IN CONVERSATION: WOLDY REYES, THE FOOD ROMANTIC

Fashion and food are central to Woldy Reyes. He is wearing the MYLON® frame INCHEON. Photo by Brian Pollock, NYC. 

Chef and creative director Woldy Reyes – the force behind Woldy Kusina in New York – is known for his bold yet thoughtful take on Filipino cooking. He brings a fresh, joyful perspective to the table: vegetable-forward dishes, graceful presentation, and an irresistibly intentional way of hosting.

What draws people in is not only the food, but the atmosphere he creates around it – a multisensory experience shaped by his background in fashion, his queerness, and a devotion to cooking that feels both intimate and expansive. It’s an approach that has made Woldy Kusina one of New York’s most sought-after caterers, celebrated by goop, New York Magazine, and clients across fashion and design. With his new cookbook In the Kusina, Woldy continues to explore how tradition can be reimagined with lightness, creativity, and a certain stylish ease.

In this conversation, he reflects on the rituals that define his holiday season and the dishes that truly nourish and create connection between his guests.

How do you usually spend the holiday season? What does this time of year mean to you personally?

For the holidays, I retreat upstate to be with my chosen family in New York. This is my time to slow down, disconnect from the rush, and focus on cooking intentionally. I spend these days nourishing the people closest to me, ensuring we stay deeply connected.

The Philippines is known for having one of the longest holidays seasons in the world, starting already in September apparently – can you tell us more?

Our long Christmas is really a gift of time. It’s time we use to calm those anxieties, slow down, and ensure our faith and family-centric society has ample opportunity to reunite, connect, and nourish each other. It’s a long, intentional buildup to gatherings that truly last.

Do you prepare any traditional recipes for holiday dinner, or have they evolved in your kitchen?

For my holiday dinner, I turn to the celebratory staples from my cookbook, In The Kusina: My Seasonal Filipino Cooking. Bibingka, Pancit, and Lumpia are always on the menu. These recipes are the heart of my gatherings – classic celebration foods that are an absolute hit every time.

The chef and creative director prefers family-style serving to bring people together. Photos by Brett Warren (left); Lawrence de Leon (right)

Is there one dish you always cook during the holidays, something that feels like your signature?

Bibingka is non-negotiable for the holidays. It’s a traditional Filipino cake made from just a few simple ingredients – rice flour, sugar, eggs, and coconut milk – designed to be a social dish, it comes served either wrapped in banana leaf or straight from the pan.

For many Filipinos, there is so much cultural significance baked in this cake, but as a first-generation Filipino-American, I also see it as an incredible foundation for new traditions. That’s what makes it thrilling: its versatility. It’s naturally gluten-free and can be spun off in endless directions. I can make it vegan, add chocolate or fresh fruit, or return to the delicious savoury original, baked with grated cheddar cheese and a duck egg – perfectly served at Christmas.

Bibingka brings people together, and for me, it’s a sweet, tangible reflection of how I can honour the past while building new traditions in the kitchen.

Any small details – a table setting, a drink, a scent – that make the celebration feel complete?

For me, what truly completes a celebration is the final ritual: serving and sipping Suntory’s Hibiki Whisky neat. And to truly ignite the party, I believe karaoke is the ultimate art of hosting – that infectious, shared joy is everything. You can usually find me leading the charge with my go-to, "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.

Your cooking has a distinctive visual language – how do you think about presentation as part of storytelling?

I found the perfect alchemy in combining my great loves: fashion and food. This synergy means I approach cooking with an emphasis on lovely, graceful presentation. Every dish I create is filtered through the lens of my queerness; I ensure each one carries a sense of whimsy, an alluring quality, and a heavy dose of feminine energy.

"As a creative director of a dish, the plate and table are my canvas," says Woldy Reyes. Photo by Krista Schlueter.

Do you see parallels between food and other creative disciplines, especially around creating atmosphere or emotion?

For me, cooking is the ultimate creative discipline because it’s about the atmosphere. As a creative director of a dish, the plate and table are my canvas, demanding graceful presentation. Flavour, an arrangement of sweet, spicy, salty, and sour (the foundational flavours of Filipino cooking), requires harmony. My goal is to evoke a strong feeling, creating an emotional memory through the aroma of a simmering meal and soft candlelight, a ritual that allows people to be truly present. That is the real magic.

How does Filipino concept of Kapwa – shared identity or togetherness – inform how you host or cook for others?

For me, Kapwa – that concept of shared identity and the "self in the other"—means that when someone sits at my table, they aren't just a guest; they are an extension of my chosen family.
This is why I insist on family-style serving. It literally forces togetherness. Passing a ladle of my Adobo or sharing the Bibingka straight from the pan breaks down walls and fosters intimacy. It’s a physical manifestation of Kapwa – we are sharing the same plate, the same space, the same experience.

You’ve built a strong community through your dinners and events. What’s your philosophy when bringing people together around the table?

My philosophy is simple: to bring my Filipino cooking to those unfamiliar with it, giving them a taste of where my family comes from. This experience opens their minds and hopefully sparks a curiosity about a new cuisine they haven't had before. Ultimately, that's what food does best – it brings people together and truly builds community.

Tell us about your new cookbook In the Kusina – it seems to capture a very personal vision of Filipino food. What do you hope people take away from it?

My cookbook reflects my journey through a colourful collection of veggie-packed recipes, all seen through my unique perspective as a queer Filipino American. These dishes aren’t your Lola’s traditional recipes; instead, I’ve reimagined Filipino flavours and techniques for a new wave of home cooks. You'll find a treasure trove of stylish and bold recipes, each organised by the seasons.

I'm all about a light and fresh vibe in my take on Filipino cooking. By highlighting in-season ingredients and beautiful presentations, I put a modern spin on classic dishes that appeal to both first-generation cooks and anyone seeking new Asian-inspired recipes.

Known for his irrepressible charisma and style, the founder of Woldy Kusina is wearing MYKITA | LEICA frame ML17. Photo by Brian Pollock

What’s next for you and Woldy Kusina – any projects you’re excited to start in the new year?

My vision is to reach a global audience with my cookbook, educating folks on how cooking through your identity is one of the most powerful forms of self-expression. Looking ahead, my hope for the future is to create a pantry line – including essential condiments, spices, and baking mixes – allowing everyone to easily experience my Filipino flavours in people’s kitchens.

If you could invite anyone to your holiday table, who would it be and what would you serve them?

If I could set the ultimate holiday table, I would bring back the people who built my kitchen legacy: my Dad, Lola, and my Tita Becky.

Seated alongside them would be a dream constellation of icons: Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Barack Obama, RuPaul, Graydon Carter, Tina Turner, and the legendary artist Pacita Abad.

The menu would, of course, honour my roots: a deeply personal meal of my Dad's Celebratory Goat Stew – Kaldereta – served alongside perfectly cooked Jasmine rice.

Thank you so much, Woldy, for sharing your inspiring approach to flavour and hosting – wishing you happy holidays!