Kusina Ni Tess

This place was only a block away from the hotel we were staying at. The staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful. It was small, yet was able to seat about 20 people total. It was a busy place especially around brunch, as several people starting coming in to order and eat inside or to pick-up/takeout. The food was delicious -- comfort food that definitely reminded me of home. The portions were big and worth the price. I definitely recommend stopping by if you're looking for some good, Filipino breakfast food.

Truly delicious, authentic Filipino breakfast-lunch, conveniently located when downtown. Daily revolving menu for variety. Hot food available for purchase by container size: budget, small, medium and large. Pork Sinigang (pork belly and vegetables in green tamarind broth) with a heaping serving of rice, is delightfully tangy and comforting. A cozy feel, tidy in appearance and attended by smiling Filipina aunties.

When I came here the staff were so friendly to me. I got the tapsilog here and it was soo delicious. The meat was so tender and the eggs were cooked perfectly. The portion fed my friend and I and the staff gave us an extra plate and utensils without us having to ask. The place is small with about five tables but people just take it to go and the vibes inside are nice. Love this place, for sure recommend!

First time here, great food, great services from the workers and the food comes in big portion. I ordered the breakfast #17 Pork Adobo, and it came with an egg and garlic rice. The pork adobo was full of flavor! I ended up bringing the rest home. The place is small, there's like 5 tables, but most of the customers take it to go anyway. This place is mainly brunch, but it's definitely worth trying! I'm definitely coming back whenever I'm in the area.

I had the number 2: Tiglog (fried pork) with egg and garlic rice for breakfast, if you like you meat on the sweet side you will love this plate. It was so delicious and plentiful. After the big breakfast I could barely have room for lunch at 2pm. I also ordered the grilled pork on a stick, I was also a little sweet and super tasty. After ordering I have to wait 5-10 minutes before it was ready that means my food was made fresh and hot. Great friendly folks works there.

Delicious authentic Filipino food , fast and friendly service, and clean dining room. Today, I ordered some of my favorites for takeout - Pork Sinigang, Tuyo, Tocino, Longganisa, Pancit Guisado and Pork BBQ - to enjoy at home for the next couple of days. I will definitely be back for more.

I enjoyed my meal here! The staff was so friendly and the food looks and tastes amazing, they have different dishes every day. They have a list. Price was great, not expensive and the quality is really good! I had longsilog and cassava Suman! Very simple but so tasty, they serve you with a smile. Loved it. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in San Francisco!

A really down to earth type of restaurant with AMAZING FOOD! There's not much seating area so get it for take out if you can. The food is great but slightly pricey. But that's just me being cheap. Come here for the fantastic food. They do it really wel. A family run restaurant well know to the locals. I'll be coming again

I love this place! Delicious homestyle food with kind and friendly service. Many A la carte selection to choose from different sizes and mix & match combination on rice. I've had the eggplant omelette, chicaron, beef kare kare and laing. They are so delicious and the prices are reasonable. The only thing I don't like is that they closed so early at 2 PM. If you want to open for breakfast and lunch only, please at least make it until 3:00 or 4:00 PM. (2:00 PM is way too early) Manny is working the cashier, very nice and friendly owner. Make sure to say hello and try this place for Filipino food or if you curious about that country's food.

Manny, you are my lumpia and diniguan savior! The food was amazing!! Service was nothing short of making you feel at home. Inside was very simple yet at home feeling, so it was perfect to take back and enjoy. All the food was perfect and comforting. Mahbuhay!

Tiny spot in the TL, but one of our favorite Filipino spots anywhere. This place cooks everything perfectly. The garlic rice is the best, fried items are perfectly fried, sinigang is deliciously sour and savory. And now they have beef pares, hard to find outside of the Philippines, super delicious like a Chinese beef stew. Finish off with Turon, fried banana with a candy like coating.

I've gotten takeaway from here multiple times and managed to walk pass this place because it's such a hole in the wall. My go-to orders are the Tosilog and Longsilog. The garlic rice always hits the spot and the portions are huge. Recommend checking this place out if you don't mind falling into a food coma shortly after, these dishes are quite heavy but so delicious.

