Albert "Jolli" B.'s Profile

After reading the reviews, I think Lina no longer works or owns this place, because I just got a haircut from Abe at this location, who now owns the shop.

Anyway, $8 for a haircut, line-up, and a massage? Awesome.

I talked to Abe a bit while he was giving me a nice "Daly City Filipino Fade" (you know, the close shave semi-bald look Daly City Fil-Ams like to sport) and I found out he's been cutting hair since he was 14 back in the Philippines.

He and his uncle used to take a Calesa (horse-drawn carriage) into town and cut hair there. A quick massage is tradition back in the Philippines after a haircut. They'd come back home with vegetables, a bit of money, and cigarettes.

Abe then moved to Virgina Beach during the early 90's, then to Los Angeles, cutting hair at both spots.

Now he's in Daly City, giving haircuts to an area densly populated with Filipinos. I hope he keeps doing the massages and keeps the price point at $8, best price and value yet.

Oh and if you aren't Filipino Abe will be just as welcoming, just get ready for the great massage, which might be off-putting at first. Make sure you request it too just in case though, I have a feeling he might not pull the massage trigger on you if he doesn't sense you won't be comfortable with it.

And tell him Albert sent ya! Every 5 references (including your own haircut) equates to a free haircut for you.

Oh and park in the residential area behind the blocks and off Mission. Save yourself some change from the quarter-hungry meters.

Their silogs are HUGE. Be carefulsilog if you're at a food festivalsilog and want to try other trucksilog, you'll be stuffed after eating one of these.

5 starsilog because the Triumvirate Triple Thread Turon or whatever they call it (3 batons of turon stuffed with one of each: banana/jackfruit aka old school, hazelnut filling aka new school, and finally leche flan filled turon aka flan b) was creative and pakyoot. The old school turon didn't have enough sticky caramelized sugar on it and the plantain or banana in it was a bit tough, but that doesn't matter. THEY'RE THE ORIGINAL FILIPINO BREAKFAST TRUCK IN THE WORLD. The hazelnut turon and leche flan turon made me gizz.

Also this guy Lawrence comes out and talks to the customers. He's so cool. And they have a freaking iphone and android app. They should call it Tapapp. Or Appsilog. Holler at me for more marketing ideas.

Would you believe me if I said I drove all the way down to Los Angeles from San Francisco just to try their FIlipino food trucks? Cuz I did.

At Manila Machine, I had their Longganisa slider, the Manila Dip adobo slider, and had an intimate moment with their Ube Cupcake.

Longganissa is the only phallic-shaped food i'll put in my mouth. The adobo slider came with adobo sauce dip AND caramelized onions and the ube cupcake had an almost equally-sized dollop of white creme on top. YUMSARAP.

5 stars because my ass isn't driving 500 miles for some mediocre Filipino food on a truck. I already knew it would be 5 stars because Natassia, one half of MM, is hot. And Marvin the other half is also a Filipino food blogger at http://burntlumpia.typ.... I've been eating his food through my eyes for quite sometime.

I see they "closed up" but im not worried. Manila Machine isn't a truck, its Marvin and Natassia, and they're not stopping. I think they're just getting started.

Abundant selection-silog!

Restaurants in the Bay Area who sell silogs will usually have a maximum of 8 silog dishes. Studies have shown that In the Philippines, unless you're in a fully-stocked fancy cafe owned by a politician in the province, restaurants will have 5 to 10 silog dishes on average.

However, surprisingly enough, America has provided the world with a restaurant with the most silog choices and possibly some of the most inventive silogs i've ever seen yet. And this place is a Chinese restaurant!

So how many silogs do they have? 10? 14? 18? No. They HAVE TWENTY-FIVE.

Adobosilog (Chicken adobo)
Baconsilog (Bacon. Duh!)
Bangsilog (Boneless milkfish)
Bisteksilog (Beef slices w/ onions)
Chitosilog (Chicken tocino)
Cornsilog (Sauteed cornbeef and onions. No corn kernels here!)
Dangsilog (DANG, that's dried fish)
Embotidosilog (Philippine meat loaf)
Friedchixsilog (Fried chicken)
Hotsilog (Philippine sausage)
Litsilog (Fried pork-belly)
Longsilog (Sweet pork sausage)
Longsilog (Garlic sausage)
Porkadobosilog (Pork adobo)
Porkchopsilog (Fried pork chop)
Pusitsilog (Fried dried squid)
Sardinasilog (Sauteed sardines)
Sisigsilog (diced grilled pork)
Spamsilog (fried spam)
Tapsilog (Beef tapa strips)
Tinapsilog (Fried smoked fish)
Tocilog (Cured pork slices)
Tortasilog (Ground beef omelet)
Tuyosilog (Fried dried fish)
Vienna Sausagesilog (Vienna sausage)

We had their bangusilog, tosilog, and sisigsilog, all of which were definitely above average (in the Bay Area). I love how they serve their silogs with no unnecessary veggie sides aka decoration. Just give me my sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (eggs).

