Foodie Friday: coming attractions in the East Passyunk area

Three very unique restaurants will be coming soon to the East Passyunk neighborhood. They will be excellent additions to the eclectic, much-celebrated food scene.

First up is Ocho Rios Parrilla. Located at 1710 East Passyunk Avenue in the former location of Plenty Cafe, Ocho Rios will be bringing a taste of the islands to the neighborhood. Traditional Caribbean food like oxtail stew, jerk chicken, and fried plantains are on the menu along with island cocktails made with fresh squeezed juices. Beer and wine will also be served.

Hoping to appeal to everyone, restaurant manager Brion Pizzi noted that there will be a separate menu for vegetarians. Ocho Rios will be open everyday, 11am-midnight, Monday to Saturday and on Sunday from 11am to 10pm. They will also offer pickup or delivery through Grubhub and Uber Eats. A soft opening is scheduled for early October. You can check out their menu here. For more information about their opening, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Also on East Passyunk will be a Brazilian bakery, Kouklet Brazilian Bakehouse. Located at 1647 East Passyunk Avenue where Good Moo’d Creamery used to be, they will be offering the traditional pastries and desserts that chef/owner Mardhory Santos-Cepeda grew up with. Her grandmothers were from different parts of Brazil so they had contrasting culinary styles which she has incorporated in Kouklet’s menu. There are some indigenous and African influences from her Grandma Isaura while her Grandma Alcineia contributed the comfort food flavors from her home state of Minas Gerais which are represented in her popular cake rolls.

After doing pop-ups for the last few years, she is excited to have a storefront on East Passyunk Avenue. “We were looking for a place where we felt a sense of community between the people living in the neighborhood and the business owners as well,” says Santos-Cepeda. The opening date isn’t set yet but she hopes that they will be open in a few months. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more information on the latest developments.

Last, but not least, is Tabachoy. After signing the lease for the space at the corner of 13th and Federal last month, the popular Filipino food cart will finally have a permanent home. The food cart was started in August 2019 “with the goal of making Filipino food more accessible in Philadelphia.” Chef/owner Chance Anies’ ever-changing menu is a mixture of the traditional food that he ate growing up and Americanized versions of the classics like Bistek Chistek (cheesesteak) and the Sisig Hot Dog.

The transition from the food cart to restaurant will allow him to “give our guests the full experience of Filipino hospitality.”  He is excited for Tabachoy to join all of the other great eateries in the neighborhood. Opening date is undetermined but he is continuing to do pop-ups around the city for the time being. For more information, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.