Filipino fusion restaurant Pookaberry Cafe is actually a pop art haven
Photo from northforker.com
Ever wonder what comes out of scraps? Sometimes just dirt, sometimes hidden gems. Peter Marco, one of the owners of Pookaberry Cafe did just that, crafting discarded odds and ends and turning them into a whimsical work of art for his soon-to-open restaurant in Mattituck, New York.
Located right next to The Broken Down Valise on Pike Street, Marco has embarked on this project for two years. His mission? To restore and revitalize their Filipino fusion restaurant Pookaberry Cafe, which also had branches in the Philippines and New York, near Breeze Hill Farm.
Imagine walls and ceilings crafted from scraps of wood, pipes, and a myriad of electrical equipment with terracotta tiles, beams from local houses, and old banisters, that’s what Pookaberry Cafe 2.0 will offer in its new branch.
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In this food hub, creativity reigns so much that there’s actually no masterplan. “The decor came together with no plan whatsoever,” reveals Peter. The only exception: No Sheetrocks (a type of drywall) allowed. “Sheetrock is the enemy,” Peter insisted in an interview.
You also won’t find a traditional dining room here but in its place is an “overhead field of lead pipes” that germinate, sprout, and grow out of the floor. The bar takes cues from ancient Greek architecture while an “Ollie the Octopus” pop art lights up the rest of the venue.
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Pookaberry Cafe and its fusion of flavors
Peter’s wife Jeanette, a talented Filipino-born chef, promises a dining experience that transcends borders, thanks to a melting pot of Spanish, American, and Japanese flavors in Filipino cuisine.
“We felt that the market is ready for some Filipino fusion foods,” Jeanette said in the same interview. “If there is something good that came out of colonizing our country, that is their food influence.”
Their menu is filled with gastronomic delights, including Filipino ingredients like ube and jackfruit alongside Filipino-inspired dishes infused with Japanese and American twists.
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Apart from the food, there is another hero on the menu that potential diners shouldn’t miss: the cocktails, especially those opulent concoctions based on calamansi and coconut.
A taste of the North Fork
As for the grand opening? The couple plans to unveil their culinary baby to the North Fork community in December before fully launching in February 2024.
“This would be their go-to place whenever they feel a craving for something that they love and it’s not available on the North Fork,” Jeanette added. “We want it to be a house full of fun when it comes to the decor, the artwork, and the menu offerings.”
