October marks Filipino American history month, celebrating the accomplishments, culture, and heritage of the Filipino diaspora. The world’s most diverse borough is home to an array of delicious restaurants and cafes serving authentic Filipino food and desserts, from pork sisig to kare-kare, as well as fresh pastries, like ube cake and burnt Basque cheesecake.
From the heart of Little Manila in Woodside to Astoria, here is a list of delicious restaurants and bakeries to try for a treasure trove of authentic Filipino flavors in Queens.
Purple Dough
Purple Dough is a Filipino-inspired cafe offering vegan and gluten-free options, including delicious treats such as their baked cake donuts with flavors like calamansi, Thai tea, ube and coconut pandan. The cafe also offers halo-halo, a traditional Filipino treat, an ice cream cake donut sandwich and a variety of drinks, including bubble tea and fruit shakes.
63-04 39th Ave., Woodside
646-726-2187
Instagram: @purpledoughs
Ihawan
Ihawan serves an array of Filipino dishes, from sizzling sisig to kare-kare to savory BBQ dishes, which are their specialty. The cozy space is a great place to visit for hearty dishes, warm service and authentic Filipino cuisine, including their dessert offerings like halo-halo and mango royale, made with fresh mango, crushed ice and milk.
40-06 70th St., Woodside
718-205-1480
Instagram: @ihawan_
Renee’s Kitchenette and Grill
Renee’s Kitchenette and Grill is a staple that has been part of Little Manila for more than three decades. The space has a cozy and warm atmosphere with lanterns along the ceiling and plenty of unique decor. The restaurant boasts dishes such as their BBQ grilled sampler, pork chopsilog and lumpiang shanghai.
69-14 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside
718-476-9002
Instagram: @renees_kitchenette
Kusina Pinoy Bistro
Kusina Pinoy Bistro offers authentic Filipino cuisine in a festive atmosphere, complete with live music and karaoke. The expansive space is perfect for dinner with friends or a family gathering, and the restaurant offers an array of hearty dishes, including their meat and seafood platters for groups of 6 or more, as well as dishes like pork belly kare kare and sizzling biko. The restaurant also offers must-try desserts, including halo-halo and their kusina sampler, which features cassava, leche flan, and ube halaya.
69-16 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside
347-924-9977
Fern and Aurora
Fern and Aurora is a hidden gem in Northeast Queens, offering delicious sweets, including their freshly made ube donuts, hand-painted bonbons and seasonal treats, as well as their famous ube latte and their latest addition, a vanilla maple granola iced coffee. The cafe regularly offers new sweet and savory treats, giving customers something new to explore.
39-02 Little Neck Pkwy., Douglaston
Instagram: @fern.and.aurora
Barkada Social Club
Barkada Social Club has a unique setup in that it offers designated social nights where guests are seated with people they’re meeting for the first time, fostering new connections and community. The restaurant offers Filipino-American cuisine, from pork BBQ to Kwek Kwek (beer-battered quail eggs), along with dishes like fried chicken and gravy, as well as the Barkada burger.
33-05 Broadway, Astoria
718-255-6222
Instagram: @barkadasocialclub
Kora Bakery
Kora is a popular bakery offering Filipino desserts such as fried brioche, Filipino donuts, Ube babka and an assortment of seasonal treats, like their fig and rum danish, made with Philippine Tanduay rum and fig filling, fig leaf diplomat cream, oat crumble, and honey and fresh local figs. The bakery also offers a variety of drinks, including ube lattes and drip coffee.
45-12 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside
Instagram: @fromkora
Kape’t Torta
Kape’t Torta is a local gem featuring Filipino treats, including ube cake, halo-halo and ube custard cake, along with savory pastries such as their pork asado bun and cheese-drizzled pandesal. The bakery has a cozy atmosphere where guests can sit and meet with friends while enjoying their freshly baked goods.
83-13 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst
718-899-0240
Instagram: @kapetorta
