Courtesy Bradley Hawks/Amuse Bouche

Maharlika: After successful stints as a weekends-only pop up in temporary spaces around the city, this Filipino restaurant has finally found a permanent home on First Ave, furthering the East Village's transformation into a mini-Manila.

Maharlika offers up homestyle Filipino cuisine with a bit of flair and a whole lot of loveâmuch like the Olive Garden, when you're here, you're family. Don't be surprised when owner/bartender/waitress Nicole Ponseca comes over bearing samples of her homemade chili vinegar to dip your garlicky longanisa sausage into, or dares you to down a warm balut, or fertilized duck egg (baby bones and all).

Other hearty fare includes a sizzling platter of sisgâgrilled bits of pig ears, snout, and belly sautÃ©ed with onions, garlic, lemon and topped with a raw egg; and heaping bowls of arroz caldo, the Pinoy answer to chicken soup, studded with ginger and garlic. The space is tiny and warm, with none of the dreaded space-aged decor that seems so prevalent in many Southeast Asian East Village restaurants these days. (Jamie Feldmar)

111 First Avenue, 646-392-7880

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