Kabalen Restaurant

The food was good, but it is pretty hard to welcome new friends who have never tried this culture as it is not your ordinary sit down, and menus.

One of the cashiers asked me what I ordered, so I said it, but the fat sister who was at the cashier responded to me like it was a hostile moment, for me it's okay to say that, but what you shout to tell me is not a good customer service.

Ordered the giant Kamayan platter for take out. Lots of toppings for the price BUT the massive NEGATIVE that will lead me to unfortunately not to order again from here. Everything was placed over a bed of PLAIN RICE? ! There was no garlic rice, that’s like ordering a pizza without the cheese? The box was 60% full of plain rice and the rest toppings. How misleading and completely disappointing. Ruined the meal.

Response to store: Garlic rice is the traditional default for Kamayan so that's disappointing to see the cost cutting there and nowhere did it advertise an option for garlic rice while ordering and plain rice as the default. For your customers the assumption is it comes with Garlic rice.

Everything is good food the only not good is to bring your food upstairs and the stairs are so inclined you holding FOOD and holding rail of the stairs is WAITING FOR ACCIDENTS TO HAPPEND

First time trying the Kamayan Feast!
The colors are eye-catching and it's a grilled heaven.
They serve fish, shrimps, squid, and mussels. They also have BBQ skewers and different kinds of vegetables. Everything tastes so delicious and is grilled perfectly. Nothing is overcooked, except the fish, which is a bit too salty for us. But they serve a generous amount of rice and when you eat it with rice, it's fine. Moreover, when mixed with the shrimp paste, I couldn't stop myself from eating a lot of rice. It's indeed perfect for a party or a family meal.

Overall, the Filipino restaurant served delicious dishes. However, the food presentation could be improved as it was a bit mixed up. Additionally, it would be helpful if the menu included options for non-pork eaters.

Really friendly staff. Delicious filipino food. Bought an inasal chicken here. The best I have eaten so far. The food is fresh and cooked with spices from the Philippines. Will come again.

I have to say, we enjoyed every single bite of the meal in Kabalen, we had the Kamayan Feast. Considering the quality, the price is valuable. Service are also great and always efficient, happy and polite. Can't wait to return and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone！

Some of the dishes doesnt taste right, you can still eat it but not what it should taste like. And some dishes aren't consistent when it comes to flavor.

Booked a reservation here for a kamayan feast 2 weeks before an event for my school club only for them to disregard us and prioritize another group. Definitely won't recommend coming here if you want to book a feast, they're only gonna turn you away and give it to someone else. They didn't even accommodate us because of THEIR MISTAKE.

Go to Lakay Kusina or any other filipino places instead; they're way more friendlier and better and they will FOR SURE accommodate your needs.

Had an amazing kamayan experience with my family today. Service was great, food was delicious and the whole vibe was cozy.

Horrible experience at this place trying to book a kamayan feast. Don't go here as they will only disregard you and not go through with your booking. Better to find some place else for your event

They have a varieties of good foods which I've missed when I was back home in the Philippines.

Love that we have kapampangan food in Toronto. My husband and I can only eat sisig when it's kapampangan style-authentic sisig. We also love their dinuguan, lechon belly, crispy pata, lechon kawali, isaw, and Tenga. My non-filipino husband loves it so much that we served their food at our wedding.

I set-up a reservation two weeks before our event in this location. Everything was fine and I told them that I’d do a downpayment, one week before our event. One week before our event, I called to do a downpayment for our event, and suddenly the person I called said they can’t accommodate us anymore because someone ’apparently’ booked for 50 people and they’d have to do the set-up at the time we reserved. I tried to tell them that I reserved first, and the person said that the person who booked me ‘overlooked’ the booking for the 50 people, thus they can’t accommodate us anymore.

They need to be more systemized about this and arrange their booking system. Very bad customer service. Instead of offering us something to accommodate us, they said they’d do a $28 per head to accommodate us, which is pricier than the price they originally offer ($65 for 3-4 people = $16 per person supposedly). We had to cancel our reservation, find a new restaurant, and inform everyone we invited to our event about the location change which was so much hassle.

