The food is amazing and very delicious. The chef is very kind and even gave us free biko. Went out to personally introduce himself and meet us. That is very much appreciated! Highly recommend!
The VIBE, the FOOD! It was delicious and the indoor-outdoor summery, chill vibes were so amazing. We had the tofu inasal, the banana blossoms, and plantain lumpia. Chef's kiss, y'all. Not to mention the Ube drink. Highly recommend!
On June 29 we celebrated my American-Filipino son’s 18th Thomasmas Day—the day he came to us permanently as one of our family. Looking for a good Filipino restaurant, Balangay, seemed to have good reviews and accepted reservations! The food was excellent and the ambience reminded me of a typical restaurant in the Philippines. It was truly wonderful. And the chef went out of his way to make us a chocolate cake and some of the staff joined in as we sang Happy Thomasmas Day. ?. I highly recommend this restaurant.
It's rare that the setting/ambiance of a restaurant leads me to discount stars, but I did not enjoy the feeling inside Balangay. Foremost, Balangay does not have its own space, and instead is like a pop-up within the Bullfrog Bagels space (yes a bagel shop), which, at dinnertime, is closed and thus half the space you are in is dark and empty. The remaining space allocated for Balangay primarily consists of a bar that looks so worn down that I would not visit it unless no other bars existed in a city. On top of this, there is absolutely no Filipino themed art or decor, mainly because there is no art or decor at all, nor a sign anywhere that says "Balangay." Even the cocktail menu is handwritten on a piece of paper and taped to the wall. My issue with all of this is that when looking at the website, Balangay feels in-authentically marketed as a "fine" restaurant experience. Trust me, there is nothing fine about this setting/setup. The space issues, that you only have a tiny appetizer plate to eat out of the whole meal (even for mains), the loud drunk people feet away from you at the bar... it all is pretty unpleasant. As for the food, thankfully it isn't bad. Course reviews below:1) Kinilaw (4.5/5) - I enjoyed the sauce in the ceviche, and though not bursting with freshness, the salmon and mango were solid. The amount of ceviche you get though for $14 vs. the amount of wonton chips is really imbalanced, to the point you are just eating chips by themselves because there is no more ceviche.2) Ensaladang Talong (3/5) - I liked everything that went on top of the eggplant, but it didn't go with the eggplant at all, which itself didn't taste very fresh and was overly mushy.3) Pancit (2/5) - Probably the most disappointing dish because there was nothing unique about it. It was just glass noodles with some veggies for $14. No interesting ingredients, flavors, nothing, and anyone could probably cook this quickly at home for a few bucks.4) Chicken Inasal (4.5/5) - As other reviews note, this is a highlight. It isn't really the chicken though, but the sauce on it and the garlic rice on the side that stand out. I would also prefer if they serve the chicken boneless as you essentially have a giant drumstick to share which isn't easy to divide.Perhaps Balangay could be special with its own actual restaurant space and a few improvements. But I wouldn't believe the hype that is its current rating.
The service was great. On our way to the restaurant we were detoured and the staff held our table 45mins passed our reservation. Food was exceptional. The adobo chicken and rice was the best I've ever had. Not to mention the Lumpia/spring roll. The taste was flavorful and texture was light and pleasant. Space was tight, however that was expected on a Friday night.
It’s experiencing Filipino food through Chef Wing’s love for food and it’s evident in every dish. I’m so proud as a fellow Filipino to recommend this restaurant to everyone I know!
This restaurant has the best Filipino food in D.C. The pork belly, lumpia and short rib were amazing. The sticky rice dessert was a delight. A must visit restaurant in the H street neighborhood.
Balangay was such an amazing restaurant. The food was wonderful, the seasoning was excellent and the grilled tofu in particular was top tier. Service was amazing, food was quick to come out, and amazing quality. Employees where extremely positive and happy. We would definitely come again. When you come, get the tofu, the pork belly, the short ribs, and the eggplant especially.
I am very pleased about the food. I love the play of calamansi, soy sauce, and chili slices. Beautifully done. My favorite is enseladang talong. I'm Filipino and I was expecting a grilled eggplant but the chef reinvented it and it looked like a puree eggplant with crispy yuca. Amazing! I hope this establishment grows.4 stars because turon's plantain wasn't sweet yet and it tasted starchy. Easy fix. We will still come back.
Balangay is truly a fabulous time! Chef Wing is so talented in the kitchen. By bringing both his creative skills and his years of experience in various restaurants to the table, you’re sure to have a wonderful evening. The rest of the team is very kind, and the cocktails are fun! Check them out as soon as you can.