The Denver restaurant scene has in the past included very few Filipino eateries for diners to seek out. The most reliable source for Filipino cuisine has been the annual Filipino-American Community of Colorado Philippine Festival in Edgewater, where the community center’s Lolas (grandmothers) have been cooking up lumpia, adobo, and other traditional fare. A few restaurants and food trucks have flown the Filipino flag over the years, and even today less than a handful of restaurants serve dishes from the Philippines. 

Among them is a business that isn’t a sit-down restaurant or even a food truck, but a terrific takeout ghost kitchen with some unique twists on the cuisine. Paborito, which means “favorite,” is run by Jayson Leaño and his wife Geraldine Gan, who opened Paborito - Filipino BBQ last year in a ghost kitchen building on Vallejo then moved to its current location at 707 Federal Boulevard this summer. 

The couple had previously run the Toast Box sandwich shop, but turned to the food they love – and grew up on – traditional Filipino flavors.

Though the kitchen is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, Leaño was working on a recent Monday night, prepping rolled Lechon Pork Belly flavored with Filipino stuffing for Thanksgiving orders that will be picked up Thursday morning; after 3 p.m. the couple will close up for the holiday, and enjoy their own Thanksgiving feast. But instead of turkey or lechon, they’ll have a Peruvian chicken they’ll pick up from a neighbor at their last ghost kitchen location. They love to support other startup businesses like theirs, and cite their favorites at their current Federal location.

Order Online at paboritobbq.square.site

TAKEOUT ONLY

WED TO SUN: 11am - 9pm

707 Federal Blvd. Denver, CO

“Right now we’re still, we’re slowly building it,” he says. But Paborito already has a loyal following of regular customers (hence the Thanksgiving orders). There are days when the duo are at work for up to 10 hours, and take up to 60 orders. The menu ranges from dishes that evoke his grandma’s cooking in the northern Philippines to dishes inspired by the popular Philippines fast-food chain Jollibee, which has become popular in parts of the U.S. (but none in Colorado).

“At Paborito, we focus on serving traditional Filipino food that feels like home, especially for our Filipino community here in Denver,” he said in an email exchange. “Our to-go restaurant stays true to those comforting, familiar flavors. At the same time, we make the cuisine more accessible to a broader audience by collaborating with local coffee shops like Moonflower and Coffee Sarap, where we offer Filipino-inspired breakfast burritos and other approachable items. It’s a fun way to introduce new people to Filipino flavors in a format they already love.”

Leaño was born in the Philippines, then went to live with his father in San Diego, where he attended culinary school.

He worked as a chef and moved to Colorado Springs, where he met Geraldine, who was also born in the Philippines. The couple’s entrepreneurial streak led them to open the sandwich shop, and then Paborito. He’s the chef, and she manages the business and serves as his inspiration, taste-tester and authenticity checker.

Leaño is proud of the Filipino comfort food he serves, and the barbecue he brings to his dishes. He also uses a shrimp paste that he wasn’t sure would be accepted by non-Filipinos, but has become a house specialty. “Everybody just loves it,” he says, beaming as he serves a salty, umami-packed taste. “It’s something that’s different, like my mom used to do.”

For this private tasting, he shared menu items including Sisig Ni Kuya (Java rice, minced pork, grilled pork mask, chicharron, green peppers, red onion, red chili, soy-lime mayo, lemon), Combination Grilled Pork Belly, Lechon Kawali, Chicken BBQ (grilled with the popular Filipino condiment Banana Ketchup), crunchy Lumpia Shorties and more.

According to Leaño, Paborito’s barbecue showcases two strains of Filipino cooking. Inasal, a technique in Visayas, has a citrus-based marinade and is basted with aromatic oil. The classic Filipino BBQ, is best-known in Luzon, and uses the banana ketchup marinade that’s more on the sweet side. Both reflect their unique regional flavor and showcases the balance of sweet, salty, and smoky that makes Filipino BBQ so distinct.

“Our goal is to keep representing Filipino food with pride and creativity while making it more visible and accessible in the local dining scene.”

He would love to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant someday, or even a food truck. He’s open to any possibility, including spreading Paborito as a franchise brand across the U.S. Or maybe his sauces will be bottled and sold in retail shops everywhere. This young man dreams big.

“What makes Paborito unique is that we started as a humble ghost kitchen, focused simply on sharing the Filipino flavors we grew up with,” he says. “But, now, Denver gets to witness our growth as we continue to thrive and explore new possibilities. Our goal is to keep representing Filipino food with pride and creativity while making it more visible and accessible in the local dining scene.”

Of the dishes he’s most proud of, he says, “Pork sisig best embodies the soul of Paborito. It’s made from minced pork mask and ears, parts that are often overlooked yet we turn them into something incredibly delicious. That dish represents the Filipino spirit. Our ability to make something wonderful out of humble ingredients, to face challenges with creativity and a smile even in the midst of hardship. It’s comfort food, but it’s also a story of resilience and pride.”

That spirit resides in the soul of this takeout business. He adds, “The future is bright, and I’m excited to see where it takes us.”

Follow Paborito for menu updates and pop-events at  instagram.com/paborito_denver.