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Tue-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tue-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Thanks Luneta for opening a Filipino restaurant where I wouldn't be embarrassed to bring non-Filipinos. I never knew Filipino food could be plated so it looked pretty, I thought it was all meant to be served family style or from an all-u-can eat trough.
Thanks for never having windows exhibiting the telltale film of grease that usually accompanies frying everything and making sure the doorknob isn't sticky with the lard fingerprints of happy customers. Not that anything is wrong with that, if you are used to most Filipino restaurants.
This would be a good place to try if you want to try Filipino food, but don't have any Filipino friends. Or if you do have friends but don't have any you trust not to order you something that will make you gag so they can laugh. Luneta's doesn't serve Fear Factor entrees. Does that make it less authentic? Yes. Try the calamansi juice.
The tastes hit the right, familiar notes but the portions are teeny tiny. I guess I'm bound to think portions are small since I normally eat from a trough.
I love to try new places.....HOWEVER.....
I have recently tried quite a few Asian Fusion places. I really liked the atmosphere here, well decorated.
Food however was another story, I ordered Bistek Luneta, asked for it medium well, it was served more like medium rare, did not care for this dish at all. My husband ordered the pancit, which I found disappointing, I really don't enjoy thick spaghetti type noodles. My daughter ordered Luneta Chicken Adobo, I know she liked it but I did not care for the flavoring.
Customer service was okay, not because our waiter was rude or anything like that, it was because there was only one waiter for all of the tables, he was running around like crazy.
It took them forever to serve our food, and the place wasn't even that packed.
Parking is a lot in back and some street parking.
This place is a little on the pricey side, even with use of a http://restaurant.com certificate.
Would NOT eat here again. There are way too many great Asian Fusion places on the Peninsula.
We dined here back in August to celebrate our 20-year anniversary living in the States. Originally I had wanted to take my mom to Le Colonial as she really likes sea bass (Le Colonial makes a stellar sea bass at least back in the days when I wasn't a vegetarian.)
I wasn't feeling well and didn't feel like heading up to the city on a Sunday night. So I looked for Asian fusion alternatives on the Peninsula with sea bass on their menu and stumbled upon Bistro Luneta.
The location is a bit awkward (hard to get to) if you are coming from El Camino but we managed to find the restaurant no problem.
For starter, my mom had the Manila Pork Barbecue (Street-style marinated pork skewers with pickled green papaya). A few appeared undercooked so we had to sent it back.
For entrees, mom had the Seabass Supremo (Pan-seared Chilean seabass with sauteed spinach and mushrooms) while I settled for Gatang Gulay (Fresh season vegetables in spicy coconut sauce served in a clay pot). Luckily, my mom enjoyed her sea bass much more than the half-cooked appetizer.
Unfortunately, I can't say the same for mine - maybe this was due to my ignorance of Filipino cuisine - but my entree was, to me, a non-spicy ultra-creamy vegetables coconut curry (or chowder). It was bland and very heavy. I have never had any curry that I didn't like. But I'm not a fan with this one.
Oh, if you're a vegetarian like me, don't bother with this place. It's only got 3 non-meat, non-seafood options and I picked supposedly the "best sounding" one. Look where it got me.
My colleague suggested this venue for lunch. The restaurant is in a sketchier part of San Mateo, right before downtown.
Garlic Noodles w/ Cajun Shrimp
- Shrimp was perfectly cooked and fresh
- Garlic Noodles were very garlicy and tossed w/ plenty of butter
Arroz ala Luneta
- Big bowl of rice w/ ground beef, peppers, and topped with plantains and salty egg.
...I think they gave us plantains w/ the skin too?
This restaurant would be better suited for dinner than a lunch special due to the rather leisurely pace of the kitchen.
The chef came out to take our order and the waitress was super friendly.
This is not your lola and lolo's (grandma and grandpa's) Filipino restaurant. This is Filipino food interpreted with a somewhat western palate, but staying true to its roots. My friend decided to celebrate another year of her existence for a Sunday brunch a few weeks back, and was looking forward to trying it out.
Ambiance-wise, it's like no other Filipino restaurant that I have ever been to. The ceilings are high and painted in rich tones, and the walls are decorated with vintage pictures of the Philippines and Filipinos.
Since it was brunch, they had some interesting takes on Filipino and American staples. The Eggs Benedict can be had with on an Engish muffin or a pan de sal, and instead of a ham patty, they use a longanisa (Filipino sausage). The classic Filipino breakfast is usually based on three items: a meat selection (in this case longanisa or tapa--marinated strips of beef), and Sinangag (garlic fried rice). Since I'm somewhat of a purist I went with the longanisa breakfast. I enjoy the fact that I will continue to remember my breakfast of longanisa because it makes me burp. Nasty. I know. I know that longanisa wasn't the frozen prepared kind, either since I saw the chef in the kitchen stuffing the sausage cases as we walked-in, always a good sign that it's damn fresh!
