Villa Manila

Never have I ever eaten this way but I will gladly do it again. I think i may have just been took full to clean the table (with 3 other people) but I definitely wanted to. I got to try the Kamayan for the first time and i hope it won't be the last. We got there early and like two people were working. One cooking for sure and another setting up all the food. They did a great job. The big San Miguelito Michelangelo like drink was really good as well

The fix for the homesick. When I was in the Philippines, I would never order Pinakbet at a restaurant. That kind of dish is best made by a mother, lola or tita with decades of experience in balancing each component. The vegetables must squeak, the kalabasa must be firmly mushy to bring out its natural sweetness, the bittermelon must not be masked and the eggplant must be in its right form, all under a light broth that blends all the flavors and yet does not even overpower the humble white rice. The fact that this restaurant achieved this tells me of the skills of the chefs and the guidance that they learned from. And I feel that the message that they serve on the plate is pride in what their parents made for them along with their experiences of living in The Philippines. This is the sisig I have not had in years in the style that I miss. In The Philippines, nearly everyone has switched over from using the maskara of the pig to the much easier to wield pork belly. Their sisig dish is perfectly seasoned and spiced and uses both the belly but more of the ears and possibly the jowl, crisped by cracklings and by the sizzling plate it is served on, with an aroma that reminds me both of the bars and the karenderya. THIS is Sisig in its finest yet forgotten form. Eat this with rice or a beer with ice. Their Tapa is sauceless, again achieving a taste of tradition as most of the country has moved towards tapa with a heap of sweet sauce, this stays true to how my uncles and father made theirs. Marinated in vinegar and garlic but remaining firm and in no rush to achieve an overly soft texture. Goes perfect with their chili garlic oil. I had several spoonfuls of that. The humble Bangus, again showing the skills of the kitchen. Crispy skin yet moist flesh and the head became almost like the perfect seafood cracker. Not a single bone and only the tail remained. And sneakily, I don’t know how but they managed to coat their fish with something in the flour that reminds me of KFC? It blew my mind when I realized that out of the 13 secret spices, the picked the right combination to use on their fish to bring a slight flavor of the colonels chicken to, bangusilog. and it worked magnificently. The filipino palate is tricky to serve in the USA, making a restaurant following those guidelines must be a challenge and they face that by staying rooted in tradition with knowledge passed on, forged finer by modern learnings. I have dined here 3 times and each dish was cooked to PERFECTION. I will eat the entire menu someday and I hope that they will never close. But tonight, I felt a sick I have not ever felt. By the middle of my work shift, it was settling in but I didn’t know what it was. I skipped my hastily prepared lunch and went home hungry, again. I stared at the interior of the fridge, starving but not craving anything inside of it. Mostly filled with american food, fast to cook, easy to make. Great for people on the go, for 30 minute lunch breaks. I shuffled to my bed with my head hanging, settling on sleeping on a growling stomach. And I realized that what I was missing, am missing most days, is food cooked with soul and love. I was missing my mother and what she used to make. My mom rarely made pinakbet and it was often ignored, but I didn’t want americas glorious meat or san diegos flair, I wanted a reminder of where I came from just a year ago. I wanted something cooked cleanly, healthy, something light and lively. I ordered Pinakbet to be delivered to my apartment from Villa Manila. Still hot, I took a everything on a spoon with rice and before I finished the first bite, I took a spoonful of the second as my wife, who just woke up, watched me on the video call. I didn’t mean to eat the whole dish by myself, But I emptied it. And I feel happy knowing that a taste of where I came from exists in this new city that I’m in. I’m settled. That was a wonderful meal that didn’t feel like a heavy lump.

Our sister in law was visiting from out of town and was craving Filipino comfort food before heading back to Texas. We recommended, Villa Manila Restaurant, which did not disappoint. They had a great selection of food. We ordered the Meat lover Silog, Tapa and longanisa Silog, Bangus, eggplant torta, lechon lewali,and a chicken adobo bowl that came with garlic fried rice and a vegetable lumpia. Everthing was delicious,with good size portions. The service was great and our server was very attentive to our needs. We will definitely be back, to try more of their great selection.

We were referred to this Filipino restaurant, and we're totally satisfied with the good quality of the food and the excellent customer service provided when the 10 of us friends ate at this restaurant last 12/06/2025. A little bit pricey but the serving size and the quality of the food deserve such plus what is not pricey nowadays anyway! And the excellent service by Venice makes the experience worthwhile! I highly recommend this place! And this is my honest and unbiased review!

