I was craving Filipino food since Kasama and did this place meet those expectations! Loved the lechon belly, sausage, and garlic fried rice. My partner got the slow cooked short ribs. If you're here, definitely get a calamansi to start and one to go. I seriously don't know how Filipino food isn't more prevalent in the US. I loved their dishes.
My first time trying filapino food and I have nothing to compare to but I can tell you it’s great food! The Hilang chicken sandwich was delicious! I didn’t realize the chicken was crispy so that’s a plus and the breading they used was very unique in a good way. Different from any crispy chicken sandwich I’ve had in the past. My brother ordered the Chori-burger and was disappointed after he took a bite out of my sandwich. Garlic fried rice is a must! Will come back
Very pleased with my first visit. Small, casual eatery serving authentic Filipino dishes (plus select desserts from sister bakery Gwenie's).
An employee addressed me immediately upon entering & when I left. He took my order & was very friendly, personable, & respectful (addressed me as "Ate", which is Tagalog for "sister").
I ordered the combo lechon with garlic rice & substituted the fountain drink for calamansi juice. So delicious. The lechon was perfect...crispy skin & tender meat.
Highly recommend! Definitely will return to try other menu items (even though I have to trek from Arlington, VA). Worth the trek!
I have a menu suggestion though: add bistec!! 😋
Sometimes the swine isn't fine but this pork belly is simply divine. It felt like I was tasting pork for the first time. The suckulate taste of the meat with the Crispy pork skin send my mouth into complete bless. The only bad thing wrong about this dish is it wasent enough lol if you want the taste the heart and soul of the Philippines then look no farther from this restaurant. Come for the tasty food, polite servers, and unique desserts. I highly recommend the experience.
Kuya Ja’s was worth the drive from DC. The lechon belly was excellent…moist tender meat and super crisp skin. The “stacked” combo (with longanisa, fried egg, garlic fried rice and a fountain drink) was filling but a bit pricey at $24. The sisig was also good but I’d probably just stick to the lechon. The space is bright and clean but seating is limited.
I haven't been here in years, but it's a staple of Rockville. Filipino influences run heavy at kuya ja and they expended their menu considerably from their infant days. I am a minimalist and ordered pork lechon over rice. Note that their "full stack lechon" has extras that the lechon off the combo menu. Being the purist I am, I got lechon over white rice. The buttery pork fat over simple white rice with a hint of tangy sauce hits the soul. It's pure, clean, and flavorful all at once. The crunchy texture of the pork skin and soft belly meat is an art in itself. It takes years of experience to get this level of production for the masses. I highly recommend getting the pork lechon combo and then work your way around to other menu items.
![4]( "Recensione")
The empanada - the flaky pastry outer shell encompasses the meaty curry based filling. Upon the fist bite, you’ll feel and taste the buttery, soft outer layer, followed by a hint of curry flavor meaty filling. The aroma quickly occupies the mouth and you will then nod your head in pleasure while you enjoy this.
KJT’s Signature Pancit. This is not a soupy bowl of noodles. There is really no sauce that sits at the bottom or need you to mix. This is more of a stirred fried rice noodle dish. The shrimp is nicely cooked, bouncy and bity. The sausage gives it a sweet flavor which sits very nicely. The splash of lime cuts the grease and gives it a refreshing taste.
PaPa B’s Fried Rice is also a staff’s favorite. There is a lot going on in that fried rice dish. You first smell the cilantro, followed by a hint of spicy, the natural sweetness of the cabbage and finally, the cumin rounds everything up. This is all happening in your mouth!
Of course, you have to get the Lechon Belly. You can purchase the belly by itself, half pound increment at market price. As a sign in the restaurant suggested, Lechon Belly = Pork Belly; Pork Belly = Fat; Fat = Flavor. Highlight number one is the crispness of the skin. It’s like a crisp cookie, so crunchy and fun to chew and eat. The more you chew, the more of the porky flavor comes out. Highlight number two is the meat portion. The meat is juicy, tender and flavorful.
JoKoy visited this restaurant! you can see their presence (Mike Chen from Strictly Dumpling etc) on the wall. Cute and a great little restaurant!
Delicious! I was so excited to try this place because I'd heard such great things about it, and it more than met expectations. This is one of the best lechon places I've had!
Everything was delicious, not a single miss. The beef empanadas were flaky and sweet, and the filling was filled with flavor. The lumpia were long stick style, and were super crispy and flavorful. The homemade longganisa sausages were the best I've ever had. But the star of the day was the lechon pork belly! Crispy outside, soft melt-in-your-mouth fatty pork belly cubes with a rich umami flavor. The textures of the different bits of the bite, crispy skin, soft fat, chewy meat, all combine into a delicious sensory party in your mouth. I can't wait till the next time I'm back in the DMV area and get to try more things on the menu!
My pictures aren’t the greatest but that’s ok. We were hungry! Majority of the restaurants were packed because of Mother’s Day so we decided to order food ahead of time and pick up to go.
Ordering online was super easy! The food was ready when it said it would be. The location is super cute, lots goodies to buy, eye-catching desserts. The person working the register was super friendly! He even asked how I was doing. I really loved that because even though they had an overflow of customers, they were still kind. Food was great, plenty of options for the family and very filling. Parking is not a problem, plenty of free spaces.
Cute little place! Food was great! Although, the Le Chon meat was kind of dry which made it hard (and I got there when the place just opened 😅), but overall, I'd give this place a 6/10! Lumpia was yummy 🥰
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes