Eat With Your Hands: A Filipino Feast With Tayo
The “no phone at the dinner table” rule definitely applies here. Because you’ll need your hands to enjoy the authentic, communal-style Filipino Kamayan Feast, “Kamayan Underground” that Tayo is hosting on February 15 at 6:30 PM. But this time, the location will be disclosed once you snag your ticket. Bring a friend, or make a new one, and reserve your dinner seat here.
Tayo has hosted Kamayan feasts at the Fuerza Local Community Kitchen in Mesa since early October of 2019 (check out this Phoenix New Times review!) This February dinner is special however because it’s the first done in collaboration with two other local chefs: John Cornelio of Toduken and PHX Lechon Roasters.
“Tayo means “Us” or “We” in Filipino. The Kamayan Feasts traditionally symbolize unity, community, and bringing people together. It’s a pretty intimate experience, where you have to let your guard down to eat using your hands alongside other strangers, essentially sharing one gigantic “plate” of food.”
WHAT TO EXPECT:
As you may see, a traditional Kamayan feast includes a table draped in banana leaves serving as placemats for the 8-10 dishes coming your way, such as white jasmine rice, grilled vegetables, fresh fruit, savory meats, and seafood. Plus, you’ll get to savor 2-3 special dishes curated by Tayo, and of course, dessert.
At February’s dinner, get ready for a whole roasted pig and a specialty cocktail with your supper. The cocktails will be prepared by another local business that works out of the Fuerza Local Community Kitchen, Shrubwell! We’re big fans of this duo.
Fine, this does seem to be like a photo-worthy experience, we’ll let you take a few photos. But a Kamayan dinner is so much more than a different way to approach eating— it’s a gathering simply putting good food and good conversation at the center of the table.
WHAT ELSE IS IN STORE FOR 2020:
“Our secret mission is to spread Filipino Cuisine, which is largely underrepresented in most cities,” says Lazaro. The Kamayan Feast format is the perfect way to introduce someone to Filipino food because they’ll end up tasting a dozen different dishes in one sitting. The Tayo crew also hopes to grow their pop-up dinners to a steady stream of 1-2 feasts a month.
Lazaro has also been trying to connect with other local Filipino entrepreneurs across the valley for collaboration concepts and community support. Seems like it’s working—and we love that they’re bringing other micro-entrepreneurs along to be part of this sensory experience.
ABOUT THE FUERZA LOCAL COMMUNITY KITCHEN:
Fuerza Local Community Kitchen is a collaborative space located near downtown Mesa, Arizona. The kitchen is available to food entrepreneurs who are looking to start or grow their business and need a fully equipped space for small and large food operations to use at a low cost. Our space supports residents through entrepreneurial development and skills training, and aims to advance a healthy and engaged culinary community. We believe that through food, we cultivate inclusive and creative communities for generations to come. More at: www.localfirstazfoundation.org/community-kitchen