2nd time coming here almost 7 years apart. I love how the server is very courteous and attentive. It was a busy Saturday and we came in as a family of 9, the other people from the party was stuck in traffic and they were very flexible with how they adjusted the food service to us. There was only one wait staff but still the team, along with the owner managed to cater to everyone. Food is good and there are a lot of varieties/sets you can choose from or make your own. I love how the owner and the wait staff talks to everyone and check if they need anything. Overall satisfied with my visit.

I recently visited Villa Manila in National City with my family, and we had such a wonderful experience enjoying traditional Filipino food. We ordered several classic dishes to share. The portions were generous, which made it perfect for family-style dining. If you’re craving authentic Filipino food or just want a hearty, satisfying meal with great service, Villa Manila is definitely worth a visit.

Been going here for decades and I do love the new change in the menu. The tapa breakfast bowl is really good and they have added more drinks and dessert choices. Staff are super friendly and is one of the few places that offers holiday meals to take home

This place is a must when visiting San Diego!!! Located in National City. "BEST FILIPINO CUSINE" I've ever had. Few dishes I would try that are amazing. 1. Meatlovers, dish comes with Tapa, tocino & longanisa served on a bed of steam garlic rice and your choice of eggs. 2. Daing na Bangus, dish comes with milk fish marinated in a mixture of vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and lightly deep-fried 3.Pork Sisig, melange of crunchy pork belly and boiled pork ears with diced onions and yellow chili served on a sizzling hot plate. 4.Chicken Chicharon: crispy chicken skin served with house garlic dip 5. Shanghai lumpia: bite sized pork eggrolls with sweet and sour dip

My buddy suggested we come here for breakfast to try their rellenong talong and it did not disappoint. We also ordered the house garlic rice, Bicol express and dinuguan. Portions were huge so we shared everything. Each dish had great flavor and we enjoyed every single bite. However, the dinuguan was watery and was bland in my opinion. Great service despite being the only waitress/hostess/buss person working on a Saturday morning.

It's been years since I have been to villa Manila and I have to say I was quite disappointed. I use to come here often between the years 2007-2011. Then I moved away. I remember how busy it would be especially on weekends. Their bistek use to be so delicious. When we ordered it today it was dry and tough. The service was very poor. The server seemed bothered to have customers. We got there around 2pm and we knew they would be closing at 4pm. They served our dessert in a two go cup and it was only 3pm. At 3:30 the server came and said they were closing in 5 min. I'm so surprised how much it has gone downhill. Don't think I will be back.

I came here to celebrate a friend's bday. It was my first time here and I don't know if my expectations were too high but it was just ok. I liked the spread out of the food and the service was ok but not sure if I'd be back when there are so many great Filipino restaurants nearby.

All I can say is wow! Unforgettable flavors that will teleport you straight to Manila in a single bite! This authentic Filipino restaurant offers family style dishes perfect for sharing with all the traditional foods you've been looking for. They also have Kamayan style upon special request where you'd eat with without utensils like how some would feast from the provinces of the Philippines. We had the chance to try this and it was definitely a memorable experience and fun for the entire family! It took 40 minutes to prep this so I'd call in advance to give them a heads up! Great service and food! 100% recommend!

Came here over the weekend to celebrate me and my gf's birthday! Had a total group of 21 come for the kamayan experience and it was amazing! Food: Food was amazing! The kamayan experiences come in packages depending on your group size so look on their website to see what's included. We had more than enough food and everyone was stuffed by the end. Service: Everyone I was in contact with from first calling to reserve to the day of was extremely nice and accommodating especially with us being a big party. Filipino hospitality at its finest! Ambiance: Very spacious inside and we had our own section for the party. Was told they can have huge parties of 100 or even close the restaurant down for private events so will keep that in mind for the future. Water: No complaints on the water here! Also you get a bowl of it to wash your hands when you do the kamayan so don't drink that one!

i needed a place to accommodate about 50 people for a graduation celebration. I wanted to have filipino food and this venue was the best to accommodate. Rather than doing kamayan or buffet style, i opted to just order a la carte family style. For my party i ordered multiple quantities of the following: Villa manila sampler (lumpia, chicken skin, chicharon bulakblak) Fried chicken Lechon kawali Bistek Pancit canton Mega halo halo Rice Nilaga This variety was more than enough to feed my party and one mega halo halo is good for 4-6 people. The food was delicious, especially the sampler. Everyone loved the chicken skin! From the beginning of its planning stages, Rei (not sure if i spelled her name correctly) helped me figure out logistics and setting a date. Another huge shout out to goes to Venice (not sure if i spelled her name correctly) but she was the main point of contact the day of and really ensured that the party went well. Everything we had was delicious and a great time spent by all! Thank you for helping us celebrate our event!

