Given the UK’s healthy obsession with Asia’s myriad of wonderful cuisines, it’s surprising that it’s taken as long as it has for Filipino food to get the attention it deserves in Britain, especially given it’s one of most distinct cuisines to come out of the continent. However, there are a few Filipino restaurant concepts in London and one of the people credited with bringing the cuisine to the capital is owner of Romulo Café and Kasa and Kin, Rowena Romulo. By offering both traditional and contemporary takes on classic Filipino dishes at her restaurants, Rowena aims to make the food as approachable as possible, whilst honestly showcasing the unique flavours of the Philippines; but what is it that makes this cuisine so distinct?
‘Fusion’ is a word that’s bandied around far too often when describing food but it’s difficult to avoid it when discussing Filipino food. ‘It’s a real combination of Eastern and Western influences,’ explains Rowena. ‘Filipino cuisine represents the history of our country. Over 300 years ago we were a colony of Spain, so you see a lot of that Spanish and Mexican influence in the food. On the other hand, we’re obviously in Southeast Asia so you’ll see a lot of Chinese and Malaysian flavours too. Overall, it’s a real blend of sweet, sour, salty and slightly spicy flavours.’