Gastronomic gem: Kalye goes beyond Filipino street fare

by MoMar G. Visaya / AJPress

IN the heart of New York City’s Lower East Side, lawyer-turned-restaurateur Rob Mallari D’Auria, and his husband, Henry, have embarked on an extraordinary journey. Their recently opened restaurant, Kalye, is not just about savoring the vibrant flavors of Filipino cuisine—it’s a bold statement of resilience and a tribute to the city they love.

Fueled by their passion for the city and inspired by the challenges of the pandemic, Rob and Henry saw an opportunity to contribute to its recovery by venturing into the world of gastronomy, offering a taste of Filipino delights while embracing the diverse palates of their customers.

The idea took shape back in 2020 during the pandemic when Rob, who had just moved to the States, found himself in Times Square, captivated by the bright marquee lights. He shared, “We love the city so much that we wanted to help it get back on its feet. One way of doing that was to have our own storefront, either a food or non-food store.” Eventually, they settled on the concept of a restaurant, drawing from Rob’s Filipino background.

Rob’s journey to the United States began in 2017 when he was taking a course in Boston. He would travel regularly to New York to meet up with family and do some sightseeing. He met Henry during one of those visits. What started as a chance encounter at the Museum of Modern Art’s bar, The Modern, blossomed into a long-distance relationship. Rob had to move back to the Philippines, where he had a law practice. They later decided to meet in Paris for the Christmas holidays in 2017, solidifying their commitment to start a longdistance relationship. In 2020, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Rob made a move to the States, and the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony. Kalye’s Journey

“Our goal is to introduce Filipino food to a broader audience and make it more accessible,” Rob told the Asian Journal. He also showed us how to make their hero product, the ube sliders, using ube buns, longganisa patties, Swiss cheese, onion-bacon jam, and pinakurat aioli.

The process of opening Kalye was not without its hurdles. From conceptualization to obtaining licenses and permits, and recipe development, it took them around a year and a half before they could finally open their doors in late 2022. Rob admits that finding quality and committed staff has been one of the most challenging aspects of running the restaurant, but he is grateful for the team they have now, many of whom have a background in Filipino culture.

Kalye sets itself apart by blending fast-casual and casual dining, offering a fusion of Filipino and familiar flavors. Rob explains, “The mission of the restaurant right now is to educate non-Filipinos about Filipino cuisine.”

They started with an easily recognizable dish like their signature ube sliders, which are longganisa burgers with pinakurat aioli in ubeflavored buns.

While the idea from the getgo was to build something that was fast casual, they have pivoted into something more casual, introducing sisig, tapa, inasal, and lechon to the menu. Gradually, they are going to introduce more traditional Filipino dishes like adobo, karekare, and sinigang. The goal is to introduce customers to Filipino cuisine through familiar dishes and then