Unprofessional. Was excited to go there for Camayan however they called me 10 minutes before my reservation to say I have to put an order in because it's going to take a hour to make. This wasn't on their explanation. We've received text reminder etc about the reservation but nothing around selecting menu a head of time. I let them know we may need to cancel since we have to wait one hour and wasn't address during reservation. They said they will still charge me a cancel fee if we don't show up.....makes no sense if the service wasn't explained nor is the food made. Will tell all my friends and family to stay away from this place.

Amazing Filipino food. It tastes like home cooking and love going here whenever I'm in San Diego. The bangus sisig is by far the best i've had and get it every time. The fried chicken is great as well and would 100%recommend. The beef sinigang is very sour just how i like it. The servers and cooks are the nicest and take care of my family and I whenever we go.

Service is good but they lost there touch I ordered Bicol Express it was to fucking salty I told the server he told the owner she didn't care as she sit there playing casino slots on her tablet I don't recommend this place at all they really lost there touch I will recommend Titas 2 or Zarlitos across the street from this place

We went to Villa Manila in National City, CA to celebrate our friends birthday and try the Kamayan dinner. It was delicious!! The service was good but you must make reservations for Kamayan setup for 6 people or more. It's not the fanciest restaurant but I definitely would go back to try Kamayan again and other Filipino dishes on the menu. The Halo Halo birthday dessert was big enough to share with everyone it was tasty.

We are very disappointed with what was served to us. We're visiting our good friends who lives in San Diego & wanted to treat them with boodle fight. We visited this place in 2015 at that time it was good. It was recommended by the owner & I took her word for it - for what we had paid for it's not worth it as you can see what was served that they said is good for eight people.Very disappointed & not worth it. I don't recommend them. We could have gone to Gerry's Grill instead & had much more food for what we had paid.

Villa Manila is great for Kamayan! Kamayan means "by hand" in Tagalog. It's a traditional Filipino communal feast where food is laid out on a bed of banana leaves and everyone uses their hands to eat. Villa Manila has different Kamayan packages to choose from depending on your party size. We had the Barkada Feast that can feed up to 8 people and it came with a variety of meat and seafood. So good & such a great way to spend time with family & friends!

Traditional Philippine Family Meal!! Eat w your hands!! Order the meal for 4! Sit at a table covered w Banana leaves and the food is place In the center!! Each person gets two dipping sauces. Dig is with your hands!! DELICIOUS!! It included Steamed Fish, Deep Fried Pork, Fried Chicken, Shrimp, Salted Egg, Grilled Eggplant, salad and rice!!! We also ordered Deep Fried Pig Knuckle! Pig Knuckle was outstanding, moist w crunchy skin!! The Fried Pork Chops were a bit overcooked and dry but still had nice flavor! The Fried Chicken was moist and flavorful w crispy skin!! My Filipina GF suggested grabbing small piece of salted egg, steamed fish and some rice w a drop of vinegar water! OMG the salted egg added some flavor to the bite!!!! Dont be shy, use your hands!! Grab and eat just like traditional Philippine family meals!! The Sago't gulaman drink was great and the sweet refreshing drink went well w the salty meal! The drink has "boba" and jelly at the bottom and is sucked through the straw each drink. We were so full we didnt have dessert. Each family style meal starts with the standard selections in the 4person meal. The 6 and 8 person add more traditional dishes. Tip - call ahead w a reservation and the table will be ready and the food will soon arrive! If you do not be prepared to wait awhile!! I recommend Villa Manilla for an authentic family style meal!!! The staff are very friendly. And the bathrooms are very clean!

Service was amazing, but the food was very bland. The recipes need to be updated. These dishes tasted very bland, dry, just a lot of missing flavors to classic Filipino dishes.

Villa Manila is an exceptional restaurant known for its high-quality food and service. The ambiance is both ambient and relaxing, making it a delightful dining experience. The food consistently exceeds expectations, and the staff provides excellent service. It's always a pleasure to dine here, given the great food and attentive staff, especially their authentic Filipino dishes.

So far I just had the halo halo and the taro cookies and everything was good. Need to come in to eat the place was packed to it might be good

We were there last night during my mom's impromptu birthday party. We ordered the Kare-Kare, Nilagang Baka, beef steak, adobong pork, lechon kawali, pancit Miki-Bihon and the sampler. Not impressed at all on the food taste. Nilagang Baka was salty, same as the Kare-Kare (they didn't use oxtail) and both were small portions and too pricey. The Beef Steak was too sour and the Miki-Bihon was soupy. Not sure if the chef was in the rush to cook since they close at 8 pm and we came in about an hour before closing. One positive is that the service was great. Try other options if you are looking for a better Filipino food.

