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Press and Journal
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Review: New family-run Filipino restaurant Kultura is exactly what Aberdeen needs
It is rare that I am still reeling about a visit to a restaurant weeks later. But I am still talking my colleagues' ears off about my visit to Kultura, Aberdeen. I visited the Filipino restaurant on its opening weekend at the end of April. The restaurant is the latest foodie project for the talented Rivera family, who have a contagious passion for Filipino cuisine. 29-year-old chef Romeo Rivera Jr heads up the kitchen, while his sister Diane leads the front of house team. The family team at Kultura: Romeo Jr, Demver, Dolores, Romeo Sr, Diane and Dewee Rivera. Image: Dianne Rivera. Their mum, Dolores, is the director of the business – but she isn't afraid to muck in either. The family team have created a welcoming, friendly atmosphere in the restaurant, which is complemented with an authentic menu. With Filipino favourites such as crispy pata and lumpiang available, it is sure to become a favourite in the city. It has already secured a place near the top of my list. Authentic feel at new Kultura Aberdeen A breath of fresh air from the city's many chains, Kultura has a homely feel to it when my boyfriend, Michael and I, visit. This is exemplified in the décor: homemade prints by Diane line the restaurant's walls, and there are little caribou figurines as a nod to the national animal of the Philippines. The green walls work well with the rustic and earthy feel to the place, with wooden and woven elements in the bar, table settings and sari sari shop. The sari sari store at Kultura. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson Situated near the entrance, the sari sari is a little shop with shelves bearing sauces, sweets and more. This shop (which encourages you to try your hand at Filipino cuisine at home) sets the restaurant apart from other spots in the city. Upstairs is where the real fun begins, with an open plan kitchen offering you a glimpse behind the scenes of Romeo and his team. The food on my Kultura Aberdeen review Everything on the menu at Kultura sounds tempting. I ask Diane for some recommendations for dishes to try, and she suggests her mum's speciality: DLB's pork bbq (£8). DLB pork bbq. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson Michael and I split these starters – and I'm relieved, because I couldn't settle for just one bite of this dish. The sticky, crispy pork skewers are an excellent first step into the flavourful Filipino cuisine. The marinated pork is coated in sweet smokiness, its edges charred to a perfect crispy edge. Despite this satisfying caramel-like exterior, the meat remains tender too. We also try the Chilli garlic pisit (£9) a crispy fried squid dish. The batter is crunchy and light, loaded with chunks of squid. Chilli garlic pisit (squid) at Kultura. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson This paired well with the tangy chopped onion dip on the side. I would really recommend coming here hungry, as many of the portions are huge for the prices. We decided to have all the dishes come out altogether and in hindsight, I'd suggest having them as separate starters and mains. One, because there was so much food it barely fit on the table, and two, because trying it all at once meant we sadly weren't able to finish the delicious dishes. 'The crispiest pork I've ever had' I couldn't visit Kultura without trying the star of the show. I may have been stalking the restaurant's Facebook page before visiting, and I'd seen positive comments about the crispy pata (£25). It is also another dish recommended by Diane. So, I go for this for my main. The star of the show on my Kultura review – crispy pata. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson I'm not sure what I had been expecting from the dish described as 'a Filipino feast favourite' on the menu, but I had no idea the crispy pata would be so impressive. In the Philippines, Diane tells me, this is traditionally served as a whole pig, with guests tucking into it together. The sizeable pork shank is marinated, then slow-boiled until it becomes tender, and finally deep-fried. It is absolutely the crispiest pork I've ever had in my life. With gleaming crispy skin, every bite is a salty flavour bomb. The mouth-watering crispy pata. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson When I pierced the skin with my knife, juice pours from the tender meat within. It melted away from the bone easily too. Accompanied by a thick strip of pork belly, this also had a delicious crispy skin and melt in the mouth juiciness. I could go on for days about this dish. It is exceptional value for money and could easily be shared between two or three people. What about the rest of the food at Kultura? I was also keen to try some of the Lumpiang baboy (£4). Again, great value for money, the portion for under a fiver consists of four tasty pork spring rolls. The lumpiang baboy. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson These are thin, open-ended, showing off their meaty insides. The crunchy little bites are another delicious addition to the menu. Michael chooses the Kare-Kare with prawns (£18) for his main dish. This is served piping hot: a creamy peanut sauce, the dish is loaded with vegetables as well as the sizeable prawns in their shells. Kare kare prawns at Kultura, Aberdeen. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson The feast of a bowl is also packed with crunchy pakchoi, green beans and grilled aubergine that boasts a delicious crispy skin. We also both ordered a side of garlic fried rice (£3), though this was big enough that we could have shared just the one portion. Garlic fried rice, served in a coconut bowl. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson This was an excellent accompaniment to the kare kare dish, and tasted amazing soaked with that creamy peanut sauce. Topped with crispy onions and sesame seeds, the garlic rice was delicious on its own too. Verdict on Kultura Aberdeen: In my opinion, Kultura is exactly what Aberdeen needs. In a time when plenty of doomsayers are telling us that the city has little to offer, this new family-run restaurant is a shining, positive light. The crispy pata being plated at Kultura. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson The service was exceptional, the family-run team relentlessly cheerful, enthusiastic and accommodating. Their passion for what they do is contagious. The dishes blew us away, and no meal I have had since has lived up to their level. I review Kultura Aberdeen, on the city's Belmont Street. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson Do visit Kultura in Aberdeen – and definitely order the crispy pata. Scores: Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Surroundings: 5/5 Information: Address: 47 Belmont St, Aberdeen AB10 1JS Tel: 01224 083588 Kultura's Facebook page. Price: £76.50 for two soft drinks, two starters, two mains, two portions of rice and a side dish. Disabled access: Yes – access with a lift and there are disabled toilets. Dog friendly: No. More Aberdeen food and drink reviews:
Press and Journal
23-04-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Kultura: New life for 47 Belmont Street as family-run Filipino restaurant opens
A Filipino family has opened a new restaurant, Kultura, on Aberdeen's Belmont Street. The restaurant, which opened at noon today, is led by Diane Rivera, who works front of house, and her brother, Romeo, who heads up the kitchen. Their siblings and parents are also involved in the business, with their mum, Dolores, in the role of director. 'We have just seen the lack of Filipino restaurants here,' says Diane, 23. 'Kultura in Filipino translates to 'culture'. 'And we want to showcase the culture of the Philippines in Aberdeen.' The Rivera family moved to Aberdeen from the Philippines back in 2010, and also run catering company Dolores' Lutong Bahay in the Northern Golf Club. The menu at Kultura includes dishes like lumpiang Shanghai (pork spring rolls), kwek-kwek (battered quail eggs) and DLB's pork barbecue (marinated pork skewers). There is also a traditional 'sari-sari' store – similar to a corner shop – near the entrance of the restaurant, which serves Filipino ingredients and snacks. After a successful soft opening for friends and family on Monday night, Diane says the restaurant is fully booked tonight. 'It feels amazing to have had such a great response,' says Diane. 'All the hard work my brother has been putting in here is worth it, because we can see how excited people are. 'We want the Filipino culture to be well known, because we're quite a way from back home. 'Especially for the Filipinos here, we want to have the restaurant as a place they can gather, like their home.' Mum Dolores is delighted that her children are joining her on this journey with Kultura. 'I'm very proud because they love to follow my passions,' she says. 'They're so happy about what they're doing. 'We serve beautiful food because it's from our hearts. 'Because it's not only about earning an income, it's about making our customers happy.' The family team spent two months redecorating 47 Belmont Street, using some DIY techniques along the way, says Diane. Including a fresh lick of paint, they also added photography of key landmarks and traditions from the Philippines and other décor. 47 Belmont Street has a rich foodie history over the last few years. Many will remember it as home to Pizza Express, which closed during the chain's restructuring back in 2020. In February 2022, Kirk View Cafe moved from its Union Terrace home to the Belmont Street unit. Sadly, the restaurant closed due to 'rising weekly costs' in July 2023. Most recently, it became a second home for Tucán's South American cuisine in December 2023. But the owners shut their city centre location due to 'no footfall' and returned to their original home in Rosemount in August 2024. Today, the Rivera family have opened Kultura and the restaurant was bustling at lunchtime. The first customer through the door was 31-year-old Jamie Lomas, who enjoys Dolores' food at the golf club. He says: 'I think it's a really interesting cuisine that a lot of people don't really know about. 'I think it will add a bit of vibrance to Belmont Street. It's a bit more interesting than some fast food chains.' Authentic Filipino cuisine is the aim at Kultura, with 29-year-old chef Romeo leading the team in the open plan kitchen. 'Filipino cuisine is not very known here,' says Romeo. 'So we want to elevate it. 'There are some others, but I think this will be the first proper Filipino restaurant in Scotland.' The menu includes sizeable soup dishes, such as chicken mami, a Filipino-style ramen, and bulalong baka, beef shank in a flavourful broth. There are a range of sides, including various rice dishes, mango salad, skin-on fries and lumpiang baboy (pork spring rolls). Kultura also offers 'Filipino-style tapas' in an 'all you can eat' menu. You could try adobong pusit, which is squid in a Filipino adobo sauce, sweet-cured pork tocino, halabos na hipon grilled prawns, kikiam Filipino fish cake, and much more. Diane adds: 'Filipino cuisine is known for amazing flavour, and a different kind of spice. 'People tend to associate Filipino cuisine with Chinese food, but our food has a taste that locals don't know yet.' Kultura's opening hours are 12-10pm Wednesday-Saturday and 11am-9pm on Sunday.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Filipino restaurant Kultura beginning new guest chef series in April
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A celebrated Filipino restaurant in downtown Charleston is starting a new guest chef series this April. 'Sama-Sama,' which means together, will kick off on Apr. 23 and feature James Beard finalist and Chopped winner Nikko Cagalanan collaborating with Michelin-starred Chef Johnny Curiel. Each communal dining experience will feature two seatings, 5:30 p.m., and 7:45 p.m., with tickets at $110 each. Drinks will be a la carte. For the May experience, Chef Nikko and Kultura will host Chef Yia Vang, who 'tells the Hmong-American story through every dish he creates.' Next up in June will be Comfort Kitchen, and to close out in July, Chef Sophina Uong from Mister Mao will visit, bringing her 'tropical roadhouse' flavors along. Kultura sits on Spring Street in the Cannonborough Elliotborough neighborhood. All events will take place on the patio, weather permitting. Tickets for each event are currently available through Resy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
