Amber T.
Yelp
A friend sent me an article from KQED, titled "The Best Filipino Restaurant in the Bay Area Isn't a Restaurant at All." I read it and made plans to go there the following week, on Monday. The author wrote about how their family would get together on special occasions for a big Filipino feast and that both sides of their family hail from Pampanga, the culinary capital of the Philippines, so they're not often impressed with Filipino restaurants in the Bay Area. So, I thought, this person must have high expections for good Filipino cuisine! They went on to say: Until one day in 2020 when I really needed a plate of comfort food and found it at Tipunan in Oakland -- in my opinion, the best classic Filipino food in all of the Bay Area.
So, of course I wanted to check this place out right away. I love Filipino cuisine! I was excited and looking forward to it!
When I arrived, I was skeptical. It doesn't look like a welcoming place at all. The parking lot was full and street parking was full too. I checked the parking lot again and luckily found a space at the very back of the lot, behind the dumpster. I thought, ok, it must be good if there's this many people here on a Monday, just before dinner. I parked and as soon as I walked in, every ounce of excitement was immediately sucked right out of me. This place could use some major hospitality tips and a complete renovation. It was empty. There was 1 teenager inside watching something on his iPad. I'm thinking, who do all the cars in the parking lot belong to?? ...maybe the the employees? And where are the employees? There was no one in sight.
Upon entering, you're greeted by a printed "Welcome!" sign with an arrow pointing to the right, to a couple of tablets for check-in, if you're picking up your order. That's the only direction in sight. Tip: You should definitely order 20-30 minutes before arriving. There's no worker in sight. No one directing you on how to order. No other sign. Nothing. I looked around and saw a kiosk in the corner, on the left, with digital menu where I could order. I walked over and selected Tipuan. They're not open yet. It's about 4:28pm. They open at 4:30pm. I waited.
A few minutes after 4:30pm, it changed to "Open" and I started placing my order. It's a la carte. What in the world?? I picked Tocino (Sweet Cured Pork), added Garlic Rice, added Spiced Vinegar. The total was $23.50!! And with tax and 15% tip, the final amount came out to $29.44. Eesh! I didn't even order a drink. I thought, "Welp! I hope it's really good!" At 4:38pm, I received a text message, letting me know that the pick-up time for this order is 5:01pm - 5:11pm. The pork should already be marinated. The rice should already be made. The spiced vinegar should already be packed in those little sauce containers. Why in the world would it take about 30 minutes for my order to be ready??? There was no one else here. I waited.
At 5:19pm (41 minutes after I placed the order!!), I received another text message, letting me know my order is ready and directing me to go the counter to pick up my order.
I walked up to the counter, looked through the fenced-like counter gate and there was 1 person there. I gave him my order number and he handed me my order in a plastic bag, tied up. I asked if there were utensils inside and he sais, "You can check." Um, ok. It took about 2 minutes to open the bag; they tied the handles so tight. There was a fork and a spoon, but no napkins. I was done. I just wanted to get out of there and get home.
When I got home, I was still looking forward to a good Filipino dinner. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The Tocino was tough and so salty! This is usually tender pieces of sweetly marinated meat. The garlic rice was tightly packed and dry, but it tasted good. Rice should be fluffy and moist. The spiced vinegar was as expected. Overall, it was NOT WORTH $30!!!
I will never go back, not even to give them another chance. The entire experience was awful.
-Parking lot full of cars, but no customers
-Cold, unwelcoming feel of the place
-Confusing ordering process, uninspiring menu options, overpriced
-Poor customer service. They couldn't even confirm whether they packed utensils in my package
-Awfully prepared food
Bottom line - It was all just SO DISAPPOINTING.
Sidenote: There was candy vendor on the digital kiosk that had only one item on their menu...Mutated Covid Clusters - 120g for $20. What the hell??