6 cool food pop-ups to check out this November

In 2020, Reuben Asaram got off the couch to get the keys of his new food truck, when he felt a lavalike sensation rushing down his back and legs. The L4 and L5 spinal segments of the former Buddakan chef’s back popped, sending him to the ER, where he was told he would not “be able to be a chef anymore.”

But that didn’t stop Asaram. After a year and a half of timing himself working in the kitchen with his walker, he was able to stand for the minimum six hours needed for most chefs.

His dreams for running a food truck featuring his Pan Asian-Mexican fusion dishes ended. But Asaram saw a light at the end of the tunnel at South Philly’s redbrick coffee shop Herman’s Coffee.

“I was [wondering] where are these people doing these pop-ups and then all of a sudden I see Herman’s Coffee,” he said. “I reached out to the owner, Mat [Falco] — this guy is super humble, super sweet. He loves helping out new and upcoming businesses and chefs.”

The connection between Asaram and Falco echoes the experience of many Philly pop-up chefs who dealt with pandemic shifts in the restaurant industry.

A relationship with Sisterly Love Collective in 2021 helped Judith Suzarra-Campbell continue serving dishes after her Venezuelan restaurant was shuttered due to the pandemic. She popped up with her empanadas at cafés, like Herman’s, farmers markets, stores like Riverwards Produce, and breweries. Currently, she sells out at farmers markets four days a week

“A lot of businesses [were] going down; somehow we have to survive and we have to do whatever we have to do,” Suzarra-Campbell said.

Getting creative by partnering with other local businesses and generating online buzz was the way forward for her and others taking a nontraditional restaurant route.

Pop-ups are also a place to meet folks hungry for new concepts. Take West Philly’s Noah Tanen, whose culinary journey on TikTok with approachable recipe videos led to him diving head first into the pop-up scene.

Tanen boasts over 80,000 TikTok followers eager to try his food. “I placed an order [for whole belly clams] and we had a pop-up — from there it became something,” Tanen said about his first pop-up. “It was kind of remarkable to me that people will actually come out in real life to eat my food.”

Since then, Tanen has served knishes at Ukie Club in Northeast Philly for a hard-core show; smoked whitefish malawah at Alif Brew & Mini Mart in West Philly; clam rolls at the Lunar Inn in Port Richmond; and panzanella at Lillian’s multiuse event space in South Philly, all venues allowing him a platform and playground to share his food.

As these chefs make their mark on the local food scene, here are Philly pop-ups for you to track down and support in November.

Brewerytown’s new favorite Filipino kitchen and market is making its way to Triple Bottom Brewing on Nov. 11. The brewery is hosting a fun pop-up from 3 to 10 p.m. Dig into sisig nachos for pork lovers, aaroz caldo (chicken and rice soup), chicken adobo, and pinakbet for vegetarians. And don’t miss the buko (coconut) pandan panna cotta for dessert.

Baby’s, owned by husband and wife duo Tam Dang and Raquel Villanueva Dang, was inspired by their 2018 food pop-up concept called Tita Emmie’s.

No reservations or tickets needed for this pop-up.

A New York roaming restaurant is coming to South Philly.

For two nights, Chef Jay Rodriguez of HERA will bring a vegetable-forward tasting menu to Lillian’s, a multiuse event space in the neighborhood. Indulge in Japanese sweet potato, sunchokes with an adobo glaze, brussel sprouts with goat cheese, and more on Nov. 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. Drinks and additional exciting supplements will be offered too. Secure your seats online for $90 per person. The location will be sent to ticket holders.

With 31 events, Lynh Pham is busy this month. But that’s normal for the owner of the popular pop-up. Pham’s food is made in-house and to-order with no pre-made items for sale — she uses ingredients repurposed for all dishes in her a la carte menu. Dig into pork belly bites, Vietnamese hoagies, her popular fried spring rolls, and more. Find the pop-up at some new locations, including Perkasie Farmers’ Market on Nov. 11 and 25 and 1675 Spirits on Nov. 16, plus a calendar full of events.

Head to Forin Cafe’s Frankford Avenue location for your Tabachoy favorites. Dishes from the New York Times favorite Filipino restaurant will be at the green-painted cafe for a three-month long residency starting Nov. 16. Six menu items, including pork abobo and Tabachoy’s Caesar salad, will be offered during dinner service every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Dishes will be prepared by chef Ariel Tobing — you may also catch chef/owner Chance Anies popping by throughout the residency. Expect to pay $10 to $20.

Mish Mish will be sous chef Zev Flores’ playground for their own charcoal bar pop-up called Scout’s. On Nov. 22, expect craft cocktails, cold wines, Mish Mish’s crispy Beer Beer, and live charcoal snacks and skewers. It’ll be a small bar menu with about seven items with fries and banana ketchup (a Filipino version of barbecue sauce), annato and garlic-marinaded chicken skewers, coconut milk curry with potatoes, leeks and a chili-peanut oil, and more.

“We’re emulating the kind of bar you want to hang out at on your day off,” Flores said. “Somewhere with easy and fun food that isn’t burgers, craft cocktails, fun wines, and an extensive playlist to keep you on your toes. Just show up with friends and we’ll do the rest.”

Price range is $40 to $50 per person, if you’re getting food and drinks. Reserve your spot on Resy.com.

Bánh by Lauren, a New-York based Vietnamese-American and French pastries pop-up, heads to Càphê Roasters Nov. 11 and 12.

“[Thu Pham’s] connection to Philly’s Vietnamese community and to Philly in general is so inspiring (a portion of Càphê's profits goes to @12plus : a Philadelphia education non-profit that partners with public high schools to increase educational equity),” owner Chi Lauren wrote on Instagram.

Get to the Kensington cafe at 2 p.m. sharp to get your hands on pandan chiffon cakes, bánh bò nướng (Vietnamese honeycomb cake), and macarons — the desserts sellout fast and will be offered till 4 p.m. You can order pre-sale bánh bò nướng online for pickup at the pop-up.

Check out these cool Philly food pop-ups

Angie's Vietnamese Cuisine: 📅 Nov. 8 to 30,📍2685 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, PA 19020, and other locations, 🌐 instagram.com/angiesvietcuisine

Baby's Kusina: 📅 Nov. 11., 3 to 10 p.m.,📍915 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123, 🌐 instagram.com

Bánh by Lauren at Càphê Roasters: 📅 Nov. 11 and 12, 2 p.m., 📍3400 J St G1, Philadelphia, PA 19134, 🌐instagram.com

Tabachoy at Forin Cafe: 📅 Starting Nov. 16, 📍2525 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125, 🌐 instagram.com/tabachoyphilly

HERA at Lillian's: 📅 Nov. 17 and 18, 7 p.m.,📍the location will be sent to ticket holders, 🌐 instagram.com 

Scout's at Mish Mish: 📅  Nov. 22, 5 p.m.,📍1046 Tasker St, Philadelphia, PA 19148, 🌐 resy.com