“I think awareness is definitely increasing, in part because Filipinos are becoming more open about cooking their own food, making cocktails with Filipino ingredients, and creating spaces that celebrate their traditions and culture,” says Cheryl Tiu, a Miami, Florida-based Filipino journalist and content creator and founder of Cross Cultures, which runs events promoting Filipino food in Hong Kong, Singapore and the US.
Chef JP Angulo aims to bring Filipino cuisine to greater prominence on the global stage. Photo: Kuya
“There may have been a hiatus before. [shy] “This factor has made Filipino pride higher than ever before,” Tiu added.
“It feels like all of a sudden there are more chefs outside the Philippines who are really representative and really bold,” says JP Angulo, a Philippine-based celebrity chef who recently branched out overseas.
He names Erika Paredes of Asian fusion restaurant Reina in Paris, Kurt Sombero of Singapore's wood-fired restaurant Kubo and Ross Magnay of Australian-Filipino restaurant Serai in Australia.
“We're slowly starting to get the respect we deserve,” he says.
Kasama corned beef served with grilled onions, garlic fried rice and egg. Photo: Instagram/@kasamachicago
In fact, a growing number of businesses are introducing and educating customers about Philippine food culture, and we visited four establishments that are part of that movement.
1. Fine dining darling: Kasama (Chicago, USA)
The United States has more Filipino restaurants than any other country outside the Philippines, catering to 4.2 million Filipino Americans (and growing), who are the second largest Asian American group in the United States. Filipinos were the first recorded Asians to arrive in North America in 1587.
While many Filipino restaurants have gained acclaim in the United States over the past decade, one restaurant in particular stands out: Kasama. This Chicago bakery and modern Filipino eatery is making history as the first Filipino restaurant to receive a Michelin star in 2022, just five months after opening.
Kasama, run by husband-and-wife team Timothy Flores and Jeannie Kwon, isn't your typical fine dining restaurant: Located in Chicago's East Ukrainian neighborhood, it's a bakery by day and fine dining destination by night.
Kasama is run by Ginny Kwong and Tim Flores. Photo: Instagram/@kasamachicago
The restaurant's name, which means “together” in Tagalog, one of the main languages spoken in the Philippines, refers to the bakery-restaurant format (itself a fusion of Flores and Kwon's different expertise) and their desire to bring people together around the table.
Kasama serves a 13-course tasting menu of traditional Filipino dishes with creative twists, such as the salmon sinigang soup, which features a tamarind beurre blanc sauce and is topped with smoked fish roe over melted spring onions.
Home-cooked niraga, a stew that is rarely found on restaurant menus, is made with savoy cabbage, A5 Wagyu beef and rice braised in beef fat and bone marrow, and served with broth.
The popular halo-halo dessert is given a fresh twist with the addition of Asian pear granita, pandan ice cream and freeze-dried mandarin.
Their imaginative dishes not only push the boundaries of Filipino cuisine but also broaden diners' horizons.
Kasama's breakfast sandwich. Photo: Instagram/@kasamachicago
2 Cool Casual Joint: Kooya Filipino Eatery (Dubai, UAE)
Chef JP Angulo opened his first restaurant, Salsa, in Manila in 2013. At the time, there were very few young chefs focusing on Filipino cuisine.
A decade later, Salsa has become a popular restaurant and Chef Japes is a household name in the Philippines after serving as a judge on MasterChef Pinoy Edition.
Whether in the kitchen or on TV, Angulo's biggest motivation is to give Filipino food more visibility: He opened Kuya Filipino Eatery, a stylish casual restaurant in Dubai in 2022.
Kooya Filipino Eatery has a homey atmosphere. Photo: Kooya Filipino Eatery
Kuya Filipino Eatery is named after the Tagalog word “kuya,” which means “big brother.” Photo: Kuya Filipino Eatery
“We have the second largest immigrant population in Dubai, but when I went there to do my pop-up, all I saw was carinderias. [casual eateries in the Philippines] “I had never seen a Filipino restaurant or a chain before. I saw an opportunity to open a restaurant based on Filipino hospitality,” Angulo says.
The restaurant's name is a playful take on the Tagalog word “kuya,” which means “big brother,” alluding to the family atmosphere of the place.
“In the Middle East, everyone is far from home,” Angulo says. “At the end of the day, everyone wants a kuya, an ate, a tito or a tita (a sister, an aunt or uncle) to take care of them and feed them. That's what we want to do.”
“As soon as you walk in you feel like you're at home. That's our responsibility to the people who've lived there for so long.”
