Little Ongpin is a Filipino restaurant located in Richmond at No. 5 and Cambie Road. The parking is ample, but there is more parking in the back.

 

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There were five of us and we were seated immediately because we were the first customers!

Our first dish was Lumpia Shanghai, it was delicious. It was flavourful and feeds at least two people. Lumpia Shanghai is basically ‘fresh’ lumpia (meaning it hasn’t been fried) with fresh vegetables including lettuce, water chestnuts, carrots and a lot more. It is also served with a peanut sauce. Comparing it to my dad’s cooking, I found the wrapper to be a little doughy.

Our next dish was Lichon Kawali. It was very crispy and served with mangtomas (a filipino gravy made with garlic and sweet yams – usually it’s made with liver!).

Up next was what I ordered, chicken skewers. I love barbecue and I love the way filipinos season their BBQ’d meat.

Pancit Palabok – a filipino staple! It’s basically seafood spaghetti with orange-coloured sauce. I found the noodles a little too soft but full of flavour.

Crispy Suahe (Hipon) – This is basically deep friend prawns. They were fresh and sweet. It was served with vinegar, chili and onion.

Halo Halo – which means “mix mix” in Filipino, is a combination of ice cream, shaved ice, jello, (sometimes) beans, macapuno (coconut). One of my favourite filipino desserts!

I came with three older filipinos who have been cooking for years, and they were raving during the entire meal. They especially liked the palabok and the hipon and in the end, we couldn’t finish our meal!

Apparently, there is a Little Ong Pin in the Philippines but I’m not sure whether they are connected.

Food – FOUR FORKS
I barely go to Filipino restaurants because I find they can’t beat homemade food like my dad makes, but I think compared to other restaurants, this one comes pretty close! Some of the food is a little soggy but for the most part, its very flavourful.

Service – FOUR FORKS
The server was polite and was very attentive.

Value – FOUR FORKS
I found the prices much more reasonable than other Filipino restaurants I’ve been to.

Ambiance – THREE FORKS
The restaurant has this authentic ‘asian’ feel, which I guess is code for ‘typical asian dive’ to most people. But you know what, the place is pretty clean and it has a lot of greenery and filipino paraphernalia.  This is a very small restaurant but it’s a great hole in the wall! Definitely give it a try!

Presently, it does not look like they have a website.

Little Ongpin on Urbanspoon