Filipino food is steadily earning a reputation for being a world brand and people have been seeking places where authentic Filipino dishes are served.
From the United States to Australia to the UK, Filipino cuisine has been predicted to be a hot trend owing to its unique taste and variety.
The esteem that Filipino food has been getting has gotten the attention of magazines such as Vogue, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, the UK Telegraph, to name a few.
As an encouragement to Filipino entrepreneurs, PH Time is Now released a list of food options for those who will troop the networking and mentoring summit scheduled in New York on June 9, 2018.
The following 16 Filipino Food Stops in New York curated by ReachUsGlobal.com should complete the New York experience at PH Time is Now:
111 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003, USA 12:00NN – 3:30PM and 6:00PM – 11:00PM (MON-THURS) | 12:00NN – 3:30PM and 5:00PM – 12:00MN (FRI) 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:00PM – 12:00MN (SAT) | 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:00PM – 10:00PM (SUN) +1 646-392-7880 | info@maharlikanyc.com | www.maharlikanyc.com | @maharlikanyc
Maharlika started out with a big dream and bigger heart: introduce Filipino food and bold flavors to a wider audience beyond the coveted Filipino kitchens of Filipino lolas (grandmothers) and yayas (caretakers).
The vision is Nicole Ponseca and the food is Miguel Trinidad, and since 2011, the whole team has shared their love of Filipino food and spirit to anyone who cared. The menu focuses on classic and treasured flavors and can run from truly authentic to inspired. Service is family-like, without pretense, much like dining at someone’s home.
201 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003, USA 6:00PM – 10:30PM (MON-FRI) | 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:30PM-11:00PM (SAT) 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:30PM-10:30PM (SUN) +1 212-533-4121 | www.jeepneynyc.com | @maharlikanyc
Jeepney Filipino Gastropub is Nicole Ponseca’s and Miguel Trinidad’s second restaurant and brother to Maharlika Filipino Moderno. It’s named after the “Jeepney”, the WWII jeeps left behind by US occupation. Filipinos took the left-over jeeps chopped them up and tricked them out, creating a vibe, a mode of transport and a symbol that is uniquely Filipino. That is the essence of being of Jeepney and being Filipino – it’s a vibe, a mode, and a symbol of uniqueness.
Jeepney was on the fore-front of popularizing Filipino Food and its first-mover status, awards, and press cemented its cred as pioneers and has inspired chefs and restaurants around the world with its take on Filipino food, the Original Kamayan Night, an award-winning burger and Tiki cocktails.
3. UBE KITCHEN
Smorgasburg Williamsburg 90 Kent Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211 USA Smorgasburg Prospect Park Well House Drive Brooklyn, NY 11225, USA Smorgasburg Williamsburg 11:00AM – 6:00PM (SAT) | Smorgasburg Prospect Park 11:00AM – 6:00PM (SUN) www.ubekitchen.com | @ubekitchen
Ube Kitchen is for people who want to have fun with plant-powered desserts and savory dishes with fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in their most natural form, sourced from local farms wherever possible. All products are 100% vegan and organic whenever possible.
4. TALDE
369 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA 5:00PM – 11:00PM (MON-THURS) | 5:00PM – 12:00MN (FRI) | 11:00AM – 3:00PM and 5:00PM – 12:00MN (SAT) 11:00AM – 3:00PM and 5:00PM – 11:00PM (SUN) +1 347-916-0031 | www.taldebrooklyn.com | @taldebrooklyn
Chef Dale Talde and partners, David Massoni and John Bush invite you to dine at TALDE, a neighborhood restaurant featuring a creative menu of Asian-American cuisine that first opened in 2012.
A native of Chicago and raised by first-generation Filipino immigrants, Chef Talde — a “Top Chef” alumnus — effortlessly blends the tastes, ingredients and nuances of Eastern and Western cuisines and techniques. The result is a menu that explores new, and at times unexpected, combinations of flavors. TALDE aims to be an enjoyable and delectable haven for its neighbors and destination diners alike.