Nice Pilipino Restaurant. Simple decor. The service is excellent. Manny is so nice. He is friendly and very attentive. The staff is helpful and happy. There is a lot of choices. The food is authentic and the portions are good. It's like visiting an aunt's house because of the hospitality and warmth. If you're ever considering eating pinoy food this is the place

Never have I EVER experienced Filipino food that is THIS close to the flavors and dishes made by the ones I love. You know when people say "no one could beat my mom/grandma's cooking", well this is pretty much as authentic as it can by. I have come here on multiple occasions during lunch and I am always surprised as to how long the line can be. Let's start with the customer service. You are so welcomed and feel at home here. Manong and manangs are so kind and sweet. The food is honestly priced very cheap for the serving and the flavors...all there and more. I ordered the manoksilog and the Chicken skin was perfectly crispy. A nice crunch. And guess what, I still had rice leftover. We also ordered vegetable lumpia, chicken adobo, and fried fish. Best hidden Filipino gem honestly. I wish they had more desserts. We ordered the ube halaya and it wasn't as sweet as I hoped but still the place is great overall. Cannot wait to come back.

I don't have much experience with Filipino food so I was super stoked to see this place. The restaurant is a cute family owned business. I ordered a chicken adobo and lumpia (again, not too much experience so I got the most basic stuff). And then they sat me at a table with a Filipino couple who were THE LOVELIEST. It really felt like I was at a family gathering, everybody sitting together and just chatting it up. Even though we were strangers, I think this place does a good job of creating an environment where people can get comfortable with each other. Food came around (pretty quickly, I might add). Chicken adobo was incredibly tender but that LUMPIA UGH. I WILL DREAM OF THE LUMPIA. WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PLACE and would love to come back and try all your other stuff. Didn't have room for dessert (ugh heresy, I know) BUT that halo halo was very tempting.

Hole in the wall Filipino food - so good!!!! Really generous portion. I got the pork adobo -- it was so much meat! Loved the combo of the lean and fattier cuts. The fattier cuts especially just melted in my mouth! Perfect runny egg over the garlic rice. YESSSSSSSS please!

The food here is super authentic and yummy. Love the monggo, pork sinigang, beef pares. Friendly staff.

Delicious homestyle food served with hospitality. The staff is warm and welcoming. I will definitely be returning.

Found this place a few blocks from our hotel. Ahhh Filipino food!!! Visiting my niece and nephew in San Francisco we all got excited about finding this place! They had us at their -silog plates -- tuyosilog, tapsilog, bansilog. After not having tuyo since moving here for school my niece loved it! We also had lechon kawali and they gave us sabaw ng sinigang. If you're looking for a home cooked meal this is the place. My uncle spoke with the owner and it turns out they're from the same area in Malabon and know some of the same people.

Mmm, only tried this place via deliveries, but it satisfies my craving for delicious lumpia. (And yes, like chips, you never eat just one.) This place even got a seal of approval from one of my work friends who claimed that her mom makes the best lumpia, but this is pretty good and close 2nd. Haha, love that. Besides lumpia, my favorite from here is the crispy and deliciously fried chicharron. I mean I occasionally get these chicharron bags from Target, but let me tell you the fresh ones here are way better! I don't really eat rice (maybe occasional treat, yeah I know....) but I like their garlic rice. Delicious!

Super unassuming spot for great Filipino food!!! It's a bit of a trek away from downtown so as we ventured further and further away from our hotel, we started to second guess decision to try Kusina Ni Tess. But I have absolutely 0% regrets because the food here was so delicious!!! Prices were good which is always a plus!! The only thing was that the food took a little bit longer to prepare than we expected, but it's honestly worth every minute. We got: - Tapsilog (special of the day): it came with garlic rice and a fried egg. So delicious!! - Chicken Adobo: Savory, flavorful and tender chicken adobo. We ate this with the garlic rice from the tapsilog plate and it was delicious!!!! - Sinigang: I've never had sinigang before but the sour soup was such a delight! Super flavorful and delicious. We got the smallest serving of soup and it came in this little drink cup, but hey, no judgement here. As long as it tastes good, I'm all for it!!! Don't be deterred by the surrounding area here. Kusina Ni Tess is DELICIOUS!!

I have repeatedly ordered from this joint for work parties. Lumpia, pancit and turon (fried plantain coated in brown sugar). Their trays are great options although on the pricier side. The delivery is prompt. The food is packaged well and nothing is ever missing. I have not been to the restaurant but plan on making that visit soon! Looking forward to trying their silog plates.

