Where to find Filipino food in Glasgow

Glasgow’s first-ever Filipino food bar opened in the city in 2018, a family-run enterprise connected to a tea bar. Tuck into some pork and chicken lumpia, made with lashings of shredded carrot – a staple Filipino snack, ideal as a starter dish. Or try pulled pork abodo wraps — 14 hours in the making, they’re a labour of love that you simply must taste. And do sample the ube mayo that’s crafted using a kind of purple potato grown in Filipino soil. Just want a drink? Order a hot chocolate made from 100% pure flaked cacao produced in the Philippines. This can be made fully vegan with oat milk.

If you’d rather not be bound by the limitations of a single cuisine, a street food market is the way to go. It’s also a smart spot to seek out some of the Filipino dishes lesser seen in many of the city’s restaurants. Each event has a slightly different lineup, so we can’t guarantee what’s on the menu on a given week (the unexpected element is why we love this style of dining). However, there are always some southeast Asian food trucks in attendance, and you may be lucky enough to find some serving up delicacies from the Philippines. If you enjoy being among the first to discover the latest trends in casual dining, check out the Dockyard Social.

While strictly speaking a Malaysian eatery, Gaga’s eclectic menu features many of the same flavours and cooking techniques found in Filipino cuisine; we’re talking corn, tamarind, ginger, coconut and mooli, among others. And there are plenty of suitably tropical beverages to help you feel as if you’d flown the 6,629 miles from Glasgow to Manila. Gaga is located in Partick, in a trendy, airy venue that’s well suited to everything from brunch to a celebration dinner.

This swish restaurant and cocktail bar crosses borders, with its fusion Southeast Asian menu, recollecting familiar dishes from across the continent. Mamasan’s kitchen also pops in a selection of Scottish ingredients to keep the carbon footprint low and celebrate some homegrown produce. This Merchant City restaurant is a great option if you’re eating with someone who’s not keen on Filipino cuisine; there’s a wide variety of choices to peruse, so everyone will find something to suit. And it’s a little more formal than some of the others on our list, so the place to go if you want to dress up for a fancy feed.

This artisan bakery makes homemade treats without the use of enhancers, processing aids and artificial additives, but with ingredients imported from the Philippines. It’s owned and run by Myla Gapay and Rene Gapay Jr, and serves the likes of organic ube pandesal, malungay, kalihim, siopao, buko pie and cheese babka. The bread is made fresh each day and is designed to offer a healthier alternative to your favourite variety, with cakes lovingly crafted using ingredients such as tofu, to create a more nutritious version that’s kinder to your body (without skimping on taste). You’ll find Panaderia de Ciudad on Earn Street in the Riddrie area of the city. So it may involve a bus ride or a drive, but you’ll be rewarded with the most authentic Filipino bakes for many miles.