“Something that always makes me feel like we did something right is when people say, ‘I feel like I’m just eating in your home.’”
by Amanda Ong
“The three pillars of our restaurant are first, our personal identities, and then that identity as it relates to our second pillar, which is culture. Our third pillar is empowerment, which is a really important aspect of what we do,” chef Aaron Verzosa, cofounder of Archipelago, said in an interview with the South Seattle Emerald.
Identity, culture, and empowerment. It’s not what you would expect from a fine dining establishment — most of which might, at a guess, say something about quality, innovation, and service.
On Monday, July 24, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (BBM) delivered his second State of the Nation Address as president of the Philippines. In direct response to this address, Filipinos and solidarity groups all over the world held a collective People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA) to speak out on the conditions in the Philippines under the Marcos family, as well as on the experiences of Filipinos abroad. Seattle was no different, as organizers from BAYAN Seattle, Malaya Movement Seattle, and Seattle’s branch of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP Seattle) welcomed community to PSONA last Sunday, July 23, to rally against state neglect and against the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) convening in Seattle this month.
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.
