. . "2009-03-02T00:00:00"^^ . "0"^^ . "3"^^ . . "0"^^ . "2"^^ . "This was my first authentic Filipino food experience.\n\nThe establishment is in a strip mall that looks like any other in the area. From the look of the \"Asian Bistro\" sign I thought it was going to be like a PF Changs or a Flo's type of place. However, upon entering, I could see just how wrong I was. It is a rather large place and very busy on this Wednesday afternoon. There were probably only 2 or 3 other daring white people there, so I knew this place was legit.\n\nYou walk up to the counter to order kind of like Panda Express in the mall. You pick a 1, 2, or 3 item combo and they put it on your plate with some rice. From experience I knew that the 3 item combo would be too much for me to eat, but I ordered it anyway because I wanted to try as much as I could.\n\nI was disappointed that there was no sign describing each of the 12 or so dishes that you could choose from. Well, if there was, it would probably be in a language that I couldn't understand anyway. Lets just say I was lucky to have come with 2 Filipino coworkers of mine who acted like guides for me. I resorted to the \"point to whatever looks good\" method which worked until I pointed to the bopis (lung) and the dinuguan (blood soup). More on those later though. Anyway, I picked the adobo, menudo, and some other beef item.\n\nThe beef and the chicken items were good, but I just don't like how they are little pieces that are still on the bone. I find it difficult to eat and messy. However, they were very tasty. My 3rd item was by far the best. I got the menudo which is more like a beef stew. Had I known the name of it I probably wouldn't have gotten it because all I had known previously is Mexican menudo and that doesn't interest me. At any rate it was very good and I would get it again.\n\nNow back to the lung and blood soup. My coworkers ordered those dishes and of course they made me try them. I am not going to lie and say that they were terrible because they weren't. It is just the simple fact that I know what it is and it is way out of my comfort zone so it made my stomach a little weazy.\n\nThe best part of the meal here was dessert. One of my favorite Filipino desserts is called \"turon\". It is some sort of banana wrapped in a carmelized wrapper. All I know is that it is amazing. My coworkers have brought some to me on several occasions but I just had to have a fresh one right out of the oven. It was amazing. They have plenty of other authentic Filipino desserts, but I couldn't resist the turon.\n\nThe establishment isn't overly fancy; there are 10-15 large and small tables, a few couches and other misc. chairs. I think the place doubles as a karaoke bar at night from what I heard. Anyway, the food is authentic and the service is friendly, but in the end I think my belly is to \"Americanized\" to dine here on a regular basis."^^ .