Janice Dulce is the Chef and Owner of FOB Kitchen and FOB West, specializing in Filipino cuisine. She is recognized for her dedication to hospitality and for bringing traditional Filipino flavors, inspired by her...
FOB Kitchen is a Queer Woman POC Owned Filipino restaurant in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood, known for creating intimate dining experiences inspired by the Philippine islands. It offers a blend of authentic Filipino flavors with contemporary twists, served in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.
Customer Perception
Customers generally praise FOB Kitchen for its delicious and authentic Filipino food, with many highlighting dishes like Shanghai Lumpia, Lechon Kawali, and Sinigang Baboy. The service, particularly from staff like Diego, is often described as exceptional. Reviewers appreciate the unique smoky flavor of the pancit and the delightful turon dessert with ube ice cream. The ambiance is noted for its vibrant decor and good music. Some common criticisms include dishes occasionally being underseasoned (though preferred over overseasoned), the hot sauce being overly acidic and not spicy, and occasional inattentive service. Parking can also be challenging.
Additional Details
FOB Kitchen is recognized as a top Bay Area Filipino restaurant and is known for its fresh Filipino food and house-made hot sauce. The restaurant also has a related venture, @fob_west.
FOB Kitchen is open Wednesday through Sunday. It is ideal for lunch and dinner, with Friday and Saturday evenings extending until 10 pm. Sunday brunch is also a popular option, with dishes like Longanisa Benedict mentioned.
While the food here is good, the service is even better. Diego and crew are exceptional. Our group of thirteen enjoyed our appetizers, mains, and dessert (halo halo) but found a number of the dishes to be underseasoned. However, this is preferable to overseasoned. The eggplant salad with sea beans and rice crackers was the standout dish. The Shanghai lumpia was delicious. The vegetable lumpia was OK. The sticky wings were definitely sticky but not as flavorful as expected. The pancit was exceptional. The pork adobo and pork steak were good and we recommend the pork steak. The fried chicken was also good. The lechon kiwali was not to our liking but it is due to the triple-cooked process. So that is on us. The kabocha squash in coconut milk was tasty, as expected from kabocha squash. The eggplant omelette with banana ketchup was OK. The ketchup tasted like banana and not at all like ketchup. I like bananas and ketchup but did not enjoy the combination. The longanisa hash was good but more sweet than savory. Finally, the FOB Kitchen hot sauce is not hot at all and tastes overly acidic. Overall, we highly recommend FOB Kitchen.
Went her for Oakland Restaurant Week. The location is easy to miss because it is in a small corner plaza. Parking is very difficult because it shares the small lot with five other places. There is minimal street parking around the perimeter. The staff was great, they were excited about the menu and restaurant week and explained all the different options for their special restaurant week menu. The lumpia came out hot and crispy, loved the flavor. The adobo was my favorite because it reminded me of my lola's adobo and that is saying a lot! The pancit had a very unique smoky flavor to it which was a pleasant surprise. The jicama salad was very fresh and bright and complemented the savory salty dishes. The only odd thing was the one cup of rice for two people. Would definitely come back to try their full menu.
4
We saw FOB Kitchen on Check, Please recently and had to try it! What we wanted to try were the Vegan items as well as the other Filipino items!
I had the Longanisa Benedict for a Sunday Brunch, what a tasty meal! The vegetable Lumpia was a good appetizer and the Kabocha Squash side also very tasty.
4
We recently dined at FOB Kitchen, a Filipino restaurant located in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood, and overall, it was a flavorful experience.
Dishes We Tried:
* Shanghai Lumpia: Crispy, bite-sized spring rolls filled with a savory mix of pork and vegetables, paired with a tangy dipping sauce that elevated the dish. Personally, I think there should be more meat. The garlic rice was amazing!!!
* Lechon Kawali: The deep-fried pork belly was perfectly crispy on the outside while tender and juicy on the inside. The dipping sauce added just the right tang to balance the richness.
* Sticky Wings: Coated in a sweet and sticky glaze with a subtle kick of spice, these wings were indulgent and satisfying.
* Sinigang Baboy: A comforting and flavorful tamarind-based pork soup, with tender pork pieces and vegetables. The balance of sour and savory was spot on.
* Fried Chicken: While the seasoning was good and the exterior crispy, the chicken was unfortunately overly cooked, making it drier than we would have liked.
* Turon (Dessert): The turon was a delightful way to end the meal. The crispy fried wrapper encased sweet caramelized banana and jackfruit and was served with creamy ube ice cream, which paired perfectly. Requested the Ube ice cream to be served on the side.
Ambiance:
FOB Kitchen offers a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere that reflects Filipino culture. The decor is colorful and thoughtfully designed, creating a warm and lively environment.
Service:
Unfortunately, the waitstaff were not very attentive, even when the restaurant was not busy. This detracted slightly from the overall experience.
Overall Experience:
FOB Kitchen delivers authentic and flavorful Filipino cuisine in a relaxed setting. The standout dishes like the Lechon Kawali, Sinigang Baboy, and the turon dessert made the meal memorable. Despite the inattentive service and the overly cooked fried chicken, the kitchen's speed and precision stood out.
We recommend FOB Kitchen for those seeking a genuine Filipino dining experience in Oakland--just don't expect exceptional service.
4
The lady and I hit this place up. I've never done Filipino cuisine before. I don't stray too much from cheeseburgers and nachos. But I's like "aiight". Plus, we saw it on "Bay Area Check Please" and had it as a place to check out. She had the pork adobo and plain rice. I tasted a chunk of pork with the gravy and rice. It was tasty. Nah'mean!?? For me, I got the fried chicken and a bowl of garlic rice. Chicken was crunchy. Juicy. Especially with the house made hot sauce. Of course was seasoned to a Filipino homies flavor palette. Not sure of the spices. But it was cool. I dug it. This was me expanding my food adventure. I give it a thumbs up. Also, I gotta add, the music was dope. Lotta Dilla, D'Angelo, Soulquarian vibe while we were there. If you know, you know.