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Little Ongpin
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Little Ongpin
11 reviews in English
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Review from Sheryl D.
Updated - 5/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Again, an update for including this restaurant in my Dessert List. I must have been channeling all those childhood desserts in my mind without paying attention to what I've actually written in the original review.
I'm partial to everything but if you have a really bad sweet tooth craving, go with the leche flan. It's basically the bastardized Filipino version of the Spanish caramel/egg flan, also known in North America as a thicker custard. Very similar to the Mexican tres leches cake in taste except we make it better in a flan form, because really, who needs the cake part? If you're looking for something light and refreshing, the traditional halo halo is wonderful! Shave ice, a variety of sweetened fruits, condensed milk and sometimes ice cream, it's like taking a pool plunge on a very hot summer day.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/20/2011
I really should give five star reviews more sparingly but this really is as good as it gets when it… Read more »
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Review from Loves Z.
Vancouver, BC
Diners and dives filipino style. I was also wondering why I never see anything but western food on that show (just saying).
I have NEVER ate filipino food at a restaurant before, since my mom is the best Filipino Chef in the world. Yet we could not pass up trying this hole in the wall, nestled in small strip mall in Richmond on No.5 Road.
Loved the Pancit. Large Portion easily could share with 3 people.
Loved the Shanghai egg rolls. Shared, but prefer not to next time.
The BBQ Pork Skewers were large and meaty, but to salty for my taste as I am only half filipino LoL
I will have to return just for dessert. There is a Halo Halo with my name on it! -
Review from Cody S.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Outsiders beware! This place has some great food. I didn't know what to say. I'm a complete outsider. I didn't know what to expect. We were driving around on an expedition and decided on this place. Fantastic. If you are looking for a heart attack in a meal.....this is your place!
The service is so nice. The people that work here really like their customers. The authentic friendliness has made me want to come back again and again.
The menu is universally good. The kitchen puts out quality....thats all I can say. Caution! There might be 'bad for your health' delicious meals being served to you! -
Review from tee a.
4/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have a problem.. I always order too much food!! Don't judge :)
See below..(please forgive on spelling)
Lumpia (spring rolls): hmm.. I prefer pin pins.. not as tasty as I hoped.
Sinagang (a seafood based sour soup): tasty with huge chunks of fish and prawns yum!
Pork hock: a deep fried pork leg.. greasy and chewy.. will not order again
BBQ squid: perfectly char-grilled.. the vinegar sauce it usually comes with needs a bit of work (I can make better)
Garlic rice: tasty as usual
BBQ pork skewers: not as sweet as usual Filipino bbq meat.. nevertheless tasty (again, sauce was ok)
Halo Halo Royale: i'm a big fan of bbt.. but the halo halo here will give dragon ball a run of their money. i love everything ube ice cream :) -
Review from Larry L.
4/24/2011
The first time I came here, I thought this was just amazing.
The second time equally as good.
the third time it wasn't so good. I can't remember the name of the dish, but it as Squid and it had the guts insideit and it smelled terrible and tasted awefull.
All the other times afterwards were decent, but we almost didn't come back that day we had that squid.
If you take that dish away and just eat the fried foods, it's terrific, nearly.
Home made Filipino food is alway and will always be better. I haven't yet found a place that makes excellent restaurant quality Filipino food here in town yet. Like this place, too many have their ups and downs. Some days it is good, some days it is "uh oh,,,what happened here?"
But if you need your fix and can't get it at home anymore and you are in Richmond, this is the only place to go.
It if weren't for that squid catastrophe it would have been a better rating.
We had to psyche ourselves into coming back.
I have to say, if you want to diet. don't eat here, cause all the good dishes are golden crispy!!! Yummmmm -
Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
This is not West. It's a place only neighbourhood locals may know and keep amongst themselves. It's also for foodies seeking choleresterol inducing delights no matter the distance.
Welcome to "Little Ongpin Family Restaurant" where Filipino-Chinese cuisine is served. (Ongpin is a neighbourhood in Manila which is similar to a Chinatown).
I'm talking about Sisig (pan fried pork cheeks served in a cast iron sizzling platter). Sprinkle the provided lemon and mix the red chili. Kick back and munch it with a cold ice beer or as a meal with their garlic fried rice.
