Ox and Tiger

Ox and Tiger

This Japanese–Filipino pop-up is a true story of yin and yang

By Cary Wong Photo Credit: Nicole Morrison Hannah Wagner @feastintogether and Mogli @themogli

Chef/couple EJ Macayan and Hitomi Wada started their pop-up in 2018 and changed it to a takeoutspot during the pandemic. A greatmix of Chef Macayan's Filipino heritage and Chef Wada's Japanese background, they named it after their respective zodiac animals.

It was very interesting to find out that initially, Chef Wada was not entirely confident on this concept. Japanese and Filipino food does not mix well in general. They are almost opposite in taste. In addition, there are no existing cookbooks or guides on how to integrate them.

Instead, they had to rely on themselves in three ways: mixing organically, experimenting, and learning about histories. There were times when it was as easy as putting another type of citrus like yuzu in for calamansi. More often than not, they have to think outside the box, such as marinating pork with patis (a Filipino fish sauce) for their tonkatsu (a Japanese breaded pork dish).

Eventually, they have come to learn that Japanese and Filipino flavors complement each other in delicious ways!

The idea to start their own restaurant came about when they lived together for the first time in Chicago. "Our love language is food," Chef Wada says. "We cooked whatever we grew up eating and learned from each other. This was when EJ first planted the idea of a Filipino and Japanese pop-up."

They held their very first pop-up in October 2018, after moving back to San Francisco. After that smashing success, they set a goal to hold a quarterly pop-up in 2019. On the first anniversary of their pop-up, Chef Macayan decided to commit to Ox and Tiger full time.

"It was a nervewracking decision," she says. "But the best decision I made and [I haven’t] looked back since." After they made the decision, the pop-up frequency really accelerated. Unfortunately, just when the momentum was picking up, Covid stopped everything.

As a result, they had no choice but to shift to special take-out options like ready-to-heat meals and a-la-carte deliveries. The support from their friends and community, however, fueled the couple to work harder to survive and thrive.

One of their best partnerships during the pandemic was working with the Filipinos Feed the Frontlines organization. FFF helped stabilize their business significantly because it was a boost financially and also kept them afloat emotionally through the pandemic.

Read more at https://issuu.com/rareluxuryliving/docs/troora_san_francisco_2021_pages/168