Emilia Kim explores Filipino food in her Texas kitchen

From her kitchen in Texas, food and culture creator Emilia Kim is traveling the world one table at a time.

For the Philippine edition of her weekly series, Hosting the World, she prepared an ambitious Filipino fiesta featuring everything from colorful street food and celebration noodles to one of the country’s most beloved stews.

Kim created Hosting the World around a simple idea: each week, she chooses a country, studies its cuisine and hospitality traditions, and brings what she learns to life through a complete meal. Her interest goes beyond reproducing recipes. She wants to understand what the dishes mean to the people who make them and how food helps communities express welcome, identity and care.

Her decision to explore Filipino cuisine was also personal. Kim’s husband, Andrew, spent three years of his childhood living in the Philippines, giving the country a special place within their family’s story. His memories of life there, together with Emilia’s curiosity about Filipino food and traditions, gave her another reason to bring the Philippines to their table.

The episode also took shape through Emilia’s Filipino friends Tatiana and Mikee, who introduced her to Kare-Kare and encouraged her to include it in the series. The rich peanut stew became the centerpiece of Kim’s research and one of the most involved dishes on her table.

Kim, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, understood the importance of food in bringing families and communities together. While researching the Philippines, she was especially drawn to the tradition of the Filipino fiesta, where relatives return home, doors are opened to visitors and hosts prepare enough food for a crowd that may continue growing throughout the day.

“What stood out to me was the generosity,” Kim said. “Filipino hospitality is not simply about serving a meal. It is about making room for people and ensuring that everyone feels welcome and cared for.”

Kim prepared a feast that reflected both everyday favorites and dishes associated with birthdays, fiestas and other gatherings. The menu included Kwek-Kwek, Pancit Palabok, Filipino spaghetti, Lumpia, Lechon Kawali, Chicken Adobo with white rice and Arroz Valenciana. For dessert, she served Taho with Arnibal syrup and sago pearls, accompanied by calamansi juice.

At the center of the table was Kare-Kare, prepared with oxtail, vegetables and a sauce made from peanuts, toasted glutinous rice and annatto. Kim also learned that the dish could not be fully appreciated without Bagoong Alamang, the fermented shrimp condiment traditionally paired with it.

Her research helped her appreciate the many historical influences within Filipino cooking. Indigenous and Malay foundations coexist with Chinese culinary traditions, more than three centuries of Spanish rule and later American influence. Those layers appear across the table—from Pancit noodles and Catholic fiesta customs to Sweet Spaghetti made with banana ketchup and hot dogs.

“Filipino food reflects so many different chapters of history, but the result is unmistakably Filipino,” she said. “These are not simply combinations of ingredients. They are dishes that families have adapted, protected and made their own.”

One concept that particularly resonated with Kim was bayanihan, the Filipino spirit of communal cooperation and neighbors helping one another. At the table, she saw it expressed through generosity: offering food immediately, making room for another guest and ensuring no one leaves hungry.

That spirit aligns with the larger purpose of Hosting the World. Kim does not present herself as an authority entering another culture’s kitchen. She approaches each country as a curious home cook, learning from friends, researching traditions and listening to feedback from people who grew up with the food.

The response from Filipino viewers reflected both pride and enthusiasm. Many shared family variations, regional perspectives and suggestions for what she should cook next—reminding Kim that no cuisine can be captured by a single table.

For her, that continuing conversation is the point.

“When someone sees a dish from home and feels recognized, that means everything to me,” Kim said. “Food gives us a way to become curious about one another. Once people sit at the same table, the world feels a little smaller and much more connected.”

Kim shares Hosting the World and her other food and cultural content on Instagram at @theeemiliakim, on TikTok at @theemiliakim, and through her website, theemiliakim.com.