When the food arrived, I was surprised on its presentation. It didn't look like the normal jumble of food just thrown on to a plate like I'm used to seeing at a Filipino restaurant. Rather, it was nicely plated with a perfectly shaped sunny-side up egg atop my garlic fried rice, and two yummy looking longanisa links. Other folks plates looked equally nice. Taste-wise, I'm used to a little bit more fatty longanisa, but these were pure meat which left me feeling a little, I don't know, missing knowing that my arteries would be clogging momentarily from the pig fat. ;-) It was still really good, and I gobbled down the whole plate.
I'm glad to see that Filipino cuisine has graduated beyond the typical steam trayed restaurants where you point at the food that may have been sitting for long periods of time. Dare I say that this is "haughty" Filipino food? If that's what you call it, it definitely makes me want to go back and try more.
PS I was still burping up longanisa a few hours after the meal. See, some things never change, regardless of how "upscale" they have made it--and I like that!
Hell yes! I would never have to imagined in my wildest dreams to have found a Filipino place in the middle of San Mateo. It worked out great due to James' calling card promising whiskey, food and more. The new spin on old classics has got me hooked. I just wish they were closer... a lot closer than where they currently are.
It is true what another yelper said.. if you're looking for traditional crispy pata or.. well traditional anything then this place might not be best suited for you. However if you're curious as to new renditions of tried and true favorites then perhaps... no, you really must treat yourself out and check this place out. I really liked the food but you must understand that I was there for a function.. which involved meeting a lot of people and a lot of whiskey. And what else goes well with whiskey than some good cookin' and better company. What I do remember are the crunchy pouch thangs. Hmmmmm I do love a good crunch. And of course the crispy pata... even though I had the other day back in milpitas. I love the stuff.
Food is not the only thing they have provided me with there... don't get your hopes up because I don't know if it will lead to things for you like it did for me... but things have an odd way of finding you when you least expect it. And for that lifelong surprise I added one star...
since technically speaking she came from there..
for which I'm eternally grateful for.
Who knew?
;P
We decided on this place for dinner the other night because we had never had Filipino food before. And it was quite an enjoyable experience.
We had the tuna tartare appetizer that was mouth-wateringly good. Followed by Luneta Chicken Adobo for my boyfriend and a clay pot pork dish for my self. Sadly I don't remember the name of my dish, but it was very good. Rich, savory, and paired with three fluffy buns to dip in the extra sauce. We paired the meal with a chardonnay from Tangley Oaks.
In all the meal was very enjoyable, the ambiance was warm and inviting and the service was friendly and helpful. Our server was happy to give recommendations and answer any questions.
The only only reasons I'm marking down one star is because our wine wasn't chilled, the chicken was slightly dry, and the dessert wasn't up to par with the rest of the meal.
First Yelp review! Yay! Haha.
I usually treat my coworker out to lunch weekly for picking me up everytime I have to head into the office in Foster City. It's the only way I can thank him since I don't ever drive.
So we both decided, I meant, I decided for both of us to go try Bistro Luneta, or Bistro Lunatic, haha, which was the first thought that came to my mind when I saw the name on Yelp. He heard good things about this place but personally I don't know anyone who's tried it. Reading the Yelp revs, I figured it was worth a try. We arrived there and I have to give it ***** for first impression. Ambiance was great - very clean, very inviting, not pretentious as what others think it to be. They're prolly just jealous because they can't keep their house or kitchen clean like that! Haha. It wasn't too crowded since we were there for an early lunch around 11:30. We were served with a well-written, well-put-together menu and our cold glasses of water.
Off the bat, I have to give *** for the price. Or maybe I'm just cheap. I'm Ilocana after all! Haha! Anyway, at first, for the prices they tag their dishes with, I was expecting an umphful serving.
We ordered the Tuna tartare for our app and eh, i'ts okay. I was expecting a bit more punch on the calamansi but didn't get that citrusy taste at all. Plus it lacked some sea salt or something. Even though my buddy and I devoured it all, it's not because it was supper yummy, but we just didn't want to waste food (just think of all the hungry people out there like in the commercials asking for donation with the naked kids and big bellies) plus we were hungry! So I'll give that ** only.
My buddy ordered the Pork on Skewers and Shrimp Gambas with garlic rice. I didn't get to taste it even though he was willing to share. I just didn't feel like eating shrimp. Our server was super friendly, btw, so ***** for her. She first told us that all they had was garlic rice since the steamed rice is still in progress in the steamer which meant I had no choice but to eat rice with garlic. Ewwww!!! I hate garlic btw. My family calls me a vampire for that reason.
I ordered the Lechon Kawali with taro leaves on the side. OMG!!! It was super crispy and the sauce was oh-so-good! The only thing is that I only had enough sauce for 2 pork chunks. Sucks! I'm taking a half star off on this one so **** 1/2. And where was the grease? So atypical! The taro leaves dish was delish. I had to explain to my buddy that it's like the collard greens of the Pinoys! LOL. And, oh, the steamed rice caught up with my order so no dragon breath for me in the end! =P
All in all, a very good experience. I'll definitely have to bring the husbee here for a date! ;-)
I've been looking for a Filipino Restaurant that takes a spin on filipino cuisine and takes it up a notch. This is the closest thing to it. There are tons of other Filipino restaurants and they're all the same, big yucky greasy portions. If i want comfort and familiarity then I can go visit my mom.
