By Naiia Lajoie GLASS HALF FIL The journey of any restauranteur can begin with a reception as chilly as the outside ambient air (depending on location), and no one is immune to this phenomenon – not even the granddaughter of esteemed Philippine diplomat Carlos Peña Romulo. While the prestige of a famous family name may not overcome financial hiccups brought on by economic hardships and ensure longevity, determination and perseverance will. Such is the story of Rowena Romulo, founder of London’s Filipino restaurant “Kasa & Kin”. Filipinos in the motherland are likely to be familiar with the Romulo Café locations, and even more familiar still with the family history. Like most of her predecessors bearing the same surname, Rowena did not begin her business ventures in the culinary world. It was in fact her sister and brother-in-law who were the restauranteurs of the family. Her brother-in-law attended culinary school in Switzerland, studying hotel and restaurant management. He and Rowena’s sister subsequently launched the original Romulo restaurant in 2009. The venue was a tribute to their family history; they found their grandmother’s recipe book and honored her and Carlos P. Romulo by sharing the recipes with guests via their menu while adorning the dining space with photos of their grandfather. Rowena on the other hand had always been in the financial services industry. Beginning at Citibank then moving to JPMorgan, she physically moved from Manila to New York, Milan (for 20 years), then London (currently 16 years). After 32 years in the banking world, at the height of the banking system’s collapse, she realized it was not “fun” anymore. Despite being the managing director of a global business, she had no influence or power to personally do anything. It was always left in the hands of lawyers,...... Read more on Full Issue!