Filipino food has quietly been making its way onto British plates, and honestly, it's about time. Bold flavours, comforting textures, and centuries of cultural blending make Filipino cuisine one of the most exciting food traditions in the world.
From slow-cooked stews to sweet sticky snacks, there's something for every kind of eater. British food lovers are catching on fast, and these 19 dishes are leading the charge.
1. Adobo
Ask any Filipino what dish best represents their country, and adobo will almost always come up first. Chicken or pork is slow-cooked in a tangy mix of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and bay leaves until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
The sauce is bold, savoury, and slightly sour in the best possible way. British food lovers who enjoy a good slow-cooked stew tend to fall for adobo immediately.
It reheats beautifully, making it perfect for meal prep too.
2. Sinigang
Sour, savoury, and deeply satisfying, sinigang is the Filipino answer to a hearty soup. Tamarind gives the broth its signature tang, while pork ribs, prawns, or fish add richness and depth.
Vegetables like water spinach, aubergine, and radish make it a proper one-pot meal. British soup fans who love bold, complex flavours are often surprised by how comforting this dish feels.
On a cold evening, a bowl of sinigang is practically unbeatable.
3. Lechon
Few dishes command attention at a Filipino celebration quite like lechon. A whole pig is slow-roasted over charcoal for hours until the skin turns impossibly crispy and the meat inside stays juicy and tender.
It's the centrepiece of birthdays, Christmas, and big family gatherings. British food lovers who grew up on proper roast dinners will immediately appreciate the skill and patience behind lechon.
That crackling alone is worth every minute of the wait.
4. Kare-Kare
Peanut butter in a savoury stew might sound unusual, but one spoonful of kare-kare changes everything. This rich oxtail stew is cooked in a thick, golden peanut sauce with vegetables like aubergine and banana blossom.
The real magic happens when you stir in a spoonful of bagoong, a salty fermented shrimp paste that cuts through the richness brilliantly. British food adventurers who enjoy satay or peanut-based curries tend to absolutely love this dish.
5. Pancit
Long noodles symbolise long life in Filipino culture, which is why pancit is almost always served at birthdays and celebrations. There are many varieties, but pancit canton, made with thick egg noodles stir-fried with meat and vegetables, is a crowd favourite.
A squeeze of calamansi lime over the top brightens everything up. British pasta lovers often find pancit familiar yet excitingly different.
It's quick to cook, endlessly customisable, and always hits the spot.
6. Halo-Halo
If dessert could be a party, it would look like halo-halo. This wildly colourful Filipino shaved ice dessert layers sweet beans, coconut jelly, plantain, and all manner of treats under a mountain of finely shaved ice and evaporated milk.
A scoop of purple ube ice cream on top completes the spectacle. British sweet-tooths who enjoy a good sundae or parfait are usually delighted by halo-halo.
The mix of textures and flavours in each spoonful is genuinely exciting.
7. Ube
Purple yam, known as ube, has taken the food world by storm, and Filipino cuisine has been celebrating it for generations. Its naturally sweet, subtly nutty flavour works brilliantly in ice cream, cakes, pastries, and even hot drinks.
The striking violet colour makes every dish look almost too good to eat. British food lovers with a sweet tooth have been going wild for ube-flavoured treats at Filipino bakeries and dessert shops popping up across UK cities.
It's genuinely addictive.
8. Lumpia
Lumpia are the Filipino take on spring rolls, and they're seriously hard to stop eating once you start. Thin crispy wrappers encase a savoury filling of minced pork, vegetables, and aromatics, then fried until shatteringly golden.
They're served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce that balances the richness perfectly. British food lovers who enjoy Chinese spring rolls or Vietnamese fresh rolls often find lumpia even more satisfying.
They work brilliantly as a starter, snack, or party food.
9. Sisig
Arriving at the table on a sizzling cast-iron plate, sisig is one of the most dramatic and delicious dishes in Filipino cuisine. Chopped pork face, ears, and belly are seasoned with calamansi, chillies, and onions, then crisped up to perfection.
A raw egg cracked on top finishes the dish tableside. British food lovers who enjoy bold, no-fuss bar food tend to become instant converts.
Sisig pairs brilliantly with cold beer, making it a natural hit in the UK.
