Inside ApuNena, a Filipino restaurant in Buenos Aires by chef Christina Sunae

Yet cooking Filipino food in Buenos Aires came with real challenges. Classic ingredients like bagoong (shrimp paste), coconut vinegar and banana catsup were nowhere to be found. “Everything had to be homemade,” she explains. “All the fermentation I grew up with—if I didn’t make them, no one else would.” Over time, she has begun to see Filipino touches appearing in other kitchens across the city. “Kinilaw on a menu? Lumpia in a fusion bar? I may have had something to do with that,” she says with a playful grin.

ApuNena is the clearest expression of her evolution. Named after her grandmother (apu, meaning grandmother in Capampangan), the restaurant honours the woman who shaped her palate. The menu reads like a dialogue between Manila and Buenos Aires. Patagonia trout stands in for milkfish in kinilaw. Local strawberries bring tartness where citrus would usually lead. Quinoa replaces traditional corn or potato for crunch. Because calamansi does not grow here, they ferment their own vinegars to chase that vivid Filipino sourness. “Sourness defines Filipino cuisine,” she explains. “Thailand is spicy, Japan is salty-sweet, but the Philippines—we are acidic. Fruit and fermentation are in almost everything.”

Dishes arrive as reinterpretations, not replicas. An empanada appears, but inside is black beef curry, fragrant with Southeast Asian spices. Grilled chicken hearts—a Filipino street staple—are elevated with fish-sauce butter and fresh herbs. Fresh tofu comes topped with local greens and a gentle vinegar heat. The soul remains Filipino.

Six years in, ApuNena has grown a loyal following, becoming a home away from home for many. The economic crisis in Argentina has slowed the entire industry, yet Sunae remains steady thanks to guests who understand and crave her perspective. Filipino food is still new territory here; there are only a few Filipinos in the entire country. “And they all know me,” she laughs. “They come here when they miss home.”

Education is now a core part of her mission. She teaches Filipino cooking twice a month, guiding locals through ingredients, influences and techniques. “Filipino food is halo-halo,” she says, referencing the iconic dessert whose name literally means “mix-mix.” Chinese stir-frying, Malay spice, Spanish stews, indigenous traditions—every island, every household has its own version of the national story.

Asked which dish best captures that spirit, she pauses. “It’s difficult because every province cooks differently,” she says. “For me, it’s sinigang. In Pampanga, we call it bulanglang. The base is always a sour fruit. Every region has one. It reflects who we are.”

She doesn’t plan far ahead. “I take things day by day,” she says. She has opened in Manila before, and dreams of one day returning to the United States with a Filipino restaurant. “My mission has always been to share Filipino food with everyone, especially here in Latin America. That continues.” She envisions a future where Filipino cuisine is celebrated on a global scale, and she is determined to be a part of that journey.

As for the future of Filipino cuisine on the world stage, her response is immediate: “It’s already happening.” She cites the rise of fine-dining Filipino restaurants in Manila, New York and cities all over the world. “It used to be only mum-and-pop places, and there was hesitation about seeing Filipino food elevated. But now Filipinos are embracing it, and so is the world. It will only grow.”

At ApuNena, each dish tells a beautiful story of family, creativity and connection that transcends borders. Sunae has crafted more than just a restaurant; she’s created a welcoming home where cherished memories from one archipelago flourish in a new hemisphere. 

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