Spoon & Pork

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Spoon & Pork
Restaurant information
Established2017
Owner(s)Ray Yaptinchay, Jay Tugas
Food typeFilipino
Dress codeCasual
Street address3131 Sunset Boulevard
CityLos Angeles
StateCalifornia
Postal/ZIP Code90026
CountryUnited States
Coordinates34°5′7.32″N 118°16′28.55″W / 34.0853667°N 118.2745972°W / 34.0853667; -118.2745972Coordinates: 34°5′7.32″N 118°16′28.55″W / 34.0853667°N 118.2745972°W / 34.0853667; -118.2745972
Websitewww.spoonandpork.com

Spoon & Pork is a restaurant specializing in Filipino cuisine. First opened as a food truck in 2017, its main location is presently located at 3131 Sunset Boulevard in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

History[]

Spoon & Pork was opened in April 2017 by Ray Yaptinchay and Jay Tugas, childhood friends from the Philippines who both later moved to the United States.[1] Initially launching as a food truck, neither Yaptinchay nor Tugas had any experience in the restaurant industry when they first opened.[1]

In late 2018, after developing a loyal following and looking to expand, the restaurant announced that would open a permanent location in Silver Lake, which would largely serve the same menu as the food truck.[2] Initially scheduled to open in February 2019,[2] the permanent location opened in July of that year.[1]

A second branch of Spoon & Pork opened along Sawtelle Boulevard in the Sawtelle neighborhood in October 2021.[3]

Location and concept[]

A Spoon & Pork chori burger

Spoon & Pork's main Silver Lake branch currently occupies a 1,300-square-foot (120 m2) space along Sunset Boulevard which also includes a modestly-sized minimalist dining room,[4] modern in design with tropical-themed walls, and an outdoor patio space slightly detached from the rest of the street.[5] In addition to its in-house operation, the restaurant is also a fixture at Smorgasburg's Los Angeles iteration.[6]

The restaurant's space is in a building that is shared with Diablo Tacos,[5] a prominent Silver Lake taco restaurant.[7] The building, owned by nightclub owner Steve Edelson, also previously hosted long-time Mexican restaurant La Parrilla,[5] which closed in October 2011.[8]

Spoon & Pork's menu, with both Yaptinchay and Tugas equally sharing cooking duties at the restaurant,[4] has been described as being "modern Filipino comfort food",[6] informed by the owners' love of cooking at home despite their lack of formal culinary training.[4] Pork cooked in various ways dominates the restaurant's offerings, which include takes on lechon kawali (served as an appetizer) and the chori burger.[5] Its signature dish, the patita, is the restaurant's take on crispy pata and is large enough for up to three people, served with a sweet chili and garlic sauce.[5] Braised for up to 15 hours and subsequently air-dried for an additional 24 hours before being put in the fryer,[9] and originally served with a popsicle stick as a means of eating the dish,[6] the patita has been described as being rich and flavorful, and has been instrumental in building its following.[4]

Although it primarily serves pork, Spoon & Pork also serves other meats,[5] as well as vegan dishes, which include a jackfruit dish that was named by The New York Times as one of its top ten dishes in Los Angeles for 2019.[10]

Awards and accolades[]

Spoon & Pork has been identified by the Los Angeles Times as part of a growing number of Los Angeles-based modern Filipino restaurants,[11] helping raise the profile of Filipino cuisine both in the city and nationally.[12] A few months after opening in 2017, LA Weekly readers named it the best food truck in Los Angeles,[13] and in 2020, the Los Angeles Times named it as one of the city's 101 best restaurants for that year.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Meet Raymond Yaptinchay and Jay Tugas of Spoon & Pork in Silver Lake". VoyageLA. August 10, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Chaplin, Cathy (December 10, 2018). "Popular Filipino Food Truck Moves Into a Permanent Silver Lake Storefront". Eater Los Angeles. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  3. ^ Holmes, Mona (October 4, 2021). "Silver Lake's Filipino Star Spoon and Pork Expanding to Sawtelle Japantown". Eater Los Angeles. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Escárcega, Patricia (November 6, 2019). "Review: Our critic's favorite pork dish? The patita at this Filipino restaurant in Silver Lake". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Saperstein, Pat (October 31, 2019). "Diners Are Tickled Pink at Spoon and Pork". Los Feliz Ledger. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Kleinman, Evan (January 3, 2020). "Spoon & Pork revels in the vivid flavors of Filipino cuisine". Good Food (Podcast). KCRW. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  7. ^ Paulas, Paul (July 8, 2013). "What Is L.A.'s Iconic Food?". KCET. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "Storefront Report: Nightclub owner expands Silver Lake presence". The Eastsider. November 21, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  9. ^ Holmes, Mona (November 8, 2019). "Critic Praises the Pork Dishes at Silver Lake's Hot New Filipino Restaurant". Eater Los Angeles. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  10. ^ Rao, Tejal (December 9, 2019). "The 10 Best Los Angeles Dishes of 2019". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  11. ^ Snyder, Garrett (August 28, 2020). "Ma'am Sir, Charles Olalia's Filipino restaurant in Silver Lake, has closed for good". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  12. ^ Addison, Bill (February 3, 2021). "Kuya Lord's Filipino feast is food of power, finesse and delight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  13. ^ "Best of L.A. 2017: LA Weekly Readers Poll Winners" (PDF). LA Weekly. October 6–12, 2017. p. 32. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  14. ^ Addison, Bill; Escárcega, Patricia I. (December 7, 2020). "101 Best L.A. Restaurants of 2020". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 11, 2021.

External links[]

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