Now open in the space that long housed Pepe's Italian in San Diego's Ocean Beach neighborhood is Starfish Filipino Eatery, a modern restaurant focused on the food of the Philippines.
Starfish Filipino Cuisine opened last week in the old Pepe's Italian unit on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Ocean Beach. The new restaurant's features a menu of rotating Filipino dishes, including traditional items and more modern options.
"I am a first-time restaurateur," explained Starfish Filipino Eatery owner Anna Santos Hamilton. "I've been doing catering jobs for private clientele in the past. I'm now at a stage in my life where I am ready to go for my dream of opening a Filipino eatery. My dishes are mostly passed on to me by my mother who was a wonderful cook. My father had the best palate for Filipino food and he trained me how to taste flavors the way they should taste. I've decided to open one in a new area. I really think it's time for Philippine cuisine to showcase its uniqueness to everyone - outside of National City and Mira Mesa. I have great staff working for me that's under training. It's going to be a learning curve for all of us this coming weeks but we are all hanging in there and staying creative and keeping the passion."
Entrees at Starfish change weekly and include standouts like Fish-si-log pan fried fish with garlic fried rice, Halabos hipon bawang island garlic prawns, Mama's pancit bihon stif-fried stick noodles, and much more. The restaurant also offers classic dishes like lumpia, adobo, and Filipino-style breakfast foods on the weekend, as well as desserts and soft drinks.
Starfish Filipino Eatery is currently open every day but Monday for take-out and delivery at 1830 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, Suite E, in Ocean Beach. For more information, visit starfisheatery.com.
