Rice

Ron Deo

Indulge in the pure joy of Filipino comfort food, beautifully presented in delightful rice bowls. The sisig dishes I ordered were a burst of flavors, combining acidity, savoriness, a hint of pepper, and the zesty essence of calamansi citron—all in a single, unforgettable bite. To accompany the meal, I tried their calamansi black tea, which perfectly complemented the dishes. While it's a small venue with limited seating, this charming little shack is the perfect spot to enjoy a quick and scrumptious meal with a friend. A true gem for anyone craving a taste of authentic Filipino comfort cuisine.

Anthony Nunez

Came here on a whim and I’m so glad I did! Their menu is simple and straightforward, so ordering isn’t overwhelming. They offer Filipino classics like lechón kawali, tocino, sisilog, pancit bihon , and longanisa . They also have ube pandesal and I’ve cookies. Today I chose to have the lechón and the pandesal to eat and the kalamansi iced tea to drink. The lechón was perfectly cooked; crispy outside and soft melt in your mouth inside. Of course it comes with mang Tomas sauce, so you know it was good! I also loved the portion size. I was definitely full after my meal. I’m glad they included atchara because it balanced the fattiness of the lechón perfectly. All around a great dish. The ube pandesal came with an ube butter spread. The pandesal was delicious on its own, but if you really want the ube flavor, you have to use the spread. It was really good! They have a decent amount of seating outside, so it was nice to enjoy a bit of the fall sun while I ate. I came here during the week in the early afternoon, so parking was ample on the street. I can imagine though that it gets pretty busy as people get out of work or on the weekends, so plan accordingly. Overall I love this place; I’ll definitely be back!

Jeff Highbarger

White Rice Bodega offers a delightful taste of authentic Filipino cuisine that captures the essence of both tradition and innovation. My recent experience at this joint left a lasting impression, showcasing a fusion of flavors that evoked memories of home-cooked meals yet brought a modern twist to the table. I had Tocino Manok, and the chicken was perfectly crispy and flavorful! Love the up egg on top to blend into the garlic rice. Definitely will be back to try more on the menu!

M P

Cool place, the chopped pork is very good. I liked the garlic rice here, and the Ube milk tea was OK. The calamansi tea was nice as well. I was full after 1 bowl with some pandesal.

Maribel Lopez

First time trying Filipino food and I loved it. I ordered the crispy pork belly bowl and the veggie lumpiangs and they were both delicious!

Monica Rodriquez

This little restaurant caught my eye when I drove by so, after my appointment I walked over to grab lunch. I had not eaten this dish before. I was taking a chance. I was pleased with Sisilog. Tasty crispy pork cube on garlic rice. A bit spicy due to the tiny red Thai chilis. It was a large serving and I paid just over $20 with a modest tip since it was a to-go order. Honestly, it was a great flavor. No line but an occasional customer showed up at a good pace. Some people had called in an order and their food was ready when they arrived. I love the custom to-go bag. I'm curious about the purple drink, so maybe I'll try it next time.

Carlz Elmstherson

We definitely enjoyed our food, and now I know why I wasn't the only one getting a little extra protein with my meal. The flies must have gotten the memo about how good the food is—it’s an outdoor restaurant, so they're basically just the uninvited, buzzy dinner guests. We ordered the pork sisig and chicken tocino. The tocino was a sweet dream, but the sisig had me feeling a little homesick. It was great, but where's the sour and savory sidekick? A little soy sauce and calamansi (or at least some lemon) would have been the perfect power duo to truly take me back to the Philippines. All in all, it’s a great spot for that quick Filipino fix. Just be prepared to share.

Very yummy. My rice was a bit hard so at first I thought that’s just how they cook their rice, but my husbands order , his rice was perfect . The food is very flavorful and the meat is very juicy and delicious. Would go back. My husband absolutely loved the pork belly he got. I’m a simple gal so protein, rice and pickled salad is right up my alley. They have a little outdoor patio for seating ( I was in the car while my husband ordered) so I’m not too sure if you can actually Dine inside. Parking I believe is street parking. Anyways support small businesses and definitely check them out 👍🏾

First time here, ordered to go during the Adams Ave Festival. Waited about 15 minutes for the chopped pork belly bowl, which we had no problem with. The bowl was a good size for the price (hard to come by these days). The rice seemed a little undercooked but edible. The pork belly was chewy but in a good way. Overall I liked the bowl and would order it again. Now let’s talk about the overpriced ube pandesal. Two “mini” sized pandesal for $4. Do not expect pandesal the size of your local Filipino bakery’s pandesal. Like do not even compare it to Valerio’s. You will feel robbed. The pandesal at White Rice is the size of my thumb (see my photo). Literally you can ingest it taking two bites. Even two put together do not equal the size of a regular pandesal. However, I will give them props on the ube butter. That is some good stuff!

