Magna Kainan

My wife is from the Philippines, and are always looking for a half-decent Filipino restaurant in Colorado. We were in the area, so stopped by. Even the Google Maps shows them as open at 4pm, be aware it is only for Happy Hour, they don’t start to serve dinner until 5pm. No biggie, we had drinks, the lechon bowl, and the pancit, all of which were fine, but nothing amazing. Then, as I was perusing the dinner menu, way at the bottom in the smallest font imaginable, I saw “We charge a mandatory 20% Service Fee to every order. The 20% service charge enables us to fairly compensate every team member who contributes to your experience. It is not a tip or gratuity.” Sigh, once again we’re being asked to pay the employees, which (call me crazy) is the owners job. And this isn’t the tip? So (stay with me), if we (or you) spend $200, they charge an additional $40, and if we tip 20%, that’s another $40, so between the fee and the tip, we are at 40%, or $80? Look, I prefer to support small businesses, but this is ridiculous. We were charged a $24.40 service fee and left a tip on top. I suppose if you are wealthy or have excess cash, but it’s too much for us. We can’t justify the price for the food. Anyway, the food was ok, no complaints. Well, the Pandan Cheesecake was bright green (food coloring) and neither of us could taste the pandan; it just tasted like cheesecake.

Magna Kainan delivers a Filipino dining experience that is good for groups. Some of the dishes were really good—bread, steak and tofu skewers. That said, a few items were a little bland. Overall, it’s a solid spot with clear potential, especially if you stick to their stronger dishes. It was interesting to try a different kind of cuisine.

I really wish Denver had more Filipino spots, so I’m genuinely grateful this one exists. The challenge, of course, is that when you’ve grown up eating these dishes the way your family makes them, you can’t help but notice when things are a little different. That’s not a knock on the restaurant—just personal preferences. For example, the lumpia had mushrooms, which threw me off. The service, though, was excellent, and everything we ordered was delicious… just not quite “home.” My biggest surprise was having to ask for steamed rice—especially when you’re trying to soak up Sinigang broth or Adobo gravy. Speaking of which, the chicken adobo was flavorful but needed more of that extra sauce to mix with the rice (aka the best part). I also found myself wishing the Sinigang had a stronger sour punch—and again, came with rice. Sensing a theme yet? 😉 On the upside, I could’ve eaten a whole bucket of the Pancit, and the Pandan cheesecake was a standout—super tasty.

I LOVED this place. Finding filipino food anywhere is so difficult but Denver has a great option! Our waitress was so kind and funny. The food, though modern, was so true to the flavors I remember from growing up. I'm sp happy we stopped here!

This place is a bright light in Denver’s food scene. It’s fun, tasty, vibey, and all around a great experience. We worked our way through the menu starting with Baboy & Tokwa skewers. Lumpia, Pancit & adobo fried rice. Ginataan & adobo chicken. There wasn’t a part of the meal we didn’t like. Next time I’m going to try the chef tasting menu as everything we had was amazing and the menu as a whole looks great. Check it out, it’s well worth it.

Magna Kainan is a must-visit! The food is genuinely legit and authentic—every dish felt like a real taste of the Philippines - sisig, pancit and pandesal brought back memories! Beyond the food, the ambiance and vibe are spot on for a night out. A huge shoutout to Steven, who truly exceeded our expectations. His hospitality and friendly service made the evening extra special. We’ll definitely be back!

Had a great first experience with Filipino food. We did their 3 course chef's tasting experience for a very reasonable $45!!!! It was even more of a value because the first course can with 3 things: Sinigang Wings, A noodle with vegetables and 4 different skewers. 2nd Course: Laing (braised greens with crispy shallots), A sour soup with a pork rib balanced with some Jasmine rice, and their crab fat noodles. 3rd Course: 2 sorbets mango and lychee Drinks were tasty and not watery. Would go again, will also take advantage of their to go menu. Fairly loud. Jeans and and shirt are fine for level of dress.

We took my Filipino friend here for his birthday and we really enjoyed it. The ambience was warm, the staff was friendly, and the food was amazing to me. My friend, who grew up with Filipino food, said some dishes could use small tweaks, but overall it was definitely good.

The Wagyu Taretare and Lumpia from the Pulutan menu arrived quickly and were delicious. The Sinnegang, with its garlic rice, impressed even our non-Filipino family members. The Buko Pandan Cheesecake and Ube Biko Sticky Rice for dessert were equally delightful. The variety of flavoured drinks, including cold-brew, was impressive. If you're in the area, definitely visit Carlo's restaurant! The service was excellent. They were attentive to your orders and they arrived very quickly. Just observing other servers you can see how attentive they are with other customers while walking to the restroom, which was also well kept! The music fit the vibes of the restaurant well. Loved the decoration and the overall atmosphere even on a Wednesday. I bet it's even more lively on the weekends and when there are events going on. Only visiting from California for a family trip, but if i'm ever in Denver again, I'll return to Magna Kainan for the Mom's Crab Fat Noodles haha! Salamat