How about some Lechon Kawali (fried pork cutlets served with a side of sweetened pork liver sauce). The best part is the crunchy skin.
They do have more tame and equally delicious dishes like Laing (spinach cooked in spicy coconut sauce). Or the more known Kare-Kare (Ox tail and Tripe in sweet peanut stew).
Finally, don't leave without trying some Filipino desserts like Halo-Halo Deluxe (shaved ice topped with various sweets like red beans, jackfruit, coconut, flan and Purple Yam ice cream).
The service is friendly the old fashioned Filipino way. Always eager to assist and answer any questions were threw at them (i.e. how far is the Earth to the moon. Kidding!).
There were mostly Filipino patrons, but seeing Caucasians dining as well made me smile that Little Ongpin was doing something right. If I were to recomend a Filipino restaurant to try in BC, this would be it.
The only negative I have which is the backlash Visa pin system that requires you to go pay by the cashier area if a restaurant hasn't invested in a wireless card reader to bring table-side.
Other than that this I'd love to go back when in the area. -
Review from Adrian V.
Richmond, BC
7/11/2011
As many Asian restaurants there are around, there aren't that many Filipino restaurants in comparison. There's a lot more in Vancouver but that's too far for me when I need something just nearby. Little Ongpin is the closest to where I live, the food is actually pretty good (great value too) and the service is superb.
The atmosphere is really casual and everyone is friendly. This is very typical of Filipino settings; it reminded me of social events and gatherings back in the Philippines. It's very warm and inviting, which makes it a plus for me. We were greeted and seated as soon as we walked in. My parents know a lot about Filipino food, which speeds up the process of ordering (I know a lot too but they know a lot more and this helps when I'm up to trying something new).
Around the table, we ordered the Chopsuey (sautéed, mixed vegetables), the Miki Bihon (Chinese style noodles), Pork Sisig (pork sizzling plate), Diniguan (pork blood stew), Chicken BBQ skewer with atchara (atchara is pickled papaya), Lechon Kawali (roasted pork), Garlic fried rice and Taho (tofu with sweet syrup and tapioca pearls) for dessert. I also ordered their pineapple juice.
Because we've dined here before, I was expecting our food to be good overall; and it was. The Chopsuey was average. The snow peas and the red pepper were cooked just right and I loved the quail egg in there. The cauliflower was a bit overcooked, but I did like the syrupy sauce that it was in. The Miki Bihon is, again, more a Chinese dish than Filipino, but Filipino cuisine has tons of Chinese influence in it. Really love the fact that there's tons of protein and vegetables and not just the noodles. Squeeze the lemon wedge too if you want to brighten up the dish. It was quite greasy and it was kinda swimming in the sauce. Wasn't a fan of that but I still liked it. The Pork Sisig was one of my faves; the dish usually consists of chopped pig's head and liver but there was no liver in this dish. It was definitely delicious; I really like the crunch too. The red onion adds a nice interesting flavour and the lemon helps cut the fat down. This is really needed as it's quite a fat based dish. Really love the aroma of it too.
My other favourite was the Diniguan. Now we often get weird looks from people who find out that this is what it is, but I know a lot of non Filipinos who have tried this and found it delicious. Try it when you're feeling up to it. Anyway, this version of the Diniguan is actually pretty good. I like that the sauce is thick; I've tried some before where the sauce is quite liquidy and I didn't really like that (to each their own). My mom was quite impressed with this version too. She liked it (and she's quite hard to please). Not a fan of spicy stuff so I didn't bother with the jalapeno that came with it.
The Chicken BBQ skewer was absolutely tasty! The meat is so juicy and it had a very nice BBQ flavour to it. The atchara was a really nice addition as it added a nice hint of sweetness to it each bite. The Lechon Kawali is another favourite of ours, particularly by my brothers. Love the huge portions and the roasted taste. We always get this with the garlic fried rice, which could use a bigger portion. There was, however, just enough garlic. Quite tasty.
My pineapple juice was very refreshing. Tasty, but I doubt they used fresh pineapples. It tasted like it was canned pineapple juice. I wasn't very impressed with the Taho. The tapioca used isn't the same one that street vendors in the Philippines use; the ones used were the bubble tea kind of tapioca - bigger and black compared to small transparent ones. The syrup was also quite watery and the tofu was really light. Not very authentic.