H. JN

Very yummy. My rice was a bit hard so at first I thought that’s just how they cook their rice, but my husbands order , his rice was perfect . The food is very flavorful and the meat is very juicy and delicious. Would go back. My husband absolutely loved the pork belly he got. I’m a simple gal so protein, rice and pickled salad is right up my alley. They have a little outdoor patio for seating ( I was in the car while my husband ordered) so I’m not too sure if you can actually Dine inside. Parking I believe is street parking. Anyways support small businesses and definitely check them out 👍🏾

T Lewis

First time here, ordered to go during the Adams Ave Festival. Waited about 15 minutes for the chopped pork belly bowl, which we had no problem with. The bowl was a good size for the price (hard to come by these days). The rice seemed a little undercooked but edible. The pork belly was chewy but in a good way. Overall I liked the bowl and would order it again. Now let’s talk about the overpriced ube pandesal. Two “mini” sized pandesal for $4. Do not expect pandesal the size of your local Filipino bakery’s pandesal. Like do not even compare it to Valerio’s. You will feel robbed. The pandesal at White Rice is the size of my thumb (see my photo). Literally you can ingest it taking two bites. Even two put together do not equal the size of a regular pandesal. However, I will give them props on the ube butter. That is some good stuff!

Alright, alright. I tried their Pork Sisig over Garlic rice. It was like eating cube fried firm tofu. Good portion, just need some flavoring. Slap some mayo and add calamansi juice and vinegar up in that bowl! The garlic rice, y'all buy some calrose rice, what is this long grain cheap rice? Ay Nako! And use fresh garlic rather than powder. I wouldn't even mind paying $2 more if ya'll make this dish fire in the future. Once you perfected this, have an uncle try it if it's pulutan approved

Bob Salad

Alright, alright. I tried their Pork Sisig over Garlic rice. It was like eating cube fried firm tofu. Good portion, just need some flavoring. Slap some mayo and add calamansi juice and vinegar up in that bowl! The garlic rice, y'all buy some calrose rice, what is this long grain cheap rice? Ay Nako! And use fresh garlic rather than powder. I wouldn't even mind paying $2 more if ya'll make this dish fire in the future. Once you perfected this, have an uncle try it if it's pulutan approved

Take your food to go. Avoid the flies and bugs that bite or else you won’t be able to enjoy your food. The food was good but lacked flavor. I had to add sriracha to my bowl at home. However, the sauce they put on the crispy pork rice bowl with the pickled vegetables was the star of items we tried. And the ube milk tea was super refreshing. Was bummed that this had the potential to be one of the best Filipino spots in town but it just felt short of our expectations.

I had gotten take out before and it was good. I tried several bowls with the stand out being the vegetarian one. This time I dined in. Their outdoor tables have umbrellas for shade. Small area but comfortable. The cashier was very nice and professional. I tried the pancit and ube milk tea. The drink was good but the portion and quality for the pancit was disappointing. For $14 dollars the pancit serving was meager and did not fill me up. Even worse it was overly salty and oily. I think there was supposed to be mushrooms but I didn’t see any. Overall just overpriced for the size and taste.

Breana McGowan

Take your food to go. Avoid the flies and bugs that bite or else you won’t be able to enjoy your food. The food was good but lacked flavor. I had to add sriracha to my bowl at home. However, the sauce they put on the crispy pork rice bowl with the pickled vegetables was the star of items we tried. And the ube milk tea was super refreshing. Was bummed that this had the potential to be one of the best Filipino spots in town but it just felt short of our expectations.

princexx chamango

I had gotten take out before and it was good. I tried several bowls with the stand out being the vegetarian one. This time I dined in. Their outdoor tables have umbrellas for shade. Small area but comfortable. The cashier was very nice and professional. I tried the pancit and ube milk tea. The drink was good but the portion and quality for the pancit was disappointing. For $14 dollars the pancit serving was meager and did not fill me up. Even worse it was overly salty and oily. I think there was supposed to be mushrooms but I didn’t see any. Overall just overpriced for the size and taste.

Food was pretty dry, not much sauce or additional flavor enhancers added. Quite disappointed it’s been this way each time I’ve visited. It’s got the potential to be really good, if only it wasn’t so dry.

Prices are high for the food they serve. The rice was clumpy as hell and dry, which is not a good sign for a place called the White Rice Bodega, which specializes in rice bowls. The only saving grace was the calamansi drink. Overall, I would not eat here again. Go to National City for better Filipino cuisine. This one is going to let you down.

Mercedes A. Mendoza

Prices are high for the food they serve. The rice was clumpy as hell and dry, which is not a good sign for a place called the White Rice Bodega, which specializes in rice bowls. The only saving grace was the calamansi drink. Overall, I would not eat here again. Go to National City for better Filipino cuisine. This one is going to let you down.

