Lumpia & Guacamole: NYC Has A New Filipino And Mexican Taqueria

Regarding Filipinos, comedian Jo Koy once hilariously commented in a bit on his Comin’ In Hot Netflix special, “We are the Mexicans of Asia!” The man’s not wrong, as the bond between the two cultures runs deep, beyond just the shared Spanish last names and faith in Vicks Vapor Rub as a cure-all.

That connection can now translate to food as well, as evidenced by a new restaurant called Mucho Sarap within the Canal Street Market in New York City’s Chinatown.

Mucho Sarap is the first brick & mortar location of the popular So Sarap pop-up co-founded by VJ Navarro and Sebastien Shan, which fuses Filipino street food energy with Mexican flavors. The delicious results of this union include Taco de Longaniza (sweet Filipino sausage), Taco de Nilaga (beef short ribs, cheek, and tongue), lumpia Shanghai with guacamole, and even a vegetable lumpia treated like an enchilada.

The fusion plays with different aspects of Filipino and Mexican cuisine, riffing and vibing off one another to wow and entice diners with flavors, textures, and even presentation that are as much of a pleasant surprise as finding extra money in your jeans.

Try any one of Mucho Sarap’s tacos and see how it’ll also instantly flip your situation for the better. Perhaps start with the Taco de Apritada, which is inspired by chicken tinga yet skews Filipino with a grilled chicken foot, known as adidas in Filipino street food, sharing the same tortilla space. Mucho sarap, indeed.