5. MAMA FINA’S NYC HOUSE OF FILIPINO SISIG
67 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009, USA 2:00PM – 10:00PM (MON) | CLOSED (TUES) | 2:00PM – 10:00PM (WED) | 11:00AM – 10:00PM (THURS-FRI) 2:00PM – 10:00PM (SAT-SUN) +1 917-262-0893 | www.mamafinas.com | @MamaFinasNYC
Husband and wife team Samuel and Carmen Sta. Maria opened Mama Fina’s in Elmwood Park over 13 years ago, specializing in sisig, a traditional Filipino chopped fried pork dish. The original Mama Fina’s offers not only pork sisig but also chicken, tofu, tuna, milkfish and squid variations on the classic to appeal to people who don’t eat pork.
The NYC location offers a very similar menu with all the same sisig variations and sizzling dishes that are the restaurant’s specialty. Breakfast plates with garlic fried rice and eggs are available all day as well Filipino-style spaghetti, crispy pork belly, and crispy short ribs. Dishes unique to the NYC location are the pork sisig sliders, which come with fries, and the “pulled pork with crunch,” a shredded pork sandwich served on a brioche bun topped with crunchy pork skins.
6. RICE & GOLD
50 Bowery, New York, NY 10013, USA 7:00AM – 10:00AM and 5:00PM – 11:00PM (MON-WED) | 7:00AM – 10:00AM and 5:00PM – 12:00MN (THURS-FRI) | 7:00AM – 10:00AM, 11:00AM – 3:00PM and 5:00PM – 12:00MN (SAT) | 7:00AM – 10:00AM, 11:00AM – 3:00PM and 5:00PM – 11:00PM (SUN) +1 646-630-8055 | www.riceandgoldnyc.com | @riceandgold
Located on the ground floor of Hotel 50 Bowery, Rice & Gold features Asian American fare. The menu also takes cues from cuisines around the globe, showcasing the diversity and vibrancy of our modern-day country and the many immigrants who have settled here and now call America home. Evident are influences from China and the Philippines, as well as Mexico, Bangladesh, Iran, Jamaica, India and more.
The restaurant, from Chef Dale Talde and the Three Kings Restaurant Group, serves breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner. The space features an 11-seat bar and a 180-seat dining room, as well as a custom graffiti art installation designed by local artist, Mr. Ewok One. The restaurant also features a robust bar program, including cocktails, wine, beer and sake.
103 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003, USA 5:00PM – 12:00MN (MON-WED) | 5:00PM – 2:00AM (THURS-SAT) | 6:00PM – 12:00MN (SUN) +1 212-777-6677 | www.theuglykitchen.com | @uglykitchen
An East Village gastropub specializing in Asian fusion and Filipino cuisine, The Ugly Kitchen is your neighborhood spot for drinks with friends, and a menu that will keep you coming back for more. With a party up front and business in the back attitude, the bar boasts of everyday happy hour until 9PM and perfectly cooked, mouthwatering food is served to groups of friends relaxing in the dining area.
Sizzling platters leaving the kitchen are sure to ignite your senses and inspire jealousy in neighboring tables, while the bar menu featuring pork buns and fried spring rolls is the perfect accompaniment to our fresh peach cucumber martini or notorious Weng Weng, a Filipino version of a Long Island Iced Tea. On Monday and Tuesday nights, our chef serves up a special Kamayan dinner with stacks of fresh seafood served on banana leaves – just make sure to wash your hands after this utensil-less meal. Friday and Saturday nights, we like to turn up the volume with our live DJ and full bar until 2 a.m. Ugly Kitchen also loves to help out our friends with fundraisers, parties and private events so feel free to contact us to host your next unforgettable affair!
