Turo Turo and the True Power of Filipino Food
- In The Mix Magazine
- May 2
- 3 min read
TEXT BY MYE MULINGTAPANG
Turo Turo is more than a restaurant—it’s a culinary bridge. One that spans continents, cultures, and generations. It honors the carinderia, the fiesta table, and the childhood kitchen, while carving space for Filipino food to shine on its own terms.
The vision behind the flame
Rex De Guzman isn’t just a chef—he’s a cultural storyteller with a knife in hand and a mission on his mind. British-born with Filipino roots, Rex is an entrepreneur, consultant, public speaker, and media personality driven by one passion: putting Filipino cuisine on the map in the UK.
Right now, his focus is razor-sharp: Turo Turo, his first Filipino restaurant in South London and finishing his debut cookbook—a project years in the making, filled with recipes and reflections from his life between two cultures.
His journey blends food and advocacy. While pushing the boundaries of Filipino flavors in professional kitchens, Rex also mentors aspiring business owners in hospitality, helps shape small food ventures, and builds platforms that celebrate Filipino identity through cooking.
Rex’s culinary roots weren’t born in a textbook or a traditional kitchen—they were sparked by personal history. In 2014, realizing the standard chef track didn’t quite fit, he turned inward. Through food, he began rediscovering the culture his parents had carried with them from the Philippines.
From pop-ups to primetime
At just 21, Rex ran his first pop-up restaurant, cooking intimate meals rooted in memory and heritage. His food spoke for itself: vibrant, soulful, and packed with flavor. It was clear—Filipino food wasn’t just his calling; it was his cultural compass.
By 2018, he made a decisive leap—leaving his job at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze in Mayfair to launch Turo Turo. What started as a Filipino BBQ stall with KERB quickly became a staple of London’s street food scene, catering for major clients like Amazon, Adidas, WeWork, and Channel 4.
That same year, Turo Turo snagged “Southern Champion” at the British Street Food Awards, and later, “Best Vegetarian Dish in the UK” at the national finals. A moment of pride not just for Rex, but for Filipino cuisine at large.
In 2022, Rex brought his mission to national television as a finalist on Channel 4’s The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver—introducing Filipino food to millions, and further proving that the cuisine had something meaningful to say.
Pick, Point, Feast
Turo Turo now has a permanent home in Tooting, South London—a lively, multicultural borough that mirrors the diversity of the Philippines itself.
The restaurant takes its name from the Tagalog phrase “Turo Turo”, which means “point point”—a nod to Filipino carinderias where locals choose dishes by pointing to trays of ready-made food.
Inside, the spirit is the same, but the presentation is elevated. Guests feast on sizzling Pork Sisig, smoky Chicken Inasal, and juicy Pork Liempo, all grilled with precision and soul. A rum-forward cocktail bar channels the tropical vibes of the islands, serving drinks infused with flavors like calamansi and pandan.
It’s a vibe—laid back, nostalgic, but with a refined edge. Think carinderia meets London cool, where every plate has a pulse and every drink tells a story.
For second-generation chefs like Rex, Filipino food is both inheritance and invention. It’s the taste of home—reimagined in the kitchens of London, Berlin, Toronto, and beyond.
At Turo Turo, the approach is clear: stay rooted in the soul of the dish, but shape the presentation, balance, and storytelling for a broader audience. That means grilled liempo with finesse, or bagoong wings with a modern glaze—but always, always Filipino at the core.
The result is a dining experience that feels both familiar and bold. Whether you're new to Filipino cuisine or homesick for a taste of it, Turo Turo invites you in—not to reinvent tradition, but to expand its reach.
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