The food was good, Miso Cod and Bistek were a notch up from the regular. The Barako Creme Brule was a nice touch after dinner, kinda refreshing. The Shanghai Pouches were a tad bit salty though.
The service was better then any Filipino restaurant I've been to. Their attention to detail was good. Glad that our servers weren't Filipino. In my experience you can get either Extremely helpful or extremely snobbish at Filipino restaurants.
All in all would go again for a lighter, more sophisticated dinner with familiar tastes.
Went here with the family during Father's Day Sunday Brunch and then to the Whiskey Tasting and Cigars UYE a week later. The house was full on both occasions, and service was fairly quick. Jon Guanzon and staff were very accommodating. It was interesting to see the different vibe of a peaceful Sunday brunch to SBC pandemonium during a Thursday dinner and drinking frenzy. I had a wonderful time during both!
Filipino Fusion is something new and different to my parents, and they were pleased, especially with presentation. My parents are used to traditional Filipino cooking with bigger portions, but they appreciated the concept of contemporary Filipino Cuisine.
So did I.
I nearly had the same menu items during both visits. Here's the breakdown:
Appetizers...
Shanghai Pouches - an innovative look to lumpiang shanghai with a lot of crunch.
Pork Barbeque - skewers bursting with flavor.
Tokwa't Baboy - a family favorite. The cubes of bean curd were impressive!
Bangus Maki - goodbye Unagi!
French Fries - shoestring goodness...with San Mig Light!
Entrees...
Gatang Gulay - my favorite. It's all about the coconut milk!
Crispy Pata - we had the most of this item throughout the two-day extravaganza (thanks Jennifer C P). Pork goodness sake!....the most traditional in taste and texture.
Pancit Canton - just like how my mom makes it (minus the crispy noodle toppings).
Luneta Chicken Adobo - extraordinary, yet yummy to the eye and taste buds.
Thanks James G for introducing this place to me! Also for hosting a fantastic event.
Ok, I will admit my secret since I am amongst Yelpers (and we all know that if you are a Yelper, you are "family") ::laughing:: I grew up eating Filipino food which spoiled me completely for eating it in restaurants. I have grown weary of the places that offer it on steamed trays with substandard ingredients and MSG because I can make it better at home . . . and so can all of my FIlipino family members and friends.
Cynicism abounds, but I decided to stretch out of my comfort zone and try a Filipino restaurant. My allergies to peanuts and MSG caused me to phone the venue to verify if the chef was willing to omit those things. A prompt, friendly phone call back assured me the only thing with MSG was the bagoong. YAY - I am soooo in!
I dragged (not drug - "dragged") my favorite dining companion to the car and we were off to Bistro Luneta. The evening started with a great wine that I had a while back at a party and was thrilled to see it on this menu: Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viogner 2006 - Victoria, Australia. This full bodied, smooth wine was perfect right out of the bottle. I had to have all 3 bottles in the restaurant (I took one home) because the wine was that good and any venue that carries a wine I love that much MUST have an amazing menu! Guess what? Bistro Luneta IS amazing!
The amazing dishes that graced out table:
MANILA PORK BARBECUE: (we ordered 3 of these) Marinated pieces of pork on skewers served with pickled green papaya salad. The taste is beautifully balanced with salty, sweet and smoky flavor. The meat was tender to the bite and did not have any yucky fatty pieces - it was all beautiful tender pork meat. If you have ever been to a FIlipino party, you know about this BBQ. Trust me - eat this with rice and you are set! MMMM, I wish I had this now!
SHANGHAI POUCHES:
A visual masterpiece with the familiar crispy crunch and flavored ground pork that we all know and love when having lumpia shanghai. I thought the pouch idea was brilliant because the tops of the "pouch" were insanely crispity crunchy! It came with 3 different dipping sauces.
PANCIT CANTON
This is another classic favorite that the chef put a dazzling modern spin on. The noodles were perfectly soft with a delicious "gravy", julienned asian veggies, bits of meat and whole shrimps, and the gigantic bowl was topped with deep fried bits of noodle for texture. This one reminded me of my late mom - it was that good!
CRISPY PATA: (we ordered 3 of these). The pork leg was perfectly deep fried (here I go with the thermometer comment again) - The skin was crispy like chicharron, the meat was tender to the SPOON, and there was no excess grease which tells me someone had a thermometer dangling in that fry vessel! It doesn't require a lot of brain power to figure out why I ordered 3 of these - literally one after the other until the restaurant sold out! Dipping it in the soy/vinegar sauce took me back to when I was small in my mom's kitchen. Awww.
LAMB KALDERETA: The rich stew gravy of kaldereta screams "comfort food" to me. While I normally have it with beef or goat, the delicate sliced lamb chops was a delicious spin on a comfort favorite! The base was unlike any kaldereta I have ever tasted with an undeniable richness that made me wish I pressed pristine white rice onto my plate to put every last drop of that into my mouth! Instead of being served like a stew, seared pieces of lamb chop proudly stood like a teepee over the rich gravy - mmmmmm!!!!!
