The Barrio Fiesta at BurJuman Center

Filipinos always look out for an excuse to celebrate, hence the annual Barrio Fiestas. Barrio refers to a place, more specifically a village, and fiestas are the annual celebration in a particular barrio. There must be thousands of barrios in the Phillipines, and with each of them celebrating a fiesta at least once each year, I suppose there’s almost always a fiesta going on at any day of the year!

One restaurant that’s hugely popular in the Philippines since it was established in 1952 is called Barrio Fiesta. In late 2009, the restaurant opened up its doors for the first time at the BurJuman center in Dubai. And this is where Masood and I are having our dinner with mom, Sophia (my sister) and Saima (a close family friend).

The Location and First Impressions:

We arrive at BurJuman Center at 9:30 PM, a weeknight. There’s ample parking space. We ask the lady at the information desk about the restaurant’s location. “Go left,” she says, “walk straight then go one level up.” We get lost and end up in the food court. We ask for directions one more time, and after some more walking, finally find the Barrio Fiesta.

The place is tastefully decorated. I love the bamboo, the clay pots, the masks, the very colorful framed pictures on the walls, there’s a guitar in a corner…they certainly do give a fiesta vibe!

We are immediately shown to a table (we went without making reservations). Besides us, there are twelve more people in the restaurant. It’s Saima and Masood’s first time in a Filipino restaurant, so they’re clueless on what to order. It doesn’t help that the menu came with description of the food; they are still nervous to decide for themselves. And although Saima and Sophia take forever taking pictures of the menu card, the staff is prompt to take our orders.

The Food and Drinks

The Barrio Fiesta offers traditional Filipino cuisine—a fusion of native flavours with dashes of Spanish, Chinese, and Malay influences. Now, taking into consideration our Indian/Pakistani taste buds, we steer clear from dishes that contain shrimp paste. Here’s what we order:

Gulaman at sago. Gelatin and tapioca in brown sugar syrup flavored with pandan leaves and topped with crushed ice. It has just the right amount of sweetness and the pandan flavor is nicely infused. Yummy! Must-try. AED 15.

Adobo flakes. This is our appetizer. Chicken that has been cooked in adobo sauce—soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic—then shredded and fried to crispy perfection. Love the crunch. AED 24.

Bakang maanghang. Chunks of beef cooked with pepper and chilies until tender. We order this because the menu says it’s spicy. However, it isn’t hot. My mother, who can’t tolerate spicy food, is able to eat it this without issues. Besides this, the taste of this dish doesn’t really tickle and excite the taste buds. AED 32.

Sinigang na hipon. A tamarind-flavored soup served with shrimps and vegetables (string beans, okra, green chilies, radish, and pechay. This came piping hot and the vegetables are fresh and firm. Mom, Sophia and myself enjoy this soup, while Saima and Masood eye the shrimp with suspicion—the feet and tail attached to the shrimp discourages them to try this dish. AED 35.

Bangus sa bawang. Boneless milk fish pan fried in garlic. The fish is nicely seasoned and fried, and we enjoy eating this. The sauce that comes with it is bland, so we ask for a vinegar with chilies dip. AED 40.

Inihaw na manok. My favorite dish of the evening. Chicken grilled with Filipino barbecue sauce. The chicken is cooked to perfection, meat comes effortlessly off the bones, and the sauce is finger-licking good. Highly recommended. AED 28.

All these dishes are served with steamed or garlic/fried rice, depending on your preference.

Overall Experience:

I’ve read some negative reviews about the place, particularly with regards to their slow service. But the service has been excellent for us, perhaps because it was an hour before closing time and there aren’t many customers? The staff is attentive, the food arrives promptly and hot, and even though it’s close to their closing time (10:30 PM), they don’t make us feel rushed. However, I feel like they should increase the serving size/portions.

Will I return to dine in Barrio Fiesta? Absolutely.

We had halo-halo for dessert at Chowking.

Barrio Fiesta Restaurant
Burjuman Center, Dubai
Phone No : +971-4-3594158

Barrio Fiesta Restaurant
Lamcy Plaza, Dubai
Phone No : +971-4-3345742

Barrio Fiesta Restaurant
Abudhabi Mall, Abu Dhabi
Phone No : +971-2-6719910