Upon entering Little Manila Restaurant in Deira, this is the first thing that will welcome you…

Here’s a trivia from Wikipedia:

Jeepneys were originally made from U.S. military jeeps left over from World War II. The word jeepney may be a portmanteau word – some sources consider it a combination of “jeep” and “jitney”, while other sources say “jeep” and “knee”, because the passengers sit in very close proximity to each other.

The last one sounds funny but people who have taken a jeepney ride will surely agree.  Tinawag syang “jeep-knee”  kasi nga naman kapag puno na daw ang jeep, magkakadikit na ang tuhod ng mga pasahero. hehe

For me, the jeepney is not just a Pinoy icon. It’s a prominent part of our family. Tatay (my grandfather) raised all his children from patiently driving his jeep for many many years. Since I was little, our beloved jeep has also been our constant companion whenever we would go to any lakad like Sunday mass or out of town trips.

And because of that, seeing Little Manila’s jeepney made me feel at home na agad. =)

Here’s a short clip about our Little Manila visit few weeks ago. FYI, this is my husband’s first attempt on video editing. Enjoy!

Not bad at all for a beginner huh? Take note that the whole concept was all his idea specially the music choice and word play. =)

Not Your Usual Dubai Food Court

Little Manila is probably the biggest Pinoy-themed restaurant in Dubai. It has a food court concept which offers everything from appetizers, snacks, pastries, refreshments, mains & desserts. They really want their guests to have a full dining experience. Name it and they have it. =)

Kwekie Bites

If you miss the good ol’ fishball, this is the place to go. =)

Zagu

Zagu is still my favorite brand when it comes to milk shakes. It’s nice to know that we don’t need to wait for our PH vacation anymore to have a taste of our favorite Zagu flavors.

Fif Tea

Fif Tea is more for the milk tea lovers. This is also where the famous red iced tea comes from.

Me: Tikman mo yung red tea then tell me kung anong naaalala mo.

Ian: Tokyo Tokyo!

As a big fan of Tokyo Tokyo, he was so happy that Little Manila was able to perfect their signature red tea. =)

Fruitas (House of Desserts)

With full tummies, we were not able to try this during our visit. Will surely order their fruit salad when we come back next time.

Jay-J’s

Their chicken inasal is a must try! I was surprised that for AED25, you can have a quarter sized portion that is almost good enough for two. Their squid sisig was also a hit for us. Masarap na, sulit pa because of their huge servings. =)

Bread Shop

Must. Try. Their. Ensaymadas. Period.

Binalot

Binalot serves dishes wrapped in banana leaves. Just choose your favorite dish which will be wrapped together with rice, tomato & red egg. Very pinoy!

Mochi Creme

Mochi ice cream is a round Japanese dessert made of sticky rice cake with ice cream filling. Their bright lovely colors make them more enticing to eat!

As if those weren’t enough, Little Manila also offers boodle fight and dimsum packages!

Little Manila definitely lives up to its name, giving us genuine brands we love from home. The increasing number of customers also show how much they have improved in terms of quality and service. It’s just a shame that the negative feedback from their previous launch held us back from visiting much sooner. =(

Little Manila
K6 Building, Al Muraqqabat Street
Deira, Dubai
Contact: 04-299 9315

Website: http://www.littlemanila.com/