How migration transformed Lebanon's food scene over the past century: Filipino cuisine

DAWRA - Nestled on a quiet side street in Dawra, on the east side of Beirut near Bourj Hammoud, amidst the frenetic buzz of scooters ferrying parcels of food and men heaving crates of vegetables, we find Tres Marias, a Filipino-run charitable organization that helps vulnerable members of the Filipina migrant community in Lebanon. It has recently expanded its humble shop into a restaurant, that is having its grand opening.Walking in, my nose is caressed with the smell of sour vinegar, fried onions and chicken. Behind the counter, filled with sweet chocolate-filled flatbreads, and plastic tupperwares containing freshly cooked Abogo-Molkhia – a new Lebanese-Filipino fusion, sits Myra.Myra (left) and May (right) co-founders of the Filipino Très Marias restaurant and shop in Dawra, Beirut, 27 April, 2024 (Photo: Olivia Le...