A new restaurant will be opening in Shepton Mallet on June 23.

Owned and run by Amber and Ross Smithwick, Aurora Kusina, at 29 Town Street, will be serving Filipino food, inspired by the dishes of Amber's childhood.

Amber said, "Aurora Kusina was inspired by my mum 'Aurora' who grew up in Tondo, Manila, and came to the UK in the 70's.

"She was an incredible cook and an amazing Mum. There was nothing she loved more than seeing people enjoy her food and epic banquets.

"Ross and I have been working hard behind the scenes perfecting the dishes of my childhood, making sure they all taste just as good as my mama's - we can't wait to share them with you!"

The couple moved from Bristol to Shepton Mallet just over a year ago to be closer to Ross's family, and friends in Dorset. "Shepton is the perfect halfway point," said Amber. "We looked at a couple of venues but when 29 Town Street came up, we knew it was meant to be - it's perfect!"

Although many Asian cuisines have made their mark on the UK food scene, Filipino food is still comparatively unknown. But Amber and Ross want to encourage people to try something new.

"Filipino food is pure comfort," said Amber. "It's full of bold and fragrant flavours and the perfect balance of salty, sour, sweet and umami. Filipino cooking is very unique and there are delicious native dishes that include BBQ and rice but, there are influences from all over including; China, Spain, America and more - we think that's what makes the cuisine so special. 

"Rice is such a big part of the cuisine, it's used in so many different dishes, both sweet and savoury. You can expect plenty of garlic, soy, sugar and citrus – there are a few things you might see that are unfamiliar too, such as; ube (also known as purple yam), cane vinegar, made from sugar cane this type of vinegar is something that's particularly Filipino, and calamansi or Philippine Lime which tastes like a citrus hybrid of lemon, lime and tangerine.

"If you're not sure what to order, then I would try Aurora's OG lumpia to start.  They're crispy loaded spring rolls packed full of mixed veg and tofu, sprinkled with toppings and sweet chilli ketchup. The filling is my mum 'Aurora's' recipe so it's one that's very special to us.

"I'd follow it with pork BBQ (if you eat meat) ­–  it's something you can find all over the Philippines. Our version of the dish is new to our restaurant menu, we're thrilled to be able to serve it up to you all. 

"Finally, our coconut and vanilla panna cotta topped with mango and lime, it's vegan and gluten free but you'd never know. We've spent a long time perfecting vegan alternatives so it's a dessert we're really proud of."

Aurora Kusina will be open from 5-10pm Wednesday-Saturday. Find out more at aurorakusina.com, or email [email protected] to make a reservation.