Overall, Kalapow offers a welcoming Filipino dining experience with authentic flavors, generous portions, and a warm, family friendly atmosphere, with many reviewers praising tasty dishes like adobo, sinigang, crispy pata, and halo halo, and noting friendly, attentive service and good value, though some visits were hampered by slow service, long waits for mains and desserts, and occasional missteps at checkout or with updates to orders. A recurring theme is the contrast between standout dishes and uneven timing, with some diners calling it a go to spot for comfort food while others felt timing and staff communication could improve.
I ordered for takeout, & the wait time was crazy. It took around 40 minutes for only three items, most of which were just fried food. Since it was a to-go order, I expected it to be quicker, but it felt like dine-in customers were being prioritized over takeout orders.
The lumpia, it was still pink inside, not sure whether it was fully cooked. Overall, the experience was disappointing due to the long wait & food quality issues.
May 21, 2026
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Variety of dishes perhaps the food in a style of a province in PH🇵🇭, I never seen a lechon kawali looking like crispy pata tossed in a sinigang before 🤣 Maybe it just me I came from Manila & I dont like my crispy pata soggy in a soup. The food gets cold fast, perhaps invest on a hot plate or a plug-in pot.. the place is spacious enough to have those equipment around. The crispy pata side sauce was diluted & it came in half an ounce remkin.. it should be at least 3oz
Vibrant classic filipino restaurant with a modern twist!! A must try filipino restaurant in the West Island. Price is affordable, crew is welcoming, & clean place!
Edit 04/21/26
We have been coming back & Kalapaw doesn't disappoint! This time we tried the desserts & it's a great balance of authentic filipino & modern cuisine twist. Also, the music hits the spot!
I must say I was looking for a real pansit bolol for a long time , just found it at kalapaw at a very good Price too waitress is smiling & give good advice on food Best place in West Island ill be back thank you
Apr 26, 2026
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Great meal & big servings too. Really enjoyed our lunch. All the staffs are kind, polite & very professional too. We went with our baby & we asked if we can get a corner seat to which they kindly gave us ( gave us the opportunity to feed our baby & put baby to nap while we eat). Highly recommended restaurant, will sjrely come back.
During my husband's bachelor dinner, they also dined in & they all have great feedbacks about the food.
Not the best of experiences. When we sat down no drink menus were given to us which is surprising because we were 4 adults. We arrived at 7:40 & it took us almost 30 minutes to get our appetizers, & on top of that we only got half of our order for the main course & that was around 8 turning 9. I understand restaurants can get busy but seeing servers ask other tables (frequently) how they were doing & we barely got that(& it wasn't even who we ordered from that came to check up on us). It was my brothers birthday & he didn't even get to enjoy his meal at your establishment because from what we've gathered from speaking with the server it hadn't been notified to the kitchen yet. Just super long wait & mediocre service.
My friend & I we got some halo-halo craving & we found this place on Google map. Everything looks delicious on the menu so that's why we decided to order some food before a halo-halo. The service was quick & excellent & the food too. It's one of the best halo-halo in the area.
The food was great & the staff was polite & available. We had the plater to share & there was enough food for two adults & a child. We tried the Halo-halo & did not like it; I believe this dessert might be an acquired taste. There is a lot of ice in it & the ice part does not really taste anything even after mixing the bean & jelly bits from the bottom.
We were really looking forward to trying this Filipino restaurant, & while the food itself was decent, the service unfortunately made the experience disappointing.
The main dishes took a very long time to arrive, even though the restaurant wasn't overly busy. We tried to be patient, but the wait felt excessive. What was even more frustrating was the dessert service - we had already paid, & it still took about an hour for the desserts to come out. By that point, we were honestly just tired & ready to leave.
The flavors were good & you can tell there's potential here, but the long delays really impacted the overall experience. I hope the restaurant can improve their timing & service flow, because with better service, this could have been a much better visit.
We recently dined at Kalapaw & had a confusing & frustrating experience at checkout.
After receiving our printed receipt, we said we wanted to pay cash. The first waitress told us we could not pay cash because it was'already in the system,' which confused us. Another waitress stepped in & mentioned something about tax & that it couldn't be changed, but she was mumbling & not talking clearly. When we explained that staff usually ask customers whether they are paying cash or card before printing the receipt, she responded in a clearly defensive, confrontational, & argumentative manner. She insisted that it was entirely the customer's responsibility to inform them & repeatedly said they'work differently here' & have their'own rules.' Her tone felt aggressive & dismissive, as if she was talking back to the customer rather than trying to resolve the issue professionally.
As people who have worked cashier jobs ourselves, this explanation did not make sense to us. We asked to see the policy she was referring to & were told to speak to the owner instead.
When the owner came, she explained that once the transaction is entered into the system, it cannot be changed because they would be charged a penalty. From the conversation, it sounded like some cash payments may not be entered into the system & that taxes might not be charged when customers pay cash. This raised a serious concern for us. Is it legal for a restaurant to accept cash, not input the transaction into the system, & not charge GST & QST? Taxes should be applied equally to all customers regardless of any payment method.
That said, the food itself was good, & we enjoyed what we ordered. The waiter did apologize in the end, which we appreciated. But those don't cancel out the fact that the situation escalated because of poor communication & tone from staff. A simple, calm explanation at the start would have avoided the entire conflict. Clear communication, consistent procedures, & better customer service would go a long way.