One of the stuff I bought from this place is embutido, which cost me more than $8 plus tax, however I was disappointed because not much of a substance (meat), mostly it is made of flour and some ground veggies and it’s too sweet so I just threw it out.not worth it.

I haven't been here in awhile, I appreciate what they did with the interior and service! They always have great selection. I'm glad I came here today! Bringing my friends and family back.

My second to me with Filipino food. The experience was excellent with the food, and the service and kindness of the people made us feel very welcome.

Ordered the bbq skewers and lechon - by far our favourite so far.

Place is quite busy and easier to do take out. If you come to dine in make sure to make reservations!

Great food with reasonable prices. Has seating on the second floor. Lots of servers. Just be patient lining up since it's busy most times.

The staff lack of customer service training. I want to order a spring rolls 20pcs for the following day to pick up, however cashier lady said that I can come to restaurant and buy it there on the spot as they always have available pork, chicken and vegetable spring rolls and I just need to wait 5-10mins. They only accept, pre order if it is more than 100pcs. I went there there to buy spring rolls of 10pcs pork and 10pcs vegetable, but server said they only have pork. I verify with cashier lady who told me via phone that they are all available if I come and order on the spot. She only keep saying “ I told you that you will need to wait for 15-20mins” I asked if they can make it 25pcs, but server said they have only 20pcs. When I got my order, so disappointed, 20 tiny spring rolls for dollars. Look at the picture if you think it is reasonable. When you see it in real, smaller compared to your thumb size. So 1 dollar for 1pc. Do not waste your time to come here, overpriced of meals. You can go to Bulakenyo restaurant in Markham, you can order spring rolls 80pcs for 30 dollars. They have good rating 4.4 stars reviews, not this Kabalen with less than 4. I have no complains with Bulakenyos. I decided not to order there as it was too far to my current place.

One of the best filipino dining experience! I dined here over 5 times this summer. Its a canteen style restaurant. Their service and food quality meets my expectation. Worth trying all their dishes!

Stellar customer service, food was as usual mouth watering and beyond. I'd break my diet for this place and keep it up guys.

OMG! My husband was hungry and I had suggested he go and grab some bbq pork skewers. They didn’t have any ready so he bought this instead - lectin kawale!

I’ve had lechon kawale before, but nothing that tasted like this! Juicy, perfectly seasoned (just salt and pepper, nothing fancy), crispy skin and hot! It is to die for. I’m not joking.

It came with two sauces - their own lechon sauce and a soy sauce with Calamansi. Soooo good!
$17 for this container of meat - totally worth every penny!

Ordered for pick up “Kamayan Feast” & “Super Kamayan Feast” for group dinner but got disappointed since the shrimps and mussels on it were all “bilasa” (NOT FRESH)

We love going here for their bbq! Some foods are okay and customer service could've been improved. Will be returning for the bbq again!

Rude customer service thru phone call! If you cant hear your customer, then ask nicely to repeat what I said. Why do you have to end the call right away?

I am giving this 2 stars for the food. Food is great especially pinakbet. And i miss filipino food. But 0 stars for some of the staff. I understand we were a bit noisy, it was our first time meeting each other again for a long time. We specifically chose the place kasi we are filipinos and we would like to feel at home. First, the lady serving us food looked and sounded irritated when asking us what we wanted. Second, while we were eating, one of the staff put up handwritten posters that the max stay is 1 hr. It's rude, the poster looks like they just wrote them on the spot specifically for us because we have been there more than an hr. They shouldve told us when we first arrived, not while we were eating! Plus there were not a lot of people, tables were empty.

Overall not a good experience, very unwelcoming especially from a filipino restaurant and fellow filipinos.

My friend and I were in the area so I suggested to have lunch at kabalen. When we came in, there were no tables but I saw outside that they have patio. I asked if we can dine in. One of the associate (guy), asked one of the front associates and said we can eat upstairs.

Because it’s Friday and it’s lent, we wanted to eat something without meat. They don’t have much selections that can be combo. Their fish are big ones. My friend ordered combo of pinakbit and rice. I had the palabok and king fish. Of course mine wasn’t a combo as we paid $27 dollars for two lunch. One combo is $8.99 so mine was the rest.