UKOY: You can see them julienne the veggies after you order it because that spotless, gorgeous kitchen is OPEN! This dish is a wonderful combination of vegetables, shrimp, and squid. I really love how things that are fried here are NOT greasy. It came with apple-cider vinegar dip, but I loved it "as-is" the saltiness of it went really well with my glass of Pinot Grigio.
MISO COD: Chef marinated the generous hunk of cod for 5 whole days and I could taste it! The skin of the cod was beautifully crisp while the flesh of the fish was tender and juicy. I really enjoyed tasting the fish with a bit of the spinach tempura, the miso-tomato reduction, and the grape tomato. **How is it that chef got me, a tomato hater to eat tomato?!?! He is brilliant!
RIB-EYE SALPICAO: cubes of deliciously marinated grilled steak served on a cast iron plate with strips of deep fried potato. The entire restaurant can smell this dish as it arrives popping and hissing on the cast iron plate!
PATO SA GATA: Beautifully seasoned and roasted slices of duck breast piled in the center of the coconut milk was deceptively rich. The first bite made me think all of the flavor was in the duck breast, but after sliding my finger in the milk and tasting it - mmmm, the flavor was in the milk too!
Well done, Chef Geomel - take a bow Bistro Luneta - I will keep returning!
No, this is not your parent's Filipino restaurant. Don't even go in there expecting it to be like that, or you'll be sorely disappointed.
Finally a Filipino restaurant we can truly call upscale. You won't find steamer tables here. You won't find your grandma with an ice cream scoop and styrofoam plates. You won't even find Bong Bong or Girlie taking your order.
Upon entering, you'll notice the high ceilings, tea candles on the tables, and the huge black and white pictures on the walls depicting historic sites of The Philippines. Even before trying the food, I was proud that we finally have a restaurant with ambiance. Now on to the food.
Remember I told you to not expect the expected? The chef takes typical Filipino recipes and adds flair to it. I won't say he westernizes the food; that would not be fair. You eat with your eyes first, and this is where Bistro Luneta excels in. A sauced plate with chops on its end is Kaldereta lamb, fried tofu on top of stewed pork, drizzled with vinegar is tokwa't baboy, and grilled squid on a bed of shoestring potatoes is inihaw na pusit. You get the idea. Even the Crispy Pork Trotter is a fancy name for our beloved Crispy Pata (which, by the way, we bought the entire stock of last night...it was THAT good).
Kudos to Jon Guanzon for coming up with the concept, thanks to James Guanzon for inviting us out here, and huge props to the SBC for making last night's event a big success. I'll be back for sure.
This place was great. After reading the reviews from Jennifer C P., I had to try it. I met my wife there for lunch and was so happy I did!
Started off with the calamansi mimosa. This was TOO easy to drink. Dangerously Delicious!!! For the appetizer we started off with the Tuna Tartare. So fresh, so good! I had the Lechon Kawali Rice Plate and my wife had the Pork BBQ and Shrimp Gambas Rice Plate. Both were outstanding! We finished off by sharing the Barako Creme Brulee which was awesome!
The service was great and the food was better. I will definitely be visiting here when I'm on that side of the bay!
nice filipino restaurant, a place to bring people that want a lil somethin exotic but still wanna play it safe. if you keep your mind on thinkin bout the overall taste of the food, not how authentic it is, you will enjoy your meal.
food was pretty good but I spent more on a meal here than any other filipino/filipino inspired restaurant.
If Bistro Luneta opened 10 years ago, I would consider this place at the top of the list. But with the current influx of local Filipino restaurants that have opened within a 20-mile radius from my house, I have to say that Bistro Luneta is pretty average.
We ordered the crispy pata, which was a pretty large piece. Let's face it; you order crispy pata for the skin; this portion we received was a little lacking in that department. To their credit, however, the meat on the pata we received was tender and moist, with a thin layer of fried crispy goodness on top.
At other, less expensive restaurants? More skin. I'm just saying.
We paired that with vegetables in coconut milk, since pinakbet wasn't on the menu which, in my opinion, is a hugely missed opportunity.
Dessert was a barako creme brulee, made with the highly popular coffee grown in Batangas. Served in a coffee cup (get it?), it was good. Not spectacular, just good.
Bistro Luneta positions itself as a more upscale than your typical Filipino restaurant. I don't buy into the whole "bougie" Filipino restaurant thing. If I want fancy, I'll go to Fleur de Lys. When I go out to a Filipino restaurant, I am seeking comfort and familiarity, not pretense. Calling your restaurant a "bistro" and having a wine list with ridiculous markups on Chilean and Napa Valley wines (and then serving me a glass of wine with bits of cork dust floating on the surface) doesn't automatically make you a higher-end, white-tablecloth establishment. In other words, if you're going to try for the fancy angle, and I order crispy pata from you, serving the whole leg on a plate with not so much as a spring of parsley for garnish doesn't really scream "elegant" to me.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while since I keep driving past it when looking for a place to dine in downtown San Mateo. Parking here is ample and they even have a parking lot in the back (with direct entrance into the restaurant.)
Ryan suggested we get something healthy so I chose this place. I have lost all future rights to "pick a healthy place for lunch" b/c large plates of fried Filippino food isn't healthy. Go figure. We were both feeling pretty hungry so had to ask for a lot of input from our server.
