Rapsa review
Located in a tucked-away spot in Hoxton, away from the chaos of the high-street but with all the fun
The second restaurant that we visited was Rapsa in Hoxton, a Filipino Fusion restaurant born of the success of the Kinilaw & Buko Pop Up restaurant. Luckily, this wasn’t my first time experiencing Filipino culture through their cuisine, as I grew up with a close Filipina friend and her dad was a great cook. Still, I was interested in diversifying my experiences, and felt like I had better footing on what to expect from this restaurant, having tasted it in a more authentic diasporic form. I was also aware before we visited that this was a fusion restaurant so there was a lot more room for creativity and pushing the boundaries with this meal. The gang and I went to their brunch, as it was bottomless for 100 minutes and based on what I’d seen online it looked truly delicious and filling.
From the pictures of Rapsa that were available online, I expected a really fun meal with the kinds of elements that all ethnic people in this country can appreciate: rice. And we were not disappointed. It’s also really important to me that after drinking loads with my friends, that I can have a solid portion to soak up all of the regret. Rapsa did not disappoint.
I knew of the infamous Filipino hospitality because of the friend that I have grown up with. We were always well-taken care of at her house, from her dad dropping us to school if he had the time to her mum always offering us breakfast and replacing our ripped or worn tights so we went to school with some confidence and pride. Beyond that, I’m a person living with chronic illnesses and the contributions of Filipinos in our NHS have not gone unnoticed by me, who have often relied on their care and kindness when going through surgical procedures. There are an estimated 40,000 Filipino healthcare workers in our National Health Service.
This was my second time now organising an Eating with Friends. I knew I was still likely to make mistakes and I was still dreading what they might be but this restaurant experience was definitely much smoother than the first. The restaurant needed us to set up our bookings online, even for a large group, which was greatly appreciated. I called in advance to see if there was anything else that they might need from us (the last restaurant required that we paid for no-shows) but they assured us that everything could be figured out and we should just keep them updated as we prepared for the day of our booking.
Accounting for the dietary needs of everyone in the group was incredibly easy as they all used the information that was available to them to search ahead and Rapsa checked on the day.
Salome and Tolu were the first to arrive at the restaurant and I appreciate them being so early. Because we were such a large group and there were few bookings for that day our server, Chad, put us in a separate section where we could sit together and we could play our own music.
We chatted for a bit while we waited for the rest of our guests to arrive. Despite a few people coming late, Chad and the team were really understanding about this and delayed the start of our brunch so that we could wait for them to all arrive. Everything about the service was so crucial to how good our experience was at this restaurant. It was attentive, kind, friendly and playful. We definitely had some banter with staff and it was much appreciated. I have mentioned in my last review that we are a predominantly Black group and for this reason we are always incredibly wary of being treated differently because of our race. You will get none of this at Rapsa, who treated us incredibly well and with the dignity that we deserve.
Rapsa in Hoxton is beautiful, with a square bar in the middle of the main part of the restaurant and an accessible pass where diners can see the chef, so at all points diners can feel the ebb and flow of service. We were not privy to this throughout our experience as we were in a private section. Because of the tall windows there was plenty of light inside the restaurant which was really welcome, even though it was Winter and cloudy – sunlight is essential in these hibernation months.
Friends travelled from North West London to Croydon and once I was sure we were at decent numbers I gave Chad the go so that he could start the drinks. Service and I agreed that the best way to do this was to do it in jugs, instead of getting everyone individual drinks which would just put unnecessary pressure on them and those working the bar. Toni asked if she was the only one drinking drinking, to which half the group confirmed they intended to get messed up too because isn’t that brunch? My guests were very satisfied with this, as it gave them the opportunity to taste and test the drinks that they preferred to chug later on. The alcoholic beverages available to us drinkers (about half the group) were Calypso Spritz, Aperol Spritz and Prosecco. The group had a consensus that the Calypso Spritz was really good because it was fruity and balanced but the latter two were more basic and that they knew what to expect. However, service ensured that these drinks were flowing so there were no complaints.
Within these bottomless jugs decisions there were also our non-alcoholic beverages. This was amazing for those of my friends going sober for January, those who do not drink for health and lifestyle reasons and my religious teetotal friends. For them, there was a Pineapple Cooler, Grapefruit Paloma. The Grapefruit Paloma was a hit amongst the non-drinkers and the drinkers, and they were also served at the same steady pace that those of us filling our bellies with alcohol received.
What the bottomless cocktail menu lacked the brunch menu certainly made up for. The menu is split into two sections: a brunch menu and a whole waffles menu. There were three vegetarian options and one vegan option.
