Izzy and Wooks: Filipino American Fusion Food Rooted in the Bay Area
Sheree Bishop, Communications Coordinator
July 25, 2025
At Izzy and Wooks in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, shoppers can dig into what co-owner Manuel Ramirez describes as “classic American sandwiches from our Asian American pantry.” Spouses Manuel and Cheryl have 20 years of experience running brick-and-mortar restaurants that have been well-loved by communities across the Bay Area. Their newest venture is both a culmination of their experience and an opportunity to try something new, offering Filipino American fusion smash burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and more.
Coming Full Circle with Family-Centered Dining
Throughout the past few decades, Manuel and his family have owned and operated a collection of beloved Asian American businesses in the Bay Area, the majority of which are centered around the Filipino food of his childhood.
From 1997 to 2016, Manuel and his family ran a small Filipino grocery store in Stockton. After his father’s passing, Manuel and his mother opened Inay Filipino Kitchen in the SOMA neighborhood, which he operated from 2012 until 2019, a few years after his mother’s passing.
Manuel and Cheryl Ramirez then opened a franchise of the Bonchon Korean fried chicken restaurant chain inside the Metreon. Though the location became popular, Manuel and Cheryl wanted to return to focusing on Filipino cuisine. “That’s how we express our love for food,” Manuel says, “combining our culture with dishes we love.” In 2024, they launched Izzy & Wooks.
In the same way that Inay is a Tagalog term of endearment for “mother,” the name of Izzy & Wooks is also a tribute to Manuel and Cheryl’s family, named after their daughter, Isabel, and their bulldog, Wookie, who are both depicted in their logo.
“That first restaurant was a collaboration with my mother, and this was sort of our own thing,” Manuel says, “We could inject Filipino street food flavors into the fast casual fare that we love.”
From Smash Burgers to Sinigang
The menu at Izzy & Wooks is filled with American classics made with ingredients suited to a Filipino palate. For example, they offer spicy fried chicken sandwiches with meat brined in soy and calamansi, dipped in a tamarind hot oil inspired by sinigang soup. Their smash burgers are seasoned with banana ketchup, a popular Filipino condiment.
Manuel says, “If someone in the Philippines came over and tried our food, they could taste the connection to something they grew up eating.”
When it comes to finding the right ingredients, Izzy & Wooks is focused on sourcing local and organic produce whenever possible. Before they became vendors, Cheryl and Manuel frequented farms at local farmers markets, including Dirty Girl Produce and Heirloom Gardens, to source items like golden beets, broccolini, and other specialty produce.
Such items include fresh bitter melons. Manuel often pickles and includes them as an ingredient in burgers and sandwiches like the Manong Burger, named for a Tagalog term of respect for older men. The bitter melon has the texture of celery and lends an umami flavor and a bit of spice, especially when pickled with Serrano and Thai chile peppers.
“We put a sweet and spicy pickle on a bitter melon, which is a vegetable that a lot of Asian kids sort of dreaded growing up. A lot of times, our grandmothers would make us eat it,” Manuel says. Even Cheryl isn’t a fan of bitter melon unless it’s prepared this way. “Filipinos from the Philippines are more open to it than Filipino Americans.”
By giving people with a westernized palate the chance to try unique ingredients like the bitter melon, Izzy and Wooks creates a fusion that honors its Filipino heritage while taking the form of familiar American staples.
Overcoming Challenges and Joining the Farmers Market Community
Manuel insists that one of the biggest challenges of owning a small food business is not being awarded the same leverage as large, corporate franchises. Their first brick-and-mortar location for Izzy and Wooks was located inside the Metreon, where their short-term lease allowed for them to be removed if a company with more buying power who could take on a longer lease came along. After only five months, their temporary lease ended when a larger company offered a higher rent and a longer term contract.
Then, in November of 2024, they found a location inside the San Francisco Centre, which is now closing. It took months of searching and negotiations for the couple to find a new home for their restaurant.
This September, Izzy and Wooks will join the food court on the second floor at IKEA Saluhall. Though they’ll be offering a variety of delicious fried chicken sandwiches and unique vegan options, shoppers can only get their iconic smash burgers at San Francisco farmers markets, including the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Though Manuel has seen his fair share of restaurant locations, he insists that being a part of the farmers market is completely different. The camaraderie between sellers was a welcome surprise for the couple.
“Everyone wants to see each other succeed. For example, we ran out of propane, and in three minutes, a neighbor came by to help us. We’ve done things like that for our neighbors as well. We’re all in this struggle of trying to set up a business that will help support our families and be a vehicle for spreading the food that we love to make,” Manuel says.
Visit Izzy and Wooks at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturdays.
Topics: Chef, Entrepreneurship, Farmers market, Food makers