Kultura Charleston

Founded by James Beard Award Finalist Chef Nikko Cagalanan and Paula Kramer, Kultura honors the memory of Lola Mansueta through carefully crafted Filipino dishes that blend traditional recipes with local Charleston ingredients. Chef Cagalanan, who began cooking while working as a nurse in 2017, creates modern interpretations of classic Filipino cuisine served family-style, with Sunday kamayan communal feasts where guests eat with their hands from banana leaves. The restaurant has earned national recognition as one of Eater and Esquire's Best New Restaurants, featuring dishes that tell stories of heritage, memory, and the warmth of Filipino hospitality.