Ryan got the Arroz ala Luneta b/c it was big and the picture of it on display appealed to him. (Mostly I think it's because of the plaintains ... though they looked a lot sweeter and tastier than they actually were.) I got the Lechon Kawali Rice Plate which was fatty pork with rice. Since I don't like the fatty part, I had to pick apart most of my meat. The taro leaves cooked in coconut milk was yummy though ...
The decor in this place is really cool and service was friendly (it seemed to be a really slow lunch day today with only 2 other tables during peak lunch hours). A lot of the food sounds delicious so I'm going to visit again in the future.
Went here again on a Friday nite, and it seems that it's going downhill. We were the only ones there. It also seems that they're cutting back 3 shrimp in their noodle dish, etc. Food is ok, still very pricey and better food elsewhere.
Good Filipino food with an upscale (expensive) California flair, IMHO. My wife and I prefer the… Read more »
This place is really awesome friendly staff we end up trying this restaurant because it was highly recommended by my husbands co-worker. it's an upscale Filipino Restaurant that we would definitely go back. We ordered Pato sa Gata which is really delicious and this is the first time I ever had a peking duck that is perfectly cooked and even with a coconut milk you can still taste the flavor of the duck. My husband ordered a Crispy Pata and it's really good too we barely see any grease most of the Filipino resto that we ever been most of the time they are greasy. BTW Patio Filipino is nothing compared to Bistro Luneta we tried Patio Filipino before and we get disappointed whatever they mention on the newspaper it's over-rated.
Definitely Recommendable - try and see it for yourself.
Been wanting to try this place for a minute now. We ate here a couple months ago. Walked in with no reservations, luckily, we were seated ASAP since it was early in the evening. Nice little place in San Mateo, friendly staff, good food, good price. The only set back was that the food took so long. Reason being is there was only 1 waiter, 2 cooks and 1 dishwasher. Don't come hungry on a busy day coz' you'll end waiting a while for the food. The chef himself was waiting on people.
Bistro Luneta is definitely the most upscale Filipino restaurant I have ever been to. The atmosphere is nothing like Ongpin or Sinugba, which haven't been redecorated in years. Due to the dim lights and bare, smooth wooden tables, Luneta has a very romantic, modern setting.
This is not the place to look to if you want down home, traditional cooking. It is also not the place to find hearty portions, as everything is serves "tapas" style. This is a problem for me & my family, who are used to heaping portions served family style. This is, however, the kind of place you bring your "just arrived from the P.I." family members because even though they'll be bitchin about the portions & prices, they will secretly be very impressed and think, "so this is what America is like!"
I came here with a party of six family members. We ordered:
- paksiw- seabass with ginger
- pancit canton- noodles with pork & shrimp
- crispy pata- my mom's favorite- deep fried pork leg
- chicken adobo
- escabeche- tilapia
- bistek luneta- grilled beef
- lots of garlic rice- my favorite
Dessert was churros with a milk chocolate dipping sauce & coffee creme brulee. I recommend trying both.
Their food tastes like something your family usually cooks, but with a twist. Everything was very flavorful, not greasy and presently artistically.
Prices are quite high, service is great (our waiter was friendly & checked on us several times), and the ambiance is warm & wonderful. I don't think my family & I will be returning, but it was nice to experience a more "refined" Filipino restaurant for once.
As great as our experience was at Bistro Luneta, you're more likely to find me at Ongpin or Max's Chicken with their paper table cloths & mountainous portions!
I actually liked this place.
This is a Filipino Fusion restaurant. I had gone on a Sunday evening, and it was pretty quiet. I had gone with my family, and we ordered the Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu and grilled pork in soy vinegar sauce) for an app. It was excellent. Very flavorful. We also ordered the Seabass, the Pato sa gata (duck in coconut reduction), and the special for the night Kare kare.
Portions were a bit small. But that wasn't unexpected. The food was flavorful -- somewhat. I was a bit congested, and I couldn't get the full flavoring of the food. But I could taste just enough. It was really good. It was different yet very familiar.
Would I go back? Absolutely. Prices are a bit high, but not overly so. The food is well prepared and attractive. It's nice to see Filipino being prepared differently in so much that it can attract non-Filipinos.
It's a good place.
It's upscale, but the food was a little too salty for my standards and not authentic to my taste.
Very nice restaurant. Hard to know that it's Filipino Fusion--I'd say more Fu than Fil. But the food was interesting, different and quite good. I really enjoyed the flowering tea, which had a smoky flavor I'm quite sure I'd have detested by itself. But with the food, it was great.
We'll definitely go back. In fact, hmm. Maybe tonight!
We made an OpenTable restaurant and we were the only people there for most of the dinner. Must be a lunch place. Nice decor, good service.
How can you serve Filipino food without acidity? Bistro Luneta sure knows how... just douse it in more soy sauce.
I'll give them credit, all the meats were very nicely cooked, but we found ourselves longing for the acid that's characteristic of this cuisine.
We started with the Tokwa't Baboy, which were nicely cooked strips of pork belly with flour dusted fried cubes of tofu. Served atop a delicious soy citrus sauce garnished with scallions, this dish was the lone star of the evening.
