Many layers of inspiration form the foundation of Kain Tayo (2700 Locust Street, 314-396-2110), the delightful Filipino restaurant that opened in Midtown this past February. There's the tiny carinderia that chef and co-owner Sally Arcega's sister owns back home in the Philippines, her father's infectious passion for cooking, the urging of Arcega's friends to open a place so she could share her food with others. However, the actual spark that lit the fire for Kain Tayo came from a much more unlikely event: a chili cook-off in Trenton, Illinois.
That such a delicious addition to St. Louis' growing Filipino food scene was instigated by a down-home fair in middle America might seem funny on its face, but it beautifully encapsulates the story of Sally and her husband, Randy Arcega, who opened Kain Tayo's original location four years ago in their adopted hometown of Trenton. Though he was born in the Philippines, Randy left his home country when he was 15 because of his dad's Air Force career — a move that took his family to Hawaii, Texas, California and ultimately, Scott Air Force Base. The family developed roots in Illinois, and after going back to visit the Philippines, Randy reconnected with his childhood neighbor, Sally, and persuaded her to return with him to Trenton. The two married and set up a home of their own in the small Illinois community, with Randy working a variety of jobs and Sally pursuing a career as a respiratory therapist.
The Arcegas enjoyed their life in Trenton, but they hungered for a bit of Filipino culture, and they were disappointed that they had such trouble finding the flavors that would satisfy their cravings for the dishes they grew up on. Though Sally's cooking experience was limited, she drew upon what she learned from helping out at her parents' and sister's carinderia and began perfecting her family's recipes to share at the parties she and Randy regularly threw at their house. When her friends encouraged her to open a restaurant, she demurred, but they eventually talked her into participating in the town's chili cook-off, not as a contestant but as a vendor. Sally and Randy were not sure how well their Filipino dishes would be received, so they were blown away when they sold everything they'd brought. The success emboldened them to participate in a Mascoutah, Illinois, cook-off and then an event in Lebanon, Illinois. After selling out at both, Sally needed no more convincing; she knew she was ready to open a restaurant of her own.
Sally and Randy left their day jobs in 2019 to open Kain Tayo in a former Subway storefront in Trenton. Though they received a lot of support from their immediate community — more than they imagined they'd ever receive from neighbors who joked about only eating baked and mashed potatoes — they quickly realized that 70 percent of their customers were driving in from St. Louis. After weathering the pandemic, they began looking for a place on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River so that they could bring their food closer to the bulk of their regulars and settled on a space not far from Citypark stadium, inside the new JCMidtown mixed-use development. After construction and permitting delays that lasted longer than they would have liked (they closed the original Kain Tayo in Trenton in May of 2022), the pair finally welcomed their first guests into their new digs in February.
Much more polished and lofty than their repurposed Subway, the new Kain Tayo is the embodiment of a modern downtown space. Floor-to-ceiling glass-front garage doors make up one side of the restaurant; the three walls are painted a soothing light beige and sparsely decorated with neutral-colored artwork, mostly made from thatched materials. Roughly 20 tables provide seating; bucking industry trends, the dining room is full-service, and though alcohol is not yet available, the Arcegas are in the process of obtaining a liquor license.
Not that you need adult libations to transport you to a different plane. Kain Tayo's food is so delectable, it alone is capable of inducing diners into an inebriated stupor. Lumpia, the Philippines' quintessential egg-roll-adjacent appetizer, is filled with outrageously garlicky ground pork and minced vegetables, then deep fried so the delicate, cigar-shaped wrapper becomes golden. And those wrappers — they are so thin, they flake and make a pleasant crackling sound when the lumpia is broken in half.
Pancit, another Filipino staple, is exactly what you want from the dish: tender, translucent rice noodles that become slicked with oil when stir-fried and succulent hunks of pork and chicken, enlivened with generous amounts of garlic and black pepper. It's the stir-fry version of Grandma's chicken noodle soup.
Lechon kawali is equally soul-stirring. For this dish, Sally takes cubes of pork belly, boils them in herbs and spices so that they are infused with seasoning, then fries them so the exterior crisps up to a texture almost like bacon bits. The pork is served with wonderfully complex Mang Tomas sauce, a Filipino condiment made with brown sugar, bread, white vinegar and chicken liver that tastes subtly sweet and tropical, and beautifully cuts through the pork belly's rich texture. A side of mango, tomato and red onion salsa adds to the refreshment.
Bistek, a stew-like dish of tender sliced beef and red onions, is the Filipino equivalent of pot roast; mouthwatering gravy, enriched with rendered beef fat, forms a delicious concoction that coats the meat and pools at the bottom of the plate. The softened, slow-cooked red onions give the dish a sweet bite.
Another speciality, sizzling sisig, consists of chopped chicken thigh and pork, stir-fried together with diced red onion in bright calamansi juice and soy sauce. The sweet, salty flavors are set afire with serrano peppers and bird's eye chiles. The heat registers subtly at first, then builds to a perfect, tingly heat that is mitigated by the creamy yolk of an over-easy egg that rests atop the dish.
Though I ended the meal with the Halo Halo shaved ice, covered with Sally's candy-flecked, ube ice cream, as well as a dish of homemade mango ice cream, I could not resist coming back for a final bite of that chicken adobo to send me on my way. If it's impressive enough to win over the hearts of chili eaters in Trenton, Illinois, you know it's the real deal.
Open Wed.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (Closed Mon. and Tues.)
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