A unique restaurant, known for infusing the diverse flavors of the Philippines into Mexican, Asian, and American dishes, will be opening on the ground floor of a new development near the Journal Square neighborhood.
Manhattan’s Flip Sigi has announced they will be crossing the Hudson River and setting up shop inside retail space at the newly opened Nest Micro Apartments. The owners of the restaurant revealed the move by tweeting a picture outside their future 190 Academy Street location alongside Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop.
“We’re so excited to be branching out in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, and soon-to-be largest city in New Jersey,” the post wrote.
Flip Sigi initially opened in 2015 and currently operates out of space near 18th Street and 7th Avenue. The name of the business loosely translates to Go Filipino, as Flip is short for Filipino and sigi means go. The restaurant already dipped a toe in Hudson County’s waters earlier this year, as they have been operating a pop-up inside Hoboken’s O’Bagel for the last two months.
The eatery’s head chef is Canadian-born Jordan Andino, whose parents immigrated to our northern neighbor from the Philippines. Raised in California, Andino later attended Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and gained experience working at acclaimed restaurants including The French Laundry and Spago.
Appearances on the Today Show, Beat Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray Show, and Chopped raised Andino’s profile and highlighted his blended culinary vision. He told Total Food Service that he pulls inspiration from his grandmother’s traditional recipes within his contemporary take on Filipino cuisine.
Service at Flip Sigi starts early at 7:30 a.m., with the restaurant offering all-day breakfast options that include bowls with sweet longanisa sausage, fried egg, and garlic rice. The lunch and dinner service revolves around tacos, burritos, poke, bao buns, and noodle dishes that feature Filipino flavors, with inventive specials like Birria Taco Ramen frequently appearing on the menu.
Tacos at Flip Sigi are topped with chicharrónes and filled with proteins like soy-braised adobo chicken, sweet cured Filipino pork sausage, or jackfruit. The menu includes several wraps and a DP burger, which includes both longanisa and beef patties, fried egg, suka, and banana ketchup.
Side dishes like wings, a sinigang stew with fries, and a longanisa sausage poutine round out the menu at Flip Sigi, which boasts late-night hours until 11 p.m. that extend to midnight Thursday through Saturday. Their upcoming Jersey City outpost does not have an official opening just yet, but further updates are likely to be shared on the restaurant’s Instagram at the handle @flipsigi.
