Words by Apa Agbayani
Illustrations by Pete Roxas
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It’s tough running a restaurant in New York City, but between 2018 and 2022, Chef Jappy Afzelius did just that at Tsismis. Holding the spot at 143 Orchard Street, Tsismis served Chef Jappy’s distinct take on Filipino cuisine.
The restaurant was the site of many an unforgettable event for the Filipino community and the perfect spot for a taste of Manila and Dumaguete in the heart of the Lower East Side. The restaurant closed its doors four years ago, giving way to Filipino-Japanese izakaya Gugu Room, while Chef Jappy continued on with his Filipino cuisine project Republika Kulinarya.
But here’s the tsismis! Next weekend at Nowadays, Chef Jappy is unveiling a Republika Kulinarya cookbook with recipes from Tsismis’s glory days so you can relive them all from the comfort of your own home.
Take a journey through classics such as tapsilog, kare-kare and the Afzelius family’s traditional lumpia recipe, or Chef Jappy’s inventive Filipino-American twists such as kale laing and a munggo poke bowl. The recipes go all the way to dessert with Tsismis’s beloved maja blanca.
Featuring lush illustrations by Pete Roxas and juicy gossip from the restaurant’s history, the book makes for an exciting read, offering fun new ideas for home cooking. So much of Filipino cooking has to do with adaptation to one’s tastes. There is no definitive version; just your own. Chef Jappy lays down the groundwork with his versions of these dishes, allowing you to begin experimenting on your own.
In his foreword, Chef Jappy says, “The spirit of Tsismis is sharing—whether it’s a hearty meal, a round of drinks or a long story. ‘Tsismis’ means ‘gossip’ and as a story makes its way to new people, it grows and changes. With that, I invite you to make these recipes your own, play with new ingredients and see what you come up with.”
The upcoming launch will be an exciting celebration of the Tsismis years and the possibilities that lie ahead for Filipino cuisine in America. Grab a drink and a copy of the book next Saturday!
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Republika Kulinarya launches on Saturday, February 21st, 2:30PM at Nowadays in Ridgewood. E-mail jappy@republikakulinarya.com to RSVP.