Craving Lechon? TASTEBUDS- restaurant review

Filipino restaurants amuse me. Trying out a new place always becomes an adventure, because we don't know: Is it a greasy spoon place? Will the food be tasty? Will we waste our time and just hope we cooked the food ourselves?

Tastebuds in San Bruno, California, is a fairly new discovery for me. At first, because the restaurant did not have a Pinoy-sounding name, I was not even convinced they served Filipino food! But many trips to other Pinoy restaurants after, Tastebuds is now the restaurant-of-the-moment for me.

For starters, they have lechon! Yes, lechon! It is served only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but ordering lechon by the pound is one surefire way to attract customers. Having been to Tastebuds on a Friday, a Saturday, and a Sunday, I have to admit that Friday lechon is the best. The skin (the best part of the lechon hands down) is golden and crispy, the meat is succulent and moist. Perhaps on Fridays, the lechon is newly cooked and come Sunday, Mr. Piggy has been under the lamp too long? The sarsa (lechon dipping sauce) is made from scratch--how else can one appreciate the lechon? Sorry, Mang Tomas.

Ordering lechon is by the pound. At $12 a pound, it's quite worth it. Left-over lechon is made into paksiw available at all times from the menu. Most of the other items on the menu don't disappoint. We had fish steamed in banana leaf (Pinasingawang Isda) and that tasted like it lacked patis (Filipino fish sauce) or asin (salt). Otherwise, we go to Tastebuds mainly for the lechon.

Tastebuds also does catering and private parties--none of which I have tried. For those needs, I find it best to just cook at home. In summary, Tastebuds is affordable, has great lechon, and is clean. No greasy spoons here!

Tastebuds is located 582 San Bruno Ave WSan Bruno, CA 94066(650) 544-4408
http://www.tastebudscuisine.com/