Mestizo Kitchen & Cafe, a Mexican-Filipino Restaurant, to Open in Old Chinatown

“Where two cultures meet on one plate.”

That’s a pretty apt description of the dishes that Jessie Mendoza and Armando Llamas will serve at Mestizo Kitchen and Café (2162 Rockwell Ave.) in downtown Cleveland. The new restaurant will feature foods from each partner’s heritage – Mexican and Filipino – but also a fusion of both, something they call “Mexipino.”

“We are going to showcase all of the authentic Filipino favorites and then the most popular Mexican foods. But we’re also going to have a blend of both cuisines, a fusion,” explains Mendoza.

An example of that cross-cultural cuisine might be birria-stuffed lumpia with consommé dipping sauce, but also chicken adobo-stuffed burritos. Filipino classics such as lechon kawali and a kamayan feast are also on the bill of fare.

In the morning, the restaurant will function as a neighborhood café serving Mexican-style breads and pastries and Filipino cheese bread alongside coffee drinks.

Mestizo Kitchen has taken the place of Sichuan Hot Pot in Cleveland’s old Chinatown, a stately block-long strip along Rockwell Avenue. The interior has been completely redone since that Chinese restaurant closed this past spring.

“As you know, the Philippines is part of Asia, so that’s why we chose Asiatown,” says Mendoza. “And this is a good location because we are near downtown.”

Look for Mestizo Kitchen to open in the coming weeks.