Our New York Table

Episode 3: Building Community Through Food

Filipino Cuisine with Deirdre Levy

What we ate:

We sat down with Deirdre at Kalye on the Lower East Side, where we tried —

Lumpia — crispy spring rolls filled with pork, carrots, and Chinese celery.
Shrimp Siomai — shrimp and green onions.
Pork Siomai — pork, carrots chinese celery, onions
Inasal Wings — smoky and tangy wings marinated in ginger, annatto, lemon juice, and lemongrass.
Ube Bun Longganisa Sliders — sweet and savory pork sausage, aioli, and onion bacon jam.
Ube Bun Beef Sliders — seared tri-tip steak with pickled papaya, yuzu, and cilantro.
Pork BBQ Skewers — pork BBQ marinated in spicy banana ketchup.
Ice Cream Sandwich — ube ice cream with ube Pan de sal.

Deirdre’s Recommendation for Filipino Food in New York City:

“Filipino food emerged in the Lower East Side with one restaurant called Kuma Inn which isn't there anymore. Actually, the chef passed away. But he really set the stage for what Filipino food is in the Lower East Side and the culture. He was such an amazing person. His name is Chef King. And he would do a lot of community initiatives. His legacy really does still live on in the chefs that are here.”

📍Kalye — 251 Broome St, Manhattan (Lower East Side)

📍Gugu Room — 143 Orchard St, Manhattan (Lower East Side)

📍Pig and Khao — 68 Clinton St, Manhattan (Lower East SIde)

📍Mama Fina’s (known for their sisig) — 167 Avenue A, Manhattan (East Village)

Try a Filipinio Recipe

Here is a recipe for Filipino Pancit that also appears in Deirdre’s book, Bodega Princess.

"The thing with Filipino food is that there's not a lot of food waste because I feel like every part is used for something…Pancit is also your leftover vegetables, or your meat, and you just mix it. I made pancit with [my students] and it was an easy way to incorporate vegetables, because it's noodles with carrots and onions and cabbage, and it was simple and the kids loved it."

Ingredients

Mung bean rice noodles
Tamari or Soy Sauce
Coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Carrots, julienned
Cabbage, chopped
Green beans, chopped

Cooking Instructions

Soak rice noodles in water and 2 tablespoons of tamari.
Heat a large pot with coconut oil. Saute garlic and onions.
Add carrots, cabbage, green beans, and more tamari.
Add rice noodles. Add tamari and pepper to taste.

Bodega Princess

Purchase a copy of Deirdre’s book Bodega Princess and read about a kindergartener who proves that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference.

Inspired by a real-life Bodega Princess, the Bodega culture, and the young students of New York City, this story follows a young heroine as she navigates food insecurity in her neighborhood, showing how simple acts of generosity and compassion can bring about real change.

10% of proceeds will be donated to Chefs for Impact.

NYC Filipinos

Be sure to follow @NYCFilipinos on Instagram to stay informed about Filipino food, music, and events across New York City.

“I think for Filipino food, especially since there's still so much to learn from and more notoriety to give, I think that the more promotion, the better it is for everyone. Our food is different. Our food is good. And it's just really important to tell that story.”

Project Barkada

Barkada means “friend” in Tagalog. Project Barkada was founded during the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to help those in the community most at risk. They worked with local businesses to deliver meals to frontline workers and others in need.

Since then, they have delivered over 180,000 meals, spanning all five boroughs of New York City and the Philippines. To this day, they continue to bring communities together, growing their purpose of helping one “Barkada” at a time.

Follow @Project_Barkada on Instagram for updates.

Episode Credits

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Diane Bezucha

Additional Editing by Christina Mitchell

Music Supervision by Rachel Helman

Original Music by Richard Tunstall

Additional Music

“Coronea” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Marisala, (2017)
"Come as Your Were" by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Cauldron, (2018)