#FromTheArchives: @west32poblacion for @wondermagph 🥢🍸🇰🇷 #WEST32 co-founder James Thomas remembers a time way before the Korean Wave, AKA Hallyu, and K-pop became a burgeoning global phenomenon. He narrates, “In Midtown Manhattan, Koreans have this one block, [which is] ours.” “[Koreatown] actually started in the 1970s when a lot of Korean immigrants were coming over. These were the old school guys making traditional Korean-type barbecue restaurants, bars, and spas. In the early 2000s, those guys were aging out and they were passing [down] their aprons to their kids...It became more and more trendy; it was catching up to the New Age.” The founders of WEST 32 take New York’s Koreatown to #Poblacion with their influences highly evident, from the aesthetics of the place to the one-of-a-kind menu. James notes, “Riding the subway is a way of life in New York [whether you’re] poor, middle-class or rich; it’s the fastest way to get around. That’s why on the walls, we have the broken subway tiles, which really remind us of home.” For the founders of WEST 32, the restaurant is a safe space “where everyone is welcome.” Growing up in New York as Korean Americans in the ‘90s, they were othered. James reveals, “Coming to the Philippines, [Jeff and I] are actual foreigners, so a large part of why we wanted to do [WEST 32 was] not just for us, but...for anyone that feels out of place, or anyone that needs to get away. Maybe they’re uncomfortable with their day-to-day grind or they have a fight with their boyfriend or girlfriend, and they need a safe place to just come and hang out and get some good food or drinks—whether they come alone or with a friend.” 🥃