Regina Troy Barrios

Meet Suzanne Cupps, the Filipina-American Chef Making Her Mark on Fifth Avenue

Article (news)

<p>f you find yourself on West 28th and Fifth in Manhattan; right across the Fifth Avenue Hotel entrance on 28th is a restaurant that’s named Lola’s. This is where Chef Suzanne Cupps reigns as ‘queen’ of her kitchen; and since it opened it’s doors in 2024, it has made the 2025 and 2026 New York Times’ 100 Best Restaurants in NYC list. GM Nick Salinger is Suzanne’s partner in this culinary enterprise; and what draws my attention is how tucked on a shelf by the bar is a framed vintage photograph of a distinctly Filipino couple - the Lola the restaurant is named after. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708481422image2.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Chef Suzanne, and Lola’s is included in the NYT’s 100 Best Restaurants in NYC 2026 | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708512205image1.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">The photograph of Chef Suzanne’s Lola | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>Chef Suzanne’s father is Cesar Paraiso, who originally hailed from Davao; and it’s his mother who one finds in that photograph. I’ll get to the food at Lola’s later; but let’s first establish the journey that has brought Fil-American Chef Suzanne to this well-acclaimed point in her career. Raised in Aiken, South Carolina, she stayed near home and studied at Clemson University. She has paid her kitchen dues, with 21 years in the restaurant industry. </p><p>“I started my cooking career at Annisa in 2005. I went to Gramercy Tavern in 2011, and was a sous chef there. Then I opened Untitled in the Whitney Museum in 2015 as the chef de cuisine, and took over as Executive Chef in 2017. I was the chef of 232 Bleecker in 2019, and Lola’s is my first restaurant.”</p><p>And what a first restaurant it has evolved into. Melissa Clark of the aforementioned New York Times hailed it back in 2024 as “produce-driven cooking that’s familiar, but lifted by brilliant twist and tweaks.” It’s ingredient-forward looking, but drawing inspiration from Suzanne’s Asian-American heritage, her growing up in South Carolina - so Southern cooking, and how she specializes in fried and slow-cooked mains. Eminently shareable, the dishes at Lola’s are both playful, while elevated. Her different influences co-mingle with kitchen sorcery to create dishes that are unique to Lola’s. Flavor-rich, the taste profiles are so fine-tuned, that a single menu option can transform, depending on what sauce we add to it. More on that later. </p><p>The Lola’s menu does not identify as Filipino per se, but we see how this background appears, and informs on the various dishes on the list. And when we had dinner at Lola’s, I loved how busy the restaurant was, with an energized turnover of all tables by 8pm; and how the clientele was such a mixed bunch of people. They weren’t after some ethnically identified cuisine, but were just eager to sample great food - dishes that flirted as comfort food, but would have something distinct to make it very Lola’s. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708558082image3.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Housemade Naan | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>Our starter was the India-inspired Housemade Naan, served with a Carrot Masala yoghurt, and a Cilantro chutney. This dish brilliantly exemplified Chef Suzanne’s approach - start off with something familiar like the Naan, but then pull the rug out from under you (in a good way), by having the yoghurt and chutney have sweet elements.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708606083image4.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Union Square Bento | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>We then ordered her Union Square Bento, which showcase her vegetable-forward philosophy. These bentos regularly change, depending on what she has sourced; and that evening, it was Honey Mutsu Apples, a Squash and Chili Crisp, and pickled charred Cabbage. Each of the three was a treat, and we loved combining them to produce distinct flavors.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708641444image5.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Crispy Chicken Thighs | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>The Lola’s ‘go-to’ are the Crispy Chicken Thighs, served with crunchy Greens, fermented Hot Honey, and Coconut Vinegar. I smiled when the staff brought us the vinegar and called it ‘suka’ with an American accent. When Chef Suzanne came over, she proudly explained that the vinegar is specially flown in from the Philippines. And we really marveled at how, with the suka, the strips of Chicken Thigh we ate, would remind us of Chicharon! </p><p>If you stuck to the Honey Sauce, there was something very Southern going on; but if you opted to dip the chicken in the suka, there was something completely different happening. And Chef Suzanne smiled when Issa (Litton) called it out, saying it was a healthier version of Chicharon. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708697363image6.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Heritage Pork Barbecue | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>The Heritage Pork Barbecue, with Cherry tomatoes, Pickled Peach, Shiso, and Blue Cornbread from South Carolina; was a heady mix of Southern-style flavors, given a slight Asian twist. And I say Asian as the shiso is native to China and India, with its punchier citrus, mint flavor. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708735264image7.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Lola’s Chocolate Cookie with Oolong Oat Milk | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>For dessert, we couldn’t miss out on their Brown Butter + Miso Chocolate Cookie, served with oolong oat milk. There were bits of pretzel in the cookie dough, and we all appreciated the dipping of the cookie in the oolong oat milk. There was something so comforting about that little ritual. And I noted how in her previous menus, Chef Suzanne would offer Leche Flan. </p><p>The Drinks list has a Suman Soda, one of their Zero Proof drinks. So once again, here was Chef Suzanne’s Filipino heritage shining through the Menu. </p><p>Popular for their vegetable dishes and seasonal sourcing, Lola’s does a great job of blending Southern flavors with Filipino and Asian influences. It’s a menu that’s original, refined, and yet eminently approachable. Hospitality, connection, and memorable moments are the cornerstones of what Chef Suzanne offers in Lola. She hops from table to table in the course of the evening, to chat with the customers, inform them about the dishes, and get their feedback. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708776623image8.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Suzanne with her father, Cesar Paraiso | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>She engaged with us upon hearing we were from the Philippines, saying how it’s been close to ten years since her last visit. While her family still live in South Carolina, she’s very close to her father; and my ‘stalking’ her IG page resulted in my finding one recent photo of her with her father, and I asked her permission to include it in this feature. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787708814186image9.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Chef Suzanne Cupps (2nd row on the left), with GM Nick Salinger standing behind her, and the Lola’s staff | Photo: Lola&#x27;s NYC</span></span></span></div><p>Filipinos visiting New York should make a beeline to Lola’s; and be very proud of what this restaurant offers, and how the wizardry of Chef Suzanne has been recognized by the likes of the New York Times. Plus take pleasure in the beaming faces of the people dining there, appreciating what this Filipina-American has cooked up for them. </p><div><em>For a taste of Chef Suzanne Cupps’ Southern cooking with Filipino, East, and Southeast Asian influences, visit Lola’s at 2 W28th Street in New York, open for dinner nightly from 5 p.m. and brunch Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. Follow </em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lolas.nyc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>@lolas.nyc </em></a><em>for more</em></div>

<p>Chef Suzanne Cupps’ Lola’s in New York puts Filipino heritage, Southern cooking, Asian influences, and produce-driven creativity on the same plate—and the Filipina-American chef’s first restaurant has earned a place on The New York Times’ 100 Best Restaurants in NYC list for two consecutive years.</p>

Chef Suzanne Cupps’ Lola’s in New York puts Filipino heritage, Southern cooking, Asian influences, and produce-driven creativity on the same plate—and the Filipina-American chef’s first restaurant has earned a place on The New York Times’ 100 Best Restaurants in NYC list for two consecutive years.

Meet Suzanne Cupps, The Filipina-American Chef Making Her Mark On Fifth Avenue

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Meet Suzanne Cupps, The Filipina-American Chef Making Her Mark On Fifth Avenue

Philip Cu Unjieng

Published August 26, 2026 09:52 AM PHT

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