New Reading Terminal Market Merchant “Tambayan” Will Serve a Filipino-Fusion Breakfast & All-Day Specials!
New Reading Terminal Market Merchant “Tambayan” Will Serve a Filipino-Fusion Breakfast & All-Day Specials!
Reading Terminal Market today announced its newest merchant, Tambayan. The restaurant will offer a Filipino-fusion menu of breakfast, all-day specials, and desserts that capture the unique flavors and colorful ingredients of the Philippines. Several items will center around the use of ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines that claims a myriad of health benefits.
Owner Kathy Mirano is no stranger to the Market, having worked as a server and manager at Olympia Gyro for 21 years after emigrating from Taal Batangas in the Philippines 24 years ago. Mirano will co-own Tambayan with her partner, John Karmanski, who brings 19 years of experience in food service with Aramark to his role. She also owns Runners Sweets and Treats, a catering business selling ube baked goods and French macarons that she started in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Kathy’s deep roots in Filipino culture and decades of experience at Reading Terminal Market are setting her up for success right from the start. She’s grown a dedicated customer base through her catering business and we are excited to introduce her concept to Market visitors,” said Annie Allman, CEO and General Manager of Reading Terminal Market. “Tambayan is believed to be the first business at Reading Terminal focused on Filipino food and we are thrilled to bring this culinary option to Center City.”
Filipino food is known for its unique culinary characteristics centering around the combination of sweet, sour, and salty. Tambayan will offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner items including longanisa (Filipino sausage) with fried rice and eggs, menudo (traditional stew), lumpia (Filipino-style spring rolls), ube fries, pandesal (a type of bread roll), Filipino-style spaghetti, ube cake roll, and rotating monthly specials.
“In Tagalog, Tambayan means ‘a place to hang out with friends and family with good food’. Family is a large part of my business. The recipes are inspired by ones my grandmother used to make and the emphasis I put into using healthy ingredients is rooted in my passion for running and experience having a father with diabetes,” said Kathy Mirano, owner of Tambayan. “I’m looking forward to introducing Filipino cuisine to Reading Terminal Market customers and putting my own twist on it. There are several upscale Filipino restaurants in Philadelphia, but I wanted to make this experience accessible to everyone in a way that is fast, fresh, and delicious.”
Tambayan is projected to open in late June and will be located right off of Center Court in the space formerly occupied by Wursthaus Schmitz. The full menu will be available for dine-in and takeout.
