Word travels fast, tsismis even faster. We just gathered there’s a new restaurant in New York, and it’s called the Filipino word for gossip.

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Tsismis NYC, located in the Lower East Side, describes itself as “a Filipino American restaurant and wine bar offering an eclectic menu promoting the use of local and sustainable ingredients.” It has a warm, cozy setting—no small thanks to the open kitchen and copper bar.

It is owned by Stephen Young and Reggie Aguinaldo who, according to the New York Times, both have Filipino roots. The executive chef is SF and Paris-trained Jappy Afzelius, originally from Dumaguete and formerly executive sous chef at Manila Social Club, also in New York. He’s worked in upscale restaurants in France and Italy. According to the Inquirer, Afzelius took his master’s degree in Food Culture & Communications at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo.

“The flavors of the Philippines are interpreted inventively,” said the New York Times of Afzelius’s creations which are predominantly dishes with Filipino roots, or just imbued with touches of his home country.

A starter, for example, is kale laing, which is basically locally sourced kale sautéed in coconut milk and shrimp paste. They have Kabute—or mushroom—sliders, where the patty sits on a bed of squash.

Their Caesar Salad has tuyo flakes, and the halo-halo—but of course there’s halo-halo—is made more special by upgrading the usual shaved ice with coconut sorbet. Playful, indeed. There’s sinigang on the menu, as well as an adobo, and a bangus dish. As Pinoys like to say, Ikaw na lang kulang.

Photos from Tsismis NYC Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Tsismis NYC is located in 143 Orchard Street, in the Lower East Side.