I asked the lady that was serving me if I can have that as combo, she said I can and she presented it on a plate, while she’s serving me, another associate is asking her if the palabok she’s giving me is small and she replied yes, I know the lady serving me out it first in a small container before transferring on a plate. Then she also questioned about the king fish. I don’t think it’s good for her to question her co-worker while serving me doubting whatever she’s serving me. I did not interfere and just let it go but it didn’t look good for the lady serving me.

When we went upstairs and eat, we were very disappointed with our food. The pinakbit was cold, even the fish and the palabok was just warm. This is not even late. It was only 12: 20 noon it’s the pick of lunch. The food should be hot. The palabok was not good also. After a couple of spoon, I stopped eating. Being a “True” Kapampangan I know my food. My friend who is not kapampangan said, I thought your food is good? I didn’t mind the taste but big issue here the food are cold. Will I go back there again? My answer is no. I see this restaurant when I passed by and I kept on telling myself, I will try it and because it’s “Kabalen”.

Will I recommend it. What I can say is see it for yourself.

A complete rip off. Food is good but my goodness, whoever decided this ridiculous scheme with pricing needs to review their prices. I went in today to buy the caldereta for lunch but was told it is not included in the combos and they only sell it in large or extra large.and that goes for the other dishes.absolute joke! I ended buying it anyway but ended up spending $40 bucks for lunch. I'm not impressed.

I love this place, the selection of dishes always amazes me. Food tastes great, nice staff.and despite the nonsense comment below about no one speaking English, that's complete garbage, everyone speaks English!

I bought a palitaw April 21,2022 when I open the container home there's a spoiled smell.money wasted.

Everything tastes sweet. Even their kaldereta and dinunguan. They have to lessen the use of sugar.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!
I had decided to try out this restaurant based on some of the good reviews, but I was extremely upset and disappointed with the service. The service was extremely bad as no one was willing help me nor did the staff either understand or speak English. When I called, I was told to go in to the restaurant and place my order. When I got there, they said that I have to preorder and no one was willing to help me or accommodate me for the long drive to the restaurant. I went through six different people and had to make a fuss in order to be heard. If I could rate this restaurant it would be a 0. The staff need training on customer service as they don't seem to know the meaning of it. They are also very disorganized and no one seem to know what their role consisted of. When I mentioned the menu, they said that it wasn't updated on their webpage. I was trying to order a small tray of BBQ chicken leg and they said that they do not sell a small tray, which is not mentioned on their webpage. Seems like they don't need the business or my money. I have never been refused an order before and I have been to many restaurants. They seem to be making their own menu and changing it to fit their needs as apposed to going with what is actually being advertised. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone since the staff seem to be doing whatever they feel fit. Seems like the staff are the owners. I would urge anyone who reads this not to waste your time or money because the customer is not valued at this restaurant.

Filipino foods, of course soooooooo yummy. Quick and efficient take service. Staff are courteous and respectful. The place is clean.

This is not the same Cabalen restaurant in the Philippines but they offer a wide variety of Filipino dishes which comes in single or combo meals. Personally, I loved their buko pandan!

We came from Calgary and order a boodle fight for a family and it's worth it. We enjoy the food and feels like I'm back home in philippines

For 4-5people.with tax 54 dollars.
2 fish, grilled vegetables, garlic rice. Chickens, shrimps.
I like it.

Filuoino dining at its best Clean. Good service. Very reasonable prices. Good menu selection. Every entree I taste in this place is ahhhh.delicious! I would definitely recommend this place.

Garbage food I recommend nobody goes there
I bought whole chicken was (full of human hair)
And expensive I got it and straight to the Garbage

Best chicken BBQ in the area. Palabok and okoy are reallu good too. Most of the food are tasty and portions are generous. Its our favorite place for Filipino food.

Meats are juicy and seasoned extremely well! Our go to and you can’t go wrong at $3 a skewer. Just beware your clothes may smell like smoke after you leave - they grill these in a tent outside!

