This piece originally appears in full in the Lifestyle Section of The Manila Bulletin.
There was nothing but excitement as the escalator took me up to the floor of Arrozeria at the Century Mall. Known for its paella and other dishes focused on rice, the venue of choice piqued my (blooming) sensitivities to expand my palate. This was the lunch venue of Cheryl Tiu’s “Cross Cultures†food tour, a movement to experience the food we don’t often see (or taste) very often. For lunch, we had Rachaleve’s Kenyan Cuisine behind the counter. Her full name is Rachaleve Kamau, born in Nairobi and like many foreigners with similar origins stories of landing in the Philippines, fell in love with Manila in 2009. She lives here part time, sharing Kenyan cuisine in dappled regularity at bazaars and catering.