The Bistek Luneta is a nicely cooked flat iron steak, served with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Rather than the typical version with strips of beef, served with onions and a soy citrus sauce, the sauce here tasted of an intense soy reduction with nary a hint of citrus. It would have been better without the sauce, but then what makes the dish Filipino then? You may as well be in a steakhouse.
The Crispy Pata, deep fried pork trotter, was again very nicely cooked, with perfectly crispy skin and moist meat, but can you guess what it's served with? Soy sauce, with maybe a hint of garlic. They even give you two small bowls of the same sauce. The fatty skin definitely needed some acidity to balance the richness. To give perspective, any other Filipino restaurant would serve this dish with just vinegar, maybe some garlic or pepper thrown in, but yes, just vinegar.
I wonder how the Paksiw is here, the classic Filipino fish dish, with a gingery vinegar broth, spiked with chilis. I bet the sardines en saor I had at Berreta, an Italian restaurant, come closer in flavor to Paksiw than what they offer here, but I am starting to get ahead of myself.
Anyhow, I think it's an easy enough fix, but I'm not so sure Bistro Luneta is willing to part with their niche in non-Filipino clientele. Fine by me, I'll take Patio Filipino or Poleng Lounge over this place any day.
And to those that argue that this is upscale Filipino, "upscale" is refining (while keeping the integrity) of the recipes and better technique, not removing key ingredients.
Imagine if Dragonfly or Bong Su didn't use fish sauce but instead piled on the soy sauce, catch my drift?
Mmmm... Yes, tofu can be a treat. Which means a lot, coming from someone who normally does not see it as food. This place is incredible. The cuisine is Filipino Fusion. Apparently it's fused with French and Japanese. The food is unusual, insanely tasty, and presented beautifully. The waiter is friendly (although we did have to wait a full two minutes for him to get our table ready for us - horrors!).
I had the duck with coconut sauce. I didn't expect it to taste nearly as good as it did. My friend had the lamb. Each of us remains convinced that she ordered wiser than the other.
It's in the new (boring) part of down town, which means that everything fun is at least two blocks away, but that parking is easy.
I loved Bistro Luneta!! We had a delicious dinner there - I was impressed by the quality, creativity and spicy/sweet/savory flavors of the food, the cool atmosphere & music and the friendly service. Everything we ordered was outstanding. If you go with friends, I recommend the Luneta Sampler appetizer and the fries to share. For a main dish try the Pato Sa Gata or the Flat Iron Steak.. The street parking is easy or there is a lot in back. Enjoy!
We finally made our trek into San Mateo suburbia to try Bistro Luneta on Saturday night. The facade stood quietly on Third Avenue beside a corner gasoline station. As we entered into the receiving area, I immediately noticed the modern and minimalist fixtures, very high ceilings decorated with large colored tiles in exotic etchings and the walls were filled with large black and white vintage photographs of old Manila sceneries, circa 1920s.
The intent to present a hip and upscale look was emphasized by the large open kitchen. The staff was very friendly. The aura of Filipino hospitality is undeniable, while maintaining professionalism with a touch of tender, loving, care.
The menu was a mixture of gourmet food, traditional Filipino cuisine, and attemps to fuse Filipino ingredients into hip California dishes such as a maki bangus roll. We enjoyed the samplers which included the mouth watering maki bangus, shanghai crispy fried dumplings, tofu bits and the pork satay. The latter was pork prepared in an "inihaw na baboy" style and taste, while presented in a skewer, hence pork satay.
For our main dishes, the winners were the lamb kalderata and the seabass plate. The prior was basic kalderetang lamb presented in a gourmet plate served with a side of thin french fries. The latter was cooked to tender perfection and served on a bed of fresh spinach and a side of mushrooms.
We were a bit disappointed with the Filipino-based cuisines such as the Gatang Gulay, Lechon Kawali and Pansit Canton. For instance, the Gatang Gulay's sauce was too thick, in our opinion. The lechon kawali tasted great, yet we thought it would have been better if the chunks were cut in smaller pieces. The idea of lechon kawali over a bed of laing was great, however, there was something off about that evening's laing side. Finally, my mom thought that the canton was quite salty, although I enjoyed the tasty mixture of the pansit dish, I agree that a little bit off the salt would have made it the perfect Pansit Canton.
Overall we had a good experience, although, I would not say that we have arrived in providing a hip Filipino Fusion place within the same standard as Slanted Door, Betelneut or Straits Cafe.
We are almost there, but not quite.
I went to Luneta with a large group (10 people) the service was excellent! We tried the appetizer sampler, it was really good. Everything was great until the entrées came out. 1st, they didn't all come out at the same time. We got about 1/2 of them and then had to wait about 3 min for the other ones. Then, the worst thing was how salty the food was. All 10 of our dishes were way too salty. I don't plan on going back, but if you do plan to visit, make sure you tell them to go easy on the salt. The desserts were good.
My brother lives in the City and my parents live in the South Bay so lucky us living in San Mateo got to choose a restaurant in our neighborhood. We pass Bistro Luneta nearly every day and have been wanting to try it so we thought that my brother's birthday was the perfect occasion.