I have tried their food for the first time. It looks they have a good variety of food for takeout. I will try their crispy pork

Very tasty BBQ.covid innovation by having them cook outside creating amazing smells that even penetrated my vehicle 9nitially attracted me.the taste committed me as a regular repeat customer.

Very neat and accessible place. They offer large portions and for affordable prices. I liked the meals very much and the staff members were very friendly and chatty. I recommend this place.

The food and service were above my expectations. We really loved the vibes of this place. Excellent restaurant to take the family out for lunch.

Want to thank all the staff at Kabalen for a wonderful staff lunch on Wednesday in honor of Filipino Independence Day on June 12. We had wonderful pork and chicken skewers, Shanghai spring rolls and some wonderul desserts! We appreciate the delivery and the timing to get our order done in the time we needed it by! Great stuff! Thanks from all of us at Aucitonmaxx

A big fan of their inihaw that they grill in front of you. Service is always pleasant. Huge servings of food too.

Food was good but way overpriced. I paid $15 for just a little bit of pancit. The container was almost empty. Not worth it

Very unorganized service. The manager told us to socially distance but their employees were literally elbow to elbow. The line up to order food and pay was not conducive to their social distancing policy. It forms a U-shape divided by a stanchion. So it seems you are socially distancing but once you turn around the bend, you're literally beside another customer. How much thought do you think went into this? Their food servers were wearing masks but some had their nose sticking out or had the top flap of the mask unbent. As for the food, it was lukewarm and had too much fat pieces. When I'm paying for meat, I expect meat not fat.

Bought a kamayan box a few days ago with the husband to share for valentines but was disappointed that they didn't use garlic fried rice and the food didn't seem to be fresh although their store seemed to be nice and clean

I was very disappointed as this one server who was rude. I ordered a large dinakdakan and I requested vinegar condiments but the server didn't want to give me vinegar on the side. I didn't want to deal with her so I asked the cashier (she was nice) if I can have a side of vinegar but the server came to her and told the cashier not to give it. She then opened my box of lechon and took the vinegar out that the cashier gave me with her bare hands, which is very unhygienic. I just paid for my turon, lechon and the large sinigang and left. I can't believe how cheap they are when giving some condiments. The server didn't want to give vinegar that would cost.free for a dish that costs $. Unreal. I hope she gets properly trained so that she can treat customers right. For a small vinegar, probably its just only 3 tbsp and they don't wanna give it to you? Why?

I ordered food at Kabalen last Xmas (2020) The sisig was like minced meat, dinuguan was so watery mostly fat, Kare- Kare
few meat more vegetables. I was so angry and disappointed. I will never order from Kabalen again,
Not worth the money

What an experience! From the moment you step out of your car, you are welcomed by the delicious scent of their freshly grilled BBQ roasting right before your eyes. They take covid precautions very seriously with every one of their staff adhering to covid protocols. They make sure you not only satinize but that your temperature is checked as well before entering. The authentic Filipino food will bring you back to beautiful memories of the Philippines. Our fave are their karekare with tender chunks of meat, their misua soup, roasted pork belly and dinuguan. We are very happy that we listened to all the amazing reviews and recommendations from our friends to try Kabalen. Thank you Kabalen!

We met with friends at this place for lunch.my friend recommended this restaurant. Well, it was a winning. The staff welcomed us with a smile and we felt excellent. The food was just great. We loved this place a lot and we will definitely return to this restaurant. Highly recommended.

Very disappointed! I ordered super kamayan with fried rice and pompano dish through phone but not fried rice its plain and no pompano dish. The staff is not organized and also pick up time is not on time it is always late waited for more than 30mins to pick up my order. Very disappointing never to go order again! Of course you all denied it i tried to call after I got home. Very frustrating! Thats was March 2 2021 around 11am I ordered it

I ordered large kare kare and it’s overpriced. It came up to $25 i was so shocked because it isn’t even that big enough to be worth $25 it’s also sweet. Plus, it was very oily too. Also, i tried several food and every main dish i tried is very sweet such as kaldereta, dinuguan and giniling all of them are very sweet. Me and my family couldn’t even eat it at all.so expensive, sweet and overpriced.

The only thing i like about this restaurant is the interior. Very nice ambiance and clean.

