I’m pretty good at deciphering menus, but I didn’t know what to expect when I ordered the ukoy at Bad Saint. Even the description—“freshwater shrimp fritter, sweet potato, cilantro”—wasn’t much help. What arrived was a cantaloupe-size bright orange tangle of fried shredded sweet potato and shrimp. Torn with my hands, dipped into a spicy cane vinegar and chile sauce, it was as addictive as a Bloomin’ Onion but 50 times more delicious.

Shredded Sweet Potato and Carrot Fritters (Ukoy)

I was flying solo, but everything about this 24-seat, no-reservation spot made me feel like family. Credit Filipino-American chef Tom Cunanan and co-owners Genevieve Villamora (the most gracious host I met all year) and Nick Pimentel, who’ve made this place their passion project. Their food is personal, but it’s so much more than just dishes they ate as kids. Bad Saint is the kind of place I spend all year searching for.





1 / 10 Chevron Chevron Alex Lau Pro tip: To snag a seat at this super popular Filipino-influenced spot, show up before the doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Judging from the hour-long waits, I wasn’t alone in my discovery. But I was happy to join the party. One minute I’m sipping a sour beer made with kelp, the next I’m digging into a fiery bowl of steamed littleneck clams with Chinese sausage. (“My favorite pairing,” Villamora said.)

I canceled my second dinner that night. (I don’t do that.) I wanted more. Adobong dilaw, a tangy stew of chicken, turmeric, and burnt coconut—I’d never had adobo like this before. Nor had Cunanan, actually—it was born of tons of research on the dish’s regional quirks and a lot of tinkering. More rice appeared—those sauces were too good to waste. Contented, I sipped on lambanog, a subtly sweet coconut spirit, and thought about how lucky I was to be part of the growing Bad Saint family.

Get the recipes:

Pork, Vegetable, and Tamarind Stew

Coconut-Vegetable Slaw

Yellow Chicken Adobo

Shredded Sweet Potato and Carrot Fritters (Ukoy)

Black Rice Bilo-Bilo