Filipino Restaurant Week Successfully Debuts in Metro DC

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Filipino Restaurant Week fi nally arrived at the Washington DC Metropolitan Area this year with the offi cial participation of Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly (Maryland); Bistro 1521 (Virginia); and Purple Patch & The Game Sports Pub (Washington DC), from 13-26 May 2019.

Filipino Restaurant Week (FRW) was fi rst organized by the Philippine Consulate General New York in 2015 with thirteen participating restaurants. It aims to shine the spotlight on Filipino restaurants as an essential way through which the American public can discover and enjoy Filipino cuisine.

This year, twenty-four restaurants and pop-ups offi cially participated and highlighted various culinary offerings that feature fl avors of the Philippines covering a wide spectrum of Filipino food.

For the fi rst time, through the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, new particiexperipating restaurants from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC joined the FRW mainstay restaurants from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

“The Philippine Embassy recognizes the great role of Filipino Restaurants in the promotion of cultural diplomacy through cuisine. And I am pleased that Filipino Restaurant Week, which began in New York fi ve years ago, was expanded to the nation’s capital this year in orderto further promote Filipino restaurants, talented Filipino chefs, Filipino food and Philippine ingredients, for the American market,” Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said in a statement at the conclusion of the two-week event.

The participating restaurants shared the Embassy’s enthusiasm and excitement in being able to showcase Filipino food to the local communities in the DMV area.

While given the fl exibility to come up with their own innovative menus of three courses, each restaurant was requested to feature the coconut, one of the Philippines’ notable food exports, in at least one course. As a result, there were old favorite, traditional offerings such as the earthy chicken binacolsoup (chicken cooked in coconut water with grated coconut) from Bistro 1521 and spicy Bicol Express (pork belly & shoulder stewed in coconut milk) from Purple Patch.

“Many non-Asian patrons ventured into trying our set offerings, with a number of them asking if the Restaurant Week dishes were going to become a permanent part of the Bistro’s menu,” said Manny Tagle, Co-owner and Manager of Bistro 1521.

“High praise was given to the grilled milk fi sh roulade in soy calamansi sauce, as well as the beef morcon. But the mango tapioca was one of those that received the most positive reviews Tagle, in sharing the reaction of patrons.

The Philippine Consulate General in New York hosted a Kick-Off Gathering on 8 May 2019 to formally launch the two-week event. This year, the Department of Trade and Industry became an offi cial partner, in addition to existing partners, the Department of Tourism, Philippine Airlines, Tanduay, and GMA Pinoy TV. ###