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For almost five years, Roxanne Bangalan, Ben Rojo and Darwin Pornel have shared Filipino flavors via a cocktail shaker. First under the umbrella 4 Wheel Tricycle, the three, along with Christian Dominguez, rang in the holiday season with jackfruit- and ube-forward cocktails at their roaming Christmas bar, Noche Buena, followed by barbecues and pop-ups that brought Filipino food, drink and artists under one roof. The three reformed as June Baby in 2025, popping up around the city in preparation for their permanent home in the East Village. As of October 28, the city is home to its first-ever Filipino-American bar, just in time for the end of Filipino American History Month.
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The name June Baby has a double meaning for Bangalan and Pornel. The co-owners and couple began using the phrase “June Baby” in reference to the due date of their son (who ended up being born in May). Besides the fact that the name stuck, the reference to the month of June was also culturally significant, given that the month marks Philippine Independence Day on June 12. Its landing in the East Village was also an intentional one, as the team chose the neighborhood for its history as a cultural melting pot of New York’s immigrant communities. Rojo also has a personal connection to the space, as he once oversaw the bar at Black Emperor that once stood in the same place.
Cocktails incorporate a range of flavors from the country. The hi-ball features the tart flavor profile of calamansi (Calamansi Hi-Ball), while the Turon-Tado daiquiri riffs off turon, the popular street sweet made of bananas, brown sugar and jackfruit. For those who loved the ube coquito from the Christmas pop-up days, the brick and mortar is now home to the ube colada, a variation on the piña colada. Chefs Kevin Cardenas, Adrian Capellan and Lem Soriano consulted on the food, creating a series of pulutan, or small plates that are generally served in tandem with drinks. Pulling from the team’s shared Filipino and American roots, the menu starts with Lumpiang Shanghai and Salt & Pepper Kanto Fried Chicken Wings. A larger bite goes to The June Baby Burger. A riff on an In-N-Out burger with its own secret sauce, the burger nods to the team’s time spent in California.
June Baby is located at 197 Second Avenue, and is open Tuesdays through Sundays, from 4pm–midnight.