Courtesy of Zarate Kitchen
Brothers Marcus and Michael Fernandez learned to cook from their grandmother in the Philippines, who ran a neighborhood store on Zarate Street. After working in everything from nightclubs to fine dining restaurants, Marcus wanted to return to his roots. He began experimenting in modernizing family recipes during Covid and opened a ghost kitchen based in Decatur. He and Michael started hosting pop-ups and participated in the Philippine Festival in August. Their big break came after selling their fare at the Asian Night Market at Pullman Yards.
“They gifted me a Filipino food for my birthday, and it was so delightful,” says Maureen Meulen who owns Pullman Yards with her husband Adam. “I’m half-Filipino and love the food.”
Zarate Kitchen takes over Dailies & Sides on Mondays and Tuesdays and is served on the patio Wednesday through Sunday. (Seating is available inside and outside daily.) The goal is “quick, affordable, casual meals with bite-sized portions you can grab,” Marcus says. Items range from pulutan (small bites) to balikbayan (combination boxes). Expect lumpia (similar to an eggroll with fillings such as ground pork that change daily), street corn with cheesy citrus ranch, and islander tacos with adobo (braised) meat. The balikbayan pay homage to a Filipino holiday custom in which people send a box of goodies to relatives. At Zarate, they include pancit stir-fried noodles with charred vegetables and choice of protein skewer, a riff on Spanish rice (the Fernandez brothers are half-Spanish), and more. Brunch options are also in the works.
Courtesy of Zarate Kitchen
Courtesy of Zarate Kitchen
“Our goal is to put a modern twist on Filipino cuisine and share it with as [many] people as possible,” Michael says.
He and his brother have added tiki drinks to the Dailies bar offerings. There’s a volcano mai tai, ube piña colada, and calamansi lemonade served in an IV pouch (“because a lot of nurses are Filipino,” Michael explains). Filipino beer is for sale, too.
“This gives us an incredible opportunity to be a part of this neighborhood, share our love of island culture, and add to the contagious energy and vibes here at Pullman Yards,” Marcus says in a press release.
Courtesy of Zarate Kitchen
