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Fil-Am restaurant seeks to strengthen SF Filipino cultural district

A Fil-Am couple looks to strengthen the Filipino cultural district in San Francisco with the opening of their restaurant.

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<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dDpWcYx1fUQ?&amp;ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>From meat patties on the grill to chicken thighs going in the fryer – it was a busy opening day for San Francisco’s newest restaurant &quot;Izzy and Wooks.&quot;Filipino-American couple Manuel and Cheryl Ramirez said their restaurant&#x27;s menu was created to offer a modern take on classic American burgers and sandwiches with a Filipino twist.“We&#x27;re doing Asian fusion which is primarily Filipino, Korean, and Japanese influences on classic American sandwiches,&quot; said Manuel Ramirez. &quot;So, we do a Smashburger, a Nashville hot chicken, and a Chicago-style Italian beef but with Filipino and Asian flavors.”Their Izzy truff smash burger features house-ground short rib and beef chuck patties, smashed on the flat top with grilled banana ketchup onions.Their tamarind hot chicken sandwich, meanwhile, features whole chicken thighs brined in soy sauce and calamansi.It is then twice-fried in a mochiko batter, and dipped in their tamarind hot oil, which they said was inspired by Filipino &quot;Sinigang&quot; soup.“These sandwiches are our comfort foods that my wife and I grew up eating,&quot; Manuel added. &quot;We&#x27;re Filipino American, and we wanted to inject our flavor profiles.&quot;The Ramirez couple said it was important to open their restaurant in Soma Pilipinas, San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural District, as businesses in the area recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many establishments close.“This has been a tough time for a lot of businesses in San Francisco and some businesses stuck it out and stood with the city and didn&#x27;t give up on it,&quot; said Matt Dorsey, a member of San Francisco&#x27;s Board of Supervisors. &quot;[They] stayed with us and I will never forget it.”Manuel said their goal is to someday establish a real &quot;Manila town&quot; in Soma Filipino.“We definitely wanted to continue the tradition and try to be a part of growing Soma Filipino’s presence with other restaurants in this area,&quot; he added.The couple named the restaurant after their daughter Isabel, and their English bulldog, Wookie.&quot;Izzy and Wooks&quot; is now open and according to Manuel, they plan to expand their hours and menu by adding more breakfast options.

A Fil-Am couple looks to strengthen the Filipino cultural district in San Francisco with the opening of their restaurant.

New Fil-Am restaurant seeks to strengthen Filipino cultural district in SF

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New Fil-Am restaurant seeks to strengthen Filipino cultural district in SF

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Rommel Conclara | TFC News San Francisco

Published Apr 20, 2024 10:01 PM PHT

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