Exploring Filipino Kitchens

On this episode we chat with Chef Budgie Montoya, who envisioned and brought to life Sarap and Apoy - two uniquely Filipino restaurants in the heart of London, UK. I caught up with Budgie on his last few weeks in El Nido, Palawan, where he’s started work on his next project - a visiting guest chef program linking cooks and local food producers with the tourist market in El Nido. We talk lots about other things that overlap in our diasporic worlds, too! 🧑‍🍳

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☀️ memories of El Nido
- this halo-halo for me in the middle of Toronto’s heatwave
- Budgie’s kinilaw by the beach 🐟

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On this episode we delve into the evolving landscape of global Filipino cuisine with restaurateur, hospitality consultant, and author of the “I Am A Filipino” cookbook, Nicole Ponseca.

We chat about seeing ourselves in the industry, the success of her restaurants Jeepney and Maharlika, things we think about when we go out to dinner, strategies to mindfully and continually grow the presence of cuisine from the Philippines across the U.S., and how one after-school snack stop with her dad left a lasting impression.

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On this episode, we chat with author Mia Manansala about the world of her characters in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries Series novels. My kind of winter reading!

Super excited for this interview, we talk about Mia and her work, some favourite food memories, cooking at home, and visiting the Philippines as an adult. Also, we talked a lot about writing the world of Shady Palms, and the narratives that shape us.

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Our guide had a contact at a local school that, we learned, was one of the first in the country to develop a curriculum dedicated to indigenous studies at the high school level. We visited and met some teachers on break in between classes. I remember we sat at a table that overlooked a field and introduced ourselves as visitors who were very interested in learning about T’boli culture, arts and textiles included. After class, another teacher showed us to a room where students practiced weaving, woodworking, and brass casting, to create traditional items such as jewelry (with those little bells) and musical instruments. They also made souvenirs, keychains carved in the shape of a fish. I got one and carry it around with me everyday here in Toronto 💛 We greatly appreciated the opportunity to visit and learn about the community!