My family and I came to Villa Manila for lunch. It was so good and the experience was so much fun. This was my first time here and my first time experiencing a boodle fight in a restaurant. And it was a memorable one. The food was so good. Each dish brought out, presented, and poured onto the table was tasty and cooked to perfection. Our waitress was awesome, she was attentive and so kind. She set up our table beautifully and kept checking in on what we needed. 10/10 experience with service and food

I've been searching for delicious lechon kawali and noticed Villa Manila in National City made it. Most places I visited were Panda Express style but Villa Manila was a very nice sit down place. Waiter suggested I get a half order of pancit as it's meant for 2 or 3 people. The half order turned out to be perfect for 1 person. Fresh rice noodles had cabbage, celery, carrots, shrimp, chicken, & pork. Loved the mix of flavors. Lechon kawali had crunchy skin, juicy fat layer, and a fried pork layer. Cooked perfectly as the fried pork was not dried out. Loved the flavor. 2nd visit. Whole fried chicken for $15 was enough for 2-3 meals. Skin was crispy and had a delicious fried flavor. Meat was tender and juicy. Great tasting fried chicken. Lumpia had a thin crispy wrapper with tender nicely marinated pork filling. Love the contrast between the crispy wrapper and the juicy filling. This is some of the best lumpia I've had. Pancit canton featured smooth and tender egg noodles. Loved the overall flavor from the egg noodles, the veggies, and meats. Sarsi is the Philippines version of root beer. Made from sarsaparilla, Sarsi has a sweet flavor with a unique kick. I love it. Reminds me of Barq's which also has sweetness with a unique kick. Server was nice and efficient. Food was amazing. Villa Manila is now one of my fav spots to eat Filipino food.

My second Kumayan/boodle fight ever, and it did not disappoint! Everything was delicious, but here is the very best to the least-best, because nothing was bad, in order: 1. Bicol Express=Pork stew- I poured the gravy on my rice and could not stop eating. This is about a 3/10 on the spicy scale- loaded with slices of jalapeño but oh so rich and savory! The pork is so delicious, but be prepared, it is not lean. The sauce is a mixture of jalapeño and coconut cream. Hands-down the most delicious thing on the table! 2. Fish- I forgot to ask what kind of fish this was, but the flavor was very mild, not fishy at all. The flavor was delicious, perfectly salted and seasoned. 3. Roast pork- The skin was to die for, so crispy and salty in the best possible way. I could eat this for days! There was none left at the end of dinner. 4. Shrimp- slightly over-cooked but delicious anyway. I would have preferred if they had cleaned the shrimp a little more thoroughly- they left the you-know-what-line in place because they were unpeeled, but really, it would have been so much nicer without having to clean that out with a napkin! 5. Chicken- delicious too but after all the other stuff being so good, I just couldn't rank it any higher, lol. 6. Everything else: mango, papaya salad, rice, egg- was good too! 5 of us ladies wiped this table almost clean, haha! 2 of us took some rice and chicken home for round 2 tomorrow!

I got dinuguan, chicken adobo, sisig and pancit. The pancit was okay but the stars of the show was everything else. The adobo is pale and flavorless! Doesn't look like any adobo I've had in all my decades of life. In the dinuguan I stuck my spoon halfway down the serving cup and barely found any meat just grease and runny sauce. The sisig....bruh...the pork skins looks like the rawhide I give my dogs and just as delish. I've never seen sisig like this before I'm baffled. I'm all for different ways of cooking but it should at least taste good! I paid almost $100 to get this crap delivered to me and I'm so, so, so disappointed. What a waste of time and money. I don't often write reviews but I'm so disappointed with this establishment. Yuck!

We waited 2 hours just to be served with our food but without a rice and we were told that the rice will be ready by 20 mins which lasted longer than she told us by the time rice came our food was cold and we already ate without the rice because of how much hungry we are from the 2 hours waiting and didn't even bothered to serve us water, our drinks came after we eat and right before we leave they served us the last meal we ordered and think that it was okay. They gave us a COMPLIMENTARY OF 3 BITE SIZE OF PUTO LOL! IM SORRY FOR OUR SERVER SHE WAS NICE BUT THE OTHER PEOPLE FROM THIS RESTAURANT DOESNT EVEN LOOK BOTHERED OF HOW BAD THEIR SERVICE IS! WORST RESTAURANT IVE BEEN WITH EVER!!!!!! THEY DON'T EVEN DESERVE A ONE STAR!!!

