One of the Metro Area's Only Filipino Restaurants Is Closing

While we think there's a lot to love about dining in Denver, one common (and valid) criticism of the scene is a lack of food from certain parts of the world. Filipino fare, for example, is hard to come by.

And soon there will be one less option for those craving chicken adobo, sisig, pancit and lechon kawali. Manila Bay, which debuted in April 2022 at 13800 East Mississippi Avenue in Aurora, in a space that was formerly a Village Inn, just announced that it will close on January 25.

"As the years have passed, we have had great pleasure serving our customers and have also begun pursuing other professional opportunities," reads a post on Facebook. "We have decided to step into property management as owners of the business and the property and retire from the restaurant industry. We appreciate all of our supporters and staff as the restaurant would not have been successful without you!"

This is the latest in a string of Filipino concepts that have called it quits in recent years, including food truck Ihawan Sa, Orange Crush and A Taste of the Philippines, Soy Pinoy inside Zeppelin Station and Sunburst Grill in Aurora.

Denver has a very small percentage of Filipino residents compared to cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago, where the cuisine is much more common.

The only options that will remain here after Manila Bay says goodbye are ChowSun in Aurora, which also serves Thai dishes, and Adobo at 3109 Federal Boulevard, which specializes in both New Mexican and Filipino food inspired by owner Blaine Baggao's heritage and upbringing. There is also a food trailer called Filipino Belly that regularly serves at breweries such as Copper Kettle and WestFax. Diners in Colorado Springs can find a small selection of Filipino dishes at You-Ka Cafe.
A Filipino restaurant is expected to open in the new year, though it will lean more trendy and upscale. Portland chef Carlo Lamagna — a 2022 James Beard finalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific, and one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2021 — is slated to open Magna Kainan, a sister concept to Magna Kusina in Portland.

It will be located at NOVEL RiNo, a 483-unit mixed-use apartment community at 40th and Walnut streets. At Kainan (which means "eatery" in Tagalog), Lamagna says he will use recipes from his relatives and hopes to educate diners about traditional Filipino fare along the way.

Here's hoping local diners are open to the lesson, because the city could certainly benefit from more of this delicious cuisine.