Despite cooking at New York’s most notable kitchens, Christina Sunae never forgot the Filipino dishes her grandmother served or the flavors from neighboring Asian countries she discovered during her travels. After relocating to Buenos Aires with her Argentine husband, Sunae’s big heart for Filipino, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian food even led her to serve it right at her home.
Southeast Asia immediately brings to mind countries where the cuisines are as bright and festive as the people that inhabit them. Upon opening Cocina Sunae in 2009, it wasn’t long before its cook was awarded for the distinctive spice she introduced to the Latin city and the cross-cultural deliciousness she brought to the plate. Establishing her name in Argentina’s food scene even further, she published her first cookbook (“Los Sabores de Sudeste”) and moved her namesake dining from her residence to an actual restaurant space in Buenos Aires’s buzzy Palermo food hub.
From Buenos Aires to BGC
Soon, Sunae will come full culinary circle through a concept that’s much closer to home. Accompanying the launch of her new book Kusinera Filipina in 2020, the celebrated cook opens her first Manila location at BGC’s Central Square this March.
Similar to what she’s served at restaurants such as Cantina Sunae (est. 2015) and the more recently opened Apunena (2019), SUNAE offers clever Asian-inspired staples such as a slow-cooked pork shoulder in red curry, an umami-rich pho, and her grandma’s crowd-pleasing Adobo Pao.
As is customary with Sunae’s cooking, no matter how familiar diners are with the flavors of Southeast Asia, it’ll feel like an adventure that tastes right at home.
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