Filipino Food Heats Up Oslo Street Food Scene

Ambassador to Norway Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia with the young Filipino entrepreneurs behind KAIN. (Oslo PE photo)

OSLO 05 March 2019 – Filipino food heats up Oslo with the debut of KAIN Filipino Rice Bar.

KAIN joins the vibrant and culturally diverse Oslo Street Food, the newest food hall to sweep Oslo’s culinary scene.

Ambassador to Norway Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia attended the soft launch of KAIN Filipino Rice Bar on 31 January 2019 and expressed support to the young Filipino entrepreneurs behind KAIN namely Arvin Aquilizan, Daniel Vergara, Dominic Vergara, John Fredrick Abellera, and Mark Alcantara. Brothers Daniel and Dominic Vergara’s culinary experience have been honed by working at Michelin and fine dining restaurants in Norway, Italy, and Japan.

When asked about the inspiration behind KAIN, Mr. Aquilizan said that kain, which means “eat” in Filipino, sums up their vision of bringing people to eat together as a way to connect and share love and happiness.

“Our goal is to serve home-cooked and streetfood-inspired Filipino dishes with a modern and refined approach,” Aquilizan said.

They presented Filipino dishes in a "street food" fashion basing it on the theme and name of the food hall in Torggata Bad which is "Oslo Street Food." There are around 16 food stalls in the Torggata Bad food hall that serve various cuisines including Japanese, Filipino, Lebanese, Mexican, Peruvian, and Eastern European.

During Torgatta Bad official opening on 1 February 2019, Ambassador Batoon-Garcia expressed appreciation for the efforts of the group to feature Filipino food to the Norwegian market. She also gave thanks to Filipinos in Norway and other tourists visiting Norway for attending the event.

The soft launch was attended by family and friends of the food stall owners such as those of KAIN and the guests of the founders of Torggata Bad, namely Toni Jørgensen, Christian Witt, and Wilhelm Larsen. END

Filipino favorites adobo, tapsilog, and chicken barbecue are served in KAIN. (Oslo PE photo)

For more information, visit www.oslope.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinNorway/.