You’re now standing right in front of Musang, and I have to say, you picked a spot that tells an incredible story - so buckle up, because this isn’t just any restaurant. Imagine the savory scents: crispy buttermilk fried chicken, golden pork lumpia dipping into tangy sawsawan, and short rib kare-kare that glistens with peanut butter bagoong. Go ahead - let your nose wander, even if your stomach starts grumbling!
But Musang is about much more than just a mouth-watering menu. It all started in 2017, when Chef Melissa Miranda had a fusion of two things: Filipino flavors and big dreams. She kicked off Musang as a pop-up brunch series, which is basically like if your friend’s breakfast party suddenly became the event everyone talked about. Out of that same energy, she joined forces with other Filipino chefs in the area - folks like Chera Amlag and Aaron Verzosa - to launch the ILAW Coalition, all about supporting Filipino American entrepreneurs in Seattle.
Now here’s where things get dramatic: by 2019, Melissa decided it was time for Musang to have a real home. But instead of waiting for a fairy godparent with a giant wallet, she turned to the community and raised over $75,000 on Kickstarter - with some leftover for good luck. That campaign was a hit, the restaurant opened just in time… for the world to shut down due to the pandemic.
While you might expect the story to get gloomy there, Musang actually shone the brightest. Melissa and her crew started cooking up over 200 free meals every day for folks in need - and thanks to donations and grants, the generosity just kept coming. Even after reopening, Musang kept up the good work, making sure no neighbor felt left out or hungry. They even created Musang’s Little Wildcats - a program teaching kids about Filipino food in the most hands-on, messy, and delicious way possible.
All this heart didn’t go unnoticed. Musang snagged “Restaurant of the Year” and landed chef Miranda on Food & Wine’s best new chefs list. And if you ask Seattle’s foodies, they’ll tell you eating here feels like being at a friend’s dreamy dinner party - and trust me, it’s one you’ll never forget. And hey, if you hear singing coming from inside, maybe it’s just Musang’s flavor inspiring another musical number about Filipino classics perfected right here on Beacon Hill!
