Phil-Am Kusina - Staten Island

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Phil Am Kusina Restaurant, Staten Island, NY
In the 5 years I lived in Staten Island, I noticed a serious expansion in food options. Typically, it was hard to find anything other than Italian or American food, but growing ethnic communities are slowing changing the scene. To that point, a relatively small Filipino community has taken root and brought their delicious food with them. Phil-Am Kusina, in my opinion, best represents what a Filipino kitchen has to offer - insanely good, authentic home made food.

The Grub:

First of all, this restaurant has served me some of the best food I have ever eaten anywhere. I gauge this, perhaps unfairly, by my first experience at a restaurant, and at Phil-Am, they left a lasting impression. Now, I like almost everything on their menu so I will try to make this a little more than just listing the entire thing here and just mention my very favorite things. To start, I would highly suggest their Lumpia Egg Rolls - which are somewhere between an egg roll and a spring roll but I somehow enjoy them better than both; or their Camaron Rebosado - batter fried shrimp with a tasty dipping sauce. Again, any entree will be a good choice, but its hard for me to visit Phil-Am and not order their Sisig Baboy, chopped crispy pork served on a sizzling platter with onions and a side of garlic rice - honestly its one of the best things I've ever tasted. If you're still hungry after that, go for the traditional Filipino desert halo-halo - shaved ice combined with milk, sweet beans, jello, fruit and a scoop of ice cream. So. Damn. Good.

My Order:

Lumpia egg rolls
Sisig Baboy

The Digs:

Phil-Am is located in the quiet Rosebank neighborhood of Staten Island on the North Shore. Parking can be tough to find as there are only a handful, maybe 4, parking spots directly out front - otherwise you will have to find a spot on the street. The restaurant itself is a nice open space, lots of seating. Service is always helpful and friendly. My only gripe is that they close rather early at 9PM, so for NYC commuters it may be a bit of a squeeze on a weekday, but anytime you can make it here I highly suggest you go!

The Nitty Gritty:

Authentic, traditional and delicious - best Filipino food, and some of the best food I've ever had hands down.

 Phil-Am Kusina
(718) 727-3663

 © 2018 The New Jersey Foodhound. All rights reserved.
Location: 556 Tompkins Ave, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA

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