Reminds Me Of Home: Kuya Ian's Bistro

A turo-turo (point-point) or buffet style setup that you might see in a
Filipino restaurant or household hosting a big celebration

One of my adjustments in coming to Ohio several years ago was the changed demographics: as I found out at the Asian Festival, the Central Ohio region as a whole had up to 15 times less Filipino-American residents when compared to certain Bay Area cities. The lack of Filipino-oriented businesses of any sort was a little jarring, especially when it came to food: dishes that were both part of growing up and easy to obtain were things I would have to cook myself if I wanted them.

Then Red Velvet Cafe, owned by Krizzia Yanga, came to Downtown Columbus in 2015, with first a modest introduction of Filipino cuisine (sandwiches featuring Filipino-styled meats like lechon and bistek.) Later came the Filipino silog-style breakfasts (featuring an over-easy egg, garlic fried rice, and a Filipino-styled protein), which brought me memories of home and were eagerly consumed by both me and a host of others.  This success led to the opening of Bonifacio, whose modern Filipino fusion menu items as well as more traditional takes into the cuisine (with their region-focused and Boodle/Kamayan events) plus uniquely-styled cocktails have also been well-received by the public

With that said, many people don't know there's a second Filipino option on the northern end of the metro area, and it's an option that reminds me a lot of home for more than one reason.

Kain Na Tayo! Bonifacio Modern Filipino

Much of the history regarding Bonifacio and my personal relationship to this Filipino restaurant can be found at this prior blogpost, which detailed the experiences of my spouse and I at their July 2016 preview event. At that time, I was eager to for the restaurant's grand opening, but in many ways I wanted to fully digest how Krizzia Yanga's somewhat bold venture into a full-service restaurant, largely spurred on by the success of their Filipino-oriented silog (featuring a fried egg) and panini brunch and lunch offerings at her Downtown Columbus-located Red Velvet Cafe and in a region largely unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine.

Well, almost two years later after the restaurant's opening, and after landing a "Best New Restaurants of 2016" from Columbus Monthly and grabbing national press in media sources like NPR and Southwest: The Magazine, I figured I had more than enough time to take it all in. In some ways, this post is somewhat exemplary of the concept of Filipino Time, a concept not unlike Hawaiian Time where folks (or in this case, this blog post) are known to show up fashionably late to events.

First Impressions: Asian Persuasion Food Truck and Companion Bagel

Asian Persuasion offers Filipino and Thai dishes from their food truck

Asian Persuasion: I grew up as a kid with Filipino cuisine as a staple, and I never really had to search too hard or long for it back in the San Francisco Bay Area. Central Ohio has been a whole other story, however, with options few and far between (the Mya's Fried Chicken food truck special Filipino nights and Red Velvet Cafe's Filipino fusion sandwiches being notable exceptions.) So it was only natural to feel excited when I heard a new food truck featuring Filipino staples was launching in the area in the form of Asian Persuasion.

Cleared to launch operations last month, the truck initially put in a few stops in Dayton, but has now set up regularly in the Columbus area the past couple weeks. One of those locations happened to be at the festivities leading up to an event we were attending (the Cleveland Browns Orange-Brown Scrimmage at The Shoe on The Ohio State University campus last Friday.) Obviously, we were both quite happy to see them and couldn't help but stop by to sample their wares.

On this day, Asian Persuasion featured some Thai dishes such as Thai Beef Jerky and a Papaya Salad; however, we were here to test out the Filipino items, which were represented by a select number of basic staples such as Lumpia (egg rolls), Pancit Bihon (the Filipino version of chow mein), and Lechon (spit-roasted pork). While Lechon was also available in an additional "Americano" sandwich form, we went with the more traditional three dishes.

From top left: Asian Persuasion's mascot Lil' Baboy stands guard; chunks
of spit-roasted Lechon, fried Lumpia rolls, Pancit Bihon

For the most part, I'd say these are all well-done and tasty versions of the dishes I grew up with. The Pancit had a nice lightly garlicky flavor and sported a additional vegetables (in the form of chopped bell peppers) along with what I usually expect in the dish such as cabbage, carrots and scallions. The Lumpia was fried up crisp and to the edge of being burnt (the way I prefer it) and sported a very uniquely fine, almost puréed texture with its meat-filling. Meanwhile, the Lechon was for the most part moist and fatty, just like it should be (kinda' wished there was a sarsa dipping sauce to go with it, but the pork by itself was perfectly fine.)

Service was just a touch slow, which seemed to be due to a combo of factors including many diners asking questions about the dishes, the sheer number of diners itself, and a backup of orders for those who went with Pancit (out of the three dishes I had, this one takes the most time to whip up a new batch.)  Also, I imagine that just sheer experience should help the Asian Persuasion crew process their food much more quickly and efficiently in the upcoming months.

Asian Persuasion can be found stationed at various locations and events around the Columbus metro; please consult their Facebook page for the latest updates.

