We got word in May 2021 that Manhattan-based Filipino taqueria Flip Sigi was making its way across the bridge and opening a location in Jersey City. Flip Sigi is known locally as the eatery that used to take over the O’Bagel space in Hoboken until it began hosting a rooftop dining/party experience located at 190 Academy Street in Jersey City to give locals a taste of what was coming. That location is the same building where Flip Sigi just debuted its ground-level storefront. Read on to learn more about Flip Sigi Taquieria opening an outpost in Jersey City.
(Photo credit: @flipsigi)
About Flip Sigi
In 2015, Flip Sigi was just a neighborhood Filipino ‘dive bar’ in New York City’s West Village. Since then, the self-proclaimed original Filipino Taqueria has blossomed into a national favorite. Owner Michael Ryan shared on the Flip Sigi website, “When I saw there were twice as many Filipino Americans in the US than Japanese Americans, I knew something was way wrong. There are hundreds of thousands of Japanese-inspired restaurants, but when it came to Filipino restaurants, there were only about 10 making a splash in the US, I wanted to lead this movement.”
The movement from Flip Sigi was felt globally when renowned chef Jordan Andino was brought on to fill the role of executive chef. Since his introduction to this eatery, the brand of Flip Sigi has been made into an ‘approachable, recognizable, and reliable Filipino brand’ which was the vision from the beginning. Often, Chef Andino is known to shout “Sigi Na Sigi Na” which means ‘Let’s Go! Let’s Go!” shares Michael. So, when choosing a name for their restaurant, they wanted something that matched the brand. Flip Sigi loosely translates to “Go Filipino!,” a perfect fit.
(Photo credit: @flipsigi)
Today, highlights from the menu include burritos and rice bowls with signature Filipino fixings such as longanisa sausage and adobo chicken. On the dessert menus, guests can find traditional favorites such as handmade ube and calamansi ice creams.
Expanding to Jersey City
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Visitors and residents of NYC’s West Village know and love Flip Sigi. To test its residency in Hudson County, the taqueria had been taking over the O’Bagel space weekend nights with Michael sharing that the response had been overwhelming. As of May 8th, 2021, Flip Sigi ended its residency at the Hoboken pop-up location in preparation for the move to the neighboring town. When choosing a more permanent home, Jersey City topped the list.
“I have a list of 20 specific criteria that I look at when I am choosing a location. Jersey City is one of the very few places in the United States that meet each one of those criteria. To name a few, it is becoming known as the most culturally diverse city in America, it is also the largest city in New Jersey, and it happens to have one of the largest Filipino populations in the country.” the owner said back in May.
The Filipino culture has had a huge influence on the history of Jersey City and Flip Sigi plans to keep that influence alive. Knowing that some guests may be tasting Filipino food for the first time while others may be reminded of their own family cooking, the food, chill vibe, and overall experience is set to bring new life into the neighborhood.
The Menu
(Photo credit: @flipsigi)
Fan favorites like the Pork belly bao buns, sinigang fries, meat, and vegan taco and burrito options, and bowls are menu regulars.
As of January 24th, Flip Sigi’s storefront is officially open.
To stay in the know, follow the restaurant on Instagram at @flipsigi.
