We are all evolving, and in this evolution, we found one another and found a shared sense of purpose to create a space for people like us, by people like us. We have found a common mission to bring Portland offerings that we ourselves have always wished we had. Food was our bridge to finding our people.
This is the continuation of a story of friends who found each other through similar but separate paths that lead to this moment in time. James Beard Award Finalist and Food & Wine Best Chef, Carlo Lamagna was breaking barriers in the Portland food landscape by bringing flavors from his Filipino upbringing into his work. As his star continued to rise, his commitment to the advancement of Filipino cuisine in the Pacific Northwest became more concrete. He went from adding some Filipino flair to his menus as executive chef, to creating the Twisted Filipino pop-up, to opening an award-winning Filipino restaurant in the heart of Portland. Upon opening Magna Kusina, the brick and mortar became a hub for the greater Filipino-American community in Portland and a space where up-and-coming talent could launch. Like success, community wasn’t built overnight.
When the world shut down, everyone needed connection and inspiration more than ever. There was a ripple effect that inspired Ken Tran and Chef TJ Cruz to create Sun Rice as a Filipino concept, first as a Farmers Market food offering, to pop-ups around the city, to a permanent residence at a popular local bar, and finally, through the mentorship of Carlo Lamagna, they’ve opened their own brick and mortar at the Moxy Hotel in Downtown Portland.
In the spirit of pop-ups and events, Ron (Eaves) is a long time collaborator and creative partner with Sun Rice. In the summer of 2023, he had started an event brand called Eavening. With the purpose of gathering our communities together through music, crafts, food and drink. After a rooftop Sunrice x Eavening event, the demand for representation in the events and venue space became apparent, and the opportunity presented itself in the same building.
Through a similar mission to foster connections in this city through an emotional connection to food, Tricia San Mateo, Nori De Vega, and Jane Barmore found one another while seeking comfort by sharing their personal Filipino experiences. Their desire to create and share the kinds of flavors and connections they coveted led to the creation of Tikim Collective. Through supper clubs, storytelling, digital media creation, design, and brand consulting, the identity of the collective evolves.