Was the food good? It was not exceptional. Was it authentic? No. Some menu items don't even match their names. If you're not Filipino, this may not bother you. If you are, you probably cook better food. Is the food priced properly? The food is way too expensive for its (sub par) quality. Was the noise level ok for dining? It's a tad loud. The waiters had to bend down and get really close to hear our orders. Is the service ok? It was quick. But I'm not sure why they would hire waiters who don't even know the food (the one serving us looked so offended when we corrected his pronunciation. IKR?) . Also it looks like they are hiding Filipino customers in a back room. What's up with that? Listening to conversations in the back room where the first gen immigrants were, the consensus seemed to be that folks just wanted to be polite. There were zero sounds and exclamations of food appreciation. Details for Pinoys: if you got excited by the inclusion of sisig in the menu, mamu, ali ya sisig. Balamu diced adobo ya. Obvious mga manong at manang, dehins pa nakakain ng totoong sisig ang mga chef. Masabaw sha. Baketwhy? The bagoong does not taste at all like bagoong. It seems like some sort of sanitized bagoong, as if they did not want non-Filipinos to smell the glorious fishy-shrimpy scent. I sense some kind of shame. You don't see Japanese restaurants serving non-stinky natto. They will also place the half teaspoon of (fake) bagoong in the middle of your kare-kare. lol! You'll have to scoop it out and ask for a tiny platito so it can have a proper, temporary home. But then it really isn't enough bagoong (because it's fake) so you order more and really for the price of that extra teaspoon of fake bagoong it you'll realize that you'll need to bring your own jar SHOULD you come back. I really wanted to like this place, but if I cook better food, or if I can have better Pinoy food at a potluck, why should I pay so much money for meh food served with a side of shame? The chef is nice and may come out to chat with you if the waiters sense you're not happy. There will be claims of wanting to take your suggestions to improve dishes. But I think this gesture is just to discourage you from telling others what you think about the restaurant. Menus and dishes are refined before restaurants open and won't change because of the whims of customers. That's because a dish's composition propagates all the way to supply purchases, prep time and funds. We may come back, because we are still hopeful for at least one Filipino restaurant to make it in the Denver metro. But something tells me this is more of a fusion restaurant, like Panda Express on end of the spectrum and PF Chang's on the other. There's nothing wrong with that. You just need to realize and own the decision of who it is you're really cooking for.

Food was great Customer service was great Culture was great We came on a Friday night and they had karaoke and had a late night happy hour! $5 Filipino rum near or on the rocks ‍

We tried this place for a friend's birthday. Being half Filipino myself, it's amazing to have a Filipino restaurant in Denver. Our drinks were spectacular. Every cocktail we tried was delicious balanced, and presented beautifully. Our first orders were the Sisig and Mom's Crab Fat Noodles - both great. The noodles were yummy and rich but not too fishy. The Sisig was maybe the best I've EVER had. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned just as well, and the egg was the cherry on top. For bigger entrees we had Lechon and Inasal. The lechon was also some of the best I've ever had - seasoned and delicious, felt like a fresher version, but was still enjoyable in the same classic way I've enjoyed lechon my entire life. The inasal was good, but a bit dry, and I've had better made by my family. It was great, don't get me wrong - nothing was wrong with it. But it was just lacking some flavor. Our hostess was super friendly, along with the servers who brought out our food! We loved chatting with them. Our waitress, though, was a bit rude with us throughout the meal, and just sort of seemed impatient/uninterested. However, after we tipped her, she suddenly become very friendly and talkative. It was like a stark and noticeable change. I'm hoping for this part of the experience to be a bit better next time. Other than the food and service, and restaurant itself is beautiful. The attention to detail in the decor is lovely, the music fit the vibes perfectly, and the lighting was moody in a cozy way. I'll be coming back to give this place another try! What a great high end Filipino restaurant overall.

Love that we have this spot in town now -- what a cool representation of authentic Filipino food! The staff is absolutely wonderful, the space is organic and welcoming, and the food is fantastic -- spanning everything from the classic Lumpia most people know from Filipino cuisine, to creative modern takes on octopus with mango boba, to completely unfamiliar flavors to me of the pumpkin curry in the oxtail Kare-Kare. Some items I'd definitely recommend ordering: - Hawaiian rolls with bone marrow and guava butters - any of the meat skewers paired with their respective sauces - lumpia (fried pork rolls) -- a classic - kinilaw (yellowtail ceviche) - kilawin (charred octopus) - sisig (probably my favorite: crispy pork head skillet with runny egg) - lechon liempo (crispy pork belly with sinamak and liver sauce) And so many other things I wish I'd tried!

I noticed that people agree on two of things here. The high price. And dishes were delicious! Armed with that info you should consider that in mind when visiting. They also tack a 20% tip to the bill. But they tell you ahead of time so it's cool. They're busy but there's plenty of staff. If you drop in I think you get sitted in the communal table. I might be wrong on this. I like the vibe here. It's upbeat and it feels so positive! They open at 5pm and we had a reservation. You can't get thru the door before then. But they're sit you right away . I like that. Now on to the meal. I liked everything but the Sisig was my favorite. They show up in the app section and not in the main. This is something I wasn't expecting. I forgive them the portion because it's the app portion. My Crime of Passion Cocktail was more for the taste of Mango etc rather than the etoh. The skewer was very good but surprised me with its minuscule amount. The rest are for sounding less complaining is someone wouldn't order again. The Lechon Liempo was 5 pieces for $32! I think that's what got me more than anything. I know there's overhead and other expenses but it's way too much! It's like paying for each slice of crispy pork( the skin was perfectly crispy) $6.20! Akashi Japanese Whiskey CRIME OF PASSION $15 / $55 Shareable (Serves 5) Espolón Blanco, Grand Marnier, Orange, Mango, Passion Fruit, Calamansi Citrus Blend KAPIS TUHOG (Skewer) (Diver Scallops) Sinigang & Togarashi Powder $12 SISIG Crispy Pork Head, Onion, Calamansi, Soy Sauce, Thai Bird Chili, Scallions topped with a Poached Egg $18 SINANGAG Garlic Fried Rice $6 LECHON LIEMPO Crispy Pork Belly, Sinamak & Liver Sauce $32 LAING Coconut Braised Greens with Crispy Shallots $12 BASQUE STYLE PANDAN CHEESECAKE Topped with Brown Butter Polvoron, Vanilla Tuile & whipped Cream $10

Super tasty! We were in the neighborhood and popped in to see if we could get a walk-in table, fortunately we went on the early side right at 5pm opening and were able to be seated. Later on in the night would've not been likely given it got jam packed. Cocktails were excellent -- got two different cocktails with yuzu, one was a LNY special which was a little bit too sweet, but the one on their regular menu was nicely balanced. Adobo fried rice is kind of a must to go with everything, paired well with the sisig. Mom's crab fat noodles was delightful and we scooped up the sauce with the rice. The pandan basque cheesecake wasn't bad, but would have added another app instead. Atmosphere was casual and fun but also nice and elegant with very attentive service.

