At Kasama, Filipino food is doing what we always hoped it could
For years, Filipino cuisine has been cited as the next big thing—the next major entity to take over the culinary landscape and fill the plates and social media feeds of world diners. This has gradually but assuredly been becoming a reality; however, for a long time, Filipino food was largely accessible only at the most “in-the-know” of locations: the tables of Filipino immigrants and diaspora families. Tables such as the ones I, as a Filipino-American, grew up eating at.
The Philippines as a country has seen its fair share of turbulent times, thrown around as a colony between major powers throughout history and experiencing political discord as it traverses through the modern world as a developing nation. In response to this, Filipinos have made due with their primary exports: people and labor. Overseas Filipino Workers (“OFWs” for short) have extended the reach of the island nation’s population to nearly every corner of the globe, finding work and starting families abroad, all while simultaneously supporting the ones back in the motherland. The natural result of this (relatively recent) wave of diaspora means that the home cuisine of these people is brought along too.
However, outside of the Philippines, restaurants selling the island nation’s signature dishes, let alone specializing in them, had been scarce and often only visited by homesick OFWs who wished to opt for something other than Jollibee for the night, if there was even one in the area to start with.
But in recent years, the presence of the Filipino population has become more mainstream, and Filipino restaurants have been popping up in force throughout major cities in a way that was nothing but a pipe dream not even a decade ago. At the forefront of this new wave of Pinoy establishments is Kasama in Chicago, which originally opened up as a daytime bakery and brunch spot in 2020. In 2022, it became the first (and currently the only) Filipino restaurant in the world to be awarded a Michelin Star, as well as a medley of other accolades since starting up, including ones from the James Beard Foundation.
Such praise was, naturally, well-celebrated: the food of one of the world’s most prominent demographics acknowledged by the masses and the most highly esteemed institutions. But with such accomplishments comes a sense of reservation and a question: what compromises were made in regards to authenticity in order to garner acknowledgment from organizations that had, up to this point, not had Filipino cuisine much on their radars?
The answer is a resounding “none,” as chef/owner power couple Tim Flores and Genie Kwon have developed a refined tasting menu that provides stand-out dishes; elevated and creative while maintaining the integrity of original Filipino flavors.
This is apparent from the get-go with the initial course of kinilaw, a traditional dish consisting of raw seafood mixed with coconut vinegar and citrus. At Kasama, it is luxuriously served as kanpachi with golden kaluga caviar, providing a rich accompaniment to the brightness of the coconut and fish elements.
It’s followed by a pulutan platter, essentially the Filipino equivalent of tapas or amuse bouche, that consists of rice paper-wrapped lumpia (fried egg roll), oyster, and chicharon, made of crisp salmon skin instead of the usual pork skin. The chicharon in particular is of note, maintaining the saltiness and crispiness of typical chicharon but being more dainty and light, appropriate for an early-course finger food.
The rest of the meal’s savory courses consisted of staple Filipino dishes. Nilaga, a beef and cabbage stew, is made with rich wagyu and marrow and seasoned sushi rice served alongside a light broth. The adobo that follows consists of a maitake mushroom and mussel foam that accents a sliced scallop, an unorthodox protein choice in contrast to the typical chicken or pork.
These were two dishes that garnered my most intrigue. I was curious about how the distinct flavors of both would be presented in a tasting menu format. It’s apparent that Kasama’s team enhances the basis of Filipino recipes with small yet distinct and adequate additions or modifications to make them stand out. My impression after biting into the nilaga was one of nostalgia, yet surprise, as the utilization of wagyu and marrow enhanced the dish with rich, beefy savoriness. And with the adobo, each separate component is a far cry from what I would initially associate with the original, until everything is eaten together with the adobo sauce. Tasting it, there are no tricks or catches. It is soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf, and black pepper through and through, but creatively incorporated into a one-of-kind dish.
