Experience the Magic of Musang
In a converted Craftsman home in Seattle's Beacon Hill, Melissa Miranda cooks dishes that are reminiscent of her home and family. Even the name of her Filipino restaurant — Musang — is a homage to her father.
“‘Musang’ means wild cat,” says Miranda. “My dad had a black Mustang, and the T fell off, so he became ‘Musang,’ and his friends just called him that.”
Miranda said she spent a lot of time cooking with her dad while she was growing up, and he helped instill the love for Filipino food and culture that continues to this day, and which she now passes on to her diners.
“We want the guests to experience what it’s like to be in a Filipino home,” Miranda said.
“The food actually reminds me of how my parents cook,” said a woman eating in the restaurant. “In fact, my parents love the food at Musang — and that says a lot, because my parents are very picky about their Filipino food.”
Miranda, who was nominated this year for a James Beard Best Chef award, opened Musang in 2020, and she wants her restaurant to reflect the strong Filipino community that has always lived in Beacon Hill.
“This area has a lot of history, especially with the Filipino American community,” said another customer dining in the restaurant. “It’s a really great opportunity to share our culture with the rest of the community.”
He also said the powerful flavors at Musang remind him of his mother’s cooking.
“If you’re not familiar with Filipino food, I think Musang is the perfect place to start,” he said. “It just feels like home.”
Musang is open for brunch and dinner, and its menu includes traditional Filipino dishes that are often inspired by Miranda’s parents’ and grandparents’ cooking, with her own twist. For example, because she cooks with Washingtongrown produce when it’s in season, the ingredients are often different from what you’d find in the Philippines.
“A lot of the things that my parents had access to, we don’t have access to here,” she said. “I take the flavor and the idea of what the Filipino dish is, but then maybe add a different veggie or whatever’s in season.”
In Musang’s bright, airy kitchen, Miranda taught Washington Grown host Kristi Gorenson how to make pinakbet, a traditional Filipino soup with veggies, pork belly, fermented shrimp paste, and garlic.
“It wouldn’t be a Filipino dish if there wasn’t garlic,” Miranda said, laughing.
Musang has a version of this dish on the menu, but it’s very different from the traditional version Miranda taught Gorenson to make while still retaining the flavors and essence of the original. When her aunts visited from Los Angeles recently, they remarked that they’d never seen pinakbet like this — but that it still tasted like pinakbet.
“I won’t be able to mimic my mom or my grandma, but what I can do is at least try to trigger a memory of nostalgia for them,” she said. “Whenever my parents or grandparents come, it’s always like, I hope they like it!”
When the soup is ready, she takes a bite and smiles. “I think my grandma would be proud.”
