When Junior first opened in 2014, it was a break from the longstanding concentration of Filipino restaurants found around Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, where Quebec's largest Filipino community can be found.
“Our goal was not to only be a good Filipino restaurant, but to be a good restaurant, period," says JoJo Flores, a co-owner of Junior. “We wanted to represent Filipino culture not only in food, but music, the liveliness of the atmosphere—to have it all in one place.”
But to date, Montreal hasn't seen the cuisine go beyond its traditional trappings—a reality that spurred the creation of the city's first modern Filipino restaurant, Jun Jun.
“Higher end Filipino restaurants have been more for the titas (aunties), the bougie and sophisticated crowds,” Flores explains. “It’s lacking in a lot of cities, including Montreal; we don’t see that level of focus on plating or quality ingredients often. With Jun Jun, we want to offer a new generational take on our cuisine.”
With Jun Jun, we want to offer a new generational take on our cuisine.
Hi-Fi(lipino)
Described as a contemporary play on the experience of eating Filipino cuisine, the 45-seat Jun Jun has taken over the spot that once housed the fine dining restaurant Chez Sophie.
A new menu, a redone bar with wine list and cocktails from Leslie Ann Roberts, replaced light fixtures, a few personal accents like the work of the local abstract artist Robert Rahal, and one new sound system later, the restaurant was opened.
Run by Bic Flores, JoJo Flores, and Toddy Flores with Jay Viau, Rey Mariano, and Zo Aquino in the front-of-house and head chefs Neil John Gayo and Lorenzo Aquino helming the kitchen, it's a highly collaborative entity that seeks to elevate Filipino culture in every respect, from taste to sound.
![The Bulletin: A match made in Montreal [Issue #62]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2024%2F02%2F01_VM94-EX184-008-1.jpg&w=256&q=75)
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