Yay, a brand new Filipino restaurant has opened up in Denver!! They opened last Friday (Nov 22) so it's pretty new in town but heard they've had their soft opening about 2-3 weeks ago?! So far, the dishes didn't disappoint. As a Filipino born and raised in the Philippines, I can say their ulam (main entrees), pulutan (appetizers), rice, dessert, cocktails and beer selections hit close to home like mom's cooked meals. I was introducing my date to Filipino food and he liked the family-style spread for the most part. For any non-Filipino adventurous eaters, trust me you can't go wrong with Sisig, Lumpiang Shanghai, Kare Kare (oxtail entree in sarsa/sauce) and Adobe Fried Rice which are among the staple dishes in the Philippines. I wanted to try the Mom's Crab Fat Noodles which the server mentioned is Chef Carlo LaMagna's dish that captures his journey as a chef and is the star of the show! It also looks good in the photos on Yelp or in reviews on the web so I will definitely come back for that and for the pandesal. Desserts - if you wanna go traditional, "Biko" is a must-try. The consistency is similar to that of mango sticky rice sans the mango of course, but the best part is it's made with ube w/ all the goodness of the "latik" (coconut based dessert sauce usually paired with biko). I almost thought the brown butter polvoron dusting is all brown sugar but all I can say, it's divine and what a perfect combo! I prefer that over the Basque Style Pandan Cheesecake. Cocktails - I keep seeing other tables get the Ube Colada mocktail and Ube Snack but I opted for the Under the Tamarind Tree which is glorious-- very tarty with calamansi and tamarind; I can barely taste the alcohol (rum) in it. I'm honestly ecstatic to see Red Horse and San Miguel on the beer list as these are staple drinks you can find in the Philippines. Our server Jay was pretty good with explaining the stuff on the menu and introducing dishes -- what will be good to order based on your liking so definitely ask away! I'm glad they can also modify the dishes based on your allergies (if you have any) and ask if stuff can be gluten free. My only qualm is the servers take away your plates quite so quickly! Granted, they do ask but if you are still working on something, let them know because even if there's some food on your plate- they'll most likely take it away unless you tell them not to. Finally, a good Filipino restaurant in Denver I can say I would go back to- and worth going back to as well. Just make sure to make your reservations on OpenTable. They do accept walk-ins but it's best to do your resys as it can get busy. I sure hope they are here to stay! I heard before they opened this up, the chef also has another Filipino resto in Portland called Magna Kusina, and my friend can vouch for it! So happy that Chef Carlo and @theculinarycreativegroup is putting Filipino food in the map, especially because you don't see a ton of Filipino food presence here in Denver.

Had to try Magna Kainan before it got too popular. We went the day after the grand opening and snagged an early reservation at 5:00pm. By 5:30pm - the dining room was packed and I can see why. From the greeting at the door to the warm wishes hoping to see guests return, service was sincere and wanting to ensure all were satisfied. Staff knew the dishes and were able to tell us their favorites so it was evident that they had been exposed to the menu. Cocktails are fun and tropical. One was plenty for me but they also have other options such as beer, wine, and regular spirits. The Who Yu(zu) was a citrusy but rich cocktail of yuzu vodka, melon, aloe, lemongrass, and egg white. We were told if we wanted to the bread (pandesal), to definitely order it early because it usually runs out by 7:00pm. Well worth it! Four fluffy rolls with a crisp top served in a steaming hot cast iron pan with bone marrow butter and chamoy guava butter. (BTW - these heat up nicely the next day!) We decided to try several of the skewers & snacks and split a main and rice between two of us. The Lechon Liempo (pork belly) was cooked well and was nice and juicy. It paired well with the adobo fried rice. My favorite was the Lumpia Shanghai. A crispy thin pastry wrap (lumpia) filled with pork served with a pineapple chili sauce. Filipino food is hard to come by in Denver. Run, don't walk, to Magna Kainan.

Our supper club had marked our calendars for the opening of Magna Kainan a number of months ago and had been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to give it a try. I for one was excited, as I hadn't really hadn't had Filipino food since moving to Denver (read: far too long ago). The space has a very hip vibe with a number of gorgeous decor touches (beautiful constellation of woven lanterns and other neat light fixtures, fun & funky wallpaper and paint colors, etc.), and the music was upbeat and unexpected. From the moment I walked in, the staff was on point. Helpful, cheerful, and enthusiastic. They also functioned as a team, which this early in the game was a notably positive thing. (Also special shoutout to our server who properly steered us on our order in terms of quantity; we had read so much about small portions that we definitely would've overshot without her guidance.) The menu includes some more classic dishes as well as many chef-inspired takes, and honestly, it was all fantastic. The beverage menu was also interesting, and we were able to try some cocktails and mocktails. (Definitely appreciated that they had fun N/A drink options.) The new cabbage dish was stellar, I also loved the coconut greens. The bread was amazingly warm and tender, and I would find any excuse to consume that butter again. Ha. The crab fat noodles were such a tasty flavor bomb, and the new leche flan was gorgeous to behold and tasty to eat. I think the only thing I would say remotely negatively, is the lumpia didn't stay wrapped very well (maybe too much filling, or not enough wrapper), so consuming them was a bit piecemeal. While I don't have the same experience with this food as some of the other reviewers, I will say I think this is meant to be a modern, fancy take on Filipino food, and if you go with that in mind I think you'll be quite pleased.

We went here to celebrate a friend's late birthday and they were super nice! We made a reservation beforehand on OpenTable and mentioned it so they had a birthday card ready on the table for him when we got there. The overall look of the restaurant is chic and nice while also bringing a sort of comfort with the colors and plants around the restaurant. The only complaint is the loud music. It was hard to hear each other and there were only 3 of us. Steven was our server and he was super upbeat and energetic. You can tell he was happy and passionate about the menu and the good. We got some drinks to start off. I got the Mango Me Crazy mocktail ($10) since I don't really drink much. It was really good! A good way to start off the meal while waiting to order and for our food. Our server recommended doing family style so we ordered the crab fat noodles ($25), adobo fried rice ($15), lechon liempo ($32), and a pandan basque cheesecake ($10). Right off the bat, the portion sizes were tiny. Especially $32 for the lechon liempo. I can get more crispy roast pork (similar but slightly different) from a Chinese restaurant for a lot less and get the same satisfaction. The noodles were different but not bad. There was an acidic taste that I didn't care for but it was my first time having squid ink noodles and I'd be open to trying them again in a different sauce! The adobo fried rice was my favorite but again portion was tiny. I personally didn't try the pandan cheesecake cause I'm not a fan of pandan but it came with a candle for the birthday boy as well as a lumpia wrapper for crunch. This place is more of a casual small eats restaurant if you want something small to eat but I wouldn't recommend it if you're hungry and want something filling. I would recommend trying it out once to see how it is though!