I went with the Lechon Kawali, a gluten-free slow roasted pork belly in chilli vinegar, served with garlic fried rice, fried eggs and atchara pickle because I always crave something meaty after drinking. I don’t even know how to describe this dish but I will definitely try it for you guys. The pork belly was meaty and fatty, just as anyone would like. The skin was thick and crispy and I want to really emphasise that I go to these restaurants with a big group so to get that perfect was really important to me as the diner. The atchata pickle is a papaya-based pickle, popular in the Philippines, and was a welcome opposing flavour profile to the small amount of gaminess that pork has.
But beyond this, I am a big meat eater, I am a meat girl, I have tried to go vegan for the planet but meat might just be my vice. Yet somehow, the star of this plate was the rice and the egg. So much so that the rice at this restaurant triggered a debate at the table to rank bread, rice, pasta and potatoes in order. All of this came from me saying that rice is normally at the bottom of my ranking list but this rice was way better than anything I’d ever tried and the rest of my friends jumping in to discuss rice being at the bottom of my list.
I have no clue how Rapsa did this with two ingredients as basic as rice and eggs. But the egg was incredibly crispy at the top but runny in the middle, and the rice was perfectly fried and balanced in flavours. I could taste the perfect amount of oil and salt as well as garlic and other herbs in it. Coupled with the pork and atchata it created new dimensions for this brunch.
Herein I find my appreciation for Filipino cuisine, that can take ingredients that I have been programmed to believe were the most basic of them all and take them beyond the appreciation of my favourite ingredients.
I encouraged my friends to try some of the meals that were furthest away from what we would normally eat for brunch and this wasn’t difficult. Even the ‘Big Breakfast’ was a cultured spin on the English breakfast, meaning all meals were on a sliding scale of Englishness and Filipino-fusionness for those who might be a little more sceptical. The waffle menu was particularly popular amongst friends who tried a range of the waffles. There were absolutely no complaints about the waffles and every single plate was cleared from either menu by the end.
The vibe of the restaurant was so good that we stayed in the restaurant until it was dark – which says a lot despite the sun going down as early and astronomically possible at that time of year.
As we were in our own section of the restaurant this meant that there was space for our Muslim friends to pray within the room. I informed staff when they were praying and they were careful to steer clear to give them the time, space and respect that they deserve to pray in peace, as well as permission to move furniture so they could have appropriate space. On the one occasion that a staff member entered the room while they were praying they were careful not to disturb them.
It was Kiah and Joshua’s birthday and although Joshua had to leave early I was able to give two cakes that I’d bought to Chad and he really went above and beyond to decorate the cakes with some fruit so we could sing to Kiah. She was surprised and happy and that made me happy because all I want for Eating with Friends is for everyone to feel involved, seen and happy.
We’ve only been to two restaurants at this point but it was definitely the best experience so far. A few of us ended the night going to the nearby pub The Macbeth and irritating the life out of the service staff in there, who set up and let us sing karaoke despite it being a quiet night for them.
Overall, Rapsa is a fun and energetic spot, close enough to the centre of London to be enjoyed by everyone from across the country. Despite being slightly tucked away, the staff are fun and knowledgeable about the meals that they were serving to us. We developed a good relationship with service as a large group and a Black group. Our brunch was affordable and reasonable. Based on my prior knowledge of the cuisine this was such a fun take on it and really showcased the spectrum of Filipino diaspora cuisine that can either have a light touch or a heavy hand. We were able to enjoy the core elements of the classic bottomless brunch that we all enjoy in the cultured way that a group like us were seeking.
I’m so grateful for the time that we spent at Rapsa and it highly comes recommended from me.
Collective Review:
Collective reviews are scored out of 5. They are the average score from everyone who dined with us.
Ambiance and Atmosphere: 4.4
Service: 4.6
Food: 4.6
Drinks: 4
Value for Money: 4
To support and learn more about Filipinos in the UK please look at the following resources:
Kanlungun - A registered charity consisting of several Filipino community organisations working closely together for the welfare and interests of the Filipino and other migrant communities in Britain. Kanlungan has been serving the Filipino migrant community for more than 25 years now.
Filipino Women’s Association - A charitable organisation that supports women of Filipino descent in the UK combat negative stereotypes and supports the maintenance of culture.
I'm here to say I loveeee this newsletter! Having never lived in London, you guys are so lucky with the variety of cuisine you have access to. I do go in from time to time and literally, stacking the recommendations from here. I've never had Filipino food & this looks lushh
Tianna this sounds delicious! So glad that you and your friends got the beautiful welcoming reception you deserved and some amazing food too. Once again wishing I could cope with london living for the food opportunities alone.