The inclusion of other proteins typically not found in Filipino cuisine continues with the inasal course that came later on. Inasal is a grilled dish originating from Cebu in the Philippines, usually consisting of chicken that has been marinated with calamansi citrus and vinegar, then grilled and glazed. Instead of ubiquitous chicken, it comes in the form of squab, well-cooked to a pretty pink, and served alongside a creamy foie gras sauce that introduces a complex richness to the sweetness of the meat marinade.
Then there is the kare-kare, a distinct dish known for its thick mouthfeel and bold flavor that is derived from a peanut butter base. While it is traditionally made with oxtail, Kasama has theirs centered around lamb belly, with the richness of the fat and slight funk that comes with lamb melding well with the savory, nutty flavors of the kare-kare stew base. The stew is also infused with bagoong, a condiment made from fish or shrimp paste. Pickled eggplant is very finely diced and mixed in for small morsels of textural variance and bite. Another Kasama original: paratha bread served on the side to soak up the remaining stew, a nod to the curry dishes of Malaysia and Thailand that kare-kare is originally derived from.
The final savory course was that of bistek, a beef dish consisting of a soy and citrus marinade with chopped onions. For Kasama’s variation, luxurious A5 wagyu beef from Miyazaki Prefecture is paired with a calamansi-infused beef jous. In lieu of largely chopped onions, a reduced onion jam is served, one of my personal favorite touches to the courses throughout the night.
It’s important to know that Kasama markets itself just as much as a bakery as it does a restaurant, and the bounty of high-level pastries makes its way onto the tasting menu in a number of iterations.
Kicking off the desserts is a smaller version of Kasama’s signature croissants that are typically served during the day, filled with truffle paste-infused Delice de Bourgogne cheese and topped with freshly shaved truffle. From the initial presentation to the last few bites, it is an indulgently rich experience. With Kasama’s catalog of creative and, often unapologetically, luxurious pastries, Chef Genie Kwon is doing God’s work.
The croissant was followed up by a favorite of sweet-toothed Filipinos: banana-cue, a portmanteau of the words “banana” and “barbeque.” As the name implies, it comes in the form of a caramelized banana, and for the tasting course it’s served skewered with fried mochi doughnut balls. A fun dessert with classic flavors and a fun round of textures.
A more subdued rendition of halo-halo wraps up the meal’s primary courses, focusing more on fruity flavors with persimmon and apple butter, along with subtle aromatics of black tea infusion. Though it deviates from the original, more widely-known halo-halo , it serves as a nice final course to provide a bit of sweetness and refresh the palette after the sequence of heavy-hitting dishes.
A few mignardises are the last of what’s served at the table: sweet confectionary bites with fruit infusions. Diners are sent home with a white box filled with some additional goodies.
Along with the tasting menu, Kasama offers an alcoholic drink pairing consisting of different wines, sake, and even cocktails. A fair warning, however, because in typical Filipino fashion, the accompanying drinks are plentiful, consisting of a base nine (yes, nine) drinks with healthy servings. It sounds like a lot because it is a lot, but it’s beneficial to lean into the indulgence and allow the pairing to “enhance” the experience.
A personal friend who works at Kasama (shoutout to Francis) suggested the dinner-only Ube Fizz, a fun cocktail with an impressive foam head featuring the as-popular-as-ever, distinctly colored yams. There is also a non-alcoholic drink pairing offered, which offers an impressive array of in-house beverages.
The restaurant itself resides in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago, a 15-minute drive from the city’s downtown. The interior is characterized by tables running parallel to an open kitchen. Dim yet sophisticated lighting that contrasts the bright natural lighting that illuminates the restaurant during daytime service (which will come up in a later post).
From Wednesday to Sunday, the location is flocked to en-masse: a winding morning line queues up for brunch service and reservations for dinnertime are well sought-for. Kasama is a hot commodity among a variety of different patrons, from the generally curious foodies to the retired Filipinos who have called Chicago home for many years, looking to celebrate the comfort of foods they’ve known have been delicious their whole lives.
Kasama as a dining experience is worthwhile to any appreciator of fine food and creative cuisine, but to the Filipinos throughout the world in the motherland and in diaspora, it’s a love letter; a balikbayan box filled with creative yet authentic ideas.
