When I moved to San Diego, California, at the tender age of 22, I knew I was in for some culture shock.  My prior 5 years in South Florida would expose me to Cuban, Haitian and African American food and culture that was inaccessible to me growing up in New England. (I went to a high school with a student body 1700 kids strong that, with few exceptions, couldn’t be whiter if we poured out of the spout on a faulty McFlurry Machine at McDonald’s.)  I took a job at a movie theatre when I arrived in San Diego alongside a mix of young people from all different backgrounds, but the two most well-represented ethnicities of my new co-workers in my new home city were Mexican and Filipino.  Over the years, I’d go on to learn about and experience so much amazing Mexican and Filipino culture and food, but I was skittish about it at my young age.

The saddest example of my idiotic, youthful apprehension of the unfamiliar was when December of that first year rolled around.  It was my job to plan to the after-hours holiday party for the employees.  We had a bunch of cool stuff planned; an hour of free play in the arcade next door, karaoke in the theatre and food.  I got a ton of food catered from a nearby grocery store.  One of my coworkers offered to pick up a few dozen tamales from her Grandmother in Tijuana and bring them to the party.  I had no idea what a tamale was but, sure, whatevs.  The more the merrier.  There would be plenty of food.  The party starts and my coworker comes in rolling 3 igloo coolers and setting up a giant platter of tiny bundled…something(?) on the table next to my party platters.  When I tell you, these kids who worked at our theatre STAMPEDED over to that table to tear into those tamales.  I was surprised they didn’t knock over the table of everything I’d bought and even if they did, not one of them would’ve blinked an eye, the tamale frenzy was that strong. 

I never ate one.  I even turned down the one my friend had put aside for me.  I was too scared. Food from someone’s house?! In Mexico? (Whatever the Hell that even means.)  I didn’t know what a tamale was or how to eat it and I was too embarrassed to ask.  There, I said it.  There are countless moments where I recall the adventures of 20-something Anthony and shake my head in disgust but this one is a doozy.  How silly was I?  Flash forward to 2024.  I have eaten countless tamales from just about everyone’s Abuela both here and in Mexico and they are bomb.  A good tamale is just the best thing.  It’s been 25 years and I still regret not trying one that night.  They get more amazing in my fantasies with every passing year.  What was I so afraid of?!

As the years went on, I made more friends and eventually got exposed to Filipino food.  By this time I was a bit older and less dumb so I was more willing to try new things.  It was right around this time that I discovered the gloriousness that is Lumpia.  Lumpia are a type of spring roll that can come from Indonesia and The Philippines.  They are paper-thin pastry rolls that can house sweet or savory fillings.  While they certainly can be a center-of-the-plate meal, they are usually enjoyed as an appetizer or snack.  They can be served fried or fresh.  In Indonesia (brought to that region by early Chinese settlers), you’ll find Lumpia as street food.  In The Philippines, they are enjoyed as a celebration staple.  There’s roughly a gazillion varieties of how they’re prepared and filled but all I know is they’re delicious.  My favorite non-Lumpia Filipino food is a noodle dish called Pancit.  When I found out that a popular Filipino variation of Lumpia called Lumpiang Pancit (Lumpia FILLED WITH PANCIT) exists?  Oh yeah, that was a good day.        

Back in the days when shutting down a dancefloor at 2am still sounded like something I’d want to do, we would come out of the local bear bar (RIP Numbers) and there, waiting for us, was the Lumpia lady.  This tiny little Filipino Lola, sizzling it up in her little metal cart that filled the whole block with the smell of roasted pork and vegetables.  It was just as intoxicating as we were intoxicated.  She was so precise and focused on her work, which is why she never looked up and dropped dead from a heart attack when the sidewalk she was posted in front of rumbled like Jurassic Park as a herd of sweaty, half-naked Eddie Valiants, Lou Grants and Damien from Means Girls (original and remake) descended on her at once like a fat femme remake of “300”.  She only took cash.  She barely spoke English but she knew damn well this thicc burly horde of drunk furry men would kill for her if she asked.  That, friends, is the sheer power of Lumpia.

Gaslamp Lumpia Factory is the only Pulutan (think Tapas-style small plates) Bar in San Diego.  They offer a variety of Lumpia and popular Filipino-American comfort foods, as well as beer, wine, sake and specialty cocktails.  It also has the distinction of being the only dedicated Filipino spot in the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego.  Joining me for this adventure were my own small but dedicated horde of lumpia lovers

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

David-Wonder Woman superfan, musical theatre enthusiast, the narrator’s love interest

Durwood-Best friend, comedian, San Diego’s go-to non-singing black actor

Joseph-Music educator, loves just about every food I won’t touch, masterclass Dad joker

Not gonna lie.  The location of this place may scare off some locals.  It’s in the Gaslamp Quarter.  Like, the absolute Gaslamp-iest part of the Gaslamp Quarter.  During the weekends, it’s busy.  During Padre games, it’s chaos.  During Comic Con, it’s the actual seventh realm of Hell.  But once you get past the crowds, the tourists and navigating the internal moral turmoil of seeing entire streets equally lined with Teslas and homeless encampments, there’s actually some fun and cool stuff there.  Right at the end of F street and before you hit the parking garage of Horton Plaza (the abandoned haunted house of 90’s mall culture), you’ll find Gaslamp Lumpia Factory.  If you’re local and not a fan of the Gaslamp, I cannot recommend enough that you either go for lunch or on a weeknight.  We all found street parking and there was plenty of seating.  Or go on a Holiday weekend.  Choose violence.  Do what you want.  I’m not your Mom.