Their hosts were extremely kinda and my family had not had Filipino food before like this. They truly made the experience worth while! Thank you!

Had to get some food since I was in Filipino Town. Stopped in for lunch on a Thursday and noticed it was completely dead other than one couple eating. They said that their fried chicken was pretty popular so I went for it and it definitely hit the spot. Surprisingly, their portions were very reasonable for the price. Especially the rice Lol. Also took their Halo-Halo for the trip home. Unfortunately, they didn't include a straw so I was stuck drinking it as it melted Haha. The only thing I could pick on was their bathroom. Needless to say it was dirty. Not sure if they had a party the night before, but at least clean it before opening.

This place was amazing!!! 10/10 definitely recommend. I came here with my friend who ordered bungus. I ordered lechon kawali for myself and the Villa Manila sampler for the both of us. The entrees do not come with sides so we each ordered a side of rice. The servings are family style (just like Italian restaurants), but we still ended up finishing our own entrees. We left there full and would definitely return to eat there again. The service and was impeccable although we did go around 4pm when restaurants aren't as busy. The ambiance was pleasing and welcoming.

We had dinner here with a friend while in the area for a few days. Our friend comes here regularly. Delicious food, friendly service and our food came out pretty quick. There were three of us in our group and we shared the lumpia for an appetizer and then two entrees (Chicken Adobo & then a pork/coconut milk/jalapeño dish I forget the name of) and an order of pancit. The entrees both came with rice as well so our friend took home some leftovers.

So delicious! My family and I came for a Kamayan feast and it was so fun and so delicious. The restaurant staff and owners are so kind. It really is a special place. I highly recommend!

They got all my favorites and they cooked the food fresh to order and home style. Feels really like home with my family. They are also very accommodating with extra things that I asked for. It's definitely my go to place for delicious Filipino food.

During the early times of quarantine, I really wanted to support small restaurants and businesses and I ended up finding a favorite for Filipino food in Villa Manila. I would order either their lechon kawali (fried pork belly) or their mungo, not sure if they still offer this lunch special but it would come with a side of rice, salad and a lumpia, I always upgraded my rice to garlic friend rice. Everything tastes so much better with garlic. Mungo is my favorite, it's a Filipino mung bean stew, so much good flavor and tasted like my mom's home cooking which is a huge compliment. The lechon kawali is another favorite of mine, I love the crispiness of the pork but still really tender, not sure what sauce they use to dip but it's delicious especially with the garlic fried rice! When the reopening started a group of friends and I went to have Kamayan, which really means eating with your hands. We ordered the Fiesta, it came with grilled pork, lechon kawali, chicken and pork adobo, shrimp and so much more. This just reminded me of home, the food was so delicious, I'm salivating just thinking about it. If you want to eat some good Filipino food I would definitely check out Villa Manila, honestly felt so welcoming and just really delicious and comforting.

My first time being here at Villa Manila with a friend visiting from out of town. After church we came here to have lunch. The place was packed with a few tables empty for two peoples. We were greeted with a friendly smile and sat next to a window. The place is clean, ample parking, bathrooms are clean and interior very simple decor. There is a large screen tv in the front showcasing city life in the Philippines. I would have preferred to see beaches and nature instead of city life. That's my preference. At any rate, menu is vast and they serve breakfast. Lunch and dinner . Menu is not only vast it's organized well. I opted for the lunch dishes called Pinoy Lunch Plates which is a combination. You get vegetable broth soup with your dish. We both ordered Chicken Adobo and Chicken Pancit Canton with rice. My dad is a chef and both my parents cook Filipino food very well. The chicken adobo was flavorful thou it lacked finesse. I like my adobo pungent bursting with soy and vinegar flavor with garlic and ginger. It was ok. Why I'm because the flavor was very mild. The pancit canton noodles where a bit al Dente and lacked the love that I'm used too. It tasted basic. Would I return here? Possibly not because there are other places I would like to check out. The prices of the meal incredibly affordable. Family friendly, clean place and the service is kind and caring. Thou I would refer for families to come And check out their kamayan dinners. Reserve kamayan dinner in advance. I wanted to try the halo halo, I was so full. The noise level is moderate and you can have big groups dine here. There were two birthday parties this afternoon while we had lunch. Mabuhay!

