Reyna has become such a beloved restaurant in Paris, France thanks to beauty editor-turned-Parisian chef Erica Paredes who serves “evolving Filipino” dishes that cater to all diners who either grew up eating the same food we all did in the Philippines or are keen on discovering what makes our cuisine so unique.
It comes as a surprise then that it took Erica’s father, Jim Paredes of APO Hiking Society fame, about a year and a half before finally getting to eat at her restaurant—but perhaps it was just the right time.
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“Reyna’s been open a year and a half and it was my dad’s first time eating here this week. If I may be really candid here, I never thought I would ever be able to step out of my dad’s enormous shadow and it’s been a subconscious dream to do something on my own, without anyone else’s name attached to it,” Erica admitted in a post she shared on social media, together with a photo taken of her and her father by the kitchen.
“Maybe that’s why I moved far away and decided to start something here, maybe that’s why the hard days, sleepless nights and meltdowns have been so worth it. But I think the most worth it is seeing my dad, who’s career was something none of thought we could ever match, eat my food and say that he had no words to describe how proud he was of me.”
Erica then expressed her gratitude to her parents for supporting her in her career. “I think all kids no matter how old are still, in a way, looking for validation from the people who mean the most- their parents. Love you mom and papa! Thanks for always being supportive of all my crazy ideas and dreams,” she said.
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Reyna began in 2017 as a supper club in Erica’s apartment which she did with her business partner Cyrille Marc. She went on to do pop-ups around Paris starting in 2018 before it opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2022.
(ALSO READ: 40 Filipino Restaurants You Have to Try When in the United States)
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