There are well-executed classics, including beef belly kaldereta and kare-kare (both stews) and chicken inasal (grilled chicken), Mr Angulo's specialities and some of his favorite dishes.
Kapihan coffee is brewed with Kapeng Barako, a coffee variety grown in the Philippine provinces of Batangas and Cavite. Photo: Kapihan
3. Cult Cafe: Kapihan (London, UK)
Tucked away in a quiet corner of London's Battersea Park, you'll find a cafe that sheds the Southern Hemisphere mold common to modern coffee shops: Kapihan isn't minimalist in design, nor does it serve just flat whites.
Owned and operated by the Motley brothers, Kapihan (which means “coffee shop” in Tagalog) offers Londoners a taste of Filipino coffee and pastries.
The coffee used here is Kapeng Barako, a coffee variety grown in the Philippine provinces of Batangas and Cavite, and the Motley brothers chose to serve it because they respect their roots and are interested in coffee culture in Southeast Asia.
“Kapeng Barako is our best-selling coffee. This Liberica coffee is sourced from Thar and roasted to a medium roast, which gives it a unique, addictive aroma of roasted bananas and a sweet, intense flavour,” says Nigel Motley, one of Kapihan's four co-founders.
Kapihan's ube buco pie is a hot topic both in cafes and on Instagram. Photo: Kapihan Brews Kapihan's interesting baked goods, such as pan de coco – a pandan-flavoured brioche sandwich with a creamy macapuno (young coconut) filling, chocolate Spanish bread with 75% chocolate and the highly Instagrammable ube buco (purple yam and coconut) pie – help make it stand out in London's crowded cafe scene.
Their top attraction is the Bibingka cake, which comes in both the original and a vegan Spiced Apple Latik (caramelized coconut curd) version.
“Bibingka goes great with coffee, and it's always better when it's fresh out of the oven. That's why we keep it fresh in our special bibingka ovens, working around the clock.”
“I was worried about whether something with a Filipino look would be accepted by a wider audience, so I'm very proud of the growing fan base,” Motley said.
In addition to showcasing Philippine pastries, the brothers also want to highlight Filipino artisanal products: Kapihan uses chocolate from Davao and kalamay (unrefined sugar) from Capiz.
“This way, our customers can enjoy the taste of the Philippines without too much interference from us, while also promoting the quality of Philippine produce and supporting our kababayans. [countrymen]. “
Their next goal? To open a bigger outlet in London and also find a location in the Philippines where they will serve their own take on kakanin (rice cakes) as well as venturing into serving savory dishes.
“Filipino breakfast is so delicious. Choose from garlic rice, eggs, tapa, longganisa, bangus, and more – it's the perfect way to start the day. [cured beef, sausage, milkfish]This is something we are trying to promote throughout Kapihan.”
Bibingka, a Filipino coconut rice cake baked in banana leaves, is synonymous with Kapihan. Photo: Kapihan
4 Powerful Pop-up: Bahay (Dublin, Ireland)
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the hospitality industry hard, but for some it's also presented an opportunity to take a leap of faith, including Irish-Filipino chef Richie Castillo, who along with his partner in life and business, Alex O'Neill, came up with the idea for a Filipino-style food truck in the middle of the pandemic.
Castillo has extensive experience in fine dining restaurants, having led teams at acclaimed establishments such as Clanbrassil House and Host in Dublin.
Not only does he have 10 years of experience in professional kitchens, but he is also inspired by his Filipino father, Lito, who is also a skilled cook and exposed him to Asian flavors and ingredients from an early age.
Irish-Filipino chef Richie Castillo prepares Chicken Inasal at the Big Grill Festival in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Baha'i
Bahay runs pop-up shops at restaurants with constantly changing menus featuring modern Filipino dishes, such as Iberian pork presa with mang tomas jus gras. Photo: Bahay
With the restaurant industry in disarray, Castillo thought now was the right time to follow his own rules and explore his roots. He cooked Filipino food for friends and was surprised by how much they loved it. And thus, Bahay, which means “home” in Tagalog, was born in 2021.
Having actively hosted pop-ups at Dublin hotspots and food festival appearances for the past three years, Bahai has introduced diners to the diverse flavours of the Philippines with inventive dishes such as Mann Thomas' Iberian presa steak with jus gras sauce, Goatsbridge trout kinilaw (a raw seafood dish) and smoked adobo pork ribs.
“Last year was a wonderful year. Kasama City [hit television show] “Bear, a Filipino dish, has appeared on the cover of Food & Wine magazine in the US, and Gen Z content creators are promoting modern Asian cuisine on their channels,” O'Neill said.