I tried making reservations through the Bistro Luneta website, but the Open Table site wouldn't let me for a party of 7. Fortunately, when I called and left a message they called me back and let me know that they could accommodate us. When we arrived at the restaurant, there were only 2 other tables occupied which was the way it stayed throughout the evening. It was a Sunday, so natural that it would be a little slower.
The first disappointment of the night was that they were out of the Shanghai Pouches which I'm guessing are like lumpia shanghai. I guess they had run out of them the day before and did not make any new ones.
For appetizers we ordered the Tokwa't Baboy (thanks to my mom's Yelp research) and Tuna Tartare. The Tokwa't Baboy was basically like agedashi tofu with slices of pork in a soy sauce and vinegar sauce. I thought the flavors were pretty good, but the pork was a little on the chewy side for me. The tuna tartare came with a mango relish. I felt like it needed a little something extra because the tuna itself did not have very much flavor and it needed a little salt or something to help bring out the flavor. The sauce from the Tokwa't Baboy made it better, but it was probably a little too overpowering.
We ordered the Miso Cod, the Crispy Pata, the Tapa sa Seoul, the Lamb Caldereta and the Gatang Gulay with some garlic rice. The Tapa sa Seoul which was basically Korean style marinated beef was way too salty. I could not eat it. The lamb was gamier than usual. I usually am a fan of lamb, but not this time.. I think part of this had to do with the lack of sauce. The sauce seemed more like a garnish so you had to spoon it onto the meat to get the flavor and even so I didn't think there was enough sauce for all the meat and the lamb definitely needed the sauce. The Miso Cod was pretty good. I thought it had a nice flavor and the tempura spinach provided a nice contrast to the fish. The Gatang Gulay was okay. I've had similar dishes better elsewhere, but didn't have that little something special to it.
The highlight of the meal was definitely the Crispy Pata. There was more meat to it than we usually find with Crispy Pata and it was cooked well without it being extra greasy or fatty. I mean of course the crispy skin is the best part, but the meat wasn't over saturated with oil like it sometimes it and there weren't little remnants of fat all over like we sometimes see.
All of that being said, my family seemed to enjoy the meal thoroughly. I think they might rate it 4 stars, but this was what I thought.
I went here for my best friend's birthday and I really liked how nice the interior was. The service is also really good and the waiters were really accomadating and helpful. They also have parking in the back which is really convenient.
However, the restaraunt is located on a one way street so if you miss the parking, too bad-gotta find a way to get back. The food's really good for fusion dishes but I wouldn't count it as forreal filipino food. It's filipino food for people too scared to try filipino food. Also, don't come here on an empty stomach(eat a little beforehand), cause you're just gonna come out with an empty stomach and a lot less money in your wallet. &Definitely not a good place for family style unless you want to order 3 dishes of each dish. Waaayyy too little food for the price.
Overall, it's just an okay restaraunt. I've been to better.
I'll keep this nice and short.
We went on a Sunday night, and it was nice and quiet. Service was good and attentive.
Get the COD.... wow.. it was good. Moist, and succulent, and creatively served on a crunchy tempura spinach bed. nice.
Good food at nose bleed prices. I came here once and enjoyed myself. The presentation was nice and the food was tasty... but oh so little portions...
I ran over to 7-11 across the street to get a hot dog afterwards. :)
I went here with a few family members for lunch since we all wanted to try something new. The only thing good about this place are the plates that they were served on. Some of the food items were bland and most of us were thinking 'man! lola can cook this so much better'. To top it off, our bill was outrageous! We were expecting a family style lunch =/
Been here a couple of times. It used to be near where I lived and its the most convenient Filipino Restaurant that I know of to bring family and friends:
Pros:
1. Its in the heart of Downtown San Mateo
2. Good food presentation
3.Ambiance is really nice,although they could use up more light esp.at night to see our food better.
4.Staff are all friendly and courteous
5. Food is good.
6.Its good to see young chef working in the kitchen
Cons:
1. Parking is little bit hard,you have to park in the street.
2. Little bit pricey,but,since they want to present it in a gourmet style,i guess its understandable.
I would still come back though.
Bistro Luneta was a small step into a cuisine which I had never experienced before. A small step because the cuisine is not authentic Filipino food, but a modern interpretation of classic dishes. A friend of mine and I decided to try this place in lovely San Mateo. What we ordered:
-Tuna Tartare (Fresh tuna cubes with Asian vinaigrette and mango relish): A wonderful, short, cylindrical molded stack of tuna cubes and micro-dice of mango. I enjoyed the sweet taste of the mango and the freshness of the tuna. Surrounded by micro greens, this appetizer was a winner.
-Lamb Kaldereta (Grilled New Zealand chops with tomato-pâté de foie sauce): My entree, I thought, was OK. Nothing too spectacular. The lamb was cooked to my specifications (medium) and was tender and delicious. The kaldereta sauce was unimpressive. Basically was tomato sauce and I didn't taste the pâté de foie at all. The small container of crispy, toothpick-looking fries that accompanied the dish was something nice to munch but it won't steer me away from my preferred In-N-Out fries.
