On hiya (shame) and balut (duck embryo)

Much to think about from this interview I had with Filipnia restaurateur Nicole Ponseca. Why do immigrants in the United States feel so strongly about their cuisines?

 

The bar at Jeepney.
The bar at Jeepney, a Filipino gastropub in the East Village of New York City. “Sarap” on the wall means “delicious” in Tagalog. Credit: Noah Fecks/Jeepney

 

One of the most visible ways that cultures mingle in America is through food. So it’s no wonder that when PRI’s The World asked, as part of our Global Nation coverage, why Filipino cuisine hasn’t spread like Thai or Chinese in this country, the reaction was strong.

We heard from Nicole Ponseca, who is on a mission to bring Filipino food to the American masses. She has created two New York City Filipino restaurants: Maharlika and its gastropub cousinJeepney. Both opened in 2012, five blocks apart from each other in New York City’s East Village.

“I’m doubtful that Filipino food will be on every corner, like Chinese or Thai food in New York,” Ponseca says. “But I’m curious about how other chefs will interpret Filipino food, who aren’t Filipino at all.”

Read on at PRI.