Nikko Cagalanan
When Nikko Cagalanan moved to the United States from the Philippines in 2017 on a K-1 visa, he began working as a nurse in Massachusetts. Missing the home-cooked meals his grandmother made while growing up in Bacolod, he started teaching himself to cook the dishes he craved most. What began as a way to reconnect with home quickly became a passion. While still nursing, Cagalanan picked up back-of-house shifts in local restaurants before ultimately leaving healthcare to pursue cooking full time, learning under chefs who helped shape his technical foundation.
In 2019, Cagalanan moved to Myrtle Beach but spent his days off riding the bus to Charleston to stage in some of the city’s best kitchens. Those experiences led him to Charleston full time, where he worked at The Restaurant at Zero George while continuing to explore his own culinary identity. Recognizing the absence of Filipino cuisine in the city, he launched Mansueta’s Filipino Food as a series of pop-ups celebrating the flavors and traditions he grew up with.
Those pop-ups evolved into Kultura, which opened as a tiny 20-seat restaurant in 2023 with just two induction burners and a countertop oven. The restaurant quickly gained national recognition for its thoughtful, modern interpretation of Filipino cuisine. In 2025, Kultura relocated to its current home on Rutledge Avenue, allowing Cagalanan to fully realize his vision with a dedicated kitchen and expanded menu while continuing to build a community through chef collaborations, cultural dinners, and educational programming.
Today, Cagalanan is recognized as one of the country’s leading voices in modern Filipino cuisine. He was named a James Beard Foundation Emerging Chef finalist in 2024, became a Chopped Champion, and has been recognized by publications including The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Resy. In early 2026, he and his wife and business partner, Paula Kramer, opened Bareo, a Filipino-Japanese neighborhood bar focused on dumplings, kakigōri, sake, and hospitality. Across both restaurants, Cagalanan continues to celebrate Filipino culture while creating spaces that bring people together through food, storytelling, and genuine hospitality.