Of all the colonial influences that have their left traces on Filipino culture, the Spanish influence is by far the most prominent: it has left its names, its religion, parts of its language, and most importantly, its food. Chef Aris Tuazon’s (founder) travels in Spain gave light to the concept of a fusion joint that incorporates elements of Spanish cuisine that have not reached Filipino food, along with elements that already have. Classic Filipino dishes like chicken valenciana can be traced back to Spanish dishes like paella, and the heavy use of particular ingredients still reveal commonalities, inspiring Chef Tuazon to study such parallels and curate a unique mix of dishes.¹

One can get a glimpse of the Spanish dining experience, like the sharing of tapas, where a variety of appetizers can be ordered, and spoons and forks across the table can all go digging in at once. However, in the dishes themselves lies the heart of Filipino cuisine, with options like (but not limited to) oyster sisig, pork sisig, and palabok.² Brought to the melting pot we call home, 87 Ludlow is a new take on reuniting what are now two separate cultures— but this time, minus the atrocities of colonialism.

1. “NYC’s first Filipino-Spanish tapas restaurant just opened on the LES.” CitiTourNY, 2023 https://cititour.com/NYC_News/NYCs-first-FilipinoSpanish-tapas-restaurant-just-opened-on-the-LES/7826 ↩︎
2. “87 Ludlow Menu,” accessed March 2025, https://87ludlownyc.com/#menu ↩︎