Manila Kantina Buffet

"Manila Kantina is a small Filipino restaurant and grocer in Downtown where you can sit and eat a selection of tasty dishes. It's all buffet-style too (and for just $12 per person), which means you can serve yourself as fast as your little hands will allow. Options include chicken adobo, dinuguan (pork blood stew), chop suey, lechon kawali, fried lumpia, pinakbet (stewed vegetables), and more. It’s all great, and it's also worth coming back here when you're not in a frantic rush so you can browse the shelves to take home Filipino pantry staples like pancit noodles, bagoong jars, and bibingka mixes." - carlos c olaechea, ryan pfeffer

"Manila Kantina is a small Filipino restaurant and grocer along Flagler where you can sit down and eat a selection of tasty dishes buffet-style for about $12 per person. Your options include chicken adobo, dinuguan (pork blood stew), chop suey, lechon kawali, fried lumpia, pinakbet (stewed vegetables), and more. It’s all great, but before you leave, browse the shelves to take home some Filipino pantry staples like pancit noodles, bagoong jars, and bibingka mixes." - ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino

"Walking along Flagler, you may have seen the sign for “Manila Kantina: Asian Food and Grocery” and thought that it’s just a store. Although its shelves are lined with Filipino pantry staples like pancit noodles, bagoong jars, and bibingka mixes, it’s also a sit-down restaurant, serving Filipino dishes buffet-style for $12 per person. Chicken adobo, dinuguan (pork blood stew), chop suey, lechon kawali, fried lumpia, and pinakbet (stewed vegetables) are some of the dishes prepared daily (except Sundays) by mother-and-son duo Judith and Noi Blasco, and their Miami nanay, Linda. Their halo-halo, topped with mango ice cream (instead of the ubiquitous ube), is also quite refreshing. Inside, Bible passages can be seen as wall art, and Christian worship music often plays in the background. They also have a few tables for outdoor seating. " - cheryl tiu, ryan pfeffer

"Manila Kantina is a casual restaurant offering Filipino dishes buffet-style for $12 per person. Chicken adobo, dinuguan (pork blood stew), chop suey, lechon kawali, fried lumpia, and pinakbet (stewed vegetables) are some of the dishes prepared daily (except Sundays). Their halo-halo, topped with mango ice cream (instead of ube), is also really refreshing. You can sit inside and have a quiet meal, or go to one of the outdoor tables that make for interesting people-watching. " - ryan pfeffer

"Opens at 9am There’s a slight shame to being the last person to leave the club, but there’s an advantage to being the first person to arrive at a buffet. You get the food at its freshest, which will be the case if you roll into Manila Kantina when they open at 9am. Then, you’ll have your pick of still-steaming lumpia, lechon, and longganisa. On your way out, grab some of the pantry items they have for sale—like pancit noodles, bagoong jars, and bibingka mixes—in case you plan on hibernating for the next 72 hours." - ryan pfeffer