Richie Castillo is founder and chef of the Filipino Dublin pop-up venture Bahay, and  former chef of Clanbrassil House and Bastible. Although Irish, he’s a global guy. Richie’s father is Filipino, his mother is from Kerry but born in Jordan; his parents married in Jerusalem, and he grew up in Knocklyon with summers in the Philippines.

Richie chats to us about cooking influences in his life (his dad, his Kerry grandmother), takes us on a tour of his favorite Filipino dishes like suckling pig lechon and adobo, and explains the mystique of the bittersweet citrus fruit calamansi. He talks about the Spanish connection to Filipino history and cuisine. Also he answers burning questions, like what’s banana ketchup and why do we need to be eating it now?

Richie also tells us about Bahay’s menu and his future plans. Bahay means “home” in Tagalog, and Richie’s venture Bahay expresses all the diverse inspirations that make up his house. Richie’s Bahay is an amalgam --  pinch of this, a douse of that, uniquely Richie Castillo, and tremendously exciting indeed.  

For more about Richie Castillo and Bahay, Instagram @bahay_dub

Mentioned in this episode:

Nicole Ponesca, I am Filipino and This is How We Cook

Pinoy Sari Sari Store, 25-26 Mary Street Little, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 DP03; 112-113 George's Street Lower, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, A96 AK31

Our Spice Bags podcasts come in three flavours: deep dives -- comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine, staple chats -- where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves, and interviews with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene. Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one!

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