So all of the others restaurants were completely booked for Mother's Day, as expected. We found this place last minute and they took us. The wait to get our food set up had us waiting an extra 30 minutes. I am always open to experiencing new things. So experiencing the Kamayan dinner was new. I learned I've been molded too much by civilization LOL because I couldn't do it long. I started using the spoon they gave us for the adobo. LOL. The food for me was probably like a 2/5? I only ate the longanisa and the mangoes. The adobo seemed different than what I'm use to. The okra threw me off, I haven't ever seen Okra used in Filipino food settings but that's probably because I've only stuck to about two Filipino restaurants. Grateful for the experience tho.

Villa Manila gets a strong 4-star rating from me! I visited this shop on referral from a colleague at work, as I've had my eyes on it for a couple of months now. But the ultimate lure came when my friend at work told me about VM's chicken - that it is some of the best in the area. Well, I had to see for myself, so off I went to visit Villa Manila! First, it's good to know that outdoor seating is now open here. Tables are marked well, but indoors is still closed due to Covid (all at the date of this review). This superb Filipino restaurant is large! It has two expansive indoor seating areas, and even the outdoor seating area is pretty large. All quite impressive! But I love the lighting indoors and greatly look forward to it being fully opened up for dining, not just for carry-out and outdoor seating. Second, you can see the menu on some of the photos on Yelp. It's quite expansive. I saw kare kare on it, so I knew they took their Filipino cuisine serious! I had that dish once while visiting the Philippines a few years back - really liked it! Also here, I want to add that the service is pretty awesome. I was greeted well and treated very courteously at the counter as I ordered. Third, since chicken was on my mind, that was going to be my only choice. I sort of fumbled my words at the start as I stated that I wanted the chicken meal, but almost ordered too much! All I needed was the 1-piece combo meal. This comes with a quarter of a chicken, seemingly air-fried (or as good as), pancit, and your choice of either white rice or fried rice (I chose fried). Have to say that I was totally sold on the chicken! It was great! It would certainly be hard to resist going back to VM to have this meal once again! Another value deal here is that the 1-piece combo lasted me two full meals - not a bad deal at all for the price! The pancit was quite tasty but the fried rice seemed lacking on items that I'm used to seeing in fried rice. But all I needed was some Sriracha sauce and life was great again! This is a good restaurant and will be even better when it fully opens once again. But if you're looking for something Filipino, especially their chicken combo plates, I say don't hesitate to make this your next stop! Recommend: HIGH

This is a really neat experience! I had never experienced community eating like this. We ordered salo salo and got a side of chicken adobo and lumpia. It was a lot of food! It was supposed to serve 4, there were 6 of us and 2 kids. We still had leftovers. It is definitely messy! Service was mediocre. They didn't have a bought staff to support all the large parties. This restaurant is surrounded on group eating, so you need to be prepared. I also tried their special halo halo. I was not impressed. It was probably one of the worst I've had honestly. I highly recommend making a reservation and pre-ordering what you want. This will make the experience more enjoyable. They do request a $25 deposit.

What an awesome exhibit! I seriously have been dying to do a kamayan dinner- but knew my immediate family wouldn't be interested. So- I was super stoked that many of my & some other their spouses were open enough to experience this cultural dinner. Villa Manila did NOT disappoint! There is a kamayan menu you can choose from. And it has different offerings catering to 4- 10 people. But, on our visit last night- there was a kamayan dinner catered to two people. Although we had 13 in our party- we made reservations for a group of 20. We ordered from the Mabuhay menu (caters to 10 people)- and eliminated the fried pork intestines- but, added pancit bihon noodles and chicken adobo. Believe me when I say we FEASTED!! Villa Manila offers kamayan dinner on Thursdays- and I really think this is something you should experience. Keep in mind- you are not using utensils to feed yourself!! As there are place settings at the table- there's a bowl with water and a lemon wedge- to clean off your hands. If you are going to have a big group- it's recommended to make reservations at least a day in advance. Although there were many of us on the group- there was still plenty to take home for leftovers! The preserved egg was the only thing I didn't try. But, other than that- the Mabuhay menu was the bees knees!! Fried milk fish (dip portions in the spicy vinegar) Grilled egg plant Fried pork belly (lechon) White rice Mangoes Lumpia Tapa (garlic soy marinated steak) Preserved egg Bok choy Added- pancit noodles Substituted chicken adobo for the fried pork intestines Now- if I can find another group interested in doing kamayan!! LOL Yes, it's THAT good!!