The eggs were hardboiled, not poached or fried as advertised; the $5 tea was a small Arnold Palmer; the only two menu options available at a peak hour were chicken. Don’t come for the bowls. The saving grace are the ube pandesal rolls.

Okay first problem they got rid of the well known lechon kawali. When I tell you how upset I was. Wasn’t that the most popular dish? Why on earth would they get rid of that?So I got this other grilled pork rice dish. I had to omit some things because I can’t eat chilis. It was very dry. My friend got the same thing with everything on it and hers was still dry as well. I literally could not finish it. I had to take it home to doctor it up. Maybe there under new management (website isn’t working) but I will not be returning until they bring back the lechon kawali. I brought my friend there for that dish and they no longer serve it.

D Coco

Okay first problem they got rid of the well known lechon kawali. When I tell you how upset I was. Wasn’t that the most popular dish? Why on earth would they get rid of that?So I got this other grilled pork rice dish. I had to omit some things because I can’t eat chilis. It was very dry. My friend got the same thing with everything on it and hers was still dry as well. I literally could not finish it. I had to take it home to doctor it up. Maybe there under new management (website isn’t working) but I will not be returning until they bring back the lechon kawali. I brought my friend there for that dish and they no longer serve it.

Marc Pescadera

I've been going here for 3 years. The quality of food has definitely changed. I noticed it when the menu took out the Filipino names (I'm guessing to cater to non-filipinos), but I think the quality control can be improved. It's become more bland, and the pork sisig I got tasted like someone who definitely does not know what sisig is supposed to taste like. Some of this maybe financially influenced. I worked at a Hawaiian restaurant once and the owner saved money by switching from spam to a generic luncheon meat (which was very noticeable). I don't know if that's happening here, but I do know that the employees definitely make or break the quality and service. I'm hoping to update this review in a few months with better reviews because I really enjoyed it when I first tried it a few years ago.

Horrible service—if you can even call it that! Let me begin by sharing some context: I’m Black and Filipino. My mother recently passed away, and I’ve been craving the Filipino food I grew up eating, especially her cooking. Missing her, I decided to try this place. While driving on the freeway, I searched for Filipino cuisine and found “White Rice.” Since I was in San Diego for work (though I’m originally from Hawaii), I thought I’d give it a shot. When I arrived, the experience was beyond disappointing. The cook looked directly at me as I stood at the order window but didn’t say a word—not even a simple “hello” or “I’ll be right with you.” He completely ignored me. Meanwhile, a woman wearing a scarf sat behind the counter. She glanced at me, then sat back down without saying a word. It was incredibly disheartening but, sadly, not surprising. Although my mother was Filipino, I’m aware that parts of this culture can harbor prejudice against Black people. This experience confirmed that for me. I will never return to this place!

Leilani C.

Horrible service—if you can even call it that! Let me begin by sharing some context: I’m Black and Filipino. My mother recently passed away, and I’ve been craving the Filipino food I grew up eating, especially her cooking. Missing her, I decided to try this place. While driving on the freeway, I searched for Filipino cuisine and found “White Rice.” Since I was in San Diego for work (though I’m originally from Hawaii), I thought I’d give it a shot. When I arrived, the experience was beyond disappointing. The cook looked directly at me as I stood at the order window but didn’t say a word—not even a simple “hello” or “I’ll be right with you.” He completely ignored me. Meanwhile, a woman wearing a scarf sat behind the counter. She glanced at me, then sat back down without saying a word. It was incredibly disheartening but, sadly, not surprising. Although my mother was Filipino, I’m aware that parts of this culture can harbor prejudice against Black people. This experience confirmed that for me. I will never return to this place!

had the chicken adobo. Some feedback: the best part of adobo is the sauce. There was no sauce. I get that you have to tailor it towards American diners, but the sauce is the best part of adobo. Otherwise it tastes like High School cafeteria food.

D Toth

Waited at window for five minutes. Where no body answered to take order. Both employees sat listening to music. Staring at each other rather than being attentive to customers.

Daniel Kang

had the chicken adobo. Some feedback: the best part of adobo is the sauce. There was no sauce. I get that you have to tailor it towards American diners, but the sauce is the best part of adobo. Otherwise it tastes like High School cafeteria food.

Marcela M

Brought a friend and told him it was good, but I hadn’t been back in a while and did not know it had gone downhill so much. How embarrassing! This looks and tastes like cafeteria food and was mediocre at best. The lumpia was over fried and flavorless, the chicken adobo bowl was so sad and had NO adobo flavor it was just dry chopped up pieces of chicken breast and the ube pan de sal was stale. Like two day old bread stale. Very disappointing. Will not be back. I didn’t even take a photo because it was such a sad looking bowl. The staff was nice enough but save your money.