Bistro Luneta Restaurant Review, San Mateo

Since 2006, Bistro Luneta has been serving modern Filipino cuisine in downtown San Mateo, not far from Highway 101. It is named after a famous park in the country’s capital, Manila. We have passed by this place many times and decided it was time for a visit.

Decor, Vibe – Tall ceiling with decorative tiles up high. Lots of wood, tables, chairs, bamboo screens. The place was 80% full and had familes, couples, people of all races and ages dining.

Menu Pictures (Click to zoom into any picture)

Website Menu

Picks:

Calamansi Juice ($3.80) or drawrf tropical lemonade that tastes like lemonade and some mandarin orange.

Batchoy (small bowl) – ($5) Visayan egg-noodle soup with pork, garlic and green onions was a small bowl that hit the spot. Nice and hot broth with tender noodles. Simple and cheap.

Crispy Pata – ($18) Crispy twice-cooked pork leg with baby bokchoy and soy-vinegar-garlic dip was done really well. Super crunchy pork skin and tender meat inside. It looks massive and was hard to cut apart, but well worth the effort. An artery clogger.

Chicken Adobo – ($14.50) Chicken in adobe reduction (stewed in vinegar) with asparagus, garlic and mashed potato. The chicken was tender and was marinated overnight in a vinegary sauce. An updated version of a classic dish.

Banana Crepe ($7) Banana in triple-sec rum and cinnamon crepe was super hot out of the pan. Very big, well balanced sweetness, and worth getting.

OK:

Seabass Supremo – ($22) – Pan-seared Chilean seabass with sauteed spinach and mushrooms was small but cooked slightly on the dry side. The fish was also slightly fishy on the outside, possibly indicating lack of freshness.

Pans:
None

Bistro Luneta had decent service, with friendly and helpful servers. Prices are in the range for a fancy Asian restaurant, although portion sizes could be bigger. You probably need to get an appetizer and entree in order to fill up. If you are looking for modern Filipino fusion food (No lumpia), give this place a try.
Small selection of wines with Glasses from $5, bottles from $30.

Overall Rating: (Good)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Good)
Service Rating:	(Good)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Good)
Value Rating:	(Above Average)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Beer, Wine
Attire:	Casual
Hours:	Tu - Sun 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5 - 10pm
Parking:	Free Lot
Reservations:	Yes
Prices:	$12 - $22

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