Inside a parking lot–adjacent cafe, encircled by bland hospital buildings, clinics, and accounting firms, dwells a most Hawaiian snack. For something heartier he’s co-opted his Aunt Belen’s pork adobo recipe, a sure departure from tradition, here made with apple cider vinegar, braised pork shoulder, and pineapple served with white rice.
Downstairs: a long table, tons of games. You might start with a Filipino-style ceviche, a tombo tuna kilawen with fish sauce and calamansi, served with big rounds of airy shrimp chips. Upstairs: a handful of tables, a bar serving tiki drinks, and a mural of a tentacled octopus. Inside a quirky split-level space, formerly home to a teahouse, Brian Madayag melds the cuisines he and his cooking cohort grew up with, which range from Hawaiian to Filipino to a playful fusion of the two. Image: Courtesy Rachel's Ginger Beer Hawaiian Barkada
