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Traditional Filipino cuisine is finally coming to Louisville with Lola's Kitchen

Savannah Eadens
Courier Journal
  • 2240 Frankfort Ave.
  • Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Maria Johnson halted in her tracks on Frankfort Avenue, grabbed her iPhone and started taking photos of the banner hanging from a porch: “Coming soon: Lola’s Kitchen, Homestyle Filipino Cuisine.”  

Johnson, a nurse at Norton Audubon Hospital and resident of the neighborhood at the cusp of Clifton and Crescent Hill, excitedly sent the photos to two of her co-workers, who are Filipino.  

“They’re going to be so excited; I can’t wait for this place to open,” Johnson said. “I don’t think there are any other Filipino restaurants in Louisville.”  

She’s right.  

After Sari Sari, which was also on Frankfort Avenue, closed a few years ago, no other Filipino restaurant has popped up in Louisville.  

Since the owners of the soon-to-be Lola’s Kitchen at 2240 Frankfort Ave. started a Facebook page for the restaurant, it’s received more than 500 likes and dozens of comments on every post, with locals asking, “When are you opening?” and "Which traditional Filipino dishes will you serve?"

Several comments are of users tagging friends and family, writing “Finally a Filipino restaurant, we have to go here.”  

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The men behind Lola's Kitchen on Frankfort Avenue include (left to right) general manager Kyle Duncan, cook David Lycan, owner and executive chef Nick Hans, and sous chef Kevin Williams. Aug. 14, 2019

Owner and executive chef Nick Hans did not expect such an excited and warm welcome from the community. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Hans learned how to cook from his grandmother and mother, who are called “Lola” in Filipino culture. Hans has lived in Louisville for nearly two decades, and with the inheritance from his mother’s death, decided to open the restaurant as an homage to the family matriarchs.  

“I didn’t know any other Filipinos here in Louisville other than my brother,” Hans said. “When we announced this opening, they came out of the woodwork and I asked, ‘Where have you been for the last 20 years? And why is there no Filipino restaurant?'”  

Lola’s Kitchen has taken over the previous space of Zen Garden, a closed vegetarian Chinese restaurant owned by the same woman who now owns Heart and Soy on Bardstown Road. Lola’s manager Kyle Duncan said the Frankfort Avenue location is perfect because it’s a restaurant hot spot for loyal locals.  

The small, airy and light-filled restaurant will be fast-casual counter service serving traditional Filipino dishes with a “Southern influence.”  

Hans, along with sous chef Kevin Williams, will use local ingredients to create dishes that Filipinos are known for, such as a traditional barbecue sandwich.  

“But if you know anything about Filipino culture, it’s a melting pot,” Hans said. The Philippines are a fusion of Spanish, Chinese, American and indigenous culture, so Lola’s Kitchen will be a gathering of all the influences of Hans' upbringing — from the Philippines to Louisville.  

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Some menu highlights include chicken/pork adobo, a traditional Manila dish simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper; beef Kaldareta, a beef stew in tomato sauce and garlic served with potatoes, olive and green pepper; and chicken arroz caldo, a Spanish word but a Chinese porridge dish in ginger-based broth, served with a hardboiled egg.

Preparing the menu for Lola’s Kitchen has been nostalgic for Hans.  

“When I am cooking, it brings back memories,” he said. “The aroma reminds me of my mom, grandma and the gatherings we had. So when people come here, I want them, too, to smell a Philippines kitchen.”  

His Lola was a quiet, small Filipino woman, passionate about her family. Lola had 13 children, whom she passed down her recipes to. Since her death, when Hans can’t remember a recipe or needs advice, he calls one of his many aunts. 

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The decor at Lola's Kitchen reflects Filipino style from the wall art to the smaller details. Aug. 14, 2019

The main attraction at Lola’s Kitchen will be something locals cannot experience anywhere else: a traditional, Filipino “Boodle fight,” a way to celebrate life communally and through food.  

Two large tables in the corner of the restaurant are reserved for Boodle fights, where customers can eat food served from a long banana leaf-lined trestle table — without utensils. The practice, derived from a military tradition, is called kamayan, Filipino for "eating with the hands."

“This is a feast where people can gather to eat with their hands in comradery,” Hans said. “The Filipino way of demonstrating love is by feeding or offering food to one another. Eating with your hands provides a physical connection to the food, for your senses to take over. And it’s fun.”  

Hans hopes Lola’s Kitchen will not just be an attraction to Filipinos, but to other locals excited to try something new.  

Lola’s will also have a weekend brunch menu with American-style dishes like pancakes, waffles and biscuits and gravy.  

Per city coding approval, Lola’s will open Aug. 27. The restaurant will be open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed on Mondays.

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Reach reporter Savannah Eadens at SEadens@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @savannaheadens.