Richie Castillo is the chef behind Bahay, a Filipino pop-up restaurant that he started and runs with his partner, Alex O’Neill. Richie and Alex named Bahay after the Tagalog word for home while the title of this, their first book – Masarap – means tasty in Tagalog, the Filipino language. It’s a nod to Bahay’s Irish-Filipino background, seeing as how blasta means tasty in Irish.

For Richie, this book was a catalyst for exploring and connecting with his Filipino heritage. You’ll find classic dishes such as adobo, a range of exciting Filipino dishes and playful recipes with Filipino flavours that highlight his experience growing up eating Filipino food with Irish ingredients. Masarap is the exploration of Filipino food through an Irish cultural lens and a way to introduce more people to the food of the Philippines, which is hugely underrepresented.

Alex, a self-proclaimed food lover who will try anything twice, is the storyteller in Bahay. She loves taking Richie’s ideas and fleshing them out into points of view to create Bahay’s story.