicao (really really salty and would not get again). I did like that the entrees came with Garlic Rice and we didn't have to add that on. Service was good though and our waitress was really nice!

Fab spot for drinks with your girlfriends, to start a night out or even to hang with anyone cool! Vibes inside were impeccable - disco ball, live DJ, good bar area and seating space. Waiters and hostess were EXTREMELY attentive and kind, checking in often, refilling water, ensuring you are able to order everything you want. Had small plates - shishito peppers, coconut rice, tuna tacos in wonton shells. Delicious!

Still great as always. Corn Elote was incredibly good. Spam fries were a bit too much Palabok was oddly not palabok-y enough (I didn't get much of the funky seafood taste from the sauce) and yet heavy. Softshell crab was a nice touch thou again, though I love that it was fried sort of tempura style, it was undersalted. Overall did not work and is not my favorite dish. Also, for the second time in a row, we were kicked out for a next party. Am I just a talker or are their rezzies booked too close together?

The food and drinks here are great! I love how innovative the drinks are and combine unique flavors with good spirit. I preferred the apps over the entrees but you really can't go wrong with either. The service was fantastic and they had a dj come out in the evening while we ate. It was a surprise to us as we were still having food but it was still a cool vibe. I believe they only have a dj on Friday nights and weekends and he is actually a waiter at the restaurant.