As soon as you walk in, you know you're in for a good time, you see the 4 Lola's (grandmothers) cooking up all beauty that they do. I got the bansilog under the breakfast all day and have absolutely no regrets - maybe not asking for a To-go box. The amount of garlic rice they give you is enough to feed 3 people. The bansilog (milkfish) was cooked perfectly. Crispy edges with a tender bite. It's hard to beat! They even have fresh chicharrones they fried fresh. They package it up in a sandwich ziplock and sell them. It's not half as greasy or oily as the ones you buy in the store. It's really a no frills place to eat don't expect high end service. They will treat with family love and please do the same. Throw away your stuff after you and make sure it's nice. These Lola's are hard at work!!! Great prices

Good filipino food. Next time I will just order less food because they have big portion.

I really wanted to like this place, as it was the first Filipino food i had since coming to the US, but i ended up getting disappointed. I ordered tapsilog and the taste was good, but it was definitely not tapsilog. More like beef steak. I also had the turon - this one was good.

It's ok. Got the picadillo pork (like pork guisantes but ground), along with some garlic rice and a fried egg. It tasted fine but the portion for $15 is pretty small and usually these kinda hole in the wall filipino joints are pretty generous with their portions.

Tucino was deep fried--not what I expected. Good selection of traditional breakfast options

If you're looking for an affordable and quick Filipino food, this is the spot for you. They have preset breakfast menu that comes with an egg. You can also get the meal without an egg. I love their garlic fried rice that is severed with a side of protein.

I'm really sad by the limited and disappearing options for filipino food in south bay, so this gem was the last place I expected to find near/in(?) the financial district. The food tastes homemade to me, and it was encouraging to see customer after customer dropping in to order in a Filipino language (I presume Tagalog but I can't confirm). Had the longsilog and the sausage and garlic rice were fantastic. Everything else looked delicious as well, and this place is WAY more affordable than some of the neighboring options.

I walked in and was greeted very kindly! It feels very familial here. I originally came with Chicken Adobo on my mind but they didn't have any today, as they're on a schedule of dishes during the week. I got great recommendations from the kind man in the front and I chose the Tinola to try. It was super light for a stew which I deeply enjoyed and the ginger came through perfectly next to the chicken pieces. I OF COURSE couldn't finish my order without lumpia, which was honestly perfect. Super crispy and perfectly seasoned. Calamansi was my drink of choice and I finished with a turon to-go. For the cusine and how it's a skip away from Market/downtown, it was soooo worth it.

Reasonably priced, great foods and nice people. What's not to like? The neighborhood looks a little rough but it's worth braving it for this great food!

So this little gem was featured in eater.com's 24 affordable eats in San Francisco. Not only is the food reasonably priced but it's bomb food too. The ladies are so friendly and motherly that I couldn't help but thought of my grandma for a minute. Although grandma was a firecracker too and I learned early which buttons not to push. Right, moving along, I'm in this neighborhood pretty often because it's so close to Chinatown but I can't recall seeing this gem. Man, I had better pay better attention of my surroundings... Be advised that it's takeout only. As this was my first visit, I stuck with the standards: Lumpia, Adobo (shredded chicken) & Tapsilog combo. The verdict: It was awesome! Kudos to the chef! I've had adobo where it was super greasy & salty but not here. I feel it was just right and the sauce was great with the rice.

Ever since my bestie introduced me to Filipino food in 2018, I have been absolutely OBSESSED!! I can't help crave Filipino breakfast nearly every day of the week - it is so yummy, I get hungry just thinking about it! This is our go-to place to order Filipino food in San Francisco. My husband and I always order the 2 of the tosilog and a side of the longanisa! We also order 2 additional fried eggs because we love eggs and well - why not! The tosilog is my absolutely favorite, I also love that they give a little side of vinegar cuz I want it on EVERYTHING! If Ben is extra hungry, we also get the lumpia too! AND if we order after 10am, I also order the pork dinuguan! It is sooo good - i just order a bunch and eat it for 2-3 meals. lol! Highly recommend for breakfast - if you've never had Filipino breakfast before, you are in for a delightful treat! Pro Tip: After you've eaten all the things, as my bestie says, "go eat some vegetables" cuz there isn't really much of that on the menu!

