Michael Y.
Yelp
I received a recommendation from a family member to try out Pinoy Pinay after having some great experiences at the restaurant. And needing to expand my list of Filipino restaurants, I figured I'd drop by and see what all of the hype was about. Coming in at 12:15PM on a Monday, the first thing that caught my eye was the amount of people! Although Pinoy Pinay is a labeled as Filipino Fast Food, there was practically a line out the door! Luckily, the line moved fast which allowed me to grab my food and get out quickly. Looking at the food options, nothing seemed to be labeled. But after taking a look at the food, I decided to order a two item special with lechon and beef kaldereta which was $14.50 at the time of this review.
As a side note: Two item plates start at $12.50. For every special item you choose, an extra dollar will be added. Fortunately, the meal also comes with a cup of soup which is always appreciated.
In addition, be sure to bring your cash! Should you choose to pay with credit card, an additional fee will be added on top of your bill.
Sitting down in the open dining room, I was very happy to see the quantity of each dish! Because I ordered two of the special items, the staff plated them in separate containers. Make no mistake, the portion sizes are VERY generous here. The pieces of roasted pork and beef shank meat were given in such large quantity that they overflowed over the cup boundaries. Each piece was also cut thick, so much so that the food lasted for two whole meals. In addition to the meats, three scoops of rice and a vegetable soup were given which added to the price to portion. At $14.50, don't pass this up. You are getting WAY more than you are paying for.
Now I am by no means a Filipino food connoisseur. But from my experience with other Filipino restaurants, the food at Pinoy Pinay is up there with the good ones I've had. Beginning with the soup, the broth had a sour taste which I found quite interesting. But paired with the vegetables inside, it tasted especially refreshing on a cold day. Next, the beef had a dominant tomato flavor. But in a way, it was fatty which thickened the sauce the beef came with. Each piece of meat was textured and easily broke apart when bitten into. I especially liked the rich burgundy color inside which said to me that the ingredients were fresh. Moving on to the lechon, the balance of moisture and dryness in the pork was perfect. Although lechon is usually supposed to be dry, the moisture added some definition that was really needed. The skin was lightly crisp and did not taste too fatty which was also a plus. From the two items I tried, I really enjoyed them both; the flavors were good!
Although the heart of Cerritos can be very busy, especially during peak meal times, I would definitely visit Pinoy Pinay again. The dining room was especially clean for a "fast food" place, the servers were happy to help food selection, the food was piled on and lasted more than a meal, the meats were tasty, and the combo came with soup as well. The experience here was streamlined, but sometimes that's all you need! Five out of five stars, great job Pinoy Pinay!
