Bong Bong’s Manila Kanteen, from Lee Johnson and Sinead Campbell from My Million Pound Menu winning BBQ Dreamz, has launched its alternative to Sunday lunch, a traditional Filipino kamayan.
The kamayan, is a Sunday family feast Filipino-style; an abundance of different dishes are piled onto a table laden with banana leaves. No plates or cutlery are to be found – kamayan means ‘to eat with your hands’ in Tagalog– and diners are encouraged to get stuck in.
At Bong Bong’s Sunday Kamayan, guests can expect mountains of steamed rice; ladlesful of creamy taro and coconut milk Laing; stacks of Adobo glazed cauliflower; a sprinkling of sesame kale; and vegetable spring rolls with banana ketchup, as well as the main event, a weekly meat, fish or vegetarian special to share between two, which could include crispy Pata, a fragrant fried pork hock; a whole baked tilapia with spring onion, soy and garlic; or a whole roasted jackfruit.
Drinks include Filipino inspired cocktails, including a White Russian with Milo, a chocolate and malt drink popular in South-East Asia, and a crushed Malteser garnish, and Dark & Stormy with the Philippines’ own Don Papa rum, alongside weekly-changing wines by the glass from Uncharted Wines.
Johnson said, “I have so many memories of kamayans with my family – eating everything straight from the middle of the table creates an amazing vibe when you’re all sharing and getting messy - and a bit of rivalry for the best bits!”
Campbell added, “We’ve always wanted to bring more of the culture and ceremony of Filipino dining to our food, and we’re delighted to be able to, now that we’ve got our own space in Bethnal Green.'
