seoul searching
October 2017
SEOUL SEARCHING Ste p i n to t h e S o u t h Ko r e a n c a p i t a l ‘s q u i e t co r n e r s , b u r g e o n i n g f as h i o n t re n d s and enduring identity
The resurrection of Singapore’s indie publishing scene
Manila’s beauty entrepreneurs harness indigenous ingredients
Can hip new eateries sur vive in old -school Iloilo City?
Life
San Francisco
Fil up on this The latest Filipino fusion food craze, Fil-Mex, is flourishing in a San Francisco taqueria
Deanna Sison Foster doesn’t use the word “authentic” to describe her South-East Asian taqueria, Mestiza. “I think authentic means different things to different people,” the San Francisco restaurateur says. “My authentic experience was eating Filipino food one day, German food the day after and Indian food the next.” Named after the Filipino word for a woman of mixed heritage, Mestiza, Foster’s fourth restaurant business is a reflection of her own upbringing. As a child, Foster’s Filipino family moved from Florida in the United States to Germany. “Nobody in Germany understood a brown-skinned Asian person who spoke English and was culturally American,” she recalls. After returning to finish her schooling in the US, Foster then produced cooking shows in San Francisco before opening her first restaurant, Farmerbrown, 11 years ago, which served soul food. This was followed by chicken and waffles joint Little Skillet and adjoining bar Victory & Hall Parlor. But it was only this year that Foster decided to pay homage to her heritage. FOOD + DRINK
30
MABU HAY | O CTO B ER 2017
October is peak apple season in New York, and a pint of crisp apple cider is one of the tastiest ways to enjoy the harvest. Sample the state’s best at Cider Week NYC from October 20 to 29, when craft cider makers from all over New York descend on the Big Apple to host tastings, dinners and classes on the increasingly popular beverage. If you find yourself at this year’s event, have a sip of the latest offerings from Eve’s Cidery in Van Etten, Aaron Burr Cider in Wurtsboro and Original Sin in Hudson Valley. ciderweeknyc.com
Sophina Uong, Mestiza’s Cambodian-born chef, describes the concept as a “South-East Asian and Mexican mash-up”. Tacos and burrito bowls are filled with Filipino pork adobo, Khmer lemongrass chicken and Thai red beef curry, while guacamole becomes a natural fit alongside crispy lumpia and rock cod kinilaw. “There are so many similarities between Mexican culture and Filipino culture,” Foster says, pointing to the Spanish and Mexican influences colonialism brought to the Philippine archipelago. Though South-East Asian cuisine in the US has long been dominated by Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, new spots like Mestiza are steadily garnering attention for Filipino food. Whether or not Mestiza sees itself as authentic, its arrival on the scene marks yet another exciting Filipino-inspired eatery to hit California. But Filipino culture isn’t the only one enjoying new attention. “I’ve noticed that South-East Asian ethnicities are being more represented – even [lesser-known cuisines] like Burmese, Cambodian and Filipino,” Foster says. At Mestiza, diners can get a little taste of that South-East Asian renaissance in one sitting. mestizasf.com
SEOUL SEARCHING Ste p i n to t h e S o u t h Ko r e a n c a p i t a l ‘s q u i e t co r n e r s , b u r g e o n i n g f as h i o n t re n d s and enduring identity
The resurrection of Singapore’s indie publishing scene
Manila’s beauty entrepreneurs harness indigenous ingredients
Can hip new eateries sur vive in old -school Iloilo City?
Life
San Francisco
Fil up on this The latest Filipino fusion food craze, Fil-Mex, is flourishing in a San Francisco taqueria
Deanna Sison Foster doesn’t use the word “authentic” to describe her South-East Asian taqueria, Mestiza. “I think authentic means different things to different people,” the San Francisco restaurateur says. “My authentic experience was eating Filipino food one day, German food the day after and Indian food the next.” Named after the Filipino word for a woman of mixed heritage, Mestiza, Foster’s fourth restaurant business is a reflection of her own upbringing. As a child, Foster’s Filipino family moved from Florida in the United States to Germany. “Nobody in Germany understood a brown-skinned Asian person who spoke English and was culturally American,” she recalls. After returning to finish her schooling in the US, Foster then produced cooking shows in San Francisco before opening her first restaurant, Farmerbrown, 11 years ago, which served soul food. This was followed by chicken and waffles joint Little Skillet and adjoining bar Victory & Hall Parlor. But it was only this year that Foster decided to pay homage to her heritage. FOOD + DRINK
30
MABU HAY | O CTO B ER 2017
October is peak apple season in New York, and a pint of crisp apple cider is one of the tastiest ways to enjoy the harvest. Sample the state’s best at Cider Week NYC from October 20 to 29, when craft cider makers from all over New York descend on the Big Apple to host tastings, dinners and classes on the increasingly popular beverage. If you find yourself at this year’s event, have a sip of the latest offerings from Eve’s Cidery in Van Etten, Aaron Burr Cider in Wurtsboro and Original Sin in Hudson Valley. ciderweeknyc.com
Sophina Uong, Mestiza’s Cambodian-born chef, describes the concept as a “South-East Asian and Mexican mash-up”. Tacos and burrito bowls are filled with Filipino pork adobo, Khmer lemongrass chicken and Thai red beef curry, while guacamole becomes a natural fit alongside crispy lumpia and rock cod kinilaw. “There are so many similarities between Mexican culture and Filipino culture,” Foster says, pointing to the Spanish and Mexican influences colonialism brought to the Philippine archipelago. Though South-East Asian cuisine in the US has long been dominated by Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, new spots like Mestiza are steadily garnering attention for Filipino food. Whether or not Mestiza sees itself as authentic, its arrival on the scene marks yet another exciting Filipino-inspired eatery to hit California. But Filipino culture isn’t the only one enjoying new attention. “I’ve noticed that South-East Asian ethnicities are being more represented – even [lesser-known cuisines] like Burmese, Cambodian and Filipino,” Foster says. At Mestiza, diners can get a little taste of that South-East Asian renaissance in one sitting. mestizasf.com
