FOCUSED ON FOOD

ERICKSON FARILLAS mastered the retail industry before dipping his toes in the restaurant world, introducing he Filipino palate to a wide variety of cuisines

- SARA SIGUION-REYNA

After being in the retail business for 25 years as the co-founder of Plains and Prints with wife Roxanne, Erickson Farillas never thought he would get into the food business. In 2011, he stumbled into a hole in the wall restaurant in Hong Kong called Ramen Nagi. Inspiration struck; he had been searching for a long time to find a place in the Philippines that served authentic ramen. “It gave us the idea of bringing the brand home. It took two years of persuading the Japanese owners to allow us to bring it to the country,” says Erickson, “they were going back and forth to the Philippines to see if it is really a suitable market. On their third visit, my wife and I made them agree, so I guess the third time is really a charm.”

Today, Erickson is the president of the Nagi Group, operating several food concepts. After opening Ramen Nagi, there was Fatfook, which serves authentic Taiwanese cuisine, Akimitsu Tendon, offering authentic tempura and tendon by seasoned tendon masters, Propaganda Bistro with their selection of Vietnamese cuisine, Hakata Ton-ichi, another ramen chain with an affordable price point and Wonderbowl, in collaboration with Ramen Nagi for artisanal ramen bowls and specialty cocktails.

With all the success in the Nagi Group, Erickson believes one of the highlights of working in the industry is the commitment of facing challenges to avoid becoming complacent. “You will always have the drive to strive more. Just like in this business, we aim to bring more food concepts to the country,” he says, “since we Filipinos love to eat, and we wish that every time cravings kick in, our restaurants will always be within reach.”