Kuya Bear gives North Carolina a taste of ube lumpia, adobo burrito, and Filipino culture
Photo from Kuya Bear Food
Filipinos in the US aren’t just nurses; most of them are good cooks, too. At least that’s what the owner of food truck Kuya Bear thinks when it comes to breaking stereotypes.
Making waves in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the food truck is the brainchild of chef, social media manager, truck driver, and swag creator Joseph Olson. Although Asian food spots have been springing all across the US, he believes that Filipino food has its own distinct taste.
“I feel like Filipino food is very different from all other Asian cuisines in that it’s not very Asian-y,” says Olson in an interview. “It has so many different influences and it’s not the typical Asian flavors like you get when you go to Chinese or Japanese or Thai restaurants.”
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Not much of a Filipino food fan himself despite growing up with his mom’s dishes, Olson started doing lumpia pop-ups in 2021 using his mom’s recipe—another living proof that mom’s recipes are a great inheritance too.
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Unveiling the Kuya Bear feast
If you think Kuya Bear is just an average food truck, get yourself ready for a gastronomical adventure. Olson’s food is a sumptuous departure from your average Asian flavors.
His menu now boasts the fiesta favorite fried lumpia, ube lumpia (a sweet twist on the classic), and tapsilog (fried rice, tomatoes, and fried egg) wrapped up in a burrito.
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Fancy chicken adobo? Kuya Bear also wraps his marinated and tender chicken in a burrito. You can also try his favorite Filipino food, nilaga—a pot-roast soup with short ribs, Napa cabbages, bok choy and oyster sauce—that is excellent for the cold weather.
That said, Olson wants to become a bridge connecting generations and cultures. “I was also raised more American than Filipino so I feel like I can bridge the gap between the cultures.”
You may also like: In cold northern Michigan, a food truck serves heartwarming Filipino fusion fare
Olson’s journey from skate to spice and streetwear
Olson’s artistry is also evident in his own flyers, promotions, and graphic designs that turned his food truck not just into a food feast but a virtual treat too.
Complete with a bear logo doing the “Running Man” pose on his merch designs, his creations are a shoutout to straightedge culture with a twist.
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As Kuya Bear rolls its way through Winston-Salem and parts of New York City, Olson also dreams of helping others in the art community.
Through design collaborations with local artists, he helps display their artworks through Kuya Bear’s social media every month.
“There are so many talented young kids, and I want to be a platform for those kids as well,” says Olson.
Hop onto a flavorful journey with Kuya Bear and follow him @kuyabearfood on Instagram.
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