Unfortunately, i wouldn’t recommend this restaurant.

This place is my favorite place. Of all restaurants I know I prefere it most. I always suggests to my friends to go to visit this place.everytime I feel like having a good lunch, this is the place that comes straight to my mind.exeptionalgorgeous and many types of food and a rich cuisine.generous staff, and pleasant spirit. Not less important, the pay is good. I suggest this restaurant with great pleasure.

I celebrated my PhD earlier this evening in this great place.happy to tell that we passed a sensational evening and the venue was no doubt one of the reasons for this strong evening. The crew participated in a pleasant style, the cooking was delicious and my buddies were so joyful. We shall absolutely visit again for more celebrations.thanks very much.

We drive all the way from Ancaster, ON for Kabalen's Super Kamayan Feast, Kare Kare and diniguan. The servings are huge and the flavours are unforgettable. Customer service is very friendly and welcoming. The food is super fresh and perfectly seasoned. It is priced well considering the quality and amount of food you get.

One of the best fîlipino food in town, the BBQ and crispy pata are So good! It feels like food coming back home. Highly recommended this place to every one!

I like to go with friends to this place with my warmest recommendations. I visit this restaurant often. This recommendation is always successful. The dishes they serve are tasty and the crew is welcoming and cooperative. Whenever we go to this place we enjoy a cheerful evening.warmly recommended.

It doesn't compare well with another restaurant of the same name (all you can eat buffet) in the Philippines, but the prices are reasonable enough.

Had a awesome experience in here with my kids. The food comes out quickly and the customer service is just fantastic. Prices are fair.

This place clearly knows how to satisfy their customers. Constantly with a super friendly attitude. The food is fairly priced, constantly delightful and neat.

This spot is my favorite. I visit a lot of restaurants but here I go the most. The stuff is very cordial and the cooking they cook is so good. I am always happy to have a good meal here. I highly recommend this place.

This spot sure knows how to treat their clients. Always with a nice demeanor. The food is conveniently priced, regularly flavorful and clean.

I ordered sisig in uber eats for $15.00, well kinda expensive but its ok, wife is craving for sisig.

Sisig is super dry, like super dry, too much onions like you ordered onions only then add some toppings, the tastes was bad too. This is not the Kabalen that I know of. Their sisig on their stall is far far better than this. I didn't take pictures coz i threw it in the bin.

Advise to the owner, try to check your sisig sir, sobrang disappointment para sa Kabalen, not worth $15.00 for this.

Not sure if i will still buy your food, so much disappoinment.

Had a order ready to pick up for 1pm - it wasn’t ready, now it’s 1: 20pm still with not ready food. I had to wait inside the restaurant with many people coming in and out, during covid times where 2m physical distancing was not possible indoors.

Felt unsafe, and management should better organize pick ups. I don’t know what’s the point of having a time for pick up when they start processing the food after I came in person to pay.

It’s 1: 30pm that I picked up food that we’ve requested for 1pm. I saw them start processing the food when I paid in person.

I just liked their dishes. I always get fantastic service here. The place is always clean and the staff members are always welcoming. Would recommend to others.

Two days ago was our first time we went to this fine restaurant. But It is definitely not the last. We had a good time with the good service, with the first-rate food and booze and with the friendly cost. We will no doubt visit there soon.

This place is fantastic! Convenient prices, large dishes and the staff members are consistently nice.

This place is worth a visit. They have large portions for affordable rates. Regularly clean and with awesome ambience. Will come visit again.

Very well kept and convenient restaurant. They provide generous portions and for affordable prices. We enjoyed the food very much and the staff were very personal and informative. I recommend this place.

I celebrated my birthday yesterday in this great restaurant. I am glad to say that it was a phenomenal evening and the restaurant was unquestionably the reason for this fruitful celebration. The crew contributed in a pleasant manner, the cooking was extremely good and my buddies were very pleased. We shall no dout come back again for more joyful events. Thank you very much.

I really enjoy their dishes and service, good location very close to my house. The employees are always helpful. I highly recommend this place.

The service is constantly speedy, excellent ambience, very welcoming staff members. Will eat here again when I arrive here.