Went here for a second date yesterday and were blown away. First off the service was phenomenal. Harley and Jeff made the experience perfect! We tried several dishes all of which were good but I keep dreaming about the pork rice appetizer that was 11/10. The restaurant itself is beautiful. I couldn't recommend this place more. I'll be back to try more!!

Magna kainan delivered the most perfect dining experience from start to finish. While you wait for your table you can go to the building rooftop to experience their cocktail bar Hey Gorgeous with upscale cocktails and stunning decor. They will call once your table is ready and you can head downstairs to be greeted by an equally as stunning fresh and organic looking space. The menu is small but diverse in options from skewers, to noodles, rice dishes, produce, and mains. Almost every item can be made gluten free, and as a vegetarian I was more than happy with my options. We tried the eggplant skewer, tofu, pancit, and house greens. The crispy tofu was easily my favorite dish, the crunch paired with the green sauce was incredible. This dish is small, so order two if you plan on sharing! The pancit is so simple but it's a must if you're having filipino food for the first time. This dish was perfect for sharing. We tried the ube colada and rice crispy treat mocktails and honestly you couldn't go wrong with either. The rice crispy treat held a toasty horchata esque flavor and the colada had a nice pineapple tartness to it. I would recommend a reservation to both hey gorgeous and magna as they were fully booked and we did wait 1.5 hours on a Friday night. They use open table which makes it easy. Parking is also limited In the area so give yourself some extra time to park. I would like to also warn that they do utilize some family style tables, so if you are going in a small group you could get placed at the family style table and be sharing the space. Absolutely add this place to your list, especially if you haven't experienced filipino food before.

Going to preface this review by saying I may have not been the target audience for this restaurant & I would love to see it succeed as we need Filipino restaurants in Denver so I will give it 4 starts. Service was on top of it (maaaaybe a little too much with the constant checking in) but that's better than the alternative when it comes to restaurants. 4 stars. Ube drink 5/5! Vibes 4/5 - love the community table - (only comment is music is too loud to talk to one another if you are in a group) Here is the rest: Filipino food to me is comfort food. A feeling of being home with family. This was more of a fine dining experience that left me feeling eh. Price point is high - I understand the cost of everything has gone up but tofu at $15 for I believe 6 pieces is a lot. Sisig was reasonably priced. Also, an automatic 20% service charge was unexpected and I was unaware until we were already seated. The food was flavorful but I have had a lot better and a more affordable price point. It's also "not like Tita's cooking" I think for me it missed the mark most since I had really wanted Filipino comfort food and this just wasn't that.

I've been so excited to have Filipino food in Denver! We went for dinner on one of the first nights. The space is really cool and the staff were super friendly. We sat down right away at the community table. The menu features fun alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Our waitress recommended family style, so for food we ordered the crab fat noodles, sisig, bagoong fried rice, and the kare kare. The sisig had some really nice heat and the crab fat noodles were delicious- chunks of crab and the noodles were a great texture. We loved the bagoong rice, especially with the pineapple on top, but the kare kare was hands down the highlight. The meat was literally fall off the bone and the flavors in the stew were incredible. Growing up, there weren't a lot of Filipino restaurants in my community and a lot of people didn't understand or know about the food I enjoyed eating at home. Having Magna Kainan to help highlight the amazing flavors of some of the dishes I ate in my childhood warms my heart! Can't wait to come back.

I truly don't see how this place doesn't have 5 stars! They opened about two months ago and we were lucky to come in on a random Wednesday night after having a drink upstairs at Sorry Gorgeous because they were able to seat our party of 3 without any wait. Our server Jeff was great, so friendly and down to Earth. Such a great energy and helped accommodate our group's allergies and still make great recommendations. We started with drinks; the who yu(zu) and the ube snack were incredible, my other friend had a whiskey drink that honestly tasted like an apple juice everything was so delicious the drinks actually topped the ones upstairs. Then the food starts rolling out, first the sisig, pandesal, adobo rice and sinigag - everything was so authentic and yummy. Perfect for sharing. The pandesal was incredible, we were lucky enough to come on a night when they didn't sell out- had no idea i was missing out on bone marrow butter and guava chamoy butter but alas, i was. The hamachi and crab noodles came afterward, everything was amazing and we were all so full but somehow we fit an ube sticky rice dessert into our lineup. So yummy and Jeff brought us extra sesame crisps to put on top - the best part. A little bit of an indulgence, over $100 per person total but totally worth it. Will definitely be back

