Upcoming Documentary ‘Filipinx Food Seattle’ Will Explore the Filipino Food Scene, and the Family Legacies Behind It

Seattle’s Filipino restaurants such as Musang, Hood Famous, and Archipelago have risen to regional and national recognition in recent years. For example, Archipelago was recently added to the New York Times’ 2021 restaurant list along with three other Seattle restaurants. But filmmaker Terrence Jeffrey Santos warns that Filipino food isn’t a trend – people just pay more attention to it.

In 2018, Santos began filming the travels of Filipino chefs from Seattle for the documentary Filipinx Food Seattle, which is still in the works. The documentary has a dual purpose: to provide an inside look at Seattle’s Filipino food scene and to be a source of pride for the Filipino community.

“We’re not a trend … we’re here to stay,” said Santos. “These artists, these cooks, stand on the shoulders of the previous generation and [they’re] do such an excellent job that we can no longer ignore them. “

Santos’ background is in film, working on documentaries The Otherside on Seattle’s hip-hop scene and directing Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max. He also owned and operated a restaurant in Kirkland with his wife Julianne from 2016-2020 before focusing on his growing family. In 2017, Santos reunited with Musang’s kitchen friend, Melissa Miranda, after learning of a Noche Buena dinner event – an event that connected Filipino chefs in the Seattle area and whose proceeds went to a Filipino community center. Through the event, Santos was connected to other chefs, many of whom became friends. “I could see how everyone worked together and supported each other so much,” he said.

Santos began filming footage of the Filipino food scene shortly after, when Musang and the Archipelago were on the verge of securing brick and mortar sites. The documentary includes footage and interviews with Miranda, Geo Quibuyen from Hood Famous Bakeshop, Aaron Verzosa from Archipelago and Leila Ross from Oriental Mart, and the Paraiso family from Kusina Filipina, owners of the Kent Food Truck Big Boys Kainan, Jan Parker Cookery in Tacoma and more.

Aaron Verzosa, head chef and owner of the Archipelago restaurant, uses portraits of Filipino and indigenous ancestors to stimulate conversation about their shared heritage. Terrence Jeffrey Santos

Throughout the film, Santos ties the restaurants, pop-ups or food trucks to family recipes and traditions. Under pandemic precautions, Santos filmed interviews in some chefs’ homes as they prepared meals with their family, such as Jan Parker and her mother making beef mechado together.

Some of Santos’ interviews reflect generational differences and complexities between the Filipino-American communities in Seattle, and link the effects of Spanish colonizers, and later American capitalism, on Filipino immigrants. Because of these influences, some immigrants may have felt that their food was not good enough or they gave up family traditions and recipes in order to assimilate. But today’s generation of Filipino chefs brings their whole story with them.

“This generation is becoming more and more aware of the impact colonialism has on people in general,” said Santos. “I think it was precisely this awareness that helped us to break through certain barriers and upper limits, and we are happy to be able to say: ‘[Our] The food is good.’ We have artists who can show in their own way how good it is. “

Filipinx Food Seattle is still in the filming process, but Santos is hoping to complete production by next year for submission to the Seattle International Film Festival and other festivals. Those interested can support the documentary by contributing to the GoFundMe campaign and following @philipinxfoodseattle on Instagram for updates.

Sign up for the newsletter

Eater seattle

Sign up for our newsletter.

5607 Rainier Ave, Seattle, WA

1506 Pike Place, WA 98101
(206) 622-8488