There's a new vendor at Heights Public Market focusing on updated Filipino hits in Tampa Heights. Now open as of Thursday, chismis & co. took over the market's rotating stall inside Armature Works, where it will operate for the next few months.
With a name meaning "to gossip," chismis wants to get the guests of Heights Public Market talking. Chef Ron Vicencio has curated a small menu of simple Filipino classics by sticking to tradition, but also by updating some techniques.
"People who love to eat typically love to try new food and since I love to cook I encourage friends to try new foods all the time. Over time, chismis & co. evolved from cooking traditional Filipino food in my home for friends," said Vicencio in a statement. "The menu is approachable for people who've never tried Filipino food and identifiable for those who have."
Menu items include chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines made with chicken braised in garlic, vinegar, oil and soy sauce; calamansi caramel chicken wings; lumpia, or fried pork spring rolls; and a fresh take on the dessert known as turon, built upon banana, jackfruit and guava.
Other traditional sides (and surprises) await, too. But guests can look forward to washing their food down with an ultra-refreshing calamansi-ade, which is basically the Filipino answer to lemonade or limeade.
Heights Public Market's rotating stall — an ever-evolving feature that the Surf and Turf folks started breaking in when the market first opened — swaps out its tenant every four months. The idea is to provide local chefs with the ability to test out their culinary concepts before going all in with a permanent location, as well as to offer guests a new dining experience on the regular.
