It’s been a minute since we’ve wandered down East Broad into Whitehall proper. It’s a bustling stretch of random retail destinations that range from a giant Lowe’s to an ancient Bowling Alley (that’d be Holiday Lanes, which made its debut in 1959). Right in the heart of the stretch, inside the shell of a former Wendy’s restaurant, a new eatery made its debut a couple months ago. Manila Hibachi has joined the local dining scene offering fast-casual filipino fare. 

Inside the doors, the classic Wendy’s color scheme is long gone, though some of its structural features remain intact. These days, the visual palate has shifted to an uncluttered black and white combination. Still, a holdover winding coral to queue the patron line might betray its origins in the fast food empire.

Now, the hibachi name might engender all sorts of dramatic expectations. As this is a casual operation, no one’s going to be juggling any knives or throwing shrimp. Or rather, if that’s happening, it’s firmly behind the scenes. Guests can still expect grilled meat and flavorful rice, though. Those elements are stable staples of the house menu and hibachi scene. 

The easy-to navigate options feature a breakfast section along with some appetizers and and dinners. You’ll see similarities across the breakfast and regular options – both featuring foundations of meat and rice dishes. That which distinguishes the two is the addition of eggs to the breakfast combos, and cucumber salad to the dinner options. If eggs are your thing, the breakfast combos are offered all day.  

But appetizers should come first. The selection is familiar: crab rangoon, lumpia (pork eggrolls), and spring rolls (all-vegetable). Served with a sauce, the sturdy lumpia are spun in long, slender sticks with multiple crispy layers of fried wrapper that shatter to give way to a savory, seasoned pork-heavy center (three for $5).

The meal choices are “BBQ” based, often with references to a stick or kebab. The Pork BBQ Meal ($13) makes for a familiar starting point. Chunks are skewered and given a grill treatment that infuses a good dose of outdoorsy flavor with nicely charred edges. It’s served with a mountainous heap of garlic-seasoned rice and a marinated sliced cucumber salad. You can find a similar stick treatment with other options that include beef, chicken or shrimp. 

Alternately, there’s a Beef Short Rib ($15) option. Served with the rice and cucumber combo, it boasts the same savory elements, but feels like it delivers less value than the pork offering. 

Whatever else you order, leave room for Halo-Halo ($10). It’s interesting, and interesting in a thoroughly pleasant way. It’s a dessert served like a parfait in a big plastic cup loaded with shaved ice, vanilla ice cream, distinctly purple ube ice cream, and a little slice of flan. Perhaps that’s an atypical combination, but it’s still a fun jumble. You can eat the flan straight, as it holds its own in the custard department. Then you can merge the other elements together in mixed spoonfuls of soothingly straight-on sweetness. 

Manilla Hibachi can be found at 3747 E. Broad St. It’s open daily for lunch and dinner.

For more information, follow Manila Hibachi on Instagram.