Very excited to see another Filipino restaurant open in my neck of the woods. Knowing that Chef Carlo was a James Beard finalist, I had very high hopes for the food. The location of the restaurant doesn't give you good options for parking. But if you get here when it isn't so busy you will have luck finding decent parking. Once you come in, you will be immediately greeted by the host/hostess. The lady that greeted was really nice and we were able to be seated by the bar right away. Ambiance of the place is pretty upbeat. Lighting is bright and noise level is probably a medium. For drinks we ordered the Ube Snack, Old Fashioned, High Expectations Low Morals, and Ube Colada. All the drinks were made really well. Bartenders were on point with the drinks. My favorite was probably the Ube Snack. For food, we ordered Kinilaw w/caviar, Pandesal, Sisig, mom's crab fat noodles, garlic fried rice, Lechon Liempo, and Inasal. This is where it starts to go downhill for us. First the good part: The Kinilaw and the noodles were the dishes of the bunch. The Kinilaw and the caviar paired well together along with the vinegar. The squid ink noodles were cooked perfectly and the crab fat flavors went perefectly with the noodles. These 2 dishes I highly recommend getting. But other dishes just missed the mark in so many different ways. The pandesal by themselves were good but the butters that came with the pandesal didn't deliver the flavors that were expected. The bulalo butter tasted more of salted chives than bone marrow. The chamoy guava butter just tasted sour, and no guava flavor in sight. I assumed that the high cost of this side was because of the butters, and they weren't worth it. The sisig dish was so overcooked, that the meat was hard to chew, and all you can taste is the chili. It was a little too spicy for the wife and normally I don't spice, but if that's all you taste then this dish has failed. Next is the Lechon Liempo.... Meat was dry, the skin was kinda crispy but also rubbery. Then the Mang Tomas sauce was weird like it was pureed and made the sauce smoother. Taste and color was off. The Inasal was probably the worse dish of the evening. They first brought it out to us raw, with blood still coming out of the meat. We addressed this to our server and several of them responded by saying it wasn't raw that it was just the anato oil that it was marinated in... They did take it back and "reheated it" which looked a lot better. But reheating after they tried to tell us it wasn't raw is definitely not a fine dining way of solving this complaint. On top of that the taste of the chicken was just plain. Like it was just marinated in soy sauce and then grilled. I don't see how this dish can cost $39 for 3 plain chicken pieces. The prices of these dishes are very high and I was hoping that the experience would convince me that they would be worth it. But unfortunately it didn't Also automatically adding 20% gratuity also should command a better experience. To me, this also lessens the chance that the staff will get tipped more. There are better Filipino food served in Food trucks around town and down in Colorado Springs, for more than half the price.

Beautiful interior, and the bread and butter is divine. The ambiance of this place is stunning, great seating variety and art. The rest of the food and service was meh. We sat at the counter which was a mistake on our part. We definitely felt the stress of being in the kitchen with the chefs yelling orders at one another. It also was frustrating to see food pile up beside us while our waitress was MIA. We struggled to flag her or anyone else down to pay for our check despite the high amount of staff. We ordered the chicken skewer, and the chicken was so pink, I worried I was about to get food poisoning (I didn't thankfully). The mom's crab fat noodles did not taste of much other than butter. The pork fried rice was not super flavorful. The ube sticky rice did not taste of Ube, but instead tasted of just condensed milk, I think it needs a fresh fruit to break up the monotony of the rice. I really wanted to like this place but unfortunately do not think I'll be coming back. For Filipino food, I would rather drive a bit further into West Denver to Adobo Restaurant and Bar.

This is a great family style Filipino restaurant. Living in nyc, this Denver spot really gave vintage Brooklyn vibes - decorated well and a cozy atmosphere for a winter meal. The Pandesal came in bread that wafted of a delicious Korean bakery haha. The diverse dishes we got were all so individually flavorful, each of us's favorite dishes were not aligned - a good thing. But some of my favorites were the Sisig - a skillet kind of pork belly dish that requires scraping the pan with a wooden spoon for every last bite. The adobo fried rice was really delicious as well. This is a great recommendation that is definitely on the pricier side as we did not order many of the mains, but for the 4 of us that shared 5 smaller dishes, this filled our stomachs up.

FOOD AND DRINK: All quite tasty. And, as a finicky eater, I was able to find plenty I liked, even on the relatively limited menu provided. SERVICE: Friendly, attentive, but not in the way. AMBIANCE: Very loud. Center of the room is a large common seating table, meaning folk were clustered more closely than they would be in normal restaurant seating. That, and the stereo system, made hearing conversations difficult. VALUE: Felt a little on the pricey side. NET-NET: Would not go out of my way (which it is) to return, but if in the area I would certainly consider it on a list of place to go.

Best Filipino food in Denver! Magna just opened earlier this week so we got in as soon as we could before this place gets really popular. Although by 5:30pm on a Saturday, after opening at 5pm, most of the tables were taken. Cute decor and fast service was a major plus here! Delicious food with superb ingredients and delectable combinations add to the experience. Highly recommend the pandesel (bread rolls) that usually are gone by 7pm. The butter concoctions that go with this are delightful! Also opted for a couple of their skewers, the adobo fried rice, and the pork belly dish. Lots of food split between the two of us. Best dish overall was the Lumpia Shanghai- these are to die for! Will go again to try several other dishes and dabble in another cocktail from their fun menu.

Loved all the dishes we ordered. The vegan tofu dish was great. Drinks were delicious. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. Great overall experience.

If you're into getting food poisoning from eating mediocre over priced Filipino food then this place is for you. We heard all the hype and we were very excited to come here to celebrate my birthday. Unfortunately, the food was very bland. Not what we expected from a Filipino restaurant. - The scallop skewers were the over charred - The tofu was flavorless - The Steak seemed very undercooked, also there was barely any bone marrow. It was definitely not worth $60 - The Crispy Pork Belly was probably the best thing we had. Might even be the best in the state. - The Sticky Rice and Pandan cheese cake were also bland and unmemorable. I will say the ambiance was nice and the service was ok. What made the experience horrible, my wife got food poisoning from what we suspect was the undercooked steak. She spent all night and next day sitting next to our toilet bowl. This was incredibly disappointing. Especially considering Denver lacks Filipino restaurants. Unfortunately, well probably never come back.

Great service and delicious food elevated from what you find at Filipino home kitchens and parties but still familiar

I'm giving this place 2 stars, 1 for the ambience and the 2nd one for the drinks. The food, I do not even want to rate it. We just had dinner at this place tonight. They added 20% service charge to our bill that get's split with the front & back staff (that's what they told us) We ordered lumpia, pork belly skewers, sisig, bagoong rice & inasal. The lumpia filling was literally falling out of the wrapper. The pork belly was good but $9 for 1 skewers? You can live without it. Sisig was so wet for whatever reason, definitely a no for $18. The bagoong rice did not even taste like bagoong, it was just fried rice. The chicken inasal was cooked nicely but it is not inasal, it's just grilled chicken. Overall, I was very disappointed. This place was way overhyped and they underdelivered. If you're craving Filipino food, just go to Paborito. Their food tastes so much better and does not break the bank.