8. MIGHTY BOWL
120 Macdougal St, New York, NY 10012, USA 11:00AM – 10:00PM (MON-WED) | 11:00AM – 11:00PM (THURS-FRI) 12:00NN – 11:00PM (SAT) | 12:00NN – 10:00PM (SUN) +1 212-777-5750 | www.eatmightybowl.com | @eatmightybowl
From the streets of Asia to NYC, taste our take on Asia’s flavors one bowl at a time. Each MIGHTY bowl has been inspired and thoughtfully crafted to represent the unique and diverse flavors of the region. Enjoy all our homemade sauces.
9. PURPLE YAM
1314 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11226, USA 5:30PM – 10:30PM (MON-FRI) | 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:30PM – 11:00PM (SAT) 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:30PM – 10:00PM +1 718-940-8188 | www.purpleyamnyc.com
The Pan-Asian food here encompasses Filipino, Korean, Cantonese, Keralan, Vietnamese and Indonesian home cooking, brought together by a husband-and-wife team, Romy Dorotan and Amy Besa, who gather recipes as they gather friends.
For 10 years they had a similar restaurant in SoHo, Cendrillon, and have now moved their operation to an appreciative Brooklyn audience. The bamboo-detailed restaurant is a warm and welcoming place to tuck into tamarind shrimp with caramelized onions, Filipino deep-fried pork belly and pancit, a traditional rice noodle dish with chicken, pork and vegetables.
10. F.O.B.
271 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, USA 5:00PM – 10:00PM (MON) | 5:30PM – 10:00PM (TUES-FRI) | 11:00AM – 3:00PM and 5:30PM – 10:30PM (SAT) 11:00AM – 3:00PM and 5:30PM – 10:00PM (SUN) +1 718-852-8994 | www.fobbrooklyn.com | @fobbrooklyn
This Carroll Gardens restaurant from a former Daniel alum focuses on Filipino barbecue, with pork and chicken skewers slathered in sauce, pork belly with cane vinegar dip, braised-then-grilled spareribs, and more.
There’s also Filipino classics like overnight chicken adobo, sisig, the colorful dessert halo halo, and shakes made with taro, ube, coconut pearls, and avocado.
9 Meserole St, Brooklyn, NY 11206, USA 7:00AM – 7:00PM (MON-FRI) | 8:00AM – 6:00PM (SAT-SUN) +1 718-387-7030 | www.mountainprovincecoffee.com | @mountainprovince
Mountain Province is a full-service espresso bar offering a wide selection of teas as well as Filipino baked treats guaranteed to tickle your palates. The café specializes in fair trade, single-origin organic coffee imported from small growers in the Philippines.
Owner Ray Luna purposely designed the shop as an homage to his grandmother—the matriarch who was a constant fixture in the kitchen. The aroma of her food wafted from the oven and filled the entire house, prompting the family to gather back in the kitchen as they sat and enjoyed a meal together. Mountain Province’s homey decor, furniture, and overall ambience are all a throwback and a tribute to Grandma and her fierce yet warm spirit.
12. PIG & KHAO
68 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002, USA 5:00PM – 10:00PM (MON) | 5:00PM – 11:00PM (TUES-THURS) | 5:00PM – 12:00MN (FRI) 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:00PM – 12:00MN (SAT) | 11:00AM – 3:30PM and 5:00PM – 10:00PM (SUN) +1 212-920-4485 | www.pigandkhao.com | @pigandkhao
Pig & Khao pays homage to the culture and sights of Southeast Asia and mixes in the vibrance of New York’s Lower East Side. Opened in fall 2012, the intimate, 74-seat restaurant serves Southeast Asian cuisine influenced by Chef Leah Cohen’s Filipino upbringing and her annual expeditions to the region.
13. KUMA INN
113 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002, USA 6:00PM – 11:00PM (MON-WED) | 6:00PM – 12:00MN (THURS-SAT) | 6:00PM – 11:00PM (SUN) +1 212-353-8866 | www.kumainn.com | @kumainn
KING PHOJANAKONG is at the forefront of the burgeoning Filipino food movement and is the chef-owner of Kuma Inn and Tito King’s Kitchen at Jimmy’s 43, in New York City. King is a NYC native whose culinary influences began at home with the inspirational cooking of his Filipino mother and Thai father.
