New Kamayan Supper Club pop-up invites guests to eat with their hands
Chef Michael Collantes is testing the waters on a new concept bringing the Filipino tradition of kamayan to the new Taglish outpost at UCF.
The Kamayan Supper Club will be popping up beginning May 6, with twice-nightly dinners featuring traditional pre-Colonial dining. Kamayan is a Tagalog word that translates, literally, to “with hands.”
“Big parties, no plates and very open,” says Collantes of the dinners, where banana leaves line the tables and the food is placed down for guests to peruse, choose and enjoy. “But since this is postCOVID, and you will be seated with diners you may not know, everyone will have their own smorgasbord in front of their party so that there’s no cross-sharing between strangers.”
Conversation, of course, will flow. And that’s precisely what Collantes wants. Kamayan dinners encourage community. He is eager to share culture, and foster love and excitement for Filipino cuisine in a very fun, relaxed and lively atmosphere.
“The supper club was created as a way to further connect to our roots and heritage .... ” he notes. “This is something as Filipinos we can share and normalize and not just bring tasty food but bring our culture and showcase it.”
There is space for up to 16 at each seating, so space will open if the interest is there, says Collantes, who also operates the tony Soseki Modern Omakase in Winter Park, where seats go for $225/person. He laughs.
“If people are looking for Soseki, they’re not going to find it [at the supper club]. This is downhome cooking.”
At downhome prices, too. Seats are $45/per person with beer and wine available on site. Dinners will run 60-90 minutes with a little history and some pointers on eating with your hands. “There’s a technique to it,” he says.
Guests can expect traditional Filipino flavor profiles — “calamansi garlic shrimp, rice, salted duck eggs, skewers, sinigang (a traditional sour soup), watermelon and mangoes... we want it to be fun and creative, relaxed and fun. Families definitely welcome.” The menu will change regularly, notes Collantes. “And if there’s more interest,
maybe karaoke in the future.”
They’re also planning a Mother’s Day brunch for May 8.
Collantes has enjoyed seeing similar events, most notably from Kadence, increase in frequency around town.
“I’d love to see kamayan pop-ups all over the city and people doing it with their friends at home,” he
says. “I love hearing ‘we do this in my family’ or ‘this reminds me of...’. It’s also a connection point for Filipino-Americans who are just now discovering who they are and their roots.”
May tickets will be available at noon on April 27 at exploretock.com/ taglish. Follow Kamayan Supper Club on Instagram to stay in the loop on future dinners and/or get
on a waitlist.
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