Kalye NYC: Championing Filipino food and culture

ONE sunny morning in New York, I found myself standing in front of Kalye, when someone asked: "What is Kalye, and what is Filipino food like." As we know, food is an expression of cultural identity. And in the past few years, Filipino food has been gaining attention internationally. Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and author, once called Filipino food the "next best thing."Countries embrace culinary diplomacy, or gastro-diplomacy, a type of cultural diplomacy to promote a country's image positively and as a strategy to influence people. As the saying goes, "The easiest way to win hearts and minds is through the stomach."In such a short time, Kalye became a champion and advocate of Filipino food and culture. As a cultural diplomat, Kalye offers the first taste of the Philippines to New York's more than 8 million inhabitants. With the United States hosting the largest number of Filipinos abroad — more than 4.5 million individuals of Filipino ancestry, according to the 2021 US census — it is high time to make Filipino cuisine mainstream in the American culinary landscape.New York's 'Rising Star'Kalye was hailed by the New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) as a "Rising Star" in its 2023 Restaurant Industry Spotlight on Excellence (RISE) Awards. A notable recognition considering that in 2023, about 4,739 restaurants opened in New York City, according to Yelp listings.Kalye's beginnings started during the pandemic when the streets of New York were like a "ghost town." Inspired by the resilience of New Yorkers, its co-founders, Rob and Henry Mallari-D'Auria, found the impetus to help "bring some energy and excitement back to the streets of the city, provide employment, and promote Filipino food and culture."The Kalye experienceKalye's menu is a homage to Rob's beloved mom, Estelita, who hails from Pampanga — serving authentic Filipino dishes with staple Filipino flavors, including the all-time favorite adobo, ube pork sliders, barbecue, siomai, as well as vegan options, like crispy lumpia, mushroom sisig and ube pao desserts. Recently, it introduced its bestselling "boodle food" for groups. At Kalye, the proverbial Filipino hospitality can be felt from the food served to its service. Kalye can also be experienced at private events, street fairs and festivals, such as Smorgasburg, Harlem Bazaar, Bronx Night Market, Brooklyn Night Market, Heritage Fire and Filipino Fest.Championing Philippine cultureBeyond serving authentic Filipino dishes, Kalye champions Filipino culture and the community. Not only does Kalye provide an environment to nourish the stomach, but it also soothes the spirit — as it doubles as an art gallery showcasing local neighborhood artists and artists from the Philippines. Kalye partners with a non-governmental organization to promote the artists, showcasing their art in the restaurant, where all proceeds go to the respective artists. Kalye also supports other talents who perform in the restaurant, as well as collaborates with local chefs and bakers.Notably, Kalye is an ardent supporter of Philippine fashion, with their latest project — FilipinoNxt — bringing together top Filipino designers from the Philippines and the US with acclaimed fashion designers, such as New York-based fashion designer Bessie Besana, Veejay Floresca (Los Angeles), Wilson Limon of NinoFranco (Davao) and Michael Leyva (Manila), who successfully showcased their designs in New York last May. More top designers are expected in its September show during New York Fashion Week.'The Great Food Truck Race'In Season 17 of "The Great Food Truck Race," Team Kalye is ably represented by Rob Mallari-D'Auria, co-founder and CEO, Barry Jacinto, Kalye's general manager, and Bessie Besana, New York-based fashion designer. In participating, Rob Mallari-D'Auria considered three principles: "We set ourselves out to represent authentic Filipino culture and values; we kept our recipes representative of Filipino flavor; and we focused on kindness and fun as our core ethos."Bessie Besana asserts: "Participating in a show as big as The Great Food Truck Race under Food Network is a testament that the Filipino is the next big thing in the world. We are getting noticed and getting opportunities to showcase our cuisine and it will only go to an upward trajectory from this point on."Future directionFresh from the success of the first location at Lower East Side's Broome Street, Kalye gears up for the opening of a second bigger location in New York. Co-founders Rob and Henry hope to open more Kalye restaurants in the future and of "having multiple units all across the US and beyond, championing Filipino representation in food and culture, and serving as a reminder of home to all Filipinos abroad."Indeed, Kalye contributes to raising more awareness and keen interest in Filipino cuisine and culture and, hopefully, toward the mainstreaming of Filipino cuisine abroad.So, the next time you (or friends and family) find yourself in the city that never sleeps, do drop by at Kalye for a piece of home.The author lectured on international relations and completed her Master in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School.