Overall I loved my experience. Our server checked up on us often, but not often enough to make it annoying. In addition, the bathrooms were tiny but very clean. The dishes are well priced; definitely worth the value.
Would I come back? Most definitely. You should check this place out if you're in the neighbourhood and are wanting to explore exotic Filipino cuisine. -
Review from Jarrad K.
Vancouver, BC
5/5/2010
Stopped in for a late lunch today very excited because of the previous reviews.
When I arrived the place was empty. The waitress was very pleasant. I asked what the most popular dishes were and also her favourite dishes. She said she always recommends the Beef Stew to the white people because they always love it. I ordered it along with an egg noodle dish, some egg rolls and some bbq chicken & pork.
I was treated to some complimentary vegetable soup and, honestly, that was surprisingly good. Possibly the best vegetable broth I've ever had.
Next came the egg noodle dish with a few bits of chicken and prawn. Turned out the be spaghetti with what tasted like Lipton's soup mix as flavouring. A definite fail.
After that came the egg rolls and bbq meat. The bbq was average.. not bad... kinda fatty. The egg rolls tasted like something you'd get out of the asian portion of the frozen section at the supermarket. Fail. I didn't try the "brown sauce."
Finally the Beef Stew arrived. Honestly, it was pretty good. If for some crazy reason I ever came back to this place I would definitely get it again. The meat wasn't that tender, but the sauce was good. After a while it tasted a bit like Mesquite BBQ potato chips. Win!
I can't give this place more than 3 stars, but I can't give it a 1 either. Perhaps it's my quirky (Caucasian) taste or bad luck in ordering, but I don't see myself coming back again.
:) -
Review from Jay S.
7/27/2010
Extensive menu and warm and courteous staff make this a regular place for my family and I. Being a Canadian Filipino transplanted here in Washington it is hard to find a good Filipino restaurant that can satisfy my cravings for my country's food, so whenever I make my way back to Richmond, B.C. to visit family, I make sure to drop by this little gem! The decor is very basic and the tables are set up casual like you're at a picnic. The menu is very informative with description of the food accompanied with pictures. if you are a first timer i suggest you stick with the tried and true dishes: chicken adobo, beef caldereta, garlic fried rice, and perhaps some pork bbq, and the ever cardiac arrest inducing lechon!
Sorry don't have the time to explain the ingredients or taste, but trust me it's all good. But like the other reviewer stated leave room for dessert and make sure you try their deluxe halo-halo: a variety of mixed beans, coconut strips, flan, along with shaved ice, condensed milk, topped off with Magnolia ube ice-cream! OMG- I'm hungry now! If you notice there hasn't been any mention of vegetable dishes. Unfortunately Filipinos tend to overcook vegetables, or primarily use them in stews. Do try the lechon with guylan (sp?) it's delicious, and the vegetables are not over cooked.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Robert B.
11/29/2010
I got take out from here while in the area for business, and was not disappointed. When I showed up to pick up my order I noticed that I was the only white guy in the restaurant, which told me I was in for some good eats. I ordered the Lechon Kawali (pork with really crispy skin) and a side of garlic rice. It was a simple and very satisfying meal. I'll definitely head back here on my next trip.
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Review from pete h.
3/21/2010 5 photos
This place is one of those hidden gems that you would not be able to find if you were not a local. Supposedly, this cook at this restaurant is a Chinese guy that lived in the Philippines. However when we walked in, I think we were the only table that was not Filipino, so that is always a good sign. This place is busy, it's also a fairly small place so tables are limited, I would estimate there to be about 14 tables total. Moving onto the food, this place blows every single Filipino restaurant in the Seattle area out of the water, even grandma Inays on Beacon Hill has to bow down in silence. We ordered the pancit, beef stew, fried milk fish, and a halo halo with ube ice cream to share. The total for the three of us came to 33 dollars and we left stuffed. Did I also mention that they have dinner specials that are priced between 6-8 dollars; which include rice, soup, lumpia and an entrée? Now how can you beat that?!?! Service was also awesome; everyone says thank you and good bye as you walk out. Little Ongpin, you've got my vote!