The Kusina is more like 4.5 stars so it's more than just Good - Good-er - More Good - Good+ how about, Pretty Good. Let's save the semantics for later . . . more about the food. Lumpia is legit and hella people know it. crisp. fresh. not oily. and the ratio of wrapper to filling make it way too easy for me to eat a dozen without blinking an eye - so good we've even ordered a tray on more than one occasion. And this is how you know that other people know they're good. We were putting in our order for a tray, place it and pay, and then they call us to let us know they've run out. They've run out?!?! Once we get over it, we realized that maybe a) they don't make enough to begin with or b) they do make a good amount but the demand is so high they can't keep up. I'm going with choice b. The tselog plates are good - nice variety. The other Filipino dishes are tasty as well, but those lumpias are instantly addicting. I kinda want to order a tray right now. Gotta go.

Kusina serves Filipino food and is located in the to-go only Charter Oak food hall. I ordered the Bilao with 1 main dish, 2 veggies, rice and assorted appetizers. For the main dish, I chose Bangus (milkfish) Sisig and yam leaves and banana blossoms for the sides. When I picked up the order, it was heavy and they stressed that I need to keep it right side up. So far, so good...a big bag of food for $34. When I got home and took it out of the bag, I was not prepared for the delight I saw before my eyes. There was a beautifully arranged assortment of food. The Bangus Sisig had the skin of the whole fried fish sliced in half, with the inside of the fish scooped out and mixed with the other sisig ingredients, then placed back on top of the fried skin. On the side were dark green yam leaves on top of diced tomatoes, and an endless supply of pickled banana blossoms. There were even lumpia and a savory fried ube tapioca dessert. All of this was on a gigantic mound of Java rice, and served on a traditional plate covered in banana leaves. The taste was equally exquisite. The bangus sisig was of course the standout with a creamy tangy mixture of fish, onions and spices, and that went well with the crispy skin. The banana blossoms were tart and pleasantly chewy, the yam leaves were earthy, and the ube tapioca balls were like nothing I'd ever had before. Maybe like mochi, but more interesting. The only thing I wasn't blown away with was the Java rice, which just tasted like rice. But it probably didn't need much flavor considering how flavorful everything else was.

Wonderful little restaurant. I got Lechon kawali and Pork Sinigang. Everything tasted wonderful and the staff were super nice and kind. I plan to come here often.

Little hole in the wall place, with fantastic food. I don't have too much experience with Filipino food, but thoroughly enjoyed this place. I ordered the Tapsilog plate and it made my heart happy! Will absolutely be returning next time I'm in the city.

We went here twice on our recent trip to San Francisco. Great food both times. The decor isn't fancy, but the food is very good. And the portions are huge. A breakfast from here will take you through the whole day. :-)

Delicious tosilog and lumpia!! The food is very good, but the reason I knocked out a star is because of the really slow service to order. We were standing there for a long time before getting assisted. We flagged someone down and still had to wait before ordering. The tosilog and lumpia are delicious though!

Space: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Food: 5/5 I was visiting the area and woke up early with a grumbling stomach. I looked for food near me and found this gem that was open at 7 AM! When I walked into the restaurant, I saw the staff hard at work prepping more food for the morning crowd to come. I was quickly greeted and knew what I wanted to order! The menu is front and center with a sizable font that made it readable from even a few feet away! One thing to note is that this place is cash only. They have an ATM that you can use. I ordered the Tosilog (Sweet marinated pork with an egg and rice) breakfast platter along with a side of Embotido (Filipino Meatloaf). I smiled with every bite I took. I savored every taste of home and my culture. The side of soup was also a welcomed edition for a quite chilly San Francisco city morning. Water and utensils are laid out for you to self serve. Needless to say, I pinned this homey restaurant on my list for a future visit! Salamat Ate Tess and staff! You definitely made my morning!

This was close to my hotel in SF I'm glad I stopped by to try the food. It was my first time going to a Filipino restaurant and the restaurant did not disappoint. I got the pork sisig with the garlic fried rice. The sisig is was a really interesting texture and had bits of cartilage in it. It's definitely different from a lot of food I've had before and I'm glad I ordered it. The portions are generous - I ordered a small and it was probably a meal and a half worth of food. The cafeteria style options at the restaurant would probably be good for people in a hurry. Lots of options, and my only regret is that I didn't get to try more meals.

