Filo Cafe, a new Filipino restaurant that serves authentic cuisine, opened right across the street from the CESJDS Upper School Campus. Both the food and the environment make it a restaurant that everyone should try, making it a true hidden gem.

Walking into the restaurant, I immediately noticed the walls, which are decorated with leaves and flowers. The restaurant also provides fun board games for customers to play during their visit, which gave this cafe a unique charm and homey feel. 

Besides the atmosphere, the food at Filo Cafe is enough to make you want to return. They serve many traditional Filipino dishes including Pancit Bihon and Lumpia Shanghai. Pancit Bihon is a bowl of noodles, vegetables and chicken, but it can be made vegetarian, in a soy based sauce and it costs $13.99. It was well worth the price as the noodles were incredibly flavorful and it came in a large portion, possibly even enough to feed two people.

Lumpia Shanghai, which comes with vegetables or meat, is a classic Filipino staple, and they are a different version of spring rolls. They are extremely crispy with a very flavorful filling that has just the right amount of spiciness. It costs $6.99 for a 6-piece order of them, and it is something you will not want to miss on the menu.

While their savory food is delicious, the dessert and drinks at Filo Cafe are by far the most impressive. The Thai Tea Boba was extremely sweet and creamy as they make it with fresh coconut milk. It costs $5.49 but its flavor is very unique and worth the price. Filo Cafe is also the only place in the shopping center across the street from the school which offers such a variety of teas. 

The desserts are freshly made in house everyday and they are extremely delicious and authentic. Carioca are rice flour and coconut donuts with a hard sugar shell, and while they are extremely crispy on the outside, they are deliciously sweet, soft and chewy on the inside.. It costs $3.25 for three, making it an affordable and delectable dish. They also offer Leche Flan, which is milk custard flavored with caramel. The one at Filo Cafe is made with coconut milk and it puts a nice twist on the classic dessert. The Leche Flan costs $6.99 but can be shared between three or four people.

Filo Cafe is a perfect place for lunch, dinner, dessert or just a snack. The food, drinks and dessert are all very delicious but what is really inviting is the atmosphere. All of the staff was extremely friendly and inviting, making you want to stay. Additionally, it is an atmosphere filled with fun, games and food, three things when combined, make for an overall great experience.