Sarvida

On Saturday night, my party of 4 enjoyed a delicious Kamayan feast at Sarvida. Our server started us off with some traditional Filipino bread that was milky, soft and slightly sweet. Not long after, our server brought out our dinner. Our table was covered with banana leaves. On top of the leaves, there were large portions of garlic fried rice, sautéed vegetables (green beans, eggplant, and bokchoy), half of a grilled chicken, a whole pompano fish, pork knuckle and pieces of lumpia spring rolls.

All of us dug in, eating with our hands, and stuffing our faces. The garlic fried rice was so fragrant and smelled like coconut. I loved the vegetables, and could totally eat a whole plate of it on its own. As for the protein, the chicken was our favorite - marinated and grilled to perfection. The fish was delicious as well. Most of us didn't really cared for the pork knuckle. It brought me back to the first time my husband and I ate at Sarvida. This was the same pork knuckle that had a lot of fat and not so much meat. You're really just eating the fried skin around it.

While I wasn't sure the Kamayan dinner would be enough for us 4 at first, we were all incredibly full by the end of dinner, and even had leftovers to take home. The entire feast cost $120, which was a great deal. And service was great as usual. The Kamayan dinner is also available for take-out and can be offered for smaller parties of 2 at $80 as well.

With the risk of sounding like a food snob, I've taken a couple of trips to the Philippines and befriended many Filipino people when I lived in California, so the bar for good, quality and true Filipino food is high. Kamayan dinners were one of my favorite experiences, so after stumbling upon Sarvida, we came here on a Sunday night to check it out.

The meal started with pandesal - a sweeter, light, fluffy and freshly baked roll that came out hot. We ordered the Kamayan dinner for two including the whole fish (fried pompano) and the crispy pata (fried pork knuckle - another favorite of mine when I was in the Philippines). They were both perfectly seasoned and fried - crispy skin and tender and moist underneath. The garlic rice everything was served on top on went perfectly bite by bite with the proteins. There were so many different type of vegetables included in a coconut broth (also known as Pinakbet). They all tasted great.

We were eyeing up the ube cheesecake for dessert, but they were unfortunately out. Our amazingly friendly waitress brought out two other desserts from the kitchen instead on the house - beignets (these were hot, fresh, and insanely good) and the chocolate coconut budino (think heavier, creamier moose - decadent and delicious).

Our waitress was awesome and attentive. Our dining experience here was top notch. I can't wait to go here again, especially for brunch. See you again soon, Sarvida!

Another guys night out success, with Sarvida knocking it out of the park. If you feel "Swine is Divine" like I, or I should say we do, then Sarvida is your go to spot. A majority of Sarvida's dishes, we'll say 85-90% of their menu will have pork included with it. I gotta say I am in love with their menu, I dig the pig people!

Where does one begin? I guess I just have to give you our line-up of that amazing meal we enjoyed. I also came back a few more times to tackle some more off that menu. (Checkout out the footnote at the end of my review.)

Pulutan (Appetizers)
~ Chicharron - Pork skin.
~ Lumpiang Shanghai - Spring rolls stuffed with ground pork.
~ Binagoongan - Pig Tails in a green mango, and bagoong.
~ BBQ Stick - Grilled Pork Shoulder on a stick. ++

Salo Salo (Tapas)
~ Pinakbet - An eggplant, squash, okra, and string beans
dish with pork belly. ++
~ Pancit - An egg noddle dish with Taiwanese sausage, dried shrimp, soft egg, carrots, leaks in a calamansi butter sauce.
~ Inasal na Manok - Chicken thighs that have been de-boned in a calamansi rub(lime), annatto,(seasoning) with cipollini.
~ Adobong Gulay - Snow Pea leaves in an adobo jus, with garlic.
~ Ukoy - A sweet potato with shrimp, cilantro, bell peppers dressed in a palm vinegar.