This was an absolute gem of a restaurant. The food is unreal; so much flavor. The owner and the lady behind the counter helped me with ordering and making recommendations. They were so kind and thoughtful with their recommendations. Definitely recommend

Kind of a grimy area but food is good, cheap, and plentiful. If this was in a better part of town, I'd go very often. As is, I go when I'm in the area during lunchtime. It's worth the walk, just watch where you step

I came here with family on a Monday morning for some comfort Filipino food, and we absolutely loved what we ordered. It was a classic Filipino breakfast with pretty good portion sizes for the price. Everything was so flavorful and the staff and cooks were so nice and made the experience so homey! The only downside is that it's a pretty small and tight place, so it can be hard to find a table -- we got lucky that someone cleared out before us, but there were only 5 or so tables and there wasn't a huge waiting space for people picking up orders. This is ideal of a quick solo lunch or takeout, but not for big groups to dine in. The space is a little older, but that didn't detract from the quality of the food and service!

Masarap!! I was so happy to see Filipino food in San Francisco proper. Kusina Ni Tess was literally a 2 minute walk from my hostel at Found. They had their menu online so I was able to check it out before going. I was really really hoping to get some tapa. I haven't had one in so long! Unfortunately, when I got there, they didn't have any. I came in really early in the morning too. It's okay though! I opted for the hotsilog breakfast instead. I also got the ginataang bilo-bilo which is a warm and filling dessert. Just what I needed for a cold day in San Francisco!

Unsuspecting delicious find in the middle of the Tenderloin that offers a variety of Filipino traditional and comfort foods. Behind the counter glass are steaming hot pans of seasoned pork, chicken & beef; your choice of adobe, stews, braised dishes. Pick your protein (you can choose from S,M,L size) and add a side of white rice for $2, extra $1 for garlic rice. I ordered the small beef bistek and rice (don't let the small size fool you). The calamansi (lime) flavor was subtle with a little peppery kick and the beef was very tender. Couldn't help but pour the gravy over my rice and tuck in. You have the option to top your meal with a fried egg (for an extra cost). They also serve Filipino breakfast (meat, egg & rice) ALL DAY! It is definitely worth a trip to the TL. Everything is a la carte and it's CASH ONLY.

I wish the portions were bigger. They use very small containers and fill them until they spill. Maybe use a bigger container with less if you want to have small portions? $15 for a tiny container of sinigang is really expensive. They also are only open a few hours a day.

Great Filipino home cooking and service. I ordered tocilog and tortang talons. Garlic rice was flavorful. Tocino was not too fatty and good flavor. Service was good. Small place, but they get a consistent flow of people that were coming in.

They had three lolas running the shop, that's how you know it's fire! I had caldaretta (tomato meat dish) and sinigang (sour soup dish with beef, can be chicken or pork, but we went with beef). Bought each dish in large, then ordered two large rice separately. Fed 4 of us! They ran out of turon (plantain fried spring rolls), we ordered it, but they ran out after serving everyone else, so they gave us sodas that had more cost. Overall great! It's a hole in the wall.

When you have the option of getting breakfast all day everyday. Do it. Kusina Ni Tess - Tess's Kitchen is, and was amazing. While I stayed at the Found Hotel down the street I would find myself waking up to a walk, and then boom! The smell of sweet sausages and love. That's what Manny and his family have to offer at Kusina Ni Tess. Love and great cooking. I went 3 days in a row and had the number #1, and the #2 (twice) with two sausages on the side. The meats are cooked to perfection. No grease.. well I guess you didn't get love because it's glistening on every bite. Garlic rice! Oh yeah... great flavor without over doing it with the pungent garlic some places carelessly overlook. If you're coming down from a trip, or have the munchies, or are just hungry.. don't look past Kusina Ni Tess. Because you'll regret it. Manny. Thank you.

May is AsianAmerican Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This review is to highlight the contribution of Asian-owned business to the local economy. Ownership fully transferred in August 2017. Kusina Ni Tess is an example of keeping true to our identity and promoting it in a big way. When staying at the Hilton, I demand family to join me for safety reasons. Cash only and frequent lines plus some unsavory conditions makes my wife question my "eat local" choices. Growing up she always had a MANONG Tess. One star deducted for her being a snob and refusing to participate. I thought the food was authentic and pretty good.