Childhood summers spent in the Philippines furthered King’s interest in the culinary world and instilled the importance of community and culture. He is also the creator of the Bronx Hot Sauce, Rachael Ray’s self-proclaimed favorite hot sauce. King opened Kuma Inn in 2003 and Tito King’s Kitchen in 2015, both to critical and popular acclaim.
14. FLIP SIGI
FLIP SIGI Upper East Side 1752 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10128, USA West Village 525 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014, USA Upper East Side 11:00AM – 12:00MN (MON-THURS) | 12:00NN – 1:00AM (FRI) | 11:00AM – 1:00AM (SAT) | 11:00AM – 11:00PM (SUN) | West Village 11:00AM – 11:00PM (MON-SUN) Upper East Side +1 833-354-7744 | West Village +1 917-639-3262 | www.flipsigi.com | @flipsigi
Flip Sigi is the original Filipino Taqueria® specializing in unique tacos, burritos, rice bowls, burgers and bao buns.
15. TAMÀ
147 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221, USA 11:00AM – 10:00PM (MON-SUN) +1 347-533-4750 | www.tamarestaurant.com | @tamanyc
The guy working the counter of this unassuming, mostly takeout Filipino joint warns anyone who orders the adobo that it’s not the traditional brothy chicken dish, so as to avoid disappointing Pinoys expecting an unvarnished taste of home.
But the fact that expats are making pilgrimages to this Bed-Stuy spot is a tribute to chef Aniceto Reña Jr. and his menu, which is as affordable as it is refined (nothing costs more than $12). That adobo involves chicken thighs cooked in duck fat, its traditional surfeit of vinegar absorbed into the savory rice it’s served with. Bicol Express, another classic, applies the standard coconut curry to sous-vide pork belly. And Reña Jr., who previously worked at Cosme, suffuses cocoa rice with mole spices and treats it as a base for house-smoked mackerel. The dishes are compostable, the drinks come in cans, and the focus seems decidedly on delivery, but from the very first biodegradable-bamboo forkful of food, there’s no mistaking the talent in the kitchen and the finesse on the plate. (Source: www.nymag.com) The guy working the counter of this unassuming, mostly takeout Filipino joint warns anyone who orders the adobo that it’s not the traditional brothy chicken dish, so as to avoid disappointing Pinoys expecting an unvarnished taste of home.
16. KABISERA KAPÉ
151 Allen St. New York, NY 10002, USA 7:00AM – 9:00PM (MON-SAT) | 7:30AM – 9:00PM (SUN) +1 929-920-8250 | @kabiserakape
This art café in the Lower East Side is an extension of the studio of legendary NY pop artist Peter Marco. Co-owned by his wife Jeanette, the cozy shop serves great coffee made from beans grown in the Philippines. Other fan favorites include Ube Latte, Hamonado Panini, Almond ChaiTado, Vitalitea, Adobo and Longganisa Panini.
The colored walls and inspiring messages of the space perk up customers as much as the caffeine. Only good vibes from the hearts and hands of co-owners Augee and Joey who know each patron by name and their favorites by cup. Swing by anytime and your day will be as bright as the vibrant energy of Kabisera Kapé!
Join global Pinoys at PH Time Is Now: A Networking and Mentoring Event celebrating Global Filipinos and their personal stories of learning, growth and success.
You’ll also get the chance to meet, engage and collaborate with fellow innovators and changemakers; and take part in building a community of global Filipinos with substance, purpose and impact.
The event will be held at the Harvard Club in NYC on June 9, 2018. Visit www.phtimeisnow.com or Follow @phtimeisnow for details. See you there!
GoodNewsPilipinas.com is a media partner of PH Time Is Now.
