A Filipino-American-owned restaurant in St.Louis, Missouri, The Fattened Caf, has made waves as it snagged a spot among the Best New Restaurants for 2023, courtesy of Feast magazine.
Owners Darren Young and Charlene Lopez-Young shared their elation on Instagram, calling it one of the best things to happen in their lives.
“Maaaannnnn we don’t even know what to say or how to act. This is seriously one of the best things to ever happen in our lives (besides getting married and having our beautiful babies hahahaha). We are thrilled of all the fruits growing out of our passions and hard work,” said owners Darren Young, an African American, and Charlene Lopez-Young, a Filipino American.
The couple’s culinary adventure began with friends devouring their dishes and urgings, “Turn this into a business!” And so, in October 2019, the doors of The Fattened Caf swung open, causing lines that wrapped around buildings like a foodie pilgrimage.
Unlike the usual Filipino fare abroad, Charlene and Darren ditched tradition, crafting a menu that’s a fusion of their unique cultures. Think homemade slow-smoked Spam, jackfruit adobo, and ube delights that redefine the Pinoy taste.
“We stopped allowing ‘tradition’ to define the dishes that we’re making. We poured a lot more of who we are as people – Darren as an African American man and me as Filipino American – into the menu that we’ve created,” Charlene told the Feast.
But for them, it’s not just about serving up food—it’s about community love.
“We always say that our mission is to love food, but we love people more. We want to be an extension of the community that we live in. We don’t just want to be a business. We want to be a part of the community,” said Charlene.
Now, they have indeed started making their mark in their very own community by leaving multiple burps along the way.