Naturally, I ordered the pork Lumpia.  Served alongside a traditional sweet chili sauce, these bad boys were served screaming HOT.  There was absolutely no question of the freshness here.  It was several minutes before I could even hold one.  Crispy and savory with a great fry to them.  While I won’t say they particularly stand out from any of the other lumpia I’ve had, they were well done.  Durwood had the chicken lumpia (which I also tried).  He loved both but gives the edge to pork.  Joseph, on the other hand, was not as big a fan of the pork lumpia.  He felt like the primary flavor note in his was simply oil. Aimee tried the beef lumpia and also enjoyed how well fried they were.  In addition to the sweet chili, she also had the sesame-soy dipping sauce.  I found the sesame-soy to be a little too salty but she loved mixing the soy with the sweet chili.  Aimee also pointed out that, for a place called a “Lumpia factory”, she was hoping for a bit more variety in the lumpia selections.         

There are many other options available aside from Lumpia at Gaslamp Lumpia factory, including rice bowls.  David had the Kahlua Pork with pineapple over Jasmine Rice.  He found the dish to be a very tasty, gluten-free alternative to lumpia.  To wash it all down, he also had a Papa Pili Mai Tai (Gold Rum, Sweet Citrus, Pineapple and Orange Juice), which he found delicious and beautifully presented.  I had a sip and it was very tasty, if a bit of a weak pour but that might just be due to the fact that I’ve been in Hillcrest a lot this week.  It was good, tho.  

Durwood got the Garlic Fried Rice with Longanisa (a garlic-forward Filipino sausage) and pineapple.  He said it was a great blend of flavors but was hoping for more of a fried texture in the rice.  For him, it was giving more steamed rice, which he enjoyed with some of the house hot sauce. 

Joseph, a proud soup enthusiast, ordered the Pork Sinigang Soup (sour and savory pork tamarind soup with tomatoes, green beans and cabbage).  He said the broth was tasty and savory with a delightful sourness that didn’t linger.  The pork was fall-apart tender.  Solid soup that he would definitely eat again.

For my main, I had the Shrimp Tempura and a side of Garlic Fried Rice.  The shrimp was fried a little harder than I’ve had it in the past but it was awesome.  The dragon sauce served alongside the dish was absolutely divine.  Creamy with a great heat.  It paired perfectly with the crunchy shrimp.  I could’ve crushed 20 more of these.  Delicious.  The Garlic Fried Rice was also a standout for me.  I love garlic to unhealthy degrees (at least according to my doctor, who I’m sure is a vampire who just never wants me to have any fun.)  Durwood was correct in that it’s not a similar taste and texture to traditional fried rice but, for me, that made it much lighter.  It paired nicely with the other proteins at the table I ate.  Traditional fried rice with all that lumpia and tempura would’ve been rough for me. 

Aimee ordered the most unique main course and it’s a signature specialty at Gaslamp Lumpia Factory: The Pandesal Smash Burger.  Commonly eaten for breakfast in the Philippines, Pandesal is a fluffy, sweet bread roll made from flour, yeast, sugar, oil and salt.  Inside the roll is a quarter pound beef patty with cheese, onions and a house sauce.    Y’all.  This shit was DELICIOUS.  Aimee loved it.  She said the inside of the roll was lightly toasted but the outside remained fluffy and sweet, reminiscent of a Hawaiian roll.  She loved how well the burger was cooked and the amount of cheese on top was perfect.  I’m usually not a fan of sweet buns for burgers (don’t get me started on that Godless abomination Krispy Kreme Burger that came from the fiery depths of county fair Hell) but this burger alone is worth making the trip downtown for.  A stand out. 

Alongside her burger, Aimee had the macaroni salad.  She said finding a good pasta salad is a difficult task around these parts but Gaslamp Lumpia Factory’s take on it is good.  The pasta held it’s shape.  The dish wasn’t too mayo-heavy and had a nice twang to it.  I had a bite, which is unusual for me because I don’t like mushy or cold pasta but the shells were al dente and pretty good.   Durwood took issue with it being called “macaroni salad” despite not being elbow macaroni.  I respect his position.  I’m sure Aimee was glad just to not have to share more of her tasty side.   Overall, the entire table came away with a very positive review for Gaslamp Lumpia Factory.  I, like many locals, can’t imagine why I’d want to purposely go the Gaslamp Quarter, but we frequently find ourselves down there for some reason or another.  Going to support a unique Mom-and-Pop spot with great Filipino food and a killer burger is a great reason to do so.  Next time I’m in proximity to Gaslamp Lumpia Factory, you’ll catch me in there.