A Taste of the Philippines is opening in Jefferson Park | Eater Chicago
"Opening in early April in Jefferson Park at 5914 W. Lawrence Avenue, I learned that A Taste of the Philippines will be a 28-seat restaurant where Kathy Vega Hardy expands the food-truck and market operation she started in Denver in 2012. She’s partnering with Crumbs and Creams (run by spouses Katrina and Mharloe Requiron), best known for sylvana cookies, and the two businesses will split the space so Vega Hardy can focus mostly on savory items like lumpia and pancit while also offering a few desserts such as her signature ube doughnut and turon with ube drizzle. The menu will include a vegetarian adobo made with local Four Star Mushrooms that’s a bit more saucy so the gravy properly coats the rice, breakfast silog dishes, sandwiches, and items like pan de sal with a fried egg and havarti; longanisa will be made on premises and used in a Scotch egg. Without a permanent home she’s been using Schoolhouse Kitchen in Portage Park to cook for catering and pop-up dinners (she also teaches there), and she expects production to increase from the roughly 150 lumpia she can roll on an average day. Vega Hardy describes her food as “in the sweet middle ground” — not upscale but not fast food — and aims to preserve Filipino culture while putting her own spins on family recipes; a full espresso bar will serve Veloria Coffee to complement the savory lineup." - Ashok Selvam
