Charleston's dining scene just got a little more adventurous. Bareo, a new Filipino-Japanese restaurant from the duo behind Kultura, opened last Friday at 73 Spring St. — the very address where Kultura first made its name before moving to Rutledge Avenue last fall.
Same space. Entirely different story.
The Concept
Nikko Cagalanan and Paula Kramer aren't playing it safe. Bareo centers on two things you won't find on many Charleston menus: dumplings and kakigori — a Japanese shaved ice dessert with centuries of history and a fascinating path to the Philippines.
Kakigori arrived in the Philippines during Japan's occupation in the 1940s, where it evolved into halo-halo, the vibrant, heavily-topped Filipino version Cagalanan grew up eating. Bareo's take blends both traditions — traditional kakigori technique meets Filipino flavors like ube and pandan, with seasonal fruits rotating through. Three versions will be on offer at any given time.
It's food with a story. That's always a good sign.
The Menu
The savory side leans Japanese, with a 10-item menu that includes dumplings filled with locally sourced ingredients — think Peculiar Pig Farm pork and Miss Paula's shrimp shumai. Wagyu with truffle and pork with cabbage round out the dumpling options.
Bareo will also be one of the only Charleston restaurants serving onigiri — the triangular Japanese rice snack stuffed with tuna, salmon, or lump crab. A bento box featuring salmon, pork adobo, and miso sinigang soup rounds out a menu that feels both thoughtful and fun.
"Creatively, I think it's going to be so much fun," Cagalanan told the Post & Courier.
The Prep Work
Before opening night, Cagalanan and Kramer ran three pop-ups to road-test the concept and gather real feedback from real diners. That kind of groundwork says a lot about how they operate.
"We're always learning and taking feedback on how people want to eat," Kramer said in the Post & Courier.
Smart. The result is a restaurant that's already been pressure-tested before it opens its doors for good.
The Details
📍 73 Spring St., Charleston 📅 Opening Friday, Feb. 13 🔗 Reservations at resy.com 📸 Follow along at @bareocharleston on Instagram
Bar seating plus two- and four-tops. The space has been refreshed since its Kultura days, but the intimate layout remains. Go early, go hungry, and maybe save room for the shaved ice.
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