On June 10, community members gathered at The Stonehouse Café on Rainier Avenue for the Palengke Summer Party, a festive celebration of local Filipino food, businesses, and artists. FCS Negosyante’s sponsorship contributed to making the event a reality, alongside a partnership with Max Heigh of Heigh Connects Food Group and LeeAnn Subelbia of The Stonehouse Café to host the event on their property. DJ K-Boogie performed a lively set for the event, which included vendors such as Ma Arté Co., Neighborhood Bubble Tea & Coffee, Ube Books, Your Kuyas, and many more.
A longtime favorite for Filipino cuisine in Beacon Hill, Kusina Filipina was forced to close in 2017 due to a rent hike. The Paraiso family had run Kusina Filipina since 2010, making it a destination for authentic classics like lumpia, pancit, and adobo, all in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Now, almost six years after leaving Beacon Hill, the Paraiso family is coming back. CheBogz, the family’s food truck, will open a brick-and-mortar restaurant right next to the Beacon Hill light rail station at the Colina Apartments. Currently, they have an active Kickstarter campaign to help secure funds to finalize their return to the local community.
Melissa Miranda, owner and chef at Filipino restaurant Musang, is embarking on another journey in 2023: the opening of Kilig in the Chinatown-International District (CID), a Filipino restaurant inspired to serve tasty dishes, such as pancit and bulalo, in a casual yet homey space. The idea came to Miranda over a year ago after engaging with community members about their experiences with different types of Filipino restaurants, places, and cuisine in the Philippines and elsewhere.
North Beacon Hill, a Seattle neighborhood already greatly impacted by gentrification, was once the home of numerous Filipino restaurants, including Kusina Filipina and Inay’s, now all closed. For Melissa “Mel” Miranda, a Seattle chef and restaurateur, her restaurant Musang is a way to bring familiar Filipino flavors back into the neighborhood with a more modern spin.