Lamesa (Main dish) served with rice.
~ Lechon Pork Belly - Simply a divine cut that was made to perfection. A pork skin that was perfectly cooked, that had a perfect crunch to it, while the pork belly melted in your mouth. (I've got chills just thinking about it)

Tagalog (Dessert) ++
~ Chocolate Mousse - An amazing way to end ones dinner with this decadent, silky smooth mousse, that had a hint of raspberry to it.

The service was great, seeing Sarvida was at full capacity when we entered. Our server was awesome, she and (I hate to say "she" I wish I remembered her name) her coworkers were all hustling, making sure we were fully accommodated, down to the recommendations.

With the food being down right on point , the service, the decor, that home like feel to it , I am all about Sarvida. I would gladly return so I can experience all of this again. So who wants to join me... again.


**Footnote** If you see "++" , it means I have returned to experience more off their menu.

Four of us came to Sarvida and considered ordering the entire menu. We did the math and it wouldn't have been that expensive. However, the staff mentioned that might be a bit too much food. While they were right, I think we could have handled it.

Since we settled for "nearly everything" on the menu, I can safely say that you'll enjoy your food at Sarvida. Portions were perfect and we were stuffed with 3 Pulutan, 5 Salo Salo, and 1 Lamesa. Hopefully my photos help to guide your selections.

On the Pulutan, the Chicharron is so crispy and certainly worth ordering. We also enjoyed the Binagoongan (pig tails). For the Salo Salo, the Pancit is a must and the portion was incredible. The Inasal na Manok (chicken thigh) was another healthy portion of deliciousness. Finally, the
Adobong Gulay (snow pea leaves) was a surprise favorite.

Of course we got the Lechon Pork Belly as our Lamesa. It was everything we thought it would be. It was cooked just right, so that the skin was crispy while the meat was melt in your mouth type perfect. It is a must get.

Being too full, we skipped dessert. It is probably worth mentioning (again) that the staff rocks. Remember it is BYOB!

FINALLY got to try this place and so glad I did! This is more of a 4.5 stars!!! Located in Fishtown.. not too far from the main Frankford street where everyone goes to with all the bars and such. I love Fishtown and this is a great fit with all the other restaurants in the area. Parking can be a pain because you just have to cross your fingers and hope you can fit into a spot! We were lucky and found a spot under the bridge and didn't have to walk that far.

The restaurant is located on the corner of Girard and Marlborough St. It's small but cozy inside... couldn't have been no more than 10 tables, so making reservations is a must when planning to come here to ensure you get a spot inside! You walk into the open kitchen concept and can see all the action.

Was there for their Sunday Brunch, so their menu is smaller than their dinner menu. They had great options and me being Filipino, was excited to try their twist on my family's comfort food!!

Here's what we went with:

- Ube Stuffed French Toast: huge slices of bread with lots of Ube filling! Definitely didn't skimp on that! Topped with walnuts and a Dulce de leche sauce. It was decadent... but not that sweet! I actually would have loved to have more of the Dulce de leche sauce as a side sauce instead of syrup which was served with it. Or maybe condense milk to go with it... because I like it to be a little sweeter! But the serving was huge and can definitely be shared as a dessert with 2-3 people! I would get this again tho!

- Longanisa with Garlic Fried rice and sunny side eggs: i liked their take on the Longanisa patties.. full of flavor! I'm used to the links but this was really good combined with the fried rice and eggs!

- Tocino: lots of flavor, we ordered this as a side but i wish I just went ahead and ordered it as a full dish with the Garlic Fried Rice because it was that good!

Service was good! Will definitely be back to try out their dinner menu for sure!!

It was a quiet Wednesday night and I wanted takeout different from the usual spots. We gave Sarvida a try and I was shocked how much food our "meal for two" included, half a chicken over a huge bed of rice, veggies, and pork lumpia. My wife and I got a third meal out of this easy! It was ready fast and tasted amazing! we also placed an order for a dessert that was not on the menu and I got a very apologetic call saying they were out and asked if I'd like a substitute or refund.

It's hard times for restaurants like Sarvida and I would gladly support again. Genuine people with fantastic food.

