'Pinoy Heritage' Pop-Up Celebrates The Diversity Of Filipino Food

'Pinoy Heritage' Pop-Up Celebrates The Diversity Of Filipino FoodFrancis Ang, the chef behind the traveling dinner pop-up Pinoy Heritage. (Photos: Lindsay Oda/Hoodline)
Lindsay Oda
Published on October 05, 2016

This Sunday, October 9th, Chef Francis Ang’s contemporary Filipino concept Pinoy Heritage is popping up at the Burritt Room (417 Stockton St.), as part of the restaurant's weekly Sunday Supper pop-up series.

The pop-up originally debuted last October, in honor of Filipino Heritage Month. It was well-received, prompting Ang to leave his job as the pastry and sous chef at SoMa's Dirty Habit (formerly Fifth Floor), so he and his wife Dian could travel the Philippines and research dishes.

“People are craving Filipino food," says Ang, who grew up in Manila. "At Dirty Habit and Fifth Floor, I put Filipino dishes on the menu. Some people didn’t even know what they were eating, but they kept asking for it.”

Ang's pancit palabok (noodles in annatto seed gravy) with smoked chicken hearts. | Photo: courtesy of Francis Ang

Diners who have not yet tasted Filipino food and those familiar with the cuisine will both find something new at Pinoy Heritage. The pop-up serves food inspired by traditional Filipino dishes, but modernized with Californian produce.

“The Philippines has over 7,000 islands,” said Ang. “I found so much more diversity, influences, ingredients depending on region. It changed my view of Filipino food.”

For example, kinilaw, a ceviche of fish marinated in vinegar, sugar, citrus and sometimes coconut milk, is popular in the Philippines. Ang makes his with halibut, topping it with calamansi (sweet Filipino lime) and amarillo sorbet.

Pacific Cocktail Haven guests enjoy a tocino pork bun during a Pinoy Heritage pop-up. | Photo: Lindsay Oda/Hoodline

Two other regional dishes appearing on Ang’s Sunday Supper menu are pinakbet (vegetables cooked in fermented shrimp paste), which he's serving as a delicata squash curry with rice from northern Ilocos province, and inasal (marinated, grilled chicken) paired with pickled papaya from Bacolod, a Filipino city.

Ang told us he would like a brick-and-mortar restaurant space, but he can't confirm that it would be for Pinoy Heritage. With that said, "I for sure want a space to showcase Filipino food," Ang said. "It's not going to be traditional, but inspired by tradition."

In the meantime, diners can stop by Ang's pop-up at Burritt Room from 5-10pm, or follow Pinoy Heritage on Instagram to find out more about upcoming pop-ups.