10. Arroz Caldo
When you need something warming, restorative, and deeply comforting, arroz caldo is the answer. This thick Filipino rice porridge is cooked with ginger, garlic, and chicken until everything melts together into a silky, satisfying bowl.
Toppings like crispy fried garlic, boiled eggs, and spring onions add texture and freshness. British fans of congee or chicken soup will feel right at home with arroz caldo.
It's the kind of dish that genuinely makes you feel better just by looking at it.
11. Balut
For the genuinely curious and adventurous eater, balut is the ultimate Filipino food challenge. A fertilised duck egg with a developing embryo inside is boiled and eaten straight from the shell, often seasoned with salt and vinegar.
It sounds confronting, but street food enthusiasts who try it often describe a rich, flavourful experience unlike anything else. More adventurous British food lovers have been seeking it out at Filipino community events and specialist markets across the UK.
12. Champorado
Chocolate for breakfast sounds indulgent, but champorado makes it completely acceptable. This Filipino chocolate rice porridge is made by cooking sticky rice with cocoa or tablea, a traditional Filipino chocolate tablet, until thick and creamy.
A drizzle of condensed milk on top adds extra sweetness, while some Filipinos pair it with salty dried fish for a surprising contrast. British food lovers who enjoy porridge with sweet toppings tend to take to champorado very naturally indeed.
13. Tocino
Sweet, sticky, and caramelised at the edges, tocino is the kind of cured pork that makes you want to eat breakfast every single day. Thin slices of pork are marinated in sugar, garlic, and annatto for days before being pan-fried to golden perfection.
It's almost always served with garlic fried rice and a fried egg, a combination Filipinos call tapsilog. British food lovers who enjoy a proper cooked breakfast often find tocino completely irresistible once they taste it.
14. Bibingka
Warm, slightly chewy, and fragrant with banana leaf, bibingka is a rice cake that carries the spirit of Filipino Christmas in every bite. Made from ground rice and coconut milk, it's traditionally baked in clay pots lined with banana leaves over charcoal.
Sliced salted egg and grated coconut on top create a lovely salty-sweet balance. British food lovers who enjoy mochi or coconut-based treats are often completely charmed by bibingka.
It's festive, unique, and deeply satisfying.
15. Puto
Small, soft, and pillowy, puto are steamed rice cakes that have been a staple of Filipino snacking for centuries. They're mildly sweet on their own, but the classic topping of a sliver of sharp cheese creates a delightfully unexpected flavour combination.
Puto comes in many colours and flavours, including ube and pandan versions. British visitors to Filipino food markets often pick these up out of curiosity and end up buying a second batch before leaving the stall.
16. Tinola
Ginger does extraordinary things in this simple, clean Filipino chicken soup. Tinola is made by simmering chicken pieces with wedges of green papaya and chilli leaves in a light, ginger-forward broth that's both fragrant and deeply nourishing.
It's the kind of soup that feels medicinal in the best possible way, the sort of thing Filipino families make when someone's feeling under the weather. British fans of light Asian broths like pho or miso soup often find tinola wonderfully familiar yet refreshingly different.
17. Palabok
Palabok is one of those dishes that looks almost too elaborate to be a noodle dish, but every element earns its place. Thin rice noodles are smothered in a thick, deeply savoury prawn-based sauce coloured golden with annatto.
Toppings like crispy chicharon, smoked fish flakes, boiled eggs, and spring onions pile on the flavour and texture. British food lovers who enjoy a good topped noodle dish are often genuinely wowed by how complex and satisfying palabok turns out to be.
18. Buko Pandan
Cool, creamy, and perfumed with the unmistakable scent of pandan, buko pandan is a dessert that tastes like a tropical holiday. Young coconut strips and wobbly green pandan jelly are folded through sweetened cream and condensed milk for a refreshing treat.
It's served chilled and is especially popular at Filipino parties and celebrations. British food lovers who enjoy coconut-based desserts or Asian-inspired sweets often find buko pandan instantly loveable.
The pandan aroma alone is enough to draw people in.
19. Leche Flan
Silkier than most custards you'll encounter anywhere in the world, Filipino leche flan is a proper showstopper of a dessert. Made with egg yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk, it's steamed rather than baked, giving it an incredibly smooth, dense texture.
Dark caramel pools around it when turned out of the mould. British food lovers who enjoy creme caramel or panna cotta tend to become devoted fans of leche flan very quickly.
It's elegantly simple and completely delicious.
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