Austin Export Be More Pacific’s Filipino Fare is Headed to Houston

A critically acclaimed Filipino restaurant from Austin is bringing its “island vibe” to the Heights.

Be More Pacific Filipino Bar and Kitchen, which started as a food truck before debuting a permanent location in North Austin, will open in the Heights Village shopping center in the coming months. Its Houston outpost will feature a full bar and both indoor and outdoor dining areas boasting “the relaxed, tropical vibes” of Austin and the Philippines with designs envisioned by architect John Tsai of JT ARC Studios.

The restaurant’s most popular dishes, like the standout Chicken Adobo, Kare Kare beef brisket, Crispy Pork Sisig, sushi grade yellow fin tuna, plus vegan tofu and veggie options will make the trek to Houston. The new outpost will also feature a full-service bar with tropical-inspired cocktails featuring ingredients like jackfruit, prickly pear, lambanog coconut liquor, and fresh herbs. Diners can also look forward to a private dining and karaoke room.

According to a press release, restaurant owners Mark Pascual and Giovan Cuchapin (also first-generation Filipino Americans and native Houstonians) have partnered with Roveen Abante (Lincoln Bar, Pour Behavior) on the Houston expansion. The trio has launched fundraising efforts on crowdfunding platform NextSeed to bring the restaurant local.

“Filipino food has just been underrepresented,” Pascual said in a statement. “We’re the second largest Asian population in America, and nobody knows what our food is.” His partner Giovan said, “We try to pick foods that are all different kinds of flavors – sour, sweet, savory, spicy – so everyone finds their favorite.”

Stay tuned for more information on when Be More Pacific plans to debut locally. Expect it to arrive sometime this fall.

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