My girlfriend is Filipino and she was very happy with the sinagang we got. She says it is very authentic and actually ate a lot of it. I really enjoyed it as well and would definitely go back for more. They only had the family size for the sinagang, which is a bit unfortunate since we didn't need that much. However, when we reheated it the next day, it was still just as good! You don't usually get that from reheated soup, so it was a nice surprise. Can't wait to try their other foods!

I called to make a reservation for kamayan for 6 adults and 2 kids. I also pre-ordered in hopes to not have to wait for any food. They require a deposit to hold your reservation for kamayan, which was fine. We arrived to the restaurant where it was quiet. The place only had a few other parties seated and eating. Our food came out quickly and everything was delicious. Waiter service was subpar. The waiter did not come back to check on us once he dropped our food off, since another larger group had also come into eat. We sat there for awhile finished eating. I asked for to go boxes twice to the same guy before I went to find another person to help me with my to go boxes. Food was good, we were able to come in and eat really quick. The longest part was waiting for the guy to come back and check on us and close us out. It was pretty disappointing. All in all, service could use some help! Desserts (halo halo & ube shake) were alright, better elsewhere.

I purchased a party tray of pancit. It was delicious. The gentleman even brought it out to my car for me.

AMAZING sizzling Sisig, chicken chicharon, and always FRESH pancit! i have been coming here for over 20 years...No Filipino restaurant in San Diego compares!

PROS: + chicken adobo + fish was fresh + garlic rice + refreshing halo halo + spacious restaurant + great service + lumpia + clean :) + easy parking + ginormous portions + family style atmosphere CONS: - nothing This is the first Filipino restaurant I've been to, and I loved it. Will definitely come back!!!!

TLDR; a true Filipino experience, Kamayan is best enjoyed with a group of people, ready to get their hands dirty. Longanisa is just okay but the lechon kawali and adobo are perfect. First time trying Kamayan in San Diego and it was pretty good! If you don't know what Kamayan is, you should definitely come and experience it. Everything is family style so you share it all but you use your hands. No utensils are given but I'm sure they would provide it if you asked...it's just not the way to experience it. We ordered the Fiesta Kamayan (for parties of 6) and added lumpia and longanisa. Advance reservations are required and I believe all the food is supposed to be set up at the time of your reservation. Unfortunately for us, we had to wait about 10-15 minutes before they put everything in front of us. One star dinged for that. We noticed other tables already had food even though the guests haven't arrived yet. For a group of 6, we had just enough food with the added orders. Everything was pretty good! They give two different kinds of vinegar to dip and a small bowl with water to rinse your hands. The milkfish and the grilled pork were kind of dry but it was all good after dipping it in the Mang tomas all purpose sauce. The deep fried pork belly and adobo were my favorites. The flavor really set into the adobo meat and it was so tender! The longanisa was interesting. I'm not sure if it's just a different style but the ones I usually eat have a casing. The texture of these was more like breakfast sausages. I also wish they gave a little more salad and mangoes on the side. I wouldn't mind doing this again. We all got a good, satisfying meal for a decent price. And you can order items a la carte too. Doesn't have to be Kamayan.

Hands down the best food I have tasted. They have this clear vinegar that is simply amazing it was served with the lumpia. I should have taken pictures but I was too hungry and to tell you the truth there was no time, one moment it was there the next poof. I had the meal for 2 you get several choices to pick from. Our selection was. Lumpia , chicken adobo, pansit and garlic rice. Well worth it. The waiter made us feel so welcomed. Will most definitely come back.

Maybe it was just the wrong day or something... Idk. But this was my far the worst Filipino food I've ever had. Soooooo salty i literally couldn't finish it. Like, if I didn't already LOVE filipino food, after the food I got from place, I would probably be hesitant to ever try it again. Chicken adobo and pancit is what I had and it was a total disappointment. Also, I'm used to getting a nice portion of food as well. With what I received, it looked as if the delivery driver had taken half of it. Ill just stick the places I know and always enjoy from now on.

We had dinner here last night and to be honest, I had low expectations because of some of the reviews I have read. Surprisingly, I had a great time! We had two really nice and fun servers. He was always joking around and happy and made the experience more fun. Food was actually pretty good. The only thing I did not like was the pancit as it was a little bland. When we had our desserr, we ordered more ice cream and the lady that served us didnt look like she wanted to be there. Overall experience was really fun and food was pretty good. Will be boodle fighting again soon.

