‘Tocino Candy’ Burgers and Other Filipino Fare Arrive at New West Town Cafe | Eater Chicago
"Situated in West Town and opened at 851 N. Ashland Avenue during the final week of Filipino Heritage Month, this casual Filipino cafe specializes in rice bowls and Filipino-inspired sandwiches and offers inventive items like pandan chai—a hot caffeinated drink blending pandan paste with ginger and South Asian aromatics. The menu leans toward everyday, Panera-style fare: adobo rice bowls with chicken or pulled pork; a “candy tocino” bacon cheeseburger; a maple pork sandwich; and breakfast pandesal sliders filled with eggs, cheese, and tocino. The owners emphasize scaling Filipino food responsibly—lumpia are hand-rolled in Cleveland by an armada of aunties—and the team, led by Melvin Reyes with collaborators including Zandro Zafra, Don Soriano, Mitch Reyes, and Gerald San Jose, builds on prior work with Pinoy Fine Foods. Opening hours this week are 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; starting Monday, Oct. 30: weekdays 6:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.–6 p.m." - Ashok Selvam
