The chefs of Kasama take the stage to talk about
SPAIN, THE PHILIPPINES, AND THEIR GASTRONOMIC CONNECTION AT SAN SEBASTIÁN GASTRONOMIKA
San Sebastián, October 9th 2024. «Kasama. Together. The connection Spain-The Philippines through the story of longanisa» This is how the couple of young chefs have framed their presentation in the auditorium of San Sebastián Gastronomika.
Tim Flores and Genie Kwon are the chefs and owners of restaurant Kasama in Chicago. However, neither of them is originally from the Windy City. Tim’s family emigrated from The Philippines in 1975, and Genie was born in New Orleans. And yet, their paths quickly met at emblematic seafood joint GT Fish & Oyster.
After cutting their teeth at some of the country’s most renowned restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park or Oriole, the couple decided it was time for them to give birth to their own business. As such, Kasama was born. And it is not by chance that it was named this way, but because Kasama means together in Tagalog, the main language in The Philippines. Not only were two people coming together to set off their dream project, but also because that project would bind two different concepts which would make it as unique as successful.
“Our goal was to spread visibility of Filipino food, and what better way to do it than at San Sebastián Gastronomika. Filipino cuisine resembles more Mexican native cuisine with Spanish influences than Thai or Chinese food.” expressed the couple of chefs.
Why Filipino cuisine?
As soon as Tim and Genie decided they wanted to go for it – with barely 400 dollars in their bank account – they knew they wanted to open a bakery. But, at the same time, they noticed an unfamiliarity with Filipino cuisine in the city of Chicago. This seemed like an opportunity for Tim to make the food he grew up eating, with the ultimate goal of pushing Filipino food into the mainstream.
This way, the double concept at Kasama was organically born. A bakery in the morning, serving over 1500 meals at lunch time and 30 servings in the evening, with a team of a total of 16 people. High volume at a lower price in the morning; low volume at a higher price in the evening.
The connection between Spain and The Philippines
As the chefs shared this morning, being an island nation, The Philippines is strongly connected to the rest of the world. The openness to the sea and colonial past have defined its culinary identity.
In particular, the gastronomy of the Philippines is closely linked to that of Spain, China, Mexico and the USA. This can be seen in the common use of ingredients – such as soy sauce, noodles and tomatoes – and also in spices, traditional cooking methods and cultural eating practices,
Longanisa: history, particularities and elaboration
The introduction of longanisa to the Philippines goes all the way back to Spanish colonization. The Spanish brought their own sausage-making traditions, influencing local practices. Filipino longanisa evolved from these Spanish traditions, incorporating local ingredients and flavors.
Over time, longanisa developed regional variations throughout the Philippines. Each region adapted the sausage to local tastes and available ingredients. Some examples of regional versions are Longanisa de Recado, Longanisa de Cebu or Longanisa de Hamonado.
Today, longanisa is present in the majority of dishes at Kasama. It can be utilized in many different ways but also stand alone. It is the best dish to demonstrate Spanish influence on Filipino cuisine. And that is the reason why the couple of young chefs have chosen it as the guiding thread for their presentation at San Sebastian Gastronomika 2024, to showcase the connection between Spain and The Philippines.
About Kasama
Kasama is a bakery and modern Filipino restaurant from chefs Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores located in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago. It first opened its doors in 2020 as an all-day establishment where Flores hoped to reveal a new side of the Filipino food of his childhood, while the morning rush would allow Kwon to show off her pastry prowess.
For Filipinos, food is a symbol of togetherness; a gathering of sorts. Kasama in Tagalog – main language in the Philippines – translates to “together” in English, and it is this ethos of coming together that the world’s first Michelin-Starred Filipino restaurant stands by.
Since opening in 2020, Kasama earned a Michelin star making it the first Filipino restaurant in the world to be awarded the accolade. Kasama earned 4 stars in the Chicago Tribune and was included in Esquire Magazine’s Best Restaurants in America. Genie and Tim were included in the 2022 class of Food and Wine Best New Chefs. In 2022 Kasama was a James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant and in 2023 they won the James Beard Best Chef: Great Lakes award.
About Tim Flores and Genie Kwon
Tim Flores grew up on the outskirts of Chicago with his parents, who emigrated from the Philippines in 1975. His first experience in professional kitchens was washing dishes at GT Fish & Oyster during his university years. After graduating, Flores returned to Chicago and made his way into GT’s kitchen, where he met his future wife and business partner, Genie Kwon, head of the restaurant’s pastry shop.
Kwon, born in New Orleans, graduated from the culinary management program at Newbury College in Massachusetts, and trained in the kitchens of Flour Bakery & Café, Nobu 57 and Eleven Madison Park.
In 2014, Flores began working as a chef de partie in Senza, while Kwon served as the pastry chef at BOKA, which earned her the Jean Banchet Rising Pastry Chef of the Year award. In 2016 their paths met again to collaborate in the opening of Oriole, a fine-dining restaurant that won 2 Michelin stars in its first year.
In 2018, Flores and Kwon stopped to give life to their own project. After two and a half years, they built that space in the Ukrainian Village of Chicago and called it Kasama. Today, Kasama is a reflection of Genie and Tim’s culinary backgrounds as a bakery and restaurant serving modern Filipino food inspired by the chef’s home country recipes.
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