Upbeat energy is flowing again inside a Near West Side building that first popped up on our radars in 2019 as Triciclo Perú. Sometime after the Peruvian place closed in 2023, Lisa Kaye Bistro brought pasties and oxtail-short rib sandwiches, only for the spot to be vacant again last spring. Then, in came Cocina Filipina Fare, a 4-year-old Filipino fusion food truck that inherited its recipes from the late Meat on the Street truck. Besides needing a home base, Cocina was ready to move on from the late 2025 fire that temporarily shut it down.
This space – inside a building aged 113 years, with Cream City brick and its original tin ceiling – has become Cocina’s lifeline. But not without debate. While Cocina Filipina is inspired by the Philippines’ rich culinary traditions (which include lumpia and adobo), it is not traditional. Co-owner Marilupe “Lupe” Moreno and chef/business partner Edu Aragon Guzman added a Latin undercurrent to their menu – cocktails include a sangria made with calamansi, a Filipino citrus fruit – reflecting their own heritage.
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A month into brick-and-mortar life, Moreno said customer requests for more traditional dishes had her rethinking the fusion direction. It makes sense. Aside from Sinta, a modern Filipino pop-up exclusive to Agency cocktail bar Downtown, Cocina is the city’s only sit-down Filipino spot.
Cocina Filipina Fare
3801 W. Vliet St.
Hours:
Daily 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Prices:
Appetizers $5-$13; pancit, rice bowls and other plates $10-$17; desserts $3-$5
Service:
Friendly, still getting in the groove
Reservations:
Not necessary
The food-truck-to-sit-down menu transition was easy – mostly the same dishes with two traditional Filipino additions: lechon kawali (crispy deep-fried pork belly) and pancit, a noodle stir-fry.
The casual mobile menu translates nimbly. The lumpia – long, breadstick-thin spring rolls – are so light, crisp and tasty that an order of five sticks ($8) between two people is gone in a flash. Ordering the 10-stick option ($13) is the way, a variety pack. I’m partial to the meaty, unctuous pork filling, but there’s also chicken and veggie-cream cheese.
The noodle dish, pancit ($10), is a chameleon that works as a sharing side or light main course. The thread-like rice noodles (stir-fried with garlic, scallions and carrot) seem weightless, and the salty-sweet flavor profile is a balanced umami. From there on, the mains are mostly versions of rice bowls. My favorite is the not-too-hot Hot Chicky ($16) – citrusy grilled Filipino chicken, sriracha aioli, pickled onions and pungent garlic rice – but the Filipino BBQ beef skewers ($18) completely satisfy, too, with their glossy, sweet-tangy glaze.
For dessert, halo-halo ($5), Filipino shaved-ice with jelly mix-ins, was singularly refreshing. With plans to bring even more traditional dishes over time, Moreno hopes diners will “see we’re really making the effort. We’re happy to fill the void.”
