August 15, 2018

I would categorize this as a rare Pokémon. It’s a Filipino grocery store that serves hot meals in the back. It’s one of those places that serve the people in their own community, so I would imagine it’s what they would cook for themselves. I think that should be how we define “authentic” in food. It’s not about the faithfulness to the tradition. It’s about how much you love it yourself. So, even if it’s your own original creation, as long as you love it yourself, it’s authentic. On the other hand, even if it’s a faithful replica of your native cuisine, if you don’t like it yourself, it’s not authentic. Authenticity is about you, not about tradition. That’s what @wandersauce and I discussed as we ate these. I cannot tell you how authentic they are to the traditional Filipino cuisines, but they sure were good. The last photo is the view outside of the store today and in 1930. #nyceats #nycfoodie #nyceeeeeats #queenseats #filipinofood #elmhurst