DinnerPinpin
[rating:3]
Pinpin on Fraser Street is a restaurant that features Filipino-Chinese cuisine. Their bright red awning stands out noticeably amongst the many other restaurants in the area.
Even though Tre and I arrived for an early dinner, Pinpin was full — but we managed to get a table anyway. The restaurant is relatively small. On one side is a bunch of tables placed side by side to be shared by patrons depending on party size. On the other side are individual tables. We were seated on the shared side which felt awkward, but lucky for us there was no one seated next to us during most of our meal.
Tre and I ordered their value meals. For an appetizer, we ordered Lumpia Shanghai — finger sized spring rolls. I ordered Tapsilog: Filipino style beef jerky with garlic rice and fried egg. Tre had Lechon Kawali on rice: Pork belly with vegetable in brown sauce over rice.
(Top to bottom: 1. Tapsilog, Filipino style beef jerky with garlic fried rice and a fried egg. 2. Soup of the day, minced pieces of pork in a light broth with egg swirls.)
Our meals arrived quickly. The Filipino style beef jerky was good. The jerky was equally balanced between the sweetness and saltiness, but was a tad dry. Tre found the pork belly good, but large cut chunks of vegetables made it feel more like a chop suey dish. The Lumpia Shanghai was only ok — we’ve had better. The filling in the spring rolls tasted like a regular Chinese spring roll but made smaller. Our combinations were also served with the soup of the day: minced pieces of pork served in a light broth with swirls of eggs.
Two meals and an appetizer came to just under $28 including taxes and tips — which we felt was a bit pricey. Pinpin is not known for their service, but we didn’t experience any problems. The waitresses were friendly for the most part, and one of them even cracked a smile. Pinpin has other tasty looking items we would like to try, but I don’t think we’d got out of our way to return. If we’re ever in the area, however, it’s definitely worth trying again.
Perfect for: a taste of Filipino cuisine with a Chinese flair.
The Details
6113 Fraser Street, Vancouver
604.322.3086
pinpinrestaurant.com
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