Ihaw-Ihaw Grill

They boil the meat first then grill
Not very spacious either
Instead of everything being a $ 1.00 certain things should be .75 cents
I’m not hating just Observanting

This used to be Manila Tokyo.
Ihaw-​Ihaw means «carinderia», a small-​scale restaurant popular in the
Philippines. Thank you, Wiki.
This is a good place to introduce someone to some Filipino dishes. since they have more than a dozen different entrees, and a couple of desserts. They have pancit, lumpia, pork adobo. chicken adobo, longaniza, beefsteak, sisig, kare-​kare, fried fish, squid, and your choice of white or fried rice.
I must confess that I didn’t know the names of the other dishes.
Kim H, her brother, Jeff, and I came here on a hot Santa Ana day for lunch.
There are small tables on the left side next to the buffet line. In the middle of the room is a dance floor.
And in the corner is a large karaōke set.
Thank God, they are only on at dinnertime.
Hanging from the ceiling is a TV set permanently tuned to «The
Filipino Channel».
The dishes were surprisingly good. Jeff had never tasted Filipino food, and he claimed that he enjoyed it. He kept going back for more pancit, squid, adobo,& kare-​kare.
Both concentrated on eating, while I did what I liked.
People watch. Really, it was like a family gathering.
The customers were: a table full of Navy chiefs wearing their khakis, just eating and drinking San Miguel beer.
One table had an Auntie who had bronzed colored hair, next to an Uncle, whose toupee would flutter up each time the front door opened. (Santa Ana wind.)
There was a Lolo (grandpa) in another table who had his dentures on a napkin next to him as he slurped the «sabaw”(broth).
One of the ladies who worked there even came and talked to me.
Lady: Hoy, Arr yoo Pilipino?
Me: Yes, ma’m
Lady: Iss dees yoor gerrprend?(didn’t wait for me to answer)
Yoo weel hab biuteepul cheedren. (grins)
Me: Thank you.

Me: Didn’t this place used to be called Manila Tokyo?
Lady: Dyes, Da unerr she diborst her Djapanis hasbant. Den she sold.
Me: Okay.
As we were walking back to our car, two ladies were yelling at each other in the parking lot.
«PUTANG INA MO!!» (your mother is a wh*re!!!) or (Bitch)
«MAMATAY KA»! (you will die!)
Kim asked me what they were saying.
I replied, «Oh, one was complaining that she lost money in the casinos.»
Hehehe.
A fun day in National City, indeed.

Check out my review on Manila Tokyo it’s the same restaurant.