Kawali Grill
Our region boasts tons of Filipinos—they’re the fourth-highest foreign-born population in the county—but oddly few Filipino restaurants. This joint on Rainier is our best, run by a chef whose food tastes authentic and full of love as Manilan home cooking. Pork dominates the Spanish-influenced menu: pork belly, pork hocks, pork chop. Plus a little oxtail. Vegans need not apply.
Who’s here A good deal of the time in this dingy diner, hardly anyone. But takeout is huge here.
Don’t miss Pandan fried chicken—plump, juicy breast and thigh meat with the right crunch and a hint of sweetness from the coconut-ginger-soy marinade.
Pssst The flat-screen TV is tuned permanently to reality TV on the Filipino Channel; you can decide if that’s a draw or the reason takeout’s so big.
Kawali Grill, 5300 Rainier Ave S, Columbia City, 206-723-6179; kawaligrill.com
NEXT: Best Home-Style Japanese
Published: February 2011
I agree, Kawali Grill is really so inconsistent. I know that the Philippines has different kind of cooking depending on the region and every individual has different taste buds but inconsistency is bad. I have had a hit and miss experience with Kawali Grill. I go to seafood City Grill in Tukwila, not the best but consistent … at least you know what you’re getting.
Sorry but KAWALI Grill is VERY INCOSISTENT indeed!!
Not a very good place to eat and be proud of Filipino cooking!!!
I’ve eaten there several times, in hopes, to give them 2nd, 3rd or 4th chance but they are very very inconsistent with their foods!!
SOme days, their pinakbet is good sometimes, it’s super SALTY! and when we ordered the chicken Mami soup (similar to a chicken noodle soup) — the soup was RED and somewhat spicy — it was embarassing as I took my crew from work there bragging about the place.
Same goes with the rest of their other menu items — their kare kare is good sometimes then next thing you know, what happened?? Not enough meat too! They’re saving on the meat that they serve mostly bones!!
The customer service is also bad – esp the lady, I believe she’s the owner’s wife.
The best place to go to a FILIPINO restaurant is INAY’s KITCHEN in Beacon Hill — the quality of the dishes are very exceptional!! Good taste and good customer service! Check it out!
The BEST Filipino restaurant in Seattle in my opinion! I’ve tried them all: Inay’s, Kusina, Family Time, SFC Grill, Chow King, Jolly Bee, Tokyo Tokyo. The latter are more fast food then traditional dishes. The others I’ve tried have their food sitting in Chaffing trays whereas Kawalli Grill is made to order. I like how they mix traditional dishes with american dishes on their menu.
Why do Filipinos complain so much about Filipino restaurants, then complain when there is none left? Do you expect the taste to be identical to your cooking? If yours is so good, then open your own restaurant.
There’re different taste and recipes that come from different regions of the Philippines. So why bag a restaurant for being different? Support the differences and eat at the ones you really like. Maybe others like the one you dislike and dislike the one you like.
I had high hopes and tried it several times … very inconsistent
I recommend going to Seafood City Grill in South Center, it’s better but still not the best. I wish we would have good quality Filipino restaurants like in CA.
SO I went here for my grandma’s birthday. and my favorite foods they had there
was the lumpia, Fried chicken, and the spagetti. The spagetti is made the way they made it back hoome in the philippines,and it was amazing good! and it goes really well with the spagetti. haha but. anyways. the dessert was great and its cuute in there!