MANILA, Philippines – We’ve all heard murmurs of Filipino food soon taking its rightful place as the next gastronomic discovery to take the world by storm. The anticipation is there; it’s only a matter of when. In 1998, Filipino food simply comprised the delicious meals Nicole Ponseca grew up on.
In true Pinoy fashion, the former advertising executive wanted nothing more but to share that taste of home with her friends, colleagues, and clients in New York City. Today, Ponseca is best known for her contributions to “breaking through the bamboo ceiling” with restaurants Jeepney and Maharlika, which served modern Filipino favorites for almost a decade. Both served as a mere foundation for her larger advocacy of Filipino representation in the States, further exemplified by her 2019 James Beard Award-nominated cookbook I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook .
Her Manhattan and Miami-based restaurants have garnered multiple Michelin guide recommendations and stellar ratings from the likes of The New York Times, The Washington Post, LA Times, and more. Filipino-American restaurateur Nicole Ponseca delivers a talk chronicling her journey of opening restaurants Maharlika and Jeepney. Photo by Mika Geronimo/Rappler On September 18, Ponseca shared this and more at Manila Gastronomiya 2024, a hospitality symposium attended by prominent figures in the Philippines’ food and beverage industry.
“I knew that Filipino food deserved a place on the global stage, but I also knew t.