Filipino & Korean fusion blends culture, cuisine
Food brings us together. It comforts and inspires. It nourishes and unites people across a table. For Chef Triz Esguerra of Weh? Asian Fusion, food fosters an alchemical connection between both generations and cultures.
“Weh? Asian Fusion brings joy and comfort to people’s lives through our food and pays homage to the cultures and culinary influences that shaped our identities,” Esguerra said. “Our fusion approach takes the comforting flavors of our many Asian influences and familiarity with Western classics to create genuinely unique dishes we proudly serve.”
Currently doing pop-ups, catering and private events in San Marcos and surrounding areas, Weh? Asian Fusion is a woman-owned and operated business that recently celebrated its threeyear anniversary. Noting the growing popularity of Filipino and Korean cuisine in recent years, Esguerra wanted to bring the foods closest to her heart to places that haven’t been able to experience these dishes firsthand.
“We decided to get it to cities with little Filipino and Korean representation and push both cultures forward,” Esguerra said. Esguerra — Chef Triz — got her love for cooking and Filipino food from her mom, who was their family’s unofficial chef for family parties and gatherings. “I was her ‘sous chef,’ and also dishwasher,” Esguerra laughed. “She always loves to experiment in the kitchen and asks for help with new ideas for dishes when I was young up to this day.”
Even though Esguerra’s mom still lives in New Jersey, she still calls and shares her cooking ideas. “Cooking is the biggest way my mom and I bond,” she said.
Esguerra took this deep love for cooking and sharing foods with others and translated it into a career. After attending the highly-touted, top-ten ranked culinary program at the Hudson Community College in Jersey City, Esguerra worked in several Korean restaurants in New Jersey and New York.
“My first official sous chef job was at a mom and pop Korean restaurant in Jersey City, and that is where I fell in love with the Korean flavors and the culture,” Esguerra said.
After initially gaining experience in Jersey City, Esguerra took a job at Buddakan restaurant in New York City, a busier work environment that further honed her skills.
“My experience working at Buddakan in NYC allowed me to better my skills in a busier high volume kitchen that served over a thousand tickets at night,” Esguerra said. “I was mentored by chef
Weh? Asian Fusion brings joy and comfort to people’s lives through our food and pays homage to the cultures and culinary influences that shaped our identities.
Chef Triz Esguerra, WEH?
Yang and chef Zach, who are both very reputable and established executive chefs in New York.”
Working as a line cook at Buddakan introduced Esguerra to the style of modern Asian Fusion, which would eventually lead her to experiment with the unique blending of the Korean palette with her own Filipino cooking traditions.
“I have tried cooking Filipino food and Korean at home in their own ways, and one day I decided to marry them together,” Esguerra said. “First dish was Pork Sinigang with Kimchi and it blew our minds. Sinigang is a sour dish that uses tamarind, and instead I added aged kimchi. From then on, I would experiment with dishes here and there just like my mom.”
This adventurous approach to fusion would eventually lead Esguerra here and to open Weh? Asian Fusion.
So what does Weh? mean anyway?
“Weh? Is a Filipino slang term that my friends and relatives used to use,” Esguerra said. “It’s a doubtful and surprised expression, which means really? Seriously? Or no way!? For example a Filipino person might say, ‘You guys have ube breakfast tacos? Weh?” We’ve also come to find out coincidentally that weh also means why in Korean, which is perfect because our main concept is Filipino and Korean fusion.”
For the record, Weh does have ube breakfast tacos and ube chicken and waffles, which are purple and spicy and maybe the best version of chicken and waffles in the whole world. Other exciting menu items include Fried Chicken Adobo, Longanisa Sliders (sausage and slaw with a signature spicy sauce on soft roll) palabok waffle fries (with a fried egg on top) and Bibimsilog bowls, which combines Korean-style sauteed mixed vegetables with fried rice and egg. For dessert, try the ube oreo banana pudding: sweet and creamy with the balancing crunch of Oreos. Plus, ube makes it pleasingly purple. Weh? Yes, weh!
Check out more of Chef Triz’s culinary conjunctions on Weh?’s instagram at weh_asianfusiontx or on their website at weh-asianfusiontx. square.site. For a fresh, exciting event experience, Weh? Asian Fusion also offers catering.
