Called Donia, it will serve sharing plates of Filipino food ‘with the techniques of modern British cuisine’ and will occupy the site in Kingly Soho that was formerly home to Imad’s Syrian Kitchen and Darjeeling Express.
Dishes on the menu will include crispy roast pork with liver peppercorn sauce, a modern take on the classic Filipino lechon dish of a festive whole roasted pig; prawn and pork dumpling, white crab with lime butter sauce and chili oil - a version of the Filipino street food dish that is typically paired with soy and calamansi chili oil; and chicken inasalina in a butter emulsion, which owner Maginhawa Group says will present a fresh perspective on the cherished Filipino dish.
“Transforming the narrative of Filipino food in the British culinary landscape is what we envision with Donia,” says Florence Mae Maglanoc, co-founder of Maginhawa Group.
“By harmonizing authentic Filipino flavours with contemporary culinary artistry and the richness of locally-sourced British ingredients, we’re bringing to life a menu that’s both comforting and adventurous, an homage to tradition with a dash of the unexpected.
“It’s about crafting a menu that’s familiar yet surprising, and above all, delicious.”
Donia will be the 10th restaurant in the London-based group, which operates three sites under its Mamasons ice cream brand in Kentish Town, Chinatown and Westfield London, as well as Filipino bakery Panadera, and restaurants Bintang, Guanabana, Ramo Ramen, and Moi Moi Island.
