MANILA, Philippines – For the LGBTQ+ community, finding safe spaces of unabashed freedom and self-expression is a blessing. For Alwyn Mancio, this is his purpose.

The proudly queer owner of Japanese restaurant Hashi Donburi has provided the community a safe space to gather, have fun, and be themselves, which was a godsend to many during the isolating time of the pandemic. With Alwyn’s social media influence as the host and founder of popular LGBTQ+ podcast Pop Emergency, paired with the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps his family-owned restaurant alive, Alwyn was able to create an community of loyal patrons, bonded over their love for pop culture, quiz nights, music, Japanese food, and good company.

A family affair

Hashi Donburi first opened in 2018 at a small space in Dapitan Street, Manila, which was a stone’s throw away from Alwyn’s alma mater University of Santo Tomas (UST). The restaurant was founded by the Mancio family, helmed initially by Alwyn’s former OFW parents. His father had previously worked for a Japanese restaurant abroad, which helped provide the backbone for Hashi’s founding.

“In just a year we grew popular in the area and this allowed us to open a bigger branch near ABS-CBN along Tomas Morato. Sadly, the pandemic hit us, since both of our target markets were hit. First, because of the closure of UST, we lost our student base, followed by the closure of ABS-CBN,” Alwyn told Rappler.

Hashi Donburi managed to survive, through the support of family, friends, and loyal customers who would order food online for delivery. However, in 2021, Alwyn made the tough call to close their first branch in UST and keep the sole Quezon City branch running, to save on costs and manpower. Now, Alwyn is in charge of marketing and branding, and helps with the daily operations of the store. 

Itadakimasu!

Hashi Donburi is a small, simple space along Tomas Morato that you might just miss. With two floors, the restaurant is an intimate space that can accommodate just a few group tables. The second floor carries a lot of quirky personality and Alwyn’s personal touch, with a casual yet energizing ambiance that’s conducive for inumans and parties at night, complete with “Pop Emergency” and “Main Pop Girl” neon signs glowing in the background.

It’s a no-frills restaurant with affordable and simple Japanese offerings, like the Katsudon (P279), which is the standard pork cutlet rice bowl. Hashi Donburi is also known for the Okinawa Onigiri (P299), a hefty onigiri sandwich (that could get a bit overwhelming and messy), filled with katsu slices, rice, lettuce, egg, and Spam.

I’m more on sushi’s side, so I enjoyed Hashi Donburi’s maki rolls, which are made with noticeably fresh sashimi, like the Rainbow Maki Roll (P349) with salmon, tuna, and refreshing mango, topped with Japanese mayo and fish roe and filled with crabstick and cucumber.

My favorite recommended dish would be the best-selling Hashi Kaiyo (P419), moist sushi rice wrapped generously with thick slices of salmon sashimi, topped with a creamy-spicy mixture of salmon, crunchy tempura bits, fish roe, and Japanese mayo. It’s a mouthful of buttery salmon goodness in one bite.

Entrepreneur turned community icon

Managing a small business was not enough for Alwyn to accomplish during the height of the pandemic – he started hosting a podcast called Pop Emergency alongside co-host Adrian de Guzman. From there, they both started to create a community of Pop Music and Pop Culture enthusiasts. It was fate that Hashi Donburi was also slowly regaining its footing post-pandemic; because Alwyn saw an opportunity to merge both his babies into one.

“As a person who loves enjoying music with people, I found an opportunity to celebrate our love for music through my restaurant when people started going outside again. From a Digital Community, we grew and became bonded with music,” Alwyn said.

Every weekend, Alwyn opens his family’s space for Iglesia Ni Carly Nights, Queen B Nights, K-pop Nights, and more, with mostly queer people attending it.

“They make it their safe space. As a queer person who has the resources to organize events, I think it’s just right to pay it forward to those who support us. We became popular because of how people treat each other and how the space allows them to become liberated with music with no judgement from others,” he added.

Alwyn never thought he’d end up in this position, as a Project Management Professional who works in the booming financial technology industry. But it made sense – as a graduate of electronics engineering, Alwyn said that he’s always loved managing things.

“Even in college, I have always been passionate as a student leader and carried all my experiences and learning to my career and entrepreneurship. With Pop Emergency, it has always been a ‘what if’ to do public speaking. That ticked one of my bucket list items to be able to be a ‘sort of radio DJ’ through podcasting, plus I am an enthusiast of Pop Music as a diehard Beyonce fan,” Alwyn said.

‘It’s ‘play time’ for me when I press record. But the podcast’s trajectory went beyond our expectations – we are now gathering people, we are now making memories through communal experiences. In some ways, the things I do sound disconnected but if you analyze it — leading and managing are always there. They are my bread and butter,” Alwyn added.

The impact of safe spaces

The community impact of Pop Emergency is almost palpable. The podcast, since it was founded on love and passion for pop music, became so impactful because it mirrors a lot of individuals who made music their sole shoulder to lean on when things got hard. Music was their savior, and Pop Emergency became a lifeline.

“As queer people, our ‘idols’ help us get through different emotions through their art form. People can get really attached to these things. What we are doing with Pop Emergency is we connect them to one another,” Alwyn said, proud of his community that is “equalized” and filled with people who are empathetic towards each other.

“We have attracted LGBTQIA+ individuals because they feel the genuine love. Because they feel seen through the music we play and the people they are with. Hashi Donburi will continue to harness that energy as long as it can,” he added. Hashi Donburi has hosted a myriad of pop culture-themed interactive events, like drag shows, album listening parties, quiz nights, and even stand-up comedy nights.

“Each time we do it there’s just a new ‘core memory’ unlocked for many of our friends. That became our driving force to keep doing it. At the same time, I also try to reinvent what we serve so they can also have a good time with good food at the restaurant,” Alwyn said.

For Alwyn, it is important to not claim to be a ‘safe space’ – rather, he just wants to be a host to what safe spaces should be: founded by mutual respect and love.  He believes that if we can all just be kind to one another and have a good time, then “the internal struggles of queer people in the community can feel lighter.”

“Hashi Donburi is not the place for people to date or feel beautiful. It is a place where you can be your authentic self without the fear of being judged by the people in the community. That has always been a struggle, so we avoid it to become that way. We want to foster an environment where everyone can come as they are and dance the way he wishes to dance with. The people in it make it a safe space. So its important to always reiterate what we value as “hosts” – love, respect, and boundaries,” he added.

“I hope to bring this experience to other places where queer people don’t have the support system from their communities. There is no better feeling than singing Beyonce’s “BREAK MY SOUL” than with people who know the pain and the joys of being gay.” – Rappler.com