Halo halo News
New market-cafe in North Dallas is a goldmine of authentic Filipino fare
A market-restaurant that's been a foodie find in Lewisville has branched out: Kabayan Filipino Store & Cafe, which has been a treasured outpost of Filipino food in Lewisville for four years, has opened a new location in Dallas.
It's at 19009 Preston Rd. #209, just south of Plano, in the same Far North Dallas center as French restaurant Lavendou, and in the space that was most recently Mediterranea Market & Grill, and was once upon a time Jack Mac's Swill & Grill.
Kabayan, a word for comrade or compatrio, is from Jojo Villanueva and Chona De Leon Villanueva, who initially opened the Lewisville location in 2016 as a grab-and-go market selling foodstuffs not available elsewhere, both packaged and prepared, including favorite brand names like Cheezee and Eden; frozen versions of beloved dishes such as lumpia (like egg rolls) which you can take home and bake; and delicacies like lechon (roasted pig) by the pound.
Their to-go foods include authentic dishes that can be eaten on-site such as Halo-Halo, the Philippines' famous dessert made of crushed ice and evaporated milk sprinkled with toppings such as ube, sweet beans, coconut, cubes yams, and fruit.
The whole thing did so well that they remodeled the store to expand the dining area, where they host live music on weekends.
The new store represents a franchised partnership and is a well-stocked depot for Filipino and Asian foods. The shelves are (neatly) jam-packed with hot sauces, preserved goods, 25-pound bags of rice, endless varieties of soy sauce, noodles, bottled drinks, and more.
The back of the store is dedicated to a big cafeteria-style steam table line, with numerous hot dishes prepared. Offerings include classics such as:
- Pinoy-style BBQ beef on a stick
- chicken adobo
- dinuguan (pork blood stew)
- bistec tagalog (Filipino beefsteak)
- adobong pusit (squid)
- pork sinigang, a stew with a distinctive sour taste
- chicken afritada stew
- pancit guisado, stir-fried noodles with shrimp and vegetables
- mechado, a stew with meat and chunks of potato and carrot
Yep, they've got all your Filipino faves.
The new location is open 7 am-7 pm.
