The Prince and The Hawker

For those of us that love to dine out at restaurants, there are some experiences that are so unique, awe-inspiring, and unforgettable that they stick with us for the rest of our lives. This was one of them.

On a recent road trip down the west coast of the United States, we had planned one night in Seattle. With so many amazing gastronomic options, we happened to stumble upon a small restaurant in Southeast Seattle with an intriguing prospect. Archipelago is a small and thoughtful restaurant showcasing Pacific Northwest (PNW) cusine laced with Filipino-American identify and flavours. Their ethos is community-focused, showcasing local produce and working closely with producers led by BIPOC, women and families.

Normally, Archipelago is open for specific seating times on certain nights of the week. But when we looked, they had opened an extra seating on the night we were in town. We jumped on the opportunity!

As we approached the restaurant, we almost missed the entrance since it was so understated and unassuming. But as we gingerly stepped through the storefront, we were transported to a relaxing and intimate space.

The restaurant is compact but comfortable, comprising only 12 seats – 8 counter seats and 4 at a small table. We were seated at the far end of the counter. As soon as we were seated, we knew we would have a great evening ahead. The head waiter, Anna, welcomed us warmly.

Once the entire dining room had arrived and was seated, the kitchen and serving staff assembled to introduce themselves for the evening. This gave both a professional and a family-oriented feel to the atmosphere. Every member of staff was Asian-American with a personal connection to the combination of PNW and Filipino menu. It was clear that they were all passionate about the meal they were about to serve.

Anna gave a preview of how the meal would be served, and the playful innovation of using the COVID barriers to display paraphenelia related to each course. This made the evening a meaningful and interactive experience rather than just a meal.

Time to Eat at Archipelago

The meal started with “Kamayan”, a pair of small bites inspired by dishes commonly eaten in the Philipines for merienda (snack time).

One was a bola-bola, literally a ball (of meat). The other was an interesting morsel of brightness: a version of otap, a puff pastry cookie common in Cebu. This one was topped with sea beans and cheese for a west coast twist. It had a bit of a botanical taste to it as well that was complemented visually by the plating. These two bites were a bright start to the fantastically unique meal.

Watching the entire staff prepare and serve each dish was like watching an orchestra. Everybody knew exactly what they were doing at every moment, dodging each other gracefully around the small open kitchen. Every dish was served to every guest at the same time.

A bread course of pandesal came next, named “Pearl of the Orient”. Pandesal (originating from Spanish pan de sal) is as quintisentially Filipino as it comes in bread form. This was served with a sage chili and grey salt butter.

Having since been to the Philipines for the first time, I can say this tasted quite authentic. I did think this was the most pedestrian course of the night, and thought the butter could have a bit more kick to it. It was, however, on theme was the dish’s humble origins.

Next was “Alaskeros”, Alaskan sockeye salmon escabeche served with sustainable Idaho caviar, local ginger, and Saskatoon berry. The fired up sprig of spruce on the side of the dish filled my nose as I bit into the salmon. This worked well with the punch of ginger on the tongue.

The dish was a tribute to early Filipino immigrants (including the grandparents of one of the staff) that worked up and down the west coast in the numerous canneries. I was so immersed in experiencing the salmon that I forgot to take a photo until halfway through!

The meal was just getting started at this point. “Bulosan” was then served, a dish of Oregon shrimp with fermented shrimp paste. This was coupled with a medley of turnip, squash and mushroom from local farms.

Small and unassuming, this dish was a flavour punch in your face. The dish was a tribute to Carlos Bulosan, a Filipino novelist/poet who immigrated to the Seattle area in the 1930s, and the Jenkins Family, the first Filipino American (and mixed race) family in Seattle. I like to think the bold flavours of this dish symbolised these early immigrants overcoming the harsh racism they faced.

We were nearing the middle of the meal. “Mahabang Buhay” means “long life” in Tagalog. This was the name of the next dish of hand-cut noodles, smoked albacore, duck egg charcheuse, and shisito peppers and beans from Mariposa Farm. I really enjoyed this dry noodle dish which brought a smoky heat that felt lovely on the palate.

Then came one of my favourite dishes of the night, “Motherless Tongues”. A tribute to the mother sauces that so much of Filipino cusine is built on, a beautifully cooked piece of Alaskan halibut was served with sinigang, a Filipino sour stew flavoured (in this case) with PNW lingonberries. The bitter greens cut through the mild halibut beautifully. This was accompanied with wild rice from the PNW, as well as a tinanglarang (a Filipino sour soup) flavoured with loads of lemongrass.

This combination of PNW ingredients and Filipino cooking really embodied the whole spirit of Archipelago. I also loved the use of lingonberry. While often associated with Nordic cuisine, it is actually a berry widely found in boreal forests and the Arctic tundra of North America.

At this point, we were asked to rate our fullness on a scale of 1 to 5. Our portions would be adjusted accordingly in the dish “Tailor Made”. Beautiful pieces of lechon liempo sat on top of Orosa sauce. Lechon liempo is simply Filipino style roast pork belly. The Orosa sauce is named after its inventor Maria Orosa. Orosa was a food technologist who experimented with many different foods native to the Philipines, and was also the creator of the very Filipino banana ketchup.

Though I opted for a 3 on the fullness scale, I couldn’t help but say yes when the servers came around to offer more pieces of lechon liempo. The wonderful charred skin aroma filling the dining room was just too tantilising to resist.

Finally, we had made it to the end of the savoury dishes. But there was still to be a parade of sweet dishes! “Carnation”, named clearly for the ubiquitous Carnation evaporated milk, was a first dessert of triberry lavender ice, lemongrass jelly, pumpkin seed cream, and puffed rice. The floral notes worked wonderfully with the cold temperature of the dessert. The aromas evoked a distinctly southeast Asian feeling. This dish acted both as a nice palate cleanser and a dessert in its own right.

The second dessert, “Lola”, was quite possibly the most interesting dish of the night, both gastronomically and inspirationally. The dish itself was a wild rice suman (a Filipino sticky rice and coconut milk delicacy) glazed and smoked, served with pink lady apple and elderflower leche flan flavoured frozen custard. I loved the play and contrast between textures, temperatures, and flavours.

The inspiration behind the dish was Lola, of famed The Atlantic article “My family’s slave”. Listening to the staff articulate the tale, this was such a powerful story, which was fitting with such a bold and powerful dish.

It was such a privilege to watch all the staff working hard in the open kitchen but at the same time seeing the pride in their faces as they went about their work. The meal was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Thought the meal was over? One more surprise! Pasalubong is the Filipino tradition of travellers bringing gifts from their destinations to people back home (We have a similar tradition in Chinese culture). In this case, we were given a mamón (Filipino sponge cake) flavoured with honey butter and apple. This was acompanied with a beautiful keepsake menu commemorating our meal. I ate the gift as soon as we ot back to the hotel room – it was like comfort of a warm hug.

Final Thoughts

What an absolutely unforgettable evening we had at Archipelago! The Filipino cuisine wonderfully melded with PNW ingredients shared centre stage with the stories told shared by the staff. Every member of staff clearly was passionate about the entire ethos of Archipelago. Service was choreagraphed intricately, yet felt very personal and family-style. The intimate setting contributed to this feeling. When I dined at Archipelago, I had never travelled to the Philipines. However, I have since, and I can clearly see the inspiration behind the food. Homage without diminishment – Perfection.