It’s that time of year, friends. Time for a little end-of-the-year reflection that the last days of December inevitably inspires whether we like it or not. At a time such as this, my mind immediately strays to the very best things I ate and drank over the past year. Of course, then my stomach starts a rumblin’ … really, how could it not?

I have two food memories that stand out from the rest. One is my birthday brunch on a crisp and sunny fall day at Blue Hill Stone Barns — an event I had waited many years to experience and will remember for many, many years to come (isn’t that precisely how a birthday should be celebrated?). And the other is a dinner I had with my boyfriend at Maharlika, which I wrote about here. (My inclusion of these two restaurants together in no way suggests they are in any way similar, save for the fact that offerings both challenged and delighted me more than anything else I ate this year).

I developed quite a foodie crush on Nicole Ponseca, one of the owners of Maharlika, when I met her during dinner. You can imagine my excitement a few weeks later when she agreed to put up with my five questions about her awesome Filipino restaurant in the East Village (which has expanded to a steamed-bun shack at Dekalb Market and pop-up brunch in Williamsburg). Here are her answers — it’s my new year gift to you!

1. So. What’s the deal with the awesome ’80s music and all the cool stuff hanging around your restaurant?

NP: Well, aside from being the best era for music — I mean what’s not to love? Duran Duran, Madonna, Hall & Oats, The Ramones, Talking Heads; Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Pop — the decade evokes such a visceral reaction in me. It’s sense memory, and I get very sentimental. [The 1980s were] a golden time for Philippine immigration to the US, a politically charged era, and time when a lot of my friends were growing up or being born.

The space is a homage to two muses: 1) The film “Sticks of Death”, which you can find for instant gratification on Netflix, and 2) The socio-economic time of the Philippines during the ’80s. The film “Sticks of Death” is kinda Robin Hood-meets-Scarface. It’s a campy and kitschy martial arts movie, and it captures the Philippines in the ’80s. We were inspired by the gangster mansion in the film and the home’s opulence via a Filipino lens … to that end, we were sitting around and discussing socio-economic dynamics and discovered a few things. Namely, like most third world countries, there is a vast divide between those who have and those who have not. Yet, the divide was only exacerbated when we see what the politics of the Philippines of that time had conveyed to the outside world. To that end, I asked myself: What if a middle class had existed? What if a modest family could afford to feed, clothe, educate their children and have a home with a proper floor and secure roof? What if that family desired to showcase their Pinoy pride? The interior for Maharlika was born.

2. How did you come up with the menu?

NP: Finding the chef and conceptualizing the menu proved to be interesting when I embarked on this adventure 10 years ago. I worked with about eight chefs who did food testing/concepts with me I was fraught with naysayers, who either disappeared/flaked out or flat out said that they weren’t interested in advancing Filipino food … that it could never cross over. NO ONE BELIEVED.

In 2007, Miguel and I met at a restaurant in SoHo, where he was the Executive Chef. Fast Friends. Sitting in my kitchen lamenting about a lack of chef, Migs said, “I’ll help you.” I said (between tears) “…but you’re (sniffle sniffle) not even Filipino (sniffle sniffle), what do you know about Filipino food?” Miguel’s response was classic, “Well Jean-George is not Malaysian, right? Bobby Flay is not from New Mexico, right?” He wiped my tears, we took off from there. Little did I realize how similar Dominican food is to Filipino. Obviously, with its Spanish influence, Filipino cuisine relies heavily on the concept of “guisa,” which is Spanish and Tagalog for stew/braise.

We started doing mock a “restaurant” in my apartment. I’d invite 10 or 20 people over, and we would have a menu, drinks, the whole nine. Just to practice. We hit every restaurant in New York. I went to San Fran, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, Philadelphia, Washington DC –- everywhere, searching if such a concept existed.

Miguel started grabbing whatever book, article and online recipe, but it wasn’t cutting it. We took off for the Philippines for nearly three months last year in our quest to get to the core of Philippine cuisine. We wanted to cut the mystique that has always left the food on the sidelines of the culinary map. We backpacked through cemeteries, caves and Manila traffic. We started at the most northern part and zig zagged to the south. Miguel honed in on his craft with ya-yas (house keepers), moms, lolas (grandmothers) and renowned Filipino chefs. We learned the soul of the food. We learned the essence of the food that cannot be taught in cookbooks or television.

Miguel and I have a very similar view on food: It is a living and breathing art. Where a painter might use oils and brushes, Miguel uses spices and skillets. The thing about art is that you have to be inspired and you have to get to the heart of the matter. The best artwork and food is when it has a soul, right?

The menu had to be curated and edited. I wanted to do away with the notion of offering a menu with eight or more pages.  How can you possibly do everything well? Our idea was keep it simple and focus.

We are on a constant fight to best ourselves, to set the tone, to champion Filipino cuisine. What happens today — good or bad — is just today. We have tomorrow to contend with.

3. What’s the most kick-ass dish at Maharlika and why?

It’s a hard question. Every dish feels like my child. How can i pick a favorite child? Each dish has its own complexities, flavor profiles, etc. Each dish satisfies a particular craving. That’s the thing with Filipino dishes. The flavor characteristics are sweet, sour and salty and often deep-yet-one note dishes. You have to ask yourself, “Do I feel like salty?” or “Do I feel like sweet?” I sound like Clint Eastwood, “Do I feel lucky? Well, do I?”  Again, ’80s influence prevails.

I’d say we are known for our sisig, but that just scratches the surface.

4. Which drink should diners not leave without trying?

Pacquio’s Punch. (Agreed!)

5. Describe the vibe at Maharlika on a typical Saturday night at 10 p.m.

The vibe is jovial/upbeat. This is not restaurant you go to break up with your boyfriend. It’s a place to have fun, bop your head to good music, unwind, kick back a san mig and eat to your heart’s content.

*For more info on Maharlika, go here. Just do it.