A fireside chat at Chelsea’s Tradicionale Comida Filipina to catch up with AJC Hospitality partners Chef Anton Dayrit, Carla Caramat, and Joey Chanco may seem far-fetched considering it was hours before the big New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs championship game and right smack in the middle of Saturday brunch, into dinner service.
“The aircon stopped working at 10 AM, and the repairmen are still working on it as we speak,” Caramat whispers as she leads us towards a front of the house seating area, under a gallery wall of nostalgic black & white and sepia-toned family photos of the three partners as children. A new addition to the interiors designed by NYC-based Christian Crisologo, evoking an en vogue Paris bistro with Filipino-inspired details throughout like capiz shell sconces, chandeliers and anahaw-print wallpaper. The lack of cool air seems to be a non-issue considering the full house.
Chef Anton, along with Chanco who heads operations and who both met post-college in Manila, and Caramat forged each of their talents to form the burgeoning restaurant group AJC Hospitality—to serve as the springboard for Tradicionale’s fresh dining concept. The trio, who describe themselves as no-ego equal partners with a sibling-like relationship may agree or disagree and sometimes bicker on business matters, yet in the end collaborate with each other for ideal results for the venture.
September of last year marked the soft opening of Chef Anton’s take on Filipino-Spanish cuisine which he saw as missing in New York City’s vibrant food landscape. The founders since identified a void in the Manhattan dining scene for a Filipino Spanish restaurant that combines intentional design, nostalgic atmosphere, and authentic food without the pretension of tasting menu restaurants. The team deliberately avoided the deconstructed "small plates" tasting menu trend, prioritizing "good food" and "complex flavors" over a two-to-three-hour commitment of fine dining, Chef Anton adds.
A graduate of The French Culinary Institute, and alumni of Tabla, ABC Kitchen, Buddakan, Jean Georges, and casual dining Mighty Bowl and The Hive—Chef Anton wanted to highlight Filipino cooking and its affinity to Spanish influence, with the food he grew up with and loved. With a great grandmother who was 100% Spanish, he admits it was actually his grandmother and mother who introduced and influenced his love of cooking.
Tradicionale has seen a steady growth and rising popularity ever since. Chef Anton, for the main entrees of the menu, eschews the tapas style synonymous with casual Spanish dining. Rather than platitos for the mains, he serves instant hits like Lamb Kaldereta, Lengua Stew, Spicy Prawns Alavar and Callos in custom made glazed clay segunda platos exclusively designed for Tradicionale by Brooklyn-based potter Noble Plateware.
Chef Anton continues to refine certain dishes like the Kinilaw which in the beginning could easily serve three as appetizer, is now a lighter portion, even more for the steelhead trout to shine in its marinade of all coconut milk, vinegar, and juice. Seasonal menus have been introduced with more familiar Filipino fares like Chicken Lumpia, Lechon Kawali and Chicken Inasal. And in lieu of baby squid, Chef Anton serves Baby Octopus in its own ink adobo-style.
Weekend brunch menu features familiar fares such a Kesong Puti, Arroz Caldo, Lola’s Corned Beef Croque, S.E.C (Spam, egg, and cheese) and for the sweet tooth, Pandan French Toast.
It may have been a stroke of luck and blessing when the partners chanced upon the 9th Avenue space which came with a fully functioning kitchen. They had previously looked at other restaurant spaces in Chelsea but were deterred by the high-buildout costs. Initial walkthroughs inspired the partners for a restaurant that serves more than just good food but a social events place, still a growing idea in NYC.
As one heads to the innermost sanctum of Tradicionale, recently debuted Casa 156 reveals itself and one is welcomed by Caramat’s vision to create a space, not in so much an exclusive one, but rather all welcoming. Touches of Filipiniana and Victorian details, Caramat wanted a sense of nostalgia in a similar vein as the former Le Colonial on 57th Street and Indochine. Wearing the role of resident vibe and music playlist master, she envisioned a space with the atmosphere that nurtures community especially with Filipino American creatives of the metropolis.
The Casa 156 space has attracted groups like Barangay Co., a vibrant consortium of Filipino-American creatives in the world of music and visual arts. Spearheaded by DJ Dominick Alcantara and Cher Liupio, they chose Casa 156 for their Dine and Dance Volume 4. Barangay is a community-driven collective of artists, designers, photographers and DJs. Originally focused on art shows in 2017–2018, it has transitioned into hosting music and dance events. To create a community building space, they collaborate with local restaurants that cater to the diverse Fil-Am community, while being cognizant of the growing trend of earlier dinner events over late-night parties. The collective showcases house and electro music, often crossing into Latin and jazz influences; a fusion of food and music as world-building.
A recent partnership is with Koktails, a Filipino visual arts group, for Casa 156 to host their quarterly meetings and artists openings. Starting off with the Chelsea David Kordansky Gallery who will exhibit Chicago-born Filipino-American artist Maia Cruz Palileo’s recent works, with a takeover of Casa 156 for cocktails and reception. Cruz Palileo’s oeuvre reflects on the artist’s storytelling of her family’s migration from the Philippines to the US.
Nearing their one-year milestone this September has not been without its challenges. The team reveals they had tragically lost their cocktail consultant Nico, in an accident just four days before the grand opening. They have been working on the menu for a year, and the current cocktail offerings are a tribute to his original beverage recipes which takes inspiration from the Filipino-Spanish menu and interior design.
Tradicionale and Casa 156 represents a much-welcomed attention of Filipino-Spanish cuisine's visibility in the city—moving from community-centric hubs like Jackson Heights and East Village to a more mainstream lifestyle dining experience and events place in Manhattan.
The founders view their current endeavor as a passion project rooted in family inspiration rather than a “vanity one”. With an eye for the future, there are projects in the pipeline like a Filipino cevicheria with focus on the kinilaw at the new Vanderbilt Market, to sauce and condiment products curated by Chef Anton—their focus is perfecting the food, vibe, and ambiance with their maiden restaurant—as well as planning the guest list and activities for their upcoming one-year milestone anniversary.
Photos by Dominick Alcantara. For inquiries, contact Tradicionale Comida Filipina via DM through their Instagram account.