Great dishes!

Sarvida's rendition of the Lumpia was meaty, crunchy, and salty, absolutely delicious. A soy vinegar sauce with sliced garlic accompanied the dish but wasn't necessary, the Lumpia was great on its own.

The Pancit Egg Noodles were quite unassuming upon first sight but tasted great. I'm always partial to Egg Noodles due to the hearty texture, as far as noodles go, this is my favorite kind of noodles whether Asian or Italian. The sautéed leeks and onions, Taiwanese sausage, dried shrimp and calamanse butter added great flavor. The soft boiled egg on top, upon breaking oozed a perfect soft yolk, further seasoning the egg noodles. It was a bit oily near the bottom of the bowl but still a hearty entree.

The Fried Fish entree was filleted on one side and topped with sautéed string onions and red pepper. The fish easily pulled away from the bone. The salty soy sauce added some flavor and went perfectly with the bowl of jasmine rice on the side.

The end of my dinner here was an appropriately sized mini flan, given that many of the dishes were full sized, this topped off my meal perfectly.

The Sarvida experience was very enjoyable. The only caveat was the noticeable hint of grease from the fryer that was in the air which is definitely correctable with better ventilation. Parking is very difficult to find even though it should be easier given that's it's not a high traffic neighborhood.

I'll definitely be back for sure!

I had some friends come visit the city for the weekend and we decided it would be a good idea to get brunch in Fishtown.

One of my friends recommended that we go to Sarvida for brunch because most of hadn't been to a Filipino restaurant before and we thought this would be a great opportunity to learn more about her culture's food. I ordered a mango juice and pancakes with a side of soft scrambled eggs.
Each of us ordered something different so we could each try different things. I really enjoyed my meal and thought it was the perfect portion size for me! Each member in my party also loved their meal which is usually rare.

Also, I really enjoyed the music at the restaurant which made the experience more comforting and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend going to Sarvida for lunch.

Amazing Filipino brunch in Fishtown! Offers some sweet modern brunch food (french toast, pancakes), with a Filipino twist. The silogs (garlic fried rice and egg) are paired with a protein, and are very tasty savory options.

Atmosphere: Very clean and aesthetic space, with such friendly staff! Came in with a group of 9, and the waitress was very accomodating of the different times of people arriving. They also offer an open view of the kitchen, which I love. Food generally came out within 30 minutes, though the restaurant was not very busy (weekend afternoon). I'm surprised it was so quiet / not many people - I imagine, as more people hear about Sarvida, this place will be much more full for brunch!

Food: You're able to order some of their meats (longanisa - pork sausage, and tocino - chicken) as sides. We had the cornbread babingka - it's made with sweet flour, and had a nice buttery taste. As a savory option, the daing is a delicious fried fish and the tocino was amazing - a sweet sauce, and quite a large portion size of protein! For a sweet option, I recommend the ube stuffed french toast - first, because it looks so beautiful, and second, the ube (sweet potato yam) adds such a tasty, yet not-overpowering, sweet note to the french toast. So filling!!

Recommended Must-Try: I'd go back for more of the ube, 100%.

Overall: 5/5 - loved the space, loved the food, loved the service! Honestly no complaints. I'm surprised there weren't more people - such a delicious option for Filipino food, and having audible conversations with friends!

Great food and good service! Came here for brunch on a Sunday around 12 noon. There were only a few tables taken when we arrived. The service was friendly and we were seated quickly. The brunch menu is small but varied. We started with an order of peppermint tea and coffee that was served in a French press for about 2-3 cups. I loved the idea of serving it ready to pour in a press!
Between the four of us we ordered several items and each was tasty. I would say there was maybe too much ube on the French toast but the French toast itself was good. I had the tocino which was delicious! The chicken came in pieces and the garlic rice was soo good I didn't want it to be done. The only thing I didn't care much for was the pancake- not fluffy like a traditional pancake but a bit more thin and dense. Overall though we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I'd definitely return!