Asian Persuasion Food Truck
614-580-9885
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Companion Bagel is quite happy to be a small local vendor
at the Clintonville Farmers Market

Companion Bagel:  Even in the limited sphere of bagel providers in the Columbus area, bagel bakers can find it tough to break into the local scene, with the presence of local stalwarts like Sammy's and Block's (Toledo-based Barry Bagels has also recently entered the market), and their bigger chain competitors such as Einstein Bros, Panera and  Breugger's. Perhaps Jake and Jess Hollår, brother/sister founders of Companion Bagel, have the right idea by going in something of the opposite direction: stay small, think big (as in a Bagel CSA(!)), and lure the public in with baked goods featuring uniquely novel flavor conversations.

Based on a brief chat with Jake at their stand at the Clintonville Farmers Market, Companion is definitely a labor of love: not many people are willingly rising at 2 AM in the morning to get their baking process going. Jake himself has been involved in numerous other past food-focused efforts, including stints with The Cheesy Truck and Alana's as well as the Gourmet Picnic, a Columbus-area monthly supper club.

Flavor profiles in Companion's Bagels products, from bialy to bagels
to beyond, are both unique and focus on area ingredient providers

The bagels we sampled from Companion may not satisfy the bagel purists from a texture standpoint - they're a bit bready though negligibly so when compared to a similar offering from Einstein Bros. However, those who are seeking unique flavor profiles will be more than satisfied with their creations. From their Serrano and Date combo, to their changing seasonal variety (in our case, it was a Trumpet mushroom baked with Blue Jacket Dairy's wonderful Gretna Cheese) to our favorite of the first three we brought home (the wonderful olive-y Castelvetrano and Cracked Pepper, featuring North Market Spices port-brined smoked peppercorns), we were more than happy to make these typically breakfast-oriented items our dinner for one night.

While the plan is for Companion Bagel to stay small and sustainable, Jake mentioned that growth may be in the works in the form of their Bagel Chips, which he's hoping to have available in a couple of Clintonville-area markets in the near future.

Companion Bagel
Regularly found at the Clintonville and Jefferson Township Farmers Markets
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Kain Na Tayo! Manila Flavours (Niagara Falls, ON)

The one thing I miss the most in my move out here to the Buckeye State is my family, and more specifically, the proximity to my family. Throughout most of my life, my immediate family has been at worse only a few hours drive away. Nowadays, it's more like several hours away by way of airplane, making getting together in person more of a rare occurrence.

This is why I was especially thrilled when my parents were able to travel here for their first visit ever to this region. Along with the in-laws meeting each other for the first time ever (which went swimmingly well, like my spouse and I thought it would), we acted as erstwhile tour guide for them during their stay. This included a little road trip to both the American and Canadian sides of the Niagara Falls area.

Food has always played an important role at family gatherings big and small in both our families. My side of the family naturally puts a Filipino flair into this equation, and it seemed natural to try to capture that during this trip if at all possible. Luckily, I was able to scout out Manila Flavours, a gem of an eatery operating on the outskirts of the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

Located in what seems to be a smallish and otherwise unremarkable strip mall, a pretty expansive area greeted us as we walked through Manila Flavours' distinctive red door entrance on a weekday night. The space reminded me of other similar-type Filipino restaurants I was familiar with back in Northern California: there was enough space to easily handle large gatherings, a stage for a live band, and the equipment for karaoke festivities (in fact, a few off-duty workers dropped by during our stay to warble out some tunes.)

From top left (counterclockwise): Sisig, Pancit, Bistek,
the bar area and some wall decor

While Manila Flavours also has Vietnamese standards on their menu, we were here for the Filipino dishes this night. It didn't hurt that the restaurant owners were from Pampanga, one of the regions in the Philippines renowned for its cuisine. We took our time with the menu; it would be easy to over-order here, with the menu containing numerous dishes we were familiar with. In the end, we whittled it down to an appetizer, a plate of white rice, and three of their mains.

For an appetizer, we ordered the Shanghai Lumpia pork eggrolls (15 for $8.95; all prices in Canadian Dollars); these tasty finger food items were happily devoured by everyone prior to our main dishes to arrive.

The two heartier dishes, the Sisig (fried bits of pork parts in chilies, served sizzling in an iron pan; $10.95) and the Bistek Pinoy (thinly sliced strips steak fried up with onions, garlic, soy sauce and lemon or (typically) calamansi juice: $11.95), were quite delectable and universally enjoyed by everyone.

The third dish, the Pancit Guisado (essentially a Filipino chow mein; $11.95) ended up on the bland side. However, a couple squeezes of the provided lemon slices (something that would pretty common regardless) and the judicious addition of soy sauce fixed that issue easily.

Our hosts were quite gracious, appreciative that we had traveled from so far to seek out their restaurant. Take out is also available; several customers came in throughout the night to pickup their phone-in orders.

As we ended up discovering, the Ontario side of Niagara Falls has a number of eateries overpriced for the quality of food provided, especially as you get the closer you get to the falls itself. Based on our experience, Manila Flavours does a fine job with producing tasty Filipino cuisine standards and is worth seeking out by locals living in and visitors to this border town.

2017 Update: All indications (Google, Facebook, etc.) are that Manila Flavours has closed permanently.

Manila Flavours
McLeod Plaza
7000 McLeod Rd (Google Maps)
Niagara Falls, ON L2G7K3
(289) 296-4418