4 stars, only because at the moment, I live too far to enjoy breakfast here every weekend. Also, so far, nothing beats the quality of the over-easy eggs and the abundance of rice Sinugba of Daly City provides. At the same price!

Despite that Cherry Garden, you have popped my cherrysilog. I can't wait to come back for more.

Two words: chicken sisig party tray.

I hate math, but we've ordered their chicken sisig tray twice already. And both times it was first to run out.

The tray is a way more pricier than their other trays that they offer, but its worth it if you want your guests to be happy. You know a dish is good when guests, Filipino and non-Filipino, actually get out of their way to say how good something is without being asked.

Their other silogs are definitely better quality than other silog spots, but the chicken sisig is what makes this place unique and special. Like a unicorn. A Filipino unicornsilog.

Oh crap I forgot that they have free wifi. They have free wifisilog.

This place should have have been called Wifi-silog because this is the only place in the universe and world that offers silog dishes AND free wi-fi!!

On top of that they have a "pan de sal adobo" and "pan de sal tapa & egg". I ordered both for $6. I liked the adobo pan de sal best. The soft, cremey, pan de sal plus the flavorful adobo went well together.  

Im always on the search for free wifi when working or Filipino food when hungry... but never did I think I could find them married together.

If I lived in the area, I would come here every day for 4 pieces of pan de sal adobo while browsing the web for free.

Other than that, im not a coffee drinker unfortunately. But I saw a good review on it somewhere below so maybe next time.

Go Wifisilog Adventure!!!!

Alrighty, so Neil, the hospitable host who pushed for large servings and whom everyone adored at JAC Juan de la Cruz Cuisine is now the owner of Mana.

The crispy-pata-silog that he and everyone raved about at JAC is now here.

5 stars for deep fried, tender, juicy crispy pata... made into a silog dish.

Its bad for your health, but Neil is good TO you, so it balances out.

I should be slapped for not eating here after years of smelling this place while on my way to the post office/billiards/Colma.

In summary: cheap, hearty, delicious. This is what defines Filipino-American food in my opinion. Hence, Fil-Am cuisine!

I was hungry and found myself back in my old neighborhood, almost hitting another car from the smell of nostalgia, and soon found myself inside enjoying the company of the uber-casual pinoy/nay chefs flipping red glazed pork and chicken bbq skewers over hot and flaming black-charred grills. Fine, its a small place, but it reeks of intimate, family business.

Maybe today was my lucky day. First, it was a sunny day in Daly City. And second, once I had sat down to have my pork bbq, game 4 of the Giants' World Series began in the small HD TV in front of me. They won.

While I ate, I sat and observed the diverse rush of customers who came in, all regulars, some Filipino, some Mexican, some black, and some who knows what. And we were all enjoying the same Filipino fare.

An All-American baseball game, diverse clientele, Pinoy chefs... now THAT'S Fil-Am cuisine!

Oh wait the food: bbq pork is fat, juicy, and marinated in that simple but sweet red "pinoy bbq marinade". And most importantly, HELLA RICE.

The entree-to-rice ratio is the highest in the industry lol. 4 to 1 (when eaten "for here").

PULLED. PORK. SANDWICH. = Tender pulled juicy pork adobo with sauteed sweet yellow onions in a French baguette.

PLUS

Community-minded and sweet Penny who runs the ship.

PLUS

Naming her Cafe after Gabriela Silang, one of the Philippines' earliest female Pinay/Ilokana revolutionaries.

EQUALS

Taking BART to Oakland again for lunch at her Cafe, and then dinner at "No Worries" Filipino Vegetarian cuisine for dinner just blocks away.

Oakland, you're one lucky city.

It isn't on the menu, but they have balut. And so far it is the best balut i've had in the United States yet!

The waiter also schooled me on where to get even better balut, the Serramonte Farmer's market. Get a FRESH batch for half the price you can get here, boil for under an hour, and enjoy this sweet and savory snack of the duck gods.

AMEN and peace be with you and also with you.

PS: Call them first to see if they have a fresh stock. Other than that, their bola bola siopao rocks!