Isla Detroit
Restaurant · Sterling-Heights ·
Filipino eatery with rice bowls, noodles, and desserts
Filipino eatery with rice bowls, noodles, and desserts
"Isla Detroit is the fast casual Filipino eatery with a refined approach, featuring a selection of rice bowls, noodle bowls and desserts, and entrees that are reflective the cooking styles of Iloilo, a province in the Philippines’ Visayas region. The desserts out of this charming establishment are also impressive. Brightly-hued tropical ube cakes are always a standout and if you’re dining in, try the Buko Halo-Halo — the quintessential Filipino dessert featuring crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, along with various toppings like fruit and jellies." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Melody Baetens, restaurant critic/reporter, The Detroit News: ...Isla (Filipino)..." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Isla Detroit, a fast casual eatery with a refined approach, is run by classically trained chefs J.P. Garcia and Jacqueline Diño-Garcia. Isla offers a wide selection of rice bowls, noodle bowls and desserts, and some of the entrees reflect the cooking styles of Iloilo, a province in the Philippines’ Visayas region, like the batchoy, a noodle dish served with beef shank and bone broth. Other hearty meals include lechon kawali (crispy pork belly), varieties of pancit as well as sweets like the tropical ube cake and sans rival. As for the interior, a mural featuring both Filipino and American eagles decorates the restaurant’s gray wall, which showcases the chefs’ love for both countries." - Eleanore Catolico
"A 23-seat Sterling Heights casual spot led by a chef couple that blends refined, classically trained pastry techniques with Filipino flavors and regional savory dishes from Iloilo. The pared-back dining room features artwork that fuses Philippine and American imagery, and the menu highlights visually striking desserts—such as an ube dacquoise layered with mango jam, coconut mascarpone and pinipig polvoron—and savory dishes like batchoy with beef shank and a reddish annatto-based adobo. Since relocating from a downtown food hall, the operation has shifted toward a fast-casual, to-go–friendly model while retaining a loyal following that includes downtown professionals who follow the concept to the suburbs." - Eleanore Catolico
"This Metro Detroit pastry maker is contributing a cashew and mango butterscotch bar to the Bakers Box, representing local talent among the 18 featured bakers whose Detroit pickup is scheduled for July 26; the two-box offering totals 18 desserts and helps raise funds for community causes." - Serena Maria Daniels