The owners of a highly regarded market and restaurant in Queens will be taking over a large space along the fringes of The Heights that looks to provide a one-stop dining and grocery experience.
In a deal confirmed by GRID Real Estate, a grocer called Sariling Atin has officially leased a 10,000-square foot space inside a brick building at 404 Tonnele Avenue. The business is run by Celso and Rosario Concepcion, who opened their first venture in Toms River over a decade ago.
Sariling Atin raised their profile in 2014 when they expanded to Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, garnering a write-up in the New York Times that noted shelves of egg cracklets, adobo-flavored corn nuts, Datu Puti cane vinegar, and Andok’s Litson sauce that line the market’s shelves.
The business has earned more than a few accolades over the years, including being named one of the five best Filipino restaurants by CBS New York. A sister shop in Woodside that serves as a grill and pastry shop followed and their upcoming Jersey City spot should help fill the void left by FilStop, which closed in February after serving the community for over 46 years.
Sariling Atin loosely translates to “our own” in Tagalog, a language spoken by about a quarter of the population in the Philippines. Besides the market, the kitchens at their other locations serve dishes cafeteria-style and feature Filipino dishes looking “to satisfy those cravings from home.”
Authenticity is the name of the game at Sariling Atin and the menu includes items like kalderetang kambing, a goat stew in a rich tomato gravy. A crispy pata, or a pig leg fried to a shattering crunch, is featured and the restaurant’s lechon, a rolled pork belly encased in a skin with lemongrass, has earned them more than a few raves.
Their main dishes utilize chicken, pork, goat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, and rice, so there is something for most dietary needs at Sariling Atin. The menu at their other locations changes regularly and their upcoming Jersey City location sports a parking lot along the rear of the building.
Sariling Atin has not yet responded to our inquiry as to when their latest endeavor might open.