We were excited to try out this Filipino Restaurant because Denver lacks a lot of Cultural and Diverse restaurants besides if you want Mexican. The restaurant inside and outside is beautiful. There is little to no parking though. Very limited and I hate that about Denver. Walking in the restaurant felt upscale. The vibe was kinda bougie walking in. Which is fine. I like those types of vibes. The Food- I would suggest keeping many things on the menu as it was great to see an elevated Filipino dish. I'm also open to Filipino dishes with a contemporary type of twist. However.... You should also put in some traditional food in there. Maybe like a classic area of the menu. Here add classic - chicken adobo, palabok, pancit, bangus.... they don't even have halo halo for dessert. Maybe add halo halo and if you want to twist it throw in some boba at the bottom smh ‍ The menu now caters to a specific crowd and to me it doesn't cater to the huge Filipino Family with kids that wants to have a great meal that is not overpriced. There were lots of overpriced menu items. But the one I'm dissatisfied and disappointed about is the fact that we ordered a featured item which was pancit and then we added on chicken wings to it. The pancit was a big portion and we shared it with three. The chicken wings were yummy but it only came with 5. We even ordered skewers (eggplant and scallops) which were mini pieces. We also ordered a side of garlic rice (which was yummy). However we had leftover rice and pancit and we just asked if we could have another order of fried chicken to finish off our rice and pancit and the waitress said NO. Apparently in order to order chicken wings you have to order pancit again. That was the when I definitely realized that this place was too greedy and overpriced. I love the ambition and the concept of the restaurant. I would come back now for a Pandesal (the dips are yummy) and some cocktails. The Ukoy salad (prawns) was good but it was $27. So go for it if you want to splurge. This Filipina will come back when the menu and changes bit.

We visited again last Saturday. We had our favorite drinks again: Ube Snack & Ube Colada. Yum. Pancit Bihon was delicious!! I would order it again on my next visit. Bistek was miss. We were unable to taste calamansi / soy marinated in the meat. However, bone marrow is good. Chicken Skewer Manok is good too. Sisig is not bad. I had better sisig elsewhere in the past. The service was great as always. The atmosphere was energetic & busy. Finally we had the dessert we've been waiting for: Pandan Cheesecake. It was great cuz we LOVE PANDAN. Thank you.

Finally!! More Filipino food in Denver by way of an incredible, decorated Filipino chef. I had the pleasure of dining at Chef Carlo Lamagna's first restaurant in Portland last year (Magna Kusina) and LOVED it. I'm happy to see that Magna Kainan has a similar menu and the food is just as delicious! The vibes in here are great, service is fabulous. I absolutely LOVED seeing how excited everyone was to be there and to be serving us. Also love that our non-Filipino server's pronunciation of his recommendations on the menu were spot-on , I know they take the time to train their employees on this and that is much appreciated. Ok the food - the Pandesal is a MUST! Four rolls served piping hot with bone marrow butter and chamoy guava butter - the perfect starter. The Lumpia Shanghai is also very good - not as good as my Mom's, but that's really kind of an impossible ask - but a very good Filipino lumpia. Their Sisig is also VERY good with the perfectly poached egg and just the right hit of spice. I do wish this came with a cup of white rice though, although I guess we could have ordered that for $4. I personally loved the Kare-Kare (especially because the Mr is not really a fan and I had the whole thing to myself). Ate this with their Adobo Fried Rice which was also yummy and the perfect accompaniment to all the dishes we tried. I almost considered giving this review 4 stars because of the Lechon Liempo. Don't get me wrong, it was so good and so perfectly crispy and fatty. But for $32, this came with just 4 pieces which hurt my heart a little bit. Hoping they can add even just a couple more pieces here and we'll definitely get it again. Definitely don't skip on their desserts. I LOVED the Ube Biko and gosh darn it if we didn't ask about taking home a whole Basque Style Pandan Cheesecake - THIS is a must. The Mr wasn't a fan of the biko because he's used to my Aunt's original recipe - but it's a yes for me. If you're a fan of Filipino food or have never had it and want to give this a try, I would recommend, ESPECIALLY because the options are so sadly minimal for any in Denver. Also, I am SO CURIOUS to see what people who didn't grow up with Filipino food think of the traditional dishes here. Some of it is very much an acquired taste, but I don't know, my non-Filipino hubs LOVES it, so maybe not? Anyway, come here but be warned that it is pricey and the servings are not what you would expect if you come from a Filipino household. It's great for a date night and I'm so curious to see where they go with their menu from here.

Went back for a second trip after enjoying it so much the first time and once again the food was so amazing this time I tried some new dishes out of all of them. My new favorite one is the Wagyu steak tartar. It is amazing and almost like just putting butter on a cracker. It was so good.

I'm giving this place 2 stars, and to be honest, I feel like I'm being generous. As someone who is Filipino and recently moved to Denver, I was so excited and really anticipating this place to open and try it out. When I found out it was going to open around the time my parents were coming to visit, I made reservations so that we could all check it out. But we were so disappointed- 1) When you say you recommend family style, then there is an expectation that the food is enough to share. This was not the case. There was 5 total in our party and when we ordered the Lechon liempo, the plate had 5 slices ... one for each person at the table! And for $32??? You have got to be kidding me. Not to mention, the meat was dry and it was hard to chew. The rice was good enough for 2 people, maybe even 1 if you're really hungry. All in all, if you're recommending family style, make sure the portion size is bigger especially if you're charging a lot per each dish. 2) Bagoong fried rice did not taste like bagoong. It was good and flavorful but didn't taste like bagoong so it felt like false advertising. 3) Drinks were not well-balanced. I got the yuzu drink but it tasted super sweet that it overpowered any other components of the cocktail. Overall, we left that place still hungry. While the place has a good atmosphere, the food is mediocre, overpriced, and lacking some authenticity. It almost felt like they were trying too hard that to me, it missed the mark. There's not a lot of Filipino spots out here and I get they want to make an impression, but I don't think this is a good way for non-Filipinos to be introduced to this cuisine.