-Seabass Supremo (Pan-seared Chilean seabass with sautéed spinach and mushrooms): This was my friend's dish and she enjoyed it. I only got a bite of the seabass and it was very flavorful. Seabass has a high fat content and it showed in the moistness of the fish. Kudos to the good sized portion of the filet.
-Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Side dish): The texture was more grainy than smooth but edible. Also nothing too inspiring about this side dish. It is garnished with thin slivers of crispy garlic.
Thoroughly enjoyed the service provided as he made sure everything was OK with us and our meals. The place is small but doesn't feel like cramped at all. Also reserving through OpenTable apparently gets you a nice "reserved" sign on your table. A nice touch I thought. Overall, I would definitely come back to try other dishes and indulge on their dessert menu.
I'll admit the first time I came here, I was unimpressed. Probably because everyone was hyping it up and my expectations were through the roof. Second time around was much better.
We ordered:
Ukoy appetizer - very good. Nice that the veggies weren't little shreds but big chunks.
Crispy Pata - for a couple who never eats fried/greasy food, it was a pretty good change! Skin was awsome, though I had to scrape off a thick layer of fat. Meat was heavy/oily, but tender.
Bistek Luneta - unexpectedly good. We were expecting the typical strips of beef with sauteed onions and shrooms. It came out looking like a filet - with the awesome citrusy-soy sauce on top. My favorite so far!
Creme Brule - came in a tiny little cup and saucer (looked like coffee). Tiny portion, but pretty good. Light and fluffy.
Overall, I left much more satisfied than the first time we came here. The dishes were much better, but the portion sizes are still inconsistant. Our waiter (Joe?) was very friendly and was good about checking up on us. After this experience, I wouldn't mind coming back.
After a long day's work and a very bad experience in Intramuros, Donna convinced me to try this place. Off we went, braved the rain and traffic.
This is is a humble place with surprising stuff!!
OK, since my taste buds were traumatized my Intramuros, I decided to be very cautious with what I will order. To test how good this place is, I just ordered garlic rice and ginataang gulay (veggies with coconut milk). Hmmm...love it!!!
I also tried my friend's bistek and ribs...pretty good!!
We ordered samplers for appetizer and we all love it.
I like the fact that they don't overdo the fusion to the point of losing the Filipino taste! I like the fact that the menu is simple yet delivers! This is how it should be done Intramuros!!!
The servings are ample and reasonably priced.
The staff and chef are friendly.
The waiter is HOOOTTTTT....MARRY ME ALEX!!!!! PLEASE!!!!
Of all of the Filipino Fusion restaurants that I've been to, by far, Bistro Luneta is ranked up there. With that said, if you're looking for a traditional Filipino dinner, this is NOT the place to be. There servings are small and not like the portions that you will get going to a traditional Filipino restaurant. So, if you have an open mind or should I say an open pallet, give it a try.
The chef is Filipino and learned his trade from Switzerland. For me, it was a pleasant surprise on how he interprets Filipino cooking. Every time I go there, I always ordered their Sea bass Supremo. In my opinion, this is the best thing on the menu. The closest thing to a traditional Filipino dish, is their crispy pata.
So, if you go there, make sure you order the Sea bass Supremo.
Too expensive yet small portions/servings. They are trying too hard to be fusion and fancy.
We had dinner here about a month ago. We were a group of four and our bill was $150 yet we only ordered 4 dishes.
The only thing I would come back for is the Churros Manila. The churros were not like the ones from Manila but it's the closest we have here.
Came here with 6 of my girls yesterday for my birthday, and I'm glad I picked this place!
They were really sweet, and helped recommend what to order for my "family style" birthday dinner.
We ordered two Pancit Cantons, two Chicken Adobos, the steak, the tilapia, and the appetizer sampler dish.
I love the crunchy little things they added to the Pancit Canton. They also use thicker noodles rather than a vermicelli type kind. Definitely a difference from your regular Pancit but nonetheless tasty!
To elaborate on the appetizer sampler, there was tofu, maki sushi, some kind of fried wonton kinda asian thing, and steak(?) skewer.By the way, the maki description doesn't sound like the sushi is that great, but it was AWESOME!! And the steak(?) was mouth-watering. And of course I love my tofu, and the fried wonton kinda thing was... OH MY GOSH it was just good okay!! GET IT ALL!!! hahaha
And then my cousin and friend told them it was my birthday, so they surprised me with their churro dessert!
Now lemme tell you, churros are usually covered in TOO much sugar. And I'm sure most of you end up having to give it a few shakes to shake off the sugar, or brush it off lightly with your fingers. But Bistro Luneta makes it to perfection and even includes dipping chocolate. OH SO GOOD!!!! AND AND, it comes with strawberries and berries which you can also dip into the chocolate for a taste of heaaaaaaaaavenly bliss! =)
I'm sooooo going to need to work this off at my 24 Hours Fitness.
What a great way to remember my 19th birthday dinner! I will definitely be back.
San Mateo, CA
Category: Filipino
South San Francisco, CA
Category: Filipino
San Bruno, CA
Category: Filipino
San Mateo, CA
Category: Seafood
San Mateo, CA
Category: American (New)
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