If I Had a…Filipino Carinderia @ Donia

What if the most important Filipino food format was the one London rarely sees?

A carinderia is the everyday canteen of the Philippines. Found on street corners and in neighbourhoods across Manila and beyond, it is where people eat daily. Food is cooked in batches each morning, laid out in trays, and served with rice, pickles, broth and condiments. You choose your main. Your plate is built to your taste, rooted in regional home cooking.

It is how millions of Filipinos eat.

For this dinner, Florence Mae, owner of Donia, brings that format to her restaurant.

Born in the Philippines and raised in the UK, Florence’s earliest food memories were formed making pandesal with her mother on Saturday mornings, learning repetition, technique and patience in the kitchen. In 2023, she opened Donia in central London, a restaurant dedicated to cooking with Filipino flavours using locally sourced produce, inspired by the food she grew up with.

This dinner places the carinderia at the centre of the table, translating the structure and generosity of everyday Filipino eating into a seated communal setting in London.

The evening begins with a shared selection of Filipino classics that reflects the foundations of the cuisine: chicharon, vegetable lumpia, chicken inasal and kinilaw. After that, each guest chooses their main, echoing the defining decision of a traditional carinderia. Brisket caldereta, Tortang talong, Lechon or Prawn ginataan.

All sets include rice, atchara, unlimited soup and sawsawan, the condiments that allow you to balance acidity, heat and salt to your own preference.

The structure is simple. The cooking is precise.

If you are unfamiliar with carinderias, this is your introduction. If you grew up with them, this is recognition.

Due to the unique nature of this event, we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions, or menu substitutions. Tickets are non-refundable.