If I had the option to give zero that would be my rating for this place. Coming from out of town my aunt wanted Filipino food. Waited about 10 minutes for a seat, ok. We finally got seated and was forgot about. My husband had to walk up to the front to ask for some menus. No one came to ask for our drink orders. We finally get the menu, prices are pretty high, $24.95 for beef soup, all items on the menu does not include rice. Additional $4.50 for rice! We left. Went next door to the Filipino restaurant, and she fill our plates so much that we couldn't even finish our foods. We had our own kamayan meal for a much better deal and it was delicious. Don't waste your time at Villa Manila and go next door to fiesta Pinoy.

When I found out we were celebrating a rellie's bday in National City, I said, "WhoTF thought of going so far south?". However, after the kamayan dinner (where you eat a communal dinner on banana leaves w/ your hands), I was thankful for the experience I haven't had since I was a child. VM is on 8th St, not too far East of the 5 in National City (big Flip enclave in South San Diego near the border). We enjoyed fried chicken, fried tilapia, lechon kawali, bangus (milkfish), grilled beef & pork, chicken & pork adobo, bicol express, pancit bihon (rice noodles), steamed shrimp, fried calamari, chicharrones, okra, green & yellow mango, and achara (pickled papaya). As if that wasn't enough, we also ordered lumpiang shanghai (skinny eggrolls) and bagoong rice (rice flavored w/ fermented shrimp paste). To top it off, we ordered two mega halo halos ($15.95) to share. Although none of the dishes on it own stood out, the overall experience was amazing. I was on culinary overload. My fave dishes were the lechon, fried chicken and tilapia. I contrasted this savory dishes w/ bites of mango & achara in between: 5 Stars. Despite there being 20 of us, there were a ton of leftovers. Likewise, the presentation of the mega halo halos was fantastic. Despite eating a ton, I always have room for halo halo after a Filipino meal (I had two servings! - LOL): 5 Stars. Regarding the ambiance, its not too big of a place. However, the long table they gave us was perfect for us to eat and talk story during the meal. The other tables were spaced nicely to allow us plenty of room to move about and catch up: 5 Stars. Surprisingly, we didn't overburden our young waitress with all our drink and special requests. She was on it and her service was stellar. The latter just added to the awesome overall experience. Too bad Villa Manila wasn't closer. I'd be a regular (and fatter than I already am - hehe). The Filipino hospitality and good food shines like a diamond here!

Oh My Gosh!!!! I LOVE THIS PLACE I'm so happy of how cute the restaurant ambiance, their Authentic Filipino Dishes we went on a weekday and I love that there sweet Filipina seniors in different tables

I ordered lechon kawali from here through Postmates and it's so good! I asked for extra sauces on the side and they came through! I also ordered a naked bibingka and I regret not getting multiple! Everything I got is sooooo good! Will be ordering again!

Super authentic Filipino cuisines served up here. Throw the diet out the window for your fried dishes (chicken, pork, fries, etc). Actually they do have a good selection of veggie dishes from the menu if you want to keep your waistline in tact. But if you like your adobo, kare kare, or sizzling sisig...this is the place to get it.

Mediocre Pinoy food. Not on target on taste. And more expensive compared to other Filipino restaurants in National City. We should have just gone to the turo-turo Pinoy joint across the street. It'll probably taste better.

Kamayan style!!! This is a hands-on (literally) approach on eating filipino food in a traditional style where you use your hands to eat rather than utensils. I do not ever need a reason to eat, I love eating with family and friends! So you can technically have a kamayan style dinner at anytime in Villa Manila, it is just that on Thursdays from 5-9, there is a discounted rate for the packages. I called to make an early reservation as it is recommended. The initial table that I got was near the bathroom, and the bathroom cleaner was so strong that there needed to be a table change away from the area. For sure, I could not eat in that kind of aroma ha. Ordered the Salo-Salo option (65 bucks before 10 dollar discount on Kamayan night). This had grilled pork belly, grilled milkfish (bangus), fried chicken, garlic rice, steamed shrimp, mustard leaves, tomatoes, salted egg, and garlic rice. They offered to deep fry the milkfish to save 20 minutes, but just wait for the grilled option. It is worth it. After a loong wait (almost 1 hour after placing the order), the package finally got delivered. All the menu items tasted decent and very filipino. Reminded me of back home. The star item was definitely the grilled bangus. The cooked tomatoes and onions inside the fish is a game changer. The meats tasted okay yet the crispiness/oiliness was a bit overwhelming. So much rice guys. There was for sure 2 pots of rice on the banana leaves platter. The halo halo dessert is a la carte option. There was too much shaved ice in the dessert that it diluted the flavor. Although the ube ice cream was good. Service is friendly, but it is slow. May come back again with more people to try out the other packages.