Really really stoked to have amazing Filipino food in Denver and I want to say this place is awesome and you should 100% go! Unfortunately, I can't give them 5 stars because they served the most charred overcooked piece of steak I've ever been served at a restaurant. Legitimately have never been served a more overcooked steak in my life. It's appalling that it made it past whoever might be checking dishes before they are served. That being said everything else on the menu was spectacular and the service was great. I will absolutely be returning, just will definitely not be ordering their steak again.

I love that there is more Filipino food coming to Denver. It's a fancier/nicer restaurant so it's a bit pricey. The dishes are family style and they recommend ordering several to share. The food was really good and I enjoyed the cocktails too! I'd come back again for a special occasion or for a nicer dinner. The service was excellent! Most of the menu is gluten free and the server was very knowledgeable about which options were not gluten free. I'm celiac and felt like there were plenty of options and didn't feel sick afterwards :)

11/10 experience! Food was incredible space was so inviting and our server Jeff was TOP NOTCH. so happy to have this gem in our neighborhood!

I'm sad to write a bad review, but here it goes. We were really excited to try a new Filipino restaurant in Denver (since there aren't that many). The ambiance and service were great. Unfortunately, we did not like the food. Most were salty and quite pricey for the amount of food that you get (on top of the 20% gratuity they include in the bill). We ordered: - Sisig (this is supposed to be crispy, but for some reason it was soggy, watery, and salty), - Laing (this one's not bad) - Pandesal (definitely not a traditional pandesal, but more like a dinner roll), - Liempo/Pork Belly (sadly the only dish that was not seasoned so it was bland). The dishes also did not come with rice, so you'll have to order that separately. We had high hopes for this restaurant since we love Filipino food, but unfortunately it did not deliver for us.

Finally a Filipino restaurant near metro Denver. Expect amazing food prepared from Filipino classics with a touch of modern. Specifically had the lumpia, pandesal, lechón, and sisig which tasted so good. Atmosphere is lovely and lively so if you are looking for quiet this won't be the atmosphere. Pay attention as well to specific seating options as we were seated at a larger table with other folks but it was great and we still had plenty of space. Excited to come back again!

This meal was pretty disappointing. The garlic rice and biko were massively undercooked, which for an Asian restaurant is pretty concerning. Please figure out how to cook your rice properly. We ordered the sisig which was not crispy and oddly lacked salt. The lechon was pretty average. The only highlights of the meal were the lumpia and the bread service. For dessert, we got the biko (discussed already) and the pandan cheesecake. Skip both. The pandan cheesecake, despite being an off-putting neon green (pandan extract), lacked the quintessential pandan flavor one would expect.

The intention to bring Filipino culture to Denver is a great idea, but the food is not authentic as it is very westernized. Of the items we ordered, the lumpia Shanghai and the lechon liempo were the most authentic. The presentation was very nice, but with it came a steep price for the small portions (6 lumpia for $15 and 6 lechon pieces for $32). The mocktails ($10-12) are unique. The restaurant is spacious and nicely decorated, and the staff friendly and professional. Go for the experience, but expect expensive food "with a twist."

I have mixed emotions on this one. Our waiter was nice and the bread and lumpia we had was very good. However, I was put off by the 20% gratuity already added to the check. I also wasn't a fan of being told at check-in that we could only have a table for an hour due to reservations, even though their website says walk-ins welcome. Didn't get to order a full dinner in that time.

The food here is delicious and authentic with a modern spin. Had a fantastic dinner with friends here. The service is friendly and everyone is welcome and attentive. Love how nice it is inside with classy yet relaxed vibes. Huge fan of the cocktail and mocktail menu. The dessert was heavenly, especially the pandan cheesecake and ube biko. They even have classic Filipino beer! All around great experience and strongly recommend.

Service was nice though the wait was a while. Food was so so, a little too salty. Ambience somewhat pleasant

We enjoyed the food and drinks especially under the tamarind tree. The lumpia, pandesal, lamb skewers, Lechon Liempo (pork) and adobo rice were great. Our server was wonderful, understanding when half of our party of four were late due to a misunderstanding. My only real complaint was the volume of the music; it was hard to hear our companions across the table.

Had an amazing time, all of our dishes were great, the service was amazing (although 20% auto tip was strange just raise your prices and get rid of tipping), and the place is very cute inside.

The interior is very appealing. A real cool vibe. The music is far too loud. It should be in the back ground, but it was so loud that we had to raise our voices to have a conversation. It was absolutely intrusive and might give us pause to return. The food and service were outstanding. Different takes on familiar dishes. The pancit and lumpia were exactly what I was hoping they would be, taking me back to family meals as a kid. The Lechon was delicious. Chicken skewered were grilled to perfection. Tried all three desserts, they were good, but not truly memorable. Turn the music down, and get another star.

We absolutely love this restaurant! The rooftop bar was great, the food was perfection, and the staff was outstanding! Our server, Jeff, was super friendly, attentive, and enhanced our entire dining experience. We will certainly be back!

Every dish was DELICIOUS and the service and ambiance were great too! So excited to see Filipino cuisine done so well in Denver and can't wait to go back. Highly recommend pairing the Sisig and Adobo fried rice!! 10/10

We visited Magna Kainan for the first time this week. The food and drinks were delicious and I felt like it added something unique to the Denver food scene. Our server was very informative and helped us make decisions on a very enticing menu. The ambiance was very nice. I wouldn't personally recommend sitting at the community table if you're are hard of hearing like myself as the table is pretty wide and can be a little loud when full. We will definitely be back to try it again!

