Highway 54 Cafe Bar And Grill

Highway 54 is an authentic Filipino restaurant in the heart of St Kilda. We went there on a double date with another Filipino couple. Their specialty is Kamayan, or boodle fight. This is where the whole table is cover with banana leaves, topped with rice and then covered with grilled meat. Then diners eat all of this with their hands. The table next to us were doing this and they had an amazing time! I ordered the Pinakbet with Prawns. The prawns were super fresh and tasty. The okra had a satisfying crunch. I didn't really enjoy the bitter melon, but through no fault of the restaurant. The whole dish was a fragrant treat. Janeca tried the Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw. The soft shell crab was so melt-in-your mouth delicious, and paired well with the coconut curry below. Both dishes came with some fluffy rice. Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw Our friends had the bisteak and the lechon kawali. They were pretty pleased with their dishes. The restaurant was quite understaffed that night, but the servers were accurate and accommodating. If you're looking for a Filipino feast in Melbourne, you can't go past Highway 54.

Came here to try authentic Filipino food and wasn’t that satisfied. We order the raw fish, calamari and lumpia.. the fish was horrendous and left it all on the plate, the calamari and lumpia were a lot better and you could tell they used fresh calamari... the venue is quite big considering it doesn’t look like it would be from the outside and the owner/staff were really friendly. There was a lot of people that came ate and left and a few guest actually had the big buffet spread on the table which was fun even watching them prepare it. I don’t remember any music in the background but overall it was a nice setting and friendly staff and patrons.

Its one of those few Filo restos in the eastern suburbs. It is the closest you can get if you crave for Filo food. The space is a little bit limited, the food is a-okay but not the best. The service staff are friendly although the waiting time is really long. Of all the food I have had, their barbecue is by far the best. The boodle fight is unique as well and its great to bring friends from different backgrounds just for the experience, but its a bit expensive.