I go to Jesse Jr. frequently and it's one of my first options when I am craving for some home cooking.
I find a lot of Filipino eateries get negative reviews because customers expect them to be either: a) a Chinese restaurant; or b) a Vietnamese restaurant. Everyone expects the food to be similar to these or other more mainstream Asian cuisines. Those who are unfamiliar (or ignorant) end up deeming the food too unhealthy or strange. It also doesn't help that most Filipino restaurants cater mainly to Filipinos and don't do much to educate foreigners to the cuisine. As a Filipino-Canadian, I am sometimes confused myself as to which dishes are on display.
Jesse Jr. is a cafeteria-style restaurant where you line up and pick and choose which dishes you want to order. You can get small, medium or large orders. The prices range from $4 to $8 depending on the dish and the portion size. I have no complaints about the quality of their food. It tastes just as good as any other restaurant I've tried. One thing you should be aware of is that different restaurants have different ways of cooking the same dish. I like the kare-kare at Jesse Jr. more than at Remely's for example.
The restaurant itself is adapted from an old fast-food place. The seating area can be a little cramped, but it's clean and usually empty.
I ordered party trays once and was happy with the amount of food they provided, and the prices were very competitive.
The one complaint I have is that they run out of certain foods often, namely pancit palabok and lumpia shanghai. They don't replenish when they run out for the day.
The staff are all very friendly and someone is always there to answer the phone. Their operating hours are also much more convenient than other Filipino restaurants.
If you are willing to try some dishes, my favourites are:
- pancit palabok (a noodle dish)
- beef mechado
- beef caldereta
- kare-kare (a meat dish with peanut butter sauce)
- lumpia shanghai (deep fried rolls with a meat filling, served with sweet & sour sauce)
- halo-halo (a popular dessert drink)
Filipino cuisine is meant to be shared. The option to order small portions makes it easier to sample new dishes you haven't had in the past and share it with friends.