A bar devoted to the Filipino American experience has opened in the East Village, with calamansi cocktails, late-night snacks and a name that carries a history lesson.
June Baby, which opened October 28 at 197 Second Avenue, is the work of Roxanne Diaz Bangalan, Darwin Pornel and Ben Rojo, three hospitality veterans whose earlier collaborations included a series of pop-ups. Its name honors June 12, the date the Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898, and reflects the founders’ interest in Filipino identity across generations and borders.
The drinks take familiar cocktail forms in less familiar directions. A calamansi highball pairs vodka and soda with the sharp Filipino citrus fruit, with a nonalcoholic version available. An ube colada draws on the purple yam, while the Turon-Tado turns the flavors of a Filipino banana-and-jackfruit dessert into a daiquiri.
The kitchen, developed with chef consultants Kevin Cardenas, Adrian Capellan and Lem Soriano, draws on pulutan, the Filipino tradition of food served alongside drinks. Expect crisp lumpiang Shanghai, salt-and-pepper fried chicken wings and a burger influenced by the founders’ time in California. The team also promises a late-night item that will not appear on the printed menu.
There is history at the address, too. The space once housed Jade Mountain, a Chinese restaurant that opened in 1931, and later Black Emperor, a cocktail bar Rojo helped run. The new interior includes work by Filipino artists and a backbar inspired by the rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. The owners say they want a room that encourages guests to move around, meet friends and stay awhile rather than treat a drink as a formal appointment.
June Baby is at 197 Second Avenue, between East 12th and 13th streets. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to midnight. Closed Mondays. Walk-ins only. Updates: @junebaby.nyc.
