Filipino food is a popular choice for students looking to eat hearty amounts of food without breaking the bank. Here are the Top 5 locally-owned Pinoy eateries near El Camino College on a student’s budget.

1. Pick Your Plate

Address: 11943 S. Inglewood Ave., Hawthorne (4.2 miles)

Phone: (424) 456-4803

Based in a cozy restaurant on Inglewood Boulevard, Pick Your Plate has all the bases covered on traditional Filipino food. Their one item combo for $7.99, in this case a plate of pork sisig with rice, gives a great mix of flavors. The savory soft pork mixes with the snap of the onions and bell peppers and is complimented by the rice as it soaks up the pork juices.

2. Tita Celia’s

Address: 621 W. Carson St., Carson (5.7 miles)

Phone: (310) 834-6289

For 33 years, Tita Celia’s has been serving the Carson area with traditional Filipino food. The pork adobo (Combo E, $11.75) is covered in a salty, savory sauce, served in large portions. The large portions of rice act as a palette cleanser while the beef mechado, served separately in a cup to accommodate the stew, warms the body with its hearty flavor and big pieces of soft potatoes and braised beef. A large cup of sago’t gulaman ($2.75), a traditionally sweet Filipino drink, adds a nice minty touch to the meal.

3. Manila Sunrise

Address: 21828 S. Main St., Carson (7.1 miles)

Phone: (310) 835-2800

A quaint restaurant, Manila Sunrise offers a good spread of budget-friendly foods that are still delicious. Their one item combo of bicol express and rice ($6.95) offers a good combo of spice from the peppers mixed with the mild heartiness of the pork, with the rice filling in the rest. The vegetable lumpia ($2.29) is packed full of minced veggies to get your greens in your mealtime.

4. Manila’s Lechon

Address: 118 W. Carson St. (6.2 miles)

Phone: (310) 935-2209

This strip mall restaurant is good for people in a rush to eat. In lieu of a full plate, Manila’s Lechon offers skewers of meat at a reasonable price. Their skewers of barbecued chicken and pork ($3.50 each) are filling and flavorful, and the turn, a desert-style lumpia ($1.25 each), adds a sweet touch to the savory meat.

5. Pinoy Big Mouth

Address: 444 E. Lomita Blvd., Wilmington (8.6 miles)

Phone: (310) 408-1551

Located in the parking lot of a church, this food stand offers a more traditional feel of Filipino cooking. A skewer of raw pork costs only $1.50, which you can cook yourself on the wood-fired grills provided by the stand. For those who want a snack on the go, you can buy a six-pack of crispy pork lumpia, with accompanying sweet and spicy sauce, and a cup of homemade pineapple juice for $4 each.

Editor’s Notes:

• Headline was updated, orientation of photos was corrected and tags were added for context on Saturday, June 10.
• Alignment of photos was changed for better placement on Sunday, June 11.