Although I never leave reviews, I felt compelled to after what I experienced last night. I had made a reservation about a week and a half out, and was very excited as I have been fortunate enough to experience Filipino food through extended family back in the east coast. I was expecting the restaurant to not only be good, but exceed my expectations of good Filipino food (especially since I have been seeing this restaurant all over social media). But, this was not the case for my party and I. My party and I had ordered the following: Lumpia, Pancit Bihon with prawns, Adobo Fried Rice, Bistek and two sides of Jasmine Rice to accompany the Bistek. The Lumpia: There was a lot to be desired here flavor wise. It was very bland considering the nature of the dish, and tasted as though it had been out for a while/chronically reheated. The chili sauce that accompanied the lumpia was flavorful but it couldn't save the dish. Pancit Bihon: A lot more flavorful than the lumpia, but a little excessive on the charring to the point that it tasted burnt. Although a malliard reaction is a massive contributor to flavor, there is such a thing as overdoing the sear to the point that it becomes a burnt crust, and that's what happened here. Adobo Fried Rice: The dish was flavorful, but the rice was underdone. A common theme throughout this dish and other rice based dishes. When I pointed this out to our server, their excuse was that the kitchen was swamped and they must've rushed through the cooking process. Bistek: The dish that our whole table was waiting for. Although the marrow was delicious, the steak left A LOT to be desired. Although medium rare, it was a VERY tough piece of meat. Our table spent a good couple of minutes properly chewing each piece that was supposed to be "melt in your mouth" good to avoid choking. In addition to the meat being tough, this dish ran into the same problem as the Pancit Bihon with prawns, the malliard reaction was overdone to the point that both the meat and the cilantro relish tasted burnt. Inedibly burnt. Additionally, the dish tasted as if it were cooked on a dirty pan where there was a previous reduction of soy marinade already there, with the burnt sugars causing the crust to be inedible. So much so that our table did not bother to finish the dish. The jasmine rice that we ordered to accompany the Bistek was also not done. It was hard, and crunchy. When we pointed this out to our server, we were given the same excuse as we had been with the adobo friend rice. Although our server was great, and the mocktails and cocktails were also phenomenal, this place is definitely a miss. I suggest that people should only go there for the drinks and service and not for the food until they can get their act together on quality, flavor, and pricing (which is incredibly excessive for what you get portions wise and the flavor of the dishes). All in all, very disappointed.

First let me start off by saying I'm a native Filipina visiting from L.A. My boyfriend is white but he's also had his share of Filipino food. Given that this is one of the few Filipino eateries in the area we walked in with managed expectations. Right off the bat there's a coat check and the host lets us know there's a 20% service fee/surcharge automatically applied to the bill. No problem, I thought. A lot of restaurants do that. Below are my honest opinions of our overall experience. Ambience: Very thoughtful. I thought the décor was tasteful and had tropical pottery barn vibes without there being any hint of misappropriation. Service: Kat was our server and she was great. Our pandesal came out very late and she was very apologetic. Her wonderful demeanor and the quality of the drinks were the only reason I did not rate this place 1 star. Drinks: Ube Colada: good flavor and balance between the ube, coconut, vanilla and calamansi We had another cocktail that was on the Specials list and that tasted good as well, no complaints. Food: Talong (Eggplant skewer): I honestly couldn't tell what this was at first. It tasted tough, dry and lukewarm and I thought they had mistakenly brought us meat. Kapis (Diver Scallops): I thought this was mid. Not good, not bad. The tamarind flavor from the sinigang was there, but it could have done with some richness to offset the tang. Lumpia Shanghai: Also mid. The filling inside honestly could have been less dry but my boyfriend said it's the best he's had. I've had better. Sinangag: Good flavor but I like my garlic fried rice very garlicky. This one I will chalk up to a difference in personal taste. My boyfriend liked it. Adobo Fried Rice: This one was the worst of all. The chicken was dry, the rice had a little flavor but my boyfriend and I agreed that the fact the plate was very hot and the food was tough meant it had been sitting under a warmer too long and was not fresh. Pandesal: this was my favorite. The top was a browned crust but I like the contrast of a crispier exterior to a softer interior. The bone marrow and chamoy guava butter were excellent. Leche flan: Mid. Slightly oversteamed but okay caramel flavor. Overall this place was massively disappointing. Filipino cuisine is one of my favorites and I think a lot of folks in here were first-timers who hadn't had the fare before. It was a poor showing of how exceptional Filipino food could be. Typically, the notes are tangy, savory, a little sweet and full of flavor. It breaks my heart a little that this was probably the first exposure to Filipino food a lot of the diners had because the culture and cuisine deserves better. Most of the food was overpriced with small portions. So not only was the food not great, we felt like it was a bit of a rip-off. Nothing tasted amazingly fresh. I expect a lot of growing pains with new restaurants but the first thing this place needs to do is get rid of the assembly line/warming lamp thing. For the love of God, ADD CHICKEN ADOBO TO YOUR MENU!! It is the NATIONAL dish of the Philippines and if you don't have at least that on your menu, well. I'll end it there and you can fill in the rest. I believe this place has a lot of potential but they have a long way to go. Get rid of the fast-casual business model and start braising some darn Chicken Adobo. Make your food to order and only have a few selections per section, not six. That way you can prioritize making a few things well and not make a bunch of things poorly. Have only some of your seats available for reservations and have the rest be walk-ins. That way you can have some expectation of the amount of influx as well as what works on the menu and what doesn't and the amount of people waiting outside gives others the impression your restaurant is the new hot ticket in town. I believe that once the restaurant has changed the menu and how the food is cooked it has the potential to stay open for 10+ years rather than two when the TikTok hype dies down.

I went here for my birthday dinner and was deeply disappointed. First the ambiance is loud with Spanish music (only note because the Spanish colonized the Philippines). Our server Brian or Steven (really tall white guy) tried to oversell us the whole way through, encouraging the whole bottles of red wine or the most expensive thing on the menu with out really hearing what I did want. By the end of the night when the check came he told us he was in a competition and had to win and would let us purchase a gift card for 20$ off if we bought a couple of 100$ gift cards but we HAD to buy over our bill. When we said no and would just take our bill he then said he could get us the gift card. He was constantly reminding us what the bill was, when I did not want to know. The food was absolutely mid. While the hamachi collar was good, the lumpia was very bad the meat sausage that was inside was burnt and falling out. The dessert was not good. The beer was good, but took forever to come, the server the whole time I'm waiting for my beer is pressuring my partner to get another one. I was so excited to try this place and so deeply disappointed that our white server was treating us and the food like a game or competition.