It was a nice surprise to find the Filipino restaurant behind our hotel. The entire family was craving authentic Filipino food and this definitely did the job. We only have time for breakfast but the longanisa and egg was fantastic. We ordered two along with two with spam so the four of us could share. No regrets and plan to return the next time we are in San Fran.

The food was amazing! The service was great. They were very kind and made suggestions. The highlight for me was the garlic rice with the chicken. Amazing

There are a lot of Filipinos in the SF Bay Area but it's surprisingly hard to find Filipino restaurants inside the SF city limits (you'd have to venture out to Daly City or along the Peninsula). I passed by this restaurant on my way to the Westfield mall and decided to give it a try. The food and smells remind me of my childhood growing up in the Philippines. They gave me a few samples and I decided to order their beef tapas with rice and egg. It was a good plate of food - it really took me back to a lot of my meals in childhood that consisted of some meat with plenty of sauce to be soaked up by the white rice. I also ordered a "halo halo", which is Filipino shaved ice dessert typically with some fruit, ice cream, ube and flan. This is a small family restaurant and the prices are very affordable. They also have Filipino soaps on the TV. I was smiling at the end of this meal - I guess nostalgia comes with age. I'll be coming back to order some of their other dishes. I'd recommend this place for some quick, cheap Filipino bites.

Celebrating a friends birthday we ventured out based on yelp reviewers to pick up some of her favorite Filipino foods. She doesn't eat pork so needed great options. Arrived at 11:15 on a Wednesday afternoon. Parking is tough so we parked illegally in front at a yellow meter and kept watch. They were so friendly and helpful letting us sample several items. We left with: 4 small boxes of garlic rice I large box of pancit with chicken 2 veggie lumpia 24 pork lumpia 2 small bangus Large beef tapa Large chicken afritada Leche flan 3 Turon 2 Halo Halo They threw in a bag of chicharones gratis ~$120 Ready in about 10 mins. We were shooting to feed 5-6 ppl. We overdid it of course. Can't wait to go back to order other things.

I'm honestly shocked I had never been here before. Aside from being addicted to Filipino food, I have frequently found myself leaving my dentist and trying to find a spot for lunch. Fortunately the Yelp app was working better on this day and recommended Kusina Ni Tess. Located on the edge of Union Square and the Tenderloin, this mostly hole in the wall spot is easy to pop into. If you're familiar with Baby's Eatery and Palabok, this is like a larger version of that, offering steamer trays full of food behind the counter, with a full grill and deep fryer ready for whatever you need. Coping with the pandemic, you walk in to a plastic divider in front of the register, with a menu offering the daily specials. Most are every day, like the All Day Breakfast plates, or beef tapa; others are only available certain days a week like chicken or pork adobo, pork picadillo; and then a few are only one day a week like kare-kare, pinakbet, or bicol. As I was there on a monday, and I hadn't had it in forever, I went with an order of Pork Adobo, garlic rice, and pork lumpia. The Pork Adobo was really good! Not as fatty as some places, but still not healthy. What was interesting is it was pork ribs, so you did have to spit out small bones or work your way around them. The garlic rice was also tasty and soaked up the delicious adobo sauce. I liked the lumpia. These were long lumpia but very flavorful. While all together it ended up being over $20, it did end up being exactly two meals worth of food, so I'd say that is worth it. I would definitely come back again.

This place is a solid 4 stars and I'm so glad they've managed to keep going through the pandemic. This is not a fancy place, your basic turo-turo/cafeteria style place with solid home style filipino cooking. in fact it's pretty divey but if you're ordering delivery then that doesn't really matter does it? They have a wide selection of your typical Filipino food items to soothe your cravings...whether that's for Mom's sinigang, adobo or lechon kawali or you're just simply too lazy to make some rice, open a can of spam and fry an egg. They've also recently started carrying suman and this is now a weekly staple. The only criticism I have is that many items are pretty greasy and while the meat used for the sinigang (pork riblets) is tasty I just wish there was also some meatier pork pieces and